when diagnosed?

I was finally diagnosed when I was 42 years old by a nurse practitioner .I am a nurse and had never heard of this problem.My MD and my gyn had never mentioned it either and I had all the symtoms since puberty.Anyone else have this happen to them?I never tried to get pregnant so never knew was cystic or infertile.I hope the rny will give me a chance at a more normal lfie.Another question...After I was treated for the elevated male hormones my symtoms went away but also my libido and ability to have an ****** decreased ;anyone also had this?

Yep...just like you. I have been PCOS since puberty as well but fortunately for me it was caught when I was 23...I am also hoping that the WLS will help me feel more like a woman. I notice that since my PCOS reared its ugly head my libido has really slowed down as well as my ability for ****** is very decreased...so just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Kristy

I had no idea PCOS could be a factor in my lack of/decreased ******s - awesome information girls! I was diagnosed at 33-34 but know I've had it for many years. It was caught by the dermatologist when I went to get help with all the ingrown hairs my chin! She said she was sure it was hormones and that lazer wouldn't be a permanent solution for me (I'd already tried electrolyzis lots of times). Anyway - long story short, my gyno said I had PCOS without the cysts, but I never had an ultrasound done until reasantly and I do indead have lotsa cysts! Go figure... Linda

Wow - well, I was diagnosed when I was about 24 or 25. I too had my dermatologist tell me she thought I had this. So I went to get on BCP to control my cycles (DH and I weren't trying to conceive at that time) and they said I most likely had it. I asked how they know for sure. The nurse practitioner was quite dismissive and said a pelvic ultrasound would be the only way. I asked her how they knew the cysts weren't cancerous. She acted as if I was a complete moron. So maybe I was - I didn't know what it was! She didn't want to schedule me for the ultrasound, but I had to know, so I insisted. Sure enough, I had the cysts. Years later I tried the Atkins diet and found my cycles started becoming regular (they hadn't been regular since I was 12). Later I found it was heavily linked to insulin resistance, and all the information I searched for in all the libraries and medical books couldn't tell me as much as I found online about this. I stuck with Atkins and was able to conceive my son who was born in June 2001. Had it not been for stumbling upon Atkins, we wouldn't have him here today. Dina

I went to several doctors who misdiagnosed me for years. I didn't develop it until after my 3rd pregnancy. First went to gyno for no periods then heavy periods lasting months, then off to dermatologist for hairs on my chin. He told me it was heridtary and deal with it! Had emergency d&C's to stop bleeding. Then my hair was falling out Doc told me same thing male pattern baldness I must have inherited from my dad. Another doc told me my body was in a depression and gave me Elavil. Another doc thought I was psychosymatic and told me I was too young to be having the problems I "claimed" to have. None of them would test me. The gyn washed his hands of me and told me he couldn't help me anymore and if the bleeding probs continued all he could do for me was a hystarectomy but I was too young for that. It was terrible. I began eating once a day (500 calories or less) just to keep my weight stable. One dietician told me she couldn't help me unless I admited to having a eating problem. I cried. I told her that the diet would cause me to gain more weight (and it did). I finally found a NP that diagnosed me and sent me to an endoc who told me there is nothing but glucophage to help and if that didn't work I had to live with it. All these docs told me the same thing "Diet, cut calories, lose weight" ignoring the fact that I was on a pretty much permanent diet to keep from gaining anymore weight. It took 6 years to be diagnosed for me. So I am quite leary of doctors now.