Need Advice

**Might be a little long, sorry about this**

Wow, I feel a little angry at my doctors right now. I've never really been aware or was informed of PCOS until reading some stuff online and on this website about my personal symptoms. The different cures my doctor put me on for each of these symptoms seem pretty on par to what PCOS positive people are being treated with and I'm kind of scared... Cancer is not something I want to think about for not being diagnosed earlier, nor complete infertility:

-No periods of very infrequent. **So my doctor put me on birth control to make me regular**

-Extreme acne and oily skin. **So my doctor gave me Benzaclin gel to put on my face**

-Excess hair on face and chest. **Read below, also I went through laser hair treatments only to have the hair come back**

-Obviously I'm big, I never had a point where I gained a lot of weight all of a sudden, I've just had it all my life. **Had lap-band procedure for this, didn't work (another story)**

-High triglycerides levels? Something along those lines. **So my doctor prescribed Glucophage/Metformin**

-Dark brown ring around my neck. **Doctor called it Terra Firma Forme Dermatosis "dirty dermatosis" and said that was a sign of pre-diabetes and left it at that... it's not something that can be washed off but I found out if you scrub it with rubbing alcohol it removes the color so if any of you have that... it works**

-Skin tags: neck, armpits, inner thighs. **Doctor said they remove them for $90 a pop, and there's no cause they just appear**

-I get what I think are cramps even when I'm not on my period, severe pain in my pelvic region.. haven't talked to the doc yet about that one.

About the hair:::: My mom brought me to the doctors when I was 17 because I'd finally had enough of all the excess facial hair and I was really upset about it at that age. My doctor did talk about a male hormone excess and he sent me to have an ultra-sound on my ovaries (never fully explained why, nor did he bring up PCOS) and when the results came back he said.... I DO HAVE small cysts on my ovaries BUT it was because of my period and they'll go away after I have it... I'm so confused, wouldn't that be another sign of PCOS or is that really common to have cysts that go away after your period?

One more thing (sorry guys), I read all these symptoms to my mom (who also has every one I do, plus sleep apnea) and SHE said "OMG" pretty much... because every pregnancy she's ever had she miscarried on EXCEPT for me. I was an only child... kinda creepy.

Anyways, I guess the advice I'm looking for is... does this sound like PCOS? and if so, where do I go from here? Do I talk to my doctor or is there a specialized doctor that is better suited for this (say, an OBGYN for instance?) I just need advice. Can all these things/symptoms happen to someone who does NOT have PCOS? For maybe, some other reason? 
 

I'm bringing it up to my doctor during a regular appointment I have this Monday (Jan. 12th) so any advice I get on here I might bring with me lol.

 that pretty much describes everything i have been experiencing! I especially hate the dark ring around my neck, i always thought it was just dirt, but now i know it has a name! 
sorry i dont know anything else about PCOS  but this actually helped me!

Use rubbing alcohol to scrub your neck, it removes the discoloration. It takes a little effort and pressure but it works. I found it on some website like right after my doctor gave me the name for it lol it kinda makes your neck sore for a minute but after a little while it should remove the color. Hope that much helps :-)

If this is a major concern for you I would definitely see an ob/gyn for it. Obviously I'm not a doctor, but just by reading your post it sounds like PCOS. Also you should bring this up specifically with the doc you've been seeing. While they didn't give you a name they've been treating you for all these symptoms and either they just didn't want to name it and know it's PCOS or they don't know what PCOS is and if that's the case it's not good! an ob/gyn would be your best bet, and if you're having a lot of problems with it they may even refer you to an endocrinologist. Do you have an ob/gyn? if you do you don't even really have to ask your regular doc to see them.

Thanks for the advice, no I don't have an ob/gyn... wasn't even sure if that was the right person to see but I read on another post that they're seeing one and it sounded right. What's an endocrinologist? Yeah it kind of worries me either way if I end up having it, either my doc didn't recognize it for what it is... or he knew and didn't tell me which is pretty bad too >_< bahh. Thanks.

You seemed to have every symptom in the book.  I too had them as a teenager but wasnt diagnosed until trying to concieve 10 years ago for 2nd child.  The cysts dont go away after period.  You need to see an endocrinologist.

Well girl - you just typed my life story! 
It's so embarrassing isn't it!  At 19 I had the dark skin and all of the symptoms you listed - when I went to the OB and asked her about the dark skin especially in the thighs she told me that it was because I was too heavy and they rubbed together and that I needed to lose weight.  
Right now there is not cure for PCOS - (I'm 28 now).  I have been working with a new OB and endocrineologist as the insulin resistance is a symptom of the PCOS.  However, they have had good results with getting the insulin resistance controlled which decreases the symptoms of the PCOS.  Your not alone there are a ton of web sites out there for info.  I'm going to try the rubbing alcohol.  Haven't heard of that one yet.  I don't have a lot of good remedies I just wanted to let you know there are others just LIKE YOU who are dealing with the same thing.

I was wondering how your visit with the dr. went? I just happened to read your story and I remember trying to figure this whole thing out... Well first, to answer your question above, an ENDOCRINOLOGIST is a doc that specializes in the treatment of hormones- and PCOS is a hormonal disorder for sure!!

As the other ladies have mentioned, you definitely need to see an ob/gyn or an endocrinologist. From being diagnosed with this disease at 12 years old by an endocrinologist, my opinion is endo first, ob/gyn next. The #1 tellsign of having PCOS is through a fasting test... to measure hormones in your system... it tells exactly what your hormones do after a meal (insulin most important, etc- a good doc will also check your testosterone levels(T4 & Free), estrogen, lh/fsh ratio- basically a gang of hormones to help solidify a PCOS  diagnosis).

So did your doc suggest anything? Any more tests? A referral? Anything? Not to be so much in your business... I guess I just heard all your symptoms and immediately was curious. If you dont care to share, I just hope it all goes well for you....

I forgot to update! Yes I did bring it up to my doctor and it gets a little confusing. I go to the same doctors office I've been going to since I was roughly 15. At first, I had a male doctor who was the one when I was 17 that put me though the ultrasound to check my ovaries. Since then I some how gravitated to this woman doctor who I actually like much much better. She wasn't fully aware that I had those tests done, and when I brought it up to her how all my symptoms match she agreed with me and said the tests they usually do is an ultrasound of your ovaries. I told her I already had it done and asked if it's true about having cysts before your period and I tried to explain what my previous doctor had said but obviously it's been a while so I couldn't remember word for word. I trust her more than I did my older doctor and she said yes you can because before your period you have a release of hormones or something and fluid build up or something... and she explained it in a way that I understood however I forgot already lol so don't quote me.

Though, that doesn't mean I don't have PCOS. She wants to do another ultrasound since it's been about 6 years and she said that the only other thing that I can do at this point even if I DO have PCOS (since I'm pretty much being treated for everything as it is) is get the medication that controls facial hair. Although, if I get RNY I can't use it for long because it contains a diuretic and that's a no-no after surgery. So yeah at this point in time since I'm not trying to have kids that's all they can do, but after I find out if I'm approved or not for the WLS then I'm going to pursue finding out. It was kind of just a vague discussion since I wasn't moving completely forwards yet, but I'm going to ask her for a referral to an endocrinologist when I get the ultrasound! :-) Thanks for all the advice guys *fingers crossed* maybe I'm just a weird one who has EVERY symptom but not PCOS.

*Becky*