Do you have PCOS?

[takemedrunkimhome]

ladies, i've noticed a lot of you are shaving your chin area, isn't this making the hair come in really thick?
i forced my gp to refer me for laser treatment, and got it. it was successful and has changed my life, however since then (last treatment was around a year ago) since then i've had a few very fine baby type hairs and a few dark courser ones, though i wax that area and it stays very smooth.
i'd recommend waxing over shaving, i think it makes the whole area look better xx

Hey,

My problem is mine grows so fast that I really need to shave mine everyday so how could I leave it long enough to be able to wax it? My friend who is beauty therapist did say that waxing might help lift the skin tone under my chin (it is darker) but I don't see how I could leave it.

What did you say to your doctor to be referred every time I go he fobs me off with an other drug to see if that helps. Have been on metformin for a while and to be honest I am not seeing any difference at all how long does the laser take?

 

[zoso]

my personal opinion is you should wait until you have a few days where you arent doing anything, and let it grow in, then get your beautician to wax it. it'll need waxed more often to start, but the wax pulls the hair out at the root so it'll naturally take longer to come back in. i wax mine about every 3 or 4 weeks now, even now theres only about 12-15 short hairs across the whole area which are darker.

as for the referral, the gp i seen that day was a prick, not my usual doctor, and completely unsympathetic.
i was mortified given he's around the same age as me. i said i'd seen it on embarrassing bodies and would like referred, he said "your problem is you need to lose weight" and didn't say another word, so i sat and silently fumed for about a minute then said "i'm sorry, i know what i look like in the mirror, i see myself every day. i have a condition. this is a side effect of that condition and i want a referral for laser treatment" he said no, i said i wasn't leaving without a referral (had my brave pills!), he said "even if i refer you, they wont do it", i said i'd rather go and see them and let them refuse me. i then swallowed my pride, pulled myself together (i'd been crying) and said to him how he'd made me feel, i told him if i phoned the doctors again and he was the only doctor available, i'd sooner see a vet, and that i'd be phoning the next morning to check my referral had been sent, then i upped and left.
he sent the referral, i got an appt around 6 weeks later where i seen a dr in the dermatology department, she was lovely, she then said i was suitable and referred me to the royal infirmary in glasgow where i got my treatment every 6 weeks for a year. the nurses were lovely, it was a wee bit sore, but worth it.
(also, she asked me if i waxed my top lip, which has never came in all that dark or heavy, and i said yes, and she lasered that too! i wax my lip area around every 3 months or so.
good luck and let me know how you get on xxx

 

[Lauramca]

hi all, im new on here & also have PCOS. i was dx 18months ago after ttc for 2 years. I have hairy face/body and it actually makes me feel sick.. i pluck around my chin and trim the rest of my face as the hairs are pretty light, im over weight and periods are every 6months if im lucky, which means i have very low fertility. Drs have agreed to fertility treatment if i lose 2stone which i feel is just gonna take forever. Ive started slimmingworld diet but have struggled to stick to it in the past. does any1 have any easier diets or diets with quick results? Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated coz i feel lik i just cant cope with the pressure :cry:

 

[*Emma]

Hi Laura, have you been prescribed Metformin? My doctor gave it to me as soon as I was diagnosed, and two weeks later, my period returned! It's also supposed to help with weight loss, so maybe you could ask for that? It's a medication for diabetes, and isn't licensed to be used for PCOS, but it is working for me I don't think there is a quick and easy way to lose weight, no matter which diet you choose, it's going to take some time. Quick fixes never work, and I definitely wouldn't recommend them. Good luck with whichever diet you decide to try

 

[Lauramca]

hi emma, yeah i was given the metformin wen i was dx aswell but after 6 weeks i hadnt lost anything and my periods still hadnt returned do my doc took me off it coz it wasnt doin any good. im starting back slimmingworld 2nyt.. dont really want to go to the meetings but i seriously need motivation. thanks for the reply x

 

[A_Shrinking_Violet]

zoso, was the treatment free on the NHS? Though I know you get more stuff free in bonnie Scotland x

 

[girlnextdoor]

What an interesting thread - thanks to all contributors for being so candid about the symptoms!!

 

[Raven1066]

Hi all I have PCOS too :-( I was diagnosed in my teens and struggled for a few years as I reacted to the medication. I managed to lose some weight and got pregnant and now have a gorgeous 1 year old girl but put on about 3 stone while I was pregnant and finding hard to shift.
I have been doing slimming world for just over 2 weeks now and lost 7lbs so far. Hope to keep it up

Good energy 2 all x

 

[vix88]

Pcos...Still waiting to be treated

Hi all

Found out i had pcos last september. I went to the doctors and they checked me out (blood tests, scans etc you know the drill)
So forwarded me to the hospital to see a gynaecologist.

She basicly told me that i need to lose weight and then she'll go from there. She sent me an appointment, i had one for Feb this yr they changed it then to june and now it's been changed to july!

So looks like i've got plenty of time to lose afew lbs.

Feels like i'm being messed about. I'm 23 and wouldn't mind getting things into gear now (don't want kids old) that's if i can have them.

Another thing aswell is that the doctors should know that with pcos its harder to lose weight, its like a vicious circle.

Don't see why i have to lose weight before they can treat me? It's just prolonging it..

 

[scooterchick]

hi all, im new on here & also have PCOS. i was dx 18months ago after ttc for 2 years. I have hairy face/body and it actually makes me feel sick.. i pluck around my chin and trim the rest of my face as the hairs are pretty light, im over weight and periods are every 6months if im lucky, which means i have very low fertility. Drs have agreed to fertility treatment if i lose 2stone which i feel is just gonna take forever. Ive started slimmingworld diet but have struggled to stick to it in the past. does any1 have any easier diets or diets with quick results? Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated coz i feel lik i just cant cope with the pressure :cry:

Hey there,

I lost 2 stone on cambridge plan and fell pregnant after trying for ages. It's very effective at giving fast results!!!

 

[reginaphalange]

I have PCOS and for years did nothing, I was diagnosed after multiple miscarriages. For me its the hair and weight gain that is a problem. I became borderline diabetic because of it and now with the help of metformin and dieting I'm feeling lots better and have seen some improvement in the excess hair on my face x

 

[vix88]

Going hospital Wednesday to see what they are going to do about my pcos

Never been seen about it properly yet..only ever had a scan thats it.

Doctors took the mick..

 

[lilbootoo]

Hiya,
I have PCOS, was taking Metformin for a while and lost shed loads of weight (I think the divorce diet may have been a help too) BUT!!! When I stopped the metformin and got complacent the weight went back on.
So, now back on the metformin and have started ww propoints. Sayonara pounds...my size 14 jeans are waiting for me!

 

[lilbootoo]

yeah i was given the metformin wen i was dx aswell but after 6 weeks i hadnt lost anything and my periods still hadnt returned do my doc took me off it coz it wasnt doin any good.

Six weeks isn't really long enough to see if it's helping...you need a good couple of months. See if your doc can refer you to a joint endocrine/gynaecology clinic at the hospital where the hormone and ladies bits docs work together. It worked for me!

 

[hellyb25]

hi . i dont really know if i have pcos. i had my son in 2005 and then started to put loads of weight on very very quickly. i have always suffered with excess hair but normally just a bit of a muzzy (haha) and sidies. I started to get the hair all over my face and shaved it which made it alot worse. my arms are hairy, my stomach, bottom of my back, thighs, pretty much everywhere. i tried vaniqa cream but got spotty off it. the doctor sent me for tests a few years ago and to be honest it was all a bit of a blur. They didnt officially say to me " you have Pcos", but they put me on metformin which made my periods regular. i lost 2 stone and then stopped the metformin but still lost another 2 stone after that,. i have since put 2 stone back on and the hairyness is still bad. i dont really know if i have pcos at all but i have alot of the symptoms, i think i will go back the docs and see if he can explain what i have actually got. think i may ask for a referral for laser hair removal. i cant wear my hair up at all because of it.

 

[Enough]

hi hellyb

I think I'm right in saying that pcos is a syndrome not a disease.. which means that it's a collection of symptoms that people often get together.. so, in a way, if you have lots of the symptoms, then you have the syndrome.. there's no specific treatment for the collection of symptoms as such - there's more a range of treatments for the different things that often occur together..

I've been hairy for years and it really knocked my self esteem for a long time. I've now had laser on my face and body which I went to a place called SK:N clinic for, and it has completely changed my life - I'm so much more confident - it was worth the cost! ..and it has hurt while it's done, but it's sooo worth it that I've really not minded at all!

all the best with it all.. good luck xxx

 

[Lady Nebula]

I'm feeling really down about my PCOS. I was diagnosed in 2002 after I had my second child (11th pregnancy) but the only solution they were interested in at that time was a hysterectomy, as I had contraindications for everything else. Being 25 at the time I just ran and skipped appointments and have been living in denial and in pain ever since. During that period I gained 10 stone (exactly) and now have a lovely fetching beard, or would have if I didn't tackle it every day.

My breasts are now leaking black gunk, which has been put down to my hormones too and my GP wants me to go back to Gynea and deal with this. I don't know what to do....I have managed to lose 4 stone in the past six months, but it's a struggle and i really want to get back to being the person I was just a few years ago.

Does anyone else relate to this, or am I prattling on?

 

[Enough]

Lady Nebula - Hello love xx you're certainly not prattling on!

It's a cruel condition and it eats away at our self esteem and sense of identity as women.. and yet the strength I see in you for surviving some of the difficulties.. you've coped so well with so many things, and it's probably far easier for me to see at a distance than for you to see - if you re-read your message as if you were reading someone else's message you'll be impressed by her!

I've not managed to have kids at all, and it's looking increasingly unlikely to happen now.. some of these things - the way I look, the weight, the hormones effecting my moods.. they're like a subtle burden of feeling unlovable or feeling like a failure.. but the kids thing, that's different.. it like a completely silent scream of pain inside me that I carry and try to deal with, try to talk through with myself in helpful ways, try to not burden others with in terms of how my mood effects how I interact with others. Counselling has helped tonnes, but pcos is a mean condition which is mild and insignificant for some people, and damaging and life changing for others. People don't take it seriously, or even know what it is, so how do we get our acknowledgement and validation of our experiences? .. well.. here, I guess.. from each other...

I know that what you are going through is a huge challenge, and I know from your message that you have survived and come through huge challenges in the past.. so I know you will find strength within yourself to handle this challenge... but please please find time to reflect on how brilliantly you are doing, and possibly some anger at how unfair it is that we have to go through this.. and some sense of achievement for being so strong in the face of such huge challenges..

love xxxx

x

 

[Omfgchan]

Hi everyone, have been the doctors and had blood tests and it's looking highly likely i have pcos.. Have my scan next Saturday so all shall be revealed.

Losing my weight will surely help the matter and as i am only young having children should be possible, fingers crossed! Everyones lovely messages on here are a great inspiration!

 

[wanna.be.thin]

Hi All. I was diagnosed with PCOS 12 years ago. I have the syndrome too, hair on my face and stomach, loss of hair from my head, irregular periods!
Dr has forever changed my pill. I have laser treatment (IPL) it is fabulous!
The problem i have now is i am wanting to start a family next year and want to loose 3 stone before i do as i also want to get married,
is it just me or is it so much harder when you have PCOS! It just isn;t shifting! Don't think i'm doing too bad at the moment - 9lbs off in 4 weeks but i'm hardly eating and scared it will all go back on.
I want to go running bu frightened ppl will look at me and laugh! (very low self esteem!)
Any advice appreciated!!
Thanks
L
x