i'm beggin for support!!

[cimontijo]

:(:confused:Where to start? I am 19 and was just diagnosed with PCOS about three months ago. And of course, I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT! I'm tired of trying to explain to my family how I feel and how much I need their support and love...sometimes it just seems like they don't want to listen or like I just want to whine all the time and that there really isn't anything wrong with me except my weight. My sisters are the only ones who at least have sympathy and will listen, but it's not the same as having someone to talk to that's going through the same as you are. So far, I haven't actually met anyone with PCOS and I find it odd since i've read that it's actually common. I am also married and my husband thinks he supports me but he really doesn't ...he just tells me to diet and that everything will be fine. But right now I feel like it's more than that...I understand that changing my lifestyle is super important but I just don't feel like he's caring about the way I feel emotianally. I feel very lonely and need to cope with this in some way. Please anyone that can give me some advice or anything...please do so. :(

[knutfugget]

Sorry you feel like no one is listening. :( Try not to be too hard on them. Most people just don't "get it". A lot of doctors don't even really understand pcos! :(

I was diagnosed right before turning 19. I had been married 1 month at the time. It DOES get easier to deal with, for the most part. :)

Your weight is definitely not the only issue to be dealt with. A lot of people make the mistake of labeling pcos as a "cosmetic" issue because of the weight gain, acne, hair issues, etc. There's a lot more to it than that!

Has your doctor started you on Metformin for the insulin resistance? What all information have they given you so far? For me, one of the most frustrating parts was not knowing what was really "wrong" with me. My doctor gave me a diagnosis and sent me on my way. I found these boards and that was a MAJOR help. :)

[cimontijo]

:) it makes my day to read these posts! i'm glad i found out about this in the book by doctor walter futterweit. I did start on metformin, but i haven't noticed much of weight loss, what I did notice is that I don't feel as tired anymore and I don't get as much headeaches as I used to. I'm also on the BCP called loestrin24fe. Those have worked also because it's been about five months that I get my period ...twice a month!! It has gotten to the point where I don't get my period at all if i'm not on pills..that does not make me feel like a women at all. :( And I was just telling my husband how I hated my skin (although the acne problem is not as bad as the weight or the hair)...and he just doesn't "get it" he says...I have acne too. I know it's hard for him to understand me, but I just wish he would. But I know that the more I use the forum...the better I will feel and I will learn that it's not easy for my family to understand me too. I see you have children (which by the way are beautiful), did you get pregnant just by using metformin. My doctor was no help to me at all, she just told me that metformin would help control my insulin and that therefore, it would help me lose weight. She basically did labwork on me, told me I have PCOS, had me do some ultrasounds, told me to lose weight and sent me on my way. She gave me metformin for six months and that was it...no advice no information. The weird part is....that I don't actually have cysts on my ovaries? Am I the only one? But the doctor did say it was PCOS because of all the other symptons.

[knutfugget]

You don't always notice weight loss right away (can take up to 6 months or more). Some people don't notice much weight loss at all. For me, the Metformin just makes it easier to lose weight. I don't lose weight just from taking it, but I do lose more than I would with diet & exercise without Met.

I don't always have cysts on my ovaries. I have a ton right now, though. They seem to "pop" on their own from time to time and then I get them again. I don't know if that's "normal", but it's how my body works.

Before starting the Met, I would only get my period every 3-5 months. Definitely not good for your body! :( Once you "fix" the hormonal issues and start having regular periods, the rest should get easier. I noticed that my skin went back to being clear and the hair growth majorly slowed down. It took quite awhile for things to get back to "normal", and it was A LOT of work.

Thank you for the compliment. I think they're beautiful kids, too. :) And yes, they were conceived from Metformin - along with diet, exercise and a LARGE amount of weight loss. I had gained 100 lbs in a year before being diagnosed with pcos. I lost 80+ of that and then got pregnant with Nathan. I gained a lot of weight with him (70 lbs), lost 50+ of that and got pregnant with Hailey. I know a lot of women have had success with conceiving after losing 10-20% of their body weight. I'm not saying that is ALWAYS the case, but having pcos, keeping a healthier weight is always a good thing. ;)

[marissa1987]

well at least im not the only one ughh, Do you guys find it hard to get through the day some times, i mean the wieght the hair acne pain i dont feel like a woman because i dont have my period i have hair were i shouldnt breast stomach neck chin i hate myself

[cimontijo]

yup...that's exactly how i feel!!! it's embarrassing that sometimes i don't even want to have intercourse with my husband because i tell him i haven't shaved my legs or something like that. i hate being out on the sun because i feel like people are looking at the hair on my chin...if not, then the acne. it is just embarrassing to be me sometimes and my self esteem is very low. i try hard so that i don't let it get me down but sometimes it's hard. i hear you. are you on metformin? have you gone to an endocrinologist?

[cimontijo]

wow...knutfugget, your story gives me hope and faith!! i have an appointment with a dietician on saturday (i find it hard to stick to a diet on my own becasue i was raised on tortillas and not veggies) and i'm going to the gym...i mostly do yoga and the days i don't go i'll walk my puppy. one of my sisters, is overweight like me and she doesn't have PCOS but she couldn't get pregnant until she lost 25 pounds and got pregnant with my niece. are you strict with your kids as to what they eat? i know your daugther is young, but i'm sure you want her to know how to eat and have a healthy lifestyle. i know it wasn't my mother's fault, but sometimes i do wish that i would have had the lifestyle that i am now trying to build.

[knutfugget]

I do try to limit the things they eat. Mostly carb/sugar intake. Even though Nate is a boy and can't inherit polycystic ovaries, he can still inherit the insulin resistance that ties into it. He'll be at higher risk for diabetes and other problems, so I'm trying to get him used to watching his carbs from a young age. If he can stay a healthy weight, that gives him a better chance of not ending up diabetic. :)

I don't do diets, really. It really does need to be a "lifestyle change". I still "cheat' from time to time and eat more carbs than I should, but I pay for it later by feeling sick. :( I just find it's easier to eat healthier if I don't feel like I CAN'T have something. If it's my CHOICE not to eat it, I can handle that. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's how it is. :)

I hope your appointment goes well and you get some helpful info!

[cimontijo]

Thanks...I hope it goes well too. That's good that you are teaching your kids at a young age, so it will be easier to control his body as a grown up. My poor mother didn't have much to eat when she grew up, so she raised us thinking that it was bad to have any food left on your plate. She didn't realize that although she was feeding us, she was making us overeat. She also has metabolic syndrome so a lot of the symptons tie in with PCOS. She takes metformin as well. Thanks for all the advice...:)

[Loverdi]

When I was in middle school (9 yrs or so ago), i was so self conscious of myself. I had hair on my upper lip then, a boy in a higher class then me noticed and started making fun of me, I was so embarrass about it. but all of that was before i knew about PCOS. Its hard being different sometimes, but i manage. I'm afraid to shave it off, because my mom said that if i do it will come back thicker like a mans beard. I'm not sure if its true or not.

[cimontijo]

:(To be honest...I shave mine and it grows back but not thicker. You can't even notice I have one...but it feels unfomfortable to me because I know it's there. The chin hair is more noticable but I wax that and i'm tired of it...I always get acne on my chin because of it. I want to have laser hair removal, but right now I can't afford it.

[Loverdi]

Laser hair removal would be awesome, if it wasn't for the fact its so darn expensive:mad:. so shaving it wont make it grow thicker or darker? i might give it a try.
i cant use the Nair hair removal stuff to often cause of the chemicals, and waxing can blister like the chemical, i hate tweezers. the new thing that's supposed to rub the hair off takes too long.

[sweetsunshine72]

If you are getting blisters from the waxing, your wax is probably too hot and you are burning yourself!!! Either that, or your skin might be sensitive to the perfumes in the wax.

Try using a "cool wax", or one of those pre-waxed strips you just rub between your hands, then peel off each other. You can cut them to size with a pair of scissors, or get the smaller ones. You can also switch to a non-scented wax for sensitive skin.

While shaving doesn't really make the hair grow in thicker, it DOES make the ends stay thick, instead of tapering off. That CAN make it more noticable. With plucking and waxing, you are pulling it out by the root, which damages the root. Not only does the root have to heal before it can grow back, but the hair also has to travel back up the whole length of the shaft before it reaches the "outside". It also has a thinner, tapered tip on it, which is often less visible. You can prevent ingrown hairs by making sure you exfoliate regularly, which keeps the hair shaft clear.

Because the hair growth is linked to excess androgens ("male" hormones), make sure your body is re-balanced before you use laser, etc., or you may have to repeat it to deal with new hairs "turning" dark and thick. The ones that are there already won't "turn back" into the near-invisible "peach fuzz" that we all have, but they do get thinner and lighter, and can take less time to grow back once your hormones are re-balanced.

I know this sounds depressing, but there IS a light at the end of the tunnel!!!! By controlling the underlying Insulin Resistance (that almost all of us have, and is the root of things for most of us), you help your body to re-balance itself, which DOES help your symptoms! It seems to be the key to it all (over 80% of us have IR).

PCOS can be a REAL pain in the rear, BUT it CAN be managed, and you CAN live a pretty normal life, kids and all (just a very HEALTHY one)!!! :)

Take care, HTH!!! :D

[kirsty1988]

my family,s exacly the same my doctour has even said its no big deal try talking to your family and try and make then understand how your feeling and that you need there support i know its hard and i hope you get the support you need[hugs]

[veronica444]

I'm 19 as well. I've had pcos for about a year and a half as far as I can tell because that's how long I've been having symptoms consistent with pcos, although I was only diagnosed with pcos this summer. This diagnosis came about because I finally told my doctor that I hadn't had a period in eight months and that I'd been having irregular periods for about three months before that. I was so embarrassed to talk about it. I felt self concious about the fact that my body wasn't working the way it was supposed to. I felt like if I just ignored it, things would work themselves out. Of course, they didn't. I've been on metformin for about three months now, but my periods have not restarted - and that worries me. My acne is pretty bad, but I've learned not to let that bother me because that pre-existed my pcos by several years and I've grown used to it. I generally think well of my appearance, even though I know it's not perfect. I have very excessive hair growth so that I have to shave my face, my chest, my stomach, and the entire length of my legs every time I shower. I'm overweight, but not obese. All of these things get to me occasionally, but the most important thing is to never let it get you down. You just have to believe in yourself, have confidence. Know that there is a reason you are the way you are, and that that is never going to go away. So realize what's good about yourself, revel in it, and never lose hope. There is grace in the struggle, and strength in the challenge.

[sweetsunshine72]

Hi Veronica, and welcome!

You have a very mature attitude!!! :) One thing I would like to mention is that some doctors (especially if they are a gyno or family doc) will not give you the full 1,500 mg/day of Metformin that is considered to be the therapeutic dosage for PCOS. In fact, you can go up to 2,000 mg/day! Also, while IR is the MAIN issue, there are other things that can contribute, as well, and there are other conditions that can mimic PCOS symptoms. This is where an endocrinologist comes in - they (are supposed to!) do the "detective work" to figure out if there's anything else that's going on, like thyroid issues, or if it's not PCOS, but something else like a pituitary tumor (scarry, but NOT usually cancer, and pretty easily delt with!) If, after about 6 months on full dosage combined with the lifestyle changes, you have not seen any noticable improvements, then I would go back and demand further investigation!

Also, make sure you do get your period "triggered" at least every 3 months. You can do that with Prometrium or Provera (progesterone). It's gentler on your body than full BCP's, and it works WITH your natural cycle, rather than just over-riding it. You also can "pick and choose" when to use it, instead of having to take it constantly. Sometimes, if your period has stopped altogether, it gets 'stuck', and needs a 'jump-start' to get going again, too.

Take care, and good luck!!! HTH!!! (((HUGS)))