Confused and Need Help!

Hi. My fiance and I have been together for a little over 6 years now. We have been trying to have a baby for the past 3 years. No luck at all. My periods are irregular. Went to the doctor he did blood tests and an ultrasound to see if I had polysystic ovaries. He told me that the ultrasound was fine nothing wrong. However he told me that I have high levels of testosterone. He put me on the bc Yaz. He said 3 months worth would regulate my body and lower the testosterone level. I did the 3 months worth and nothing changed at all. I have some facial hair that is starting to grow. I am 21 years old WHY is this happening??? I'm so confused about what to do. We aren't made of money, I won't have med insurance until we are married this May. Is there anything I can buy OTC that will help?  We desperatley want children of our own. What are my options?

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
You most likely have a syndrome known as Stein-Leventhal which sounds awful, but is extremely common, so don't get too stressed!  It is also known as Polycycstic Ovary syndrome, but is really a catch all phrase for irregular menstruation due to hormone imbalance.  Many people have normal looking ovaries on ultrasound, so it is kind of a dumb name! One of the best treatments for it (if you are not trying to have a baby) is oral contraceptive pills.  Vaniqa and Spironolactone are also good for treating hair growth.
In fact you might want to check out this site:
http://www.hormone.org/Polycystic/treatment.cfm

Unfortunately the hairs that have already sprouted have to be removed by laser or electrolysis.

As for having a baby, one of the absolute best things that people with PCOS can take is Metformin. This might solve the problem all by itself, and is not terribly expensive.  You might ask your doctor about this one.  When you DO get insurance, you may want to add something stronger if you are not having regular periods by then.  I like to use Femara in my own patients.  I would recommend that you see an infertililty specialist if you can swing it, as many general doctors will end up wasting a lot of your time with temperature charts, etc.

Hope this is helpful!
Good luck!
Dr B