What symptom?

A friend of mine on OH suggested that I get tested for PCOS. When I mentioned it to my PCP, he didn't think I had it but he did give me the name of an Endicrinologist in case I decide to check it out.

What symptoms did you have that made you check for PCOS?

This is what I have.
1 cyst on each ovary (I think one broke)
1 Fibroid Tumor
Enough chin and neck hair that I pluck every couple days
Lifelong obesity
Slow weight loss (even with WLS)
Boils/sores (I just read a post on this and I've been getting them since my teens..creases of my legs, under my breasts, armpits, inside of my thigh)

I'm just a little curious here. The more I read, the more I think I have it. Does anyone have a good website to go to for info? TIA

If you read enough about any illness, you can convince yourself that you have it!  That being said, go to an endo or a gyno and see if you have it.  No sense in trying to self diagnose.  Don't torture yourself like that.

Thanks sweetie. I will have it checked out.

i think it's definately worth a test at a doctor's office. you could get a blood test to test your testosterone or cortisol levels, but it's just my opinion...you more than likely have it! though i haven't heard of the boils as a symptom before. i think that's related to cystic fibrosis, which it sounds like you may have too. SO, since it's so uncertain...it can't hurt to make that appointment!! good luck!

OH and to actually answer your question: The first time i heard of PCOS i was actually getting laser hair removal on my face, and the tech/dr guy said that it sounded like i had it. he perscribed me glucophage. Before that it was irregular periods since i was 10.5 years old...which my HMO doc at the time had no idea to even look into something called PCOS. after that, i was actually checked for cushings disease by my general practitioner...becuase she's always thinking up things *lol* and then i walked into an endochronologist's office and she diagnosed me from just glancing at me, put me on YAZ which has been my life saver, and set up some pills for the hair problems, and weight. But, of course, finally all the other things were bad enough that i got WLS anyway...supposedly keeping the weight off will keep PCOS at bay!! good luck to you.

Thanks for sharing that Melissa. I'm definitely going to make an appt. and see the endo. My menstrual cycle is not that screwed up, so I'm not sure, but I'm going to check it out anyway.

There are 4 or 5 different types of PCOS.  If you check out www.soulcysters.com they have detailed info about each one.

To test for it they can run your testosterone, LH/FSH ratios and fasting insulin to diagnose.  I actually didn't have to do any of that testing as my OB dx'ed me just on my menstrual history alone.  For me my PCOS symptoms were:

obesity
irregular (actually non-exsistant) menstrual cycles
no ovulation (even with medication)
elevated testosterone
hirsutism (the facial hair)
acne
skin tags
elevated insulin (aka insulin resistance)
diabetes
acanthosis nigricans (darkened areas of the skin related to elevated insulin)

They are all gone now with the exception of the hirsutism.  That won't go away without laser hair removal but at least it's not getting worse!

BTW - I think the other poster meant to say that the boils were cystic acne...not cystic fibrosis.  Cystic fibrosis is a congenital lung condition.

Good luck!

I am so that you cleared up the cystic fibrosis comment!  I get soooo nervous when people give each other medical advice, and god forbid, medical diagnoses on here!  My advice is always: Go see your Doc!

Some other symptoms commonly associated with PCOS:

Alopecia (male-pattern baldness -- if only some of those pesky chin hairs would sprout on my head!)
Depression (this could be a chicken/egg thing -- is Depression a symptom of PCOS or if I didn't have PCOS, would I be so darn depressed)
Apple-shaped body -- most of your weight is in the stomach area, like a man gains weight, not the hips and thighs, like many women gain weight.

Personally, when I went to a new gyno and told her that I had not had a period in 2 years, she immediately suspected PCOS.

Kristy hit most of the symptoms above, but in addition to that, hypertension and a low LDL (good cholesterol) and breast discharge are also symptoms. It's a very common condition, with approx. 10 percent of all women having it, and is the leading cause for infertility. I have read that to diagnose a patient with PCOS, they only need to have 3 of the symptoms. Also having the classical POLY cystic ovaries is a symptom. Every woman as a couple of cysts, that's how we ovulate, but you can have PCOS with NO cysts on your ovaries, and you don't have to be overweight either... Metabolic syndrome is also closely related to PCOS... Look through medical journals, that is your most reliable source for information.