Did doctors hesitate to diagnose you with this?

[cmchambers]

I have been to three doctors, my primary care, my ob/gyn, and an endocrinologist and all of them have seemed to hesitate in diagnosing me with this or with Cushing's.  I have symptoms of both and have for at least 10 years.  They run all kinds of tests and tell me the results are not conclusive.  It has left me with a lot of frustration because I want to be able to treat whatever it is and start to move on.  Has anyone else had similar things happen?  I don't know anyone that has either one of these so it is hard for me to understand everything and explain to people when I am asked a question.

[melissa_c]

I have had one doctor tell me she was absolutely positive that I have PCOS however my current doctor says no way.  I think she is wrong.  I havent had a regular period without meds in at least 4 or 5 years now.  I am only 22.  My doctor now says that I don't have it and put me on provera...or medroxyprogesterone.  She prescribed 10mg a day for 10 days every single month.  Taking this dose made me crazy...one time...I cried because my husband left a towel on the bathroom floor...and then I yelled at him and said that he did on purpose just because I wasn't feeling well and he wanted to make it worse...ridiculous I know...an hour later I felt so stupid...my poor husband.  I had mood swings like that from taking so much of this med...but what I have learned online is that not having a period can cause more issues and so I would take it anyway.  Then one month I took my first pill and we were moving and my husband misplaced my pills...so I had to wait for my refill.  My period actually still came with just the one pill though so I just told my doctor at my next apt that I only took one pill and it worked so she said that was fine.  She hasn't done anymore blood work since my first apt with her when I moved to the area in Sep 07 and she simply read the results of my ultrasound from the previous dr that said I had one cyst on each ovary and said that I did not have PCOS.  Since then everytime I go back she tells me I am fine and that all my tests are normal...all she has done since the initial visit is talk and a reg yearly pap...and of course since that was normal she doesn't think anything is wrong with me.  I have told her that I feel there has to be because I don't get a period...which can't be normal.  I have gained a lot of weight..I have started growing a mustache..(waxing is a must now...never was before the last couple years) and my hair on my head is thinning...I feel like it just falls out every time I touch it.  And of course I have tried both proactive and murad to keep my acne under control...which isn't as bad anymore but still there.  Wish it were easier to switch doctors!

[Christa4792]

My struggle is the similar to lori's I'm 24 years old. I get severe cramps every month and a temp of 103 for about an hour or two, but no period for 2 years, started growing a mustash. It was wonderfull (sarcastic) I pluck and wax like a mad woman. The doc put me on 500mg metformin and I tried a few different types of birth control to get my period started after she told me that i was a hormonal form of PCOS, but it made me crazy I was soo emotional and would cry for no reason at all or get really mad then feel dumb. I decided to say screw it for awhile and not take the birth control. What kind of treatment did you all get put on?

[lori0615]

My ultrasound was normal too, But my hormone panal and insulin resistance show pcos.

[msniki412]

An ultrasound is not the ONLY way to know for sure. I don't have any cysts on or in my ovaries. I would know....I've had a lot of those tests done, external and internal and my scans are always normal. So they also check by your hormone levels if there abnormal.

[babypooh]

Wow! Well, it's pretty bad that doctors can be like that sometimes. I had the same problem when I was younger and still in high school. I didn't have a period for 3 years before I told my mother and she took me to see my doctor. All he did was a urine test, blood tests and sent me home. I called for results and all the told me was that everything seemed normal. That some women just stop getting their period for a few years. I didn't think much of it because I was so young and unaware of PCOS. Now I wish I had known so that I could have gotten treatment back then. I'm upset now that I think back on that.

[LeftCoastChick]

I went through 3 GP's, 2 GYN doc's and finally got a referral to an ENDO, who just looked at my hormone panels, and told me I had it. I'm 40 and I've been complaining since 20. I've had more external and internal ultrasounds then you can swing a cat at, all showing cysts! I don't understand why doctor's are so hesitant of giving that diagnosis, the treatment (unless you are trying to get pregnant) is almost risk free.  I now have, unless I skip a dose or two, have my period on the exactly same day. I skipped 5 days once because I was broke, and I had 5 days of internal cramping before I got my period. The med I am on is pretty low in cost, so I always make sure I stock up now :)

[Jen923]

My primary doctor told me nothing was wrong with me and that I should start to feel normal by age 26. I am 22 now. She didn't even bother to run more specific tests or refer me to a gynocologist. Instead of listening to her advice, I saw a gynocologist who immediately suspected PCOS and did an ultrasound right away, which is the only way to know for sure.

[msniki412]

For me yes. My current GYN says its hard to diagnose this because you have to check the right hormone to see if its abnormal. I had to see 4 doctors before I was treated

[babypooh]

I didn't know about PCOS when I was seeing my doctor. He never even mentioned it even when he knew that I hadn't had a period in years. I didn't hear it until I started researching myself and they finally confirmed it after my surgery last year. I wish he would have at least mentioned it. Now I feel as if I didn't have the right doctor for me.
I'm sorry you're going through this :( Please don't give up until you find the right doctor for you! Good luck :)