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Do periods get more and more irregular with PCOS?
My periods have almost always been sporadic, but I never missed more than two in a row. This past year, I noticed I'm skipping more often and when I skip, I get bad symptoms - it's like phantom PMS - for that month. August was especially bad (I skipped my period July and August) so I decided to go on the pill in September. I don't even know if I ovulated that month because I started the pill in the middle of the month. I guess it was denial for me because I was just so scared of missing 3 months in a row. Since I started on the pill mid Sept. I didn't get a chance to see if I'd get a period or not for that month, tho I had a feeling I was going to skip anyway. :( I'm actually feeling much worse on the pill. I want to see if it can help regulate things and it's supposed to help with cysts, if I have them. I had an ultrasound which showed several follicles on my left ovary, but my Dr. said he can't tell from this and wants to do more tests. I'm so scared that I have something wrong, if not PCOS than an imbalance, and my periods will just get worse when I go of fthe pill. I only want to be on it for a few months. Is it more than likely my periods will get more and more sporadic? I don't know if I have PCOS but does it really matter? I have something wrong. Every month I don't ovulate I just get so sad. I know ovulation makes women more attractive to men, and I don't have that. I've had depression and been on anti-depressants for 2 years. It could partly be related to the the irregular periods I've had since age 18. I never minded, but now it's more common for me to skip 1 and 2 in a row (I'm 28), and when I do I get the breakouts, anxiety, moodiness. The pill was supposed to help, but I'm feeling upset all the time. I just want to be a regular woman and it's not fair. Nothing is working in life but I at least felt like I was attractive and knowing how ovulation is a big part of that... it makes me feel like I'm going through menopause to not have this.
I really feel like I'll commit suicide if it gets much worse, if I go in next month and get tests ran that come out badly. I was just in shock in my initial appt. with the ob-gyn because my ultrasound came in mail marked "satisfactory." Now to hear that I could have PCOS and just having to wait until I go off this terrible pill (which I will next month becuase I can't STAND synthetic hormones in my body) to see if my cycles will regulate or get even more messed up. Please tell me that this isn't just going to get worse. I can deal with missing two cycles in a row, but to miss more than that. I might as well not be alive because it's an unreal thing to have to go through at 28 years old. :(
I really feel like I'll commit suicide if it gets much worse, if I go in next month and get tests ran that come out badly. I was just in shock in my initial appt. with the ob-gyn because my ultrasound came in mail marked "satisfactory." Now to hear that I could have PCOS and just having to wait until I go off this terrible pill (which I will next month becuase I can't STAND synthetic hormones in my body) to see if my cycles will regulate or get even more messed up. Please tell me that this isn't just going to get worse. I can deal with missing two cycles in a row, but to miss more than that. I might as well not be alive because it's an unreal thing to have to go through at 28 years old. :(
Some women skip cycles sometimes ( every once in a while) and be perfectly normal. I really think you might need to find another doctor. Be open with them and tell them your concerns. Your paying them to do their job.
Yes, in alot of cases cyst can keep you from ovulating. Alot depends on the size and location of it. There are many different type of cyst also, depending on what their composed of. Most cyst will go away after a couple of cycles. Someone I know had a cyst that got large enough to twist the ovary and cut the circulation to it and had to be removed completely. In that case, in my opinion, no cyst should be left untreated.
Metformin is not just for people with diabetes. Alot of women with pcos have an insulin resistance problem. It doesn't mean your diabetic. I'm not a doctor; but, I would imagine after some more blood work you could take it. Just ask! I wouldn't think you would have to want to be pregnant to take it. There are other meds you can take for it depending on the severity of your pcos.
Metformin is not just for people with diabetes. Alot of women with pcos have an insulin resistance problem. It doesn't mean your diabetic. I'm not a doctor; but, I would imagine after some more blood work you could take it. Just ask! I wouldn't think you would have to want to be pregnant to take it. There are other meds you can take for it depending on the severity of your pcos.
Also (this is kind of a rhetorical question cause prolly no one has the answer) why didn't my gynocologist (or former gyno - I had the same gyno for years until she recently moved) tell me about this, that when I skipped periods routinely, it could cause cysts that could further inhibit ovulation? She would say it's normal unless I skip 3 in a row. I always skipped one or two, but it was common for me to do that and she would say, "No problem."
:) Yes, it is stressful. My first post was a little dramatic. I have awful moodswings after taking Loestrin in the afternoons.
What I don't understand is do the cysts have consequences? Do they get in the way of future ovulation? Will they make my ovulation less frequent? I'm not sure why they can't tell if they're normal follicles or they're cysts. I haven't had any other bloodwork other than thyroid and blood sugar which are normal. But my doctor just must assume I have cysts because he mentioned if I want to get pregnant, he would put me on metformin to trigger ovulation. I'm not in a sexual relationship, but I wonder if I can go on metformin anyway? It's confusing because I don't have any insulin issues and metformin is for PCOS women, to regulate their insulin to re-start ovulation. But if my insulin isn't messed up would that still be an option? He said I was likely ovulating some, just not on a regular basis.
I just know that I don't want more cysts if what I have is indeed cysts that are potentially effecting my menstrual cycle. I want to ovulate more if that is even possible - that's why I went on the pill right away because I don't want more cysts and I've heard it's possible that after coming off the pill, the woman can ovulate more regularly. I didn't know anything about metformin but that may be better because I just want to feel like a normal ovulating woman even if I can't do it on my own. That's all I want.
What I don't understand is do the cysts have consequences? Do they get in the way of future ovulation? Will they make my ovulation less frequent? I'm not sure why they can't tell if they're normal follicles or they're cysts. I haven't had any other bloodwork other than thyroid and blood sugar which are normal. But my doctor just must assume I have cysts because he mentioned if I want to get pregnant, he would put me on metformin to trigger ovulation. I'm not in a sexual relationship, but I wonder if I can go on metformin anyway? It's confusing because I don't have any insulin issues and metformin is for PCOS women, to regulate their insulin to re-start ovulation. But if my insulin isn't messed up would that still be an option? He said I was likely ovulating some, just not on a regular basis.
I just know that I don't want more cysts if what I have is indeed cysts that are potentially effecting my menstrual cycle. I want to ovulate more if that is even possible - that's why I went on the pill right away because I don't want more cysts and I've heard it's possible that after coming off the pill, the woman can ovulate more regularly. I didn't know anything about metformin but that may be better because I just want to feel like a normal ovulating woman even if I can't do it on my own. That's all I want.
I understand! Sometimes, when I go to the doctor I forget to ask alot of questions and realize it after the fact. It's stressful when your periods are all crazy like that; I would imagine. Did they to any blood work, testing your hormones? You pretty much hit the nail on the head about cyst and follicles. When the follicle grows and doesn't release an egg, alot of the time it will fill with fluid, blood, or other things and become a cyst. And, most doctor will try and treat the cyst with the pill. There are many different types and you might just have to find the one that suits you the best. They all have different levels of hormones.
Nope, I'm not overweight. 'm about 5 lbs. underweight. I always thought my skipping periods had something to do with my low weight. I used to be thinner, too thin until gradually in my mid-20's I was able to gain more and approach a more normal weight. I've gained a few lbs. in these past several months that I've been dealing with the more frequently missed periods and strange symptoms. Most of that I found out was bloating, though. The months I skipped, I'd get bloated and constipated with skin breakouts. I don't have any PCOS symptoms other than the lapsed periods and depression, though I know not all women have the trademark symptoms.
What I'm afraid of is that all those months I didn't ovulate, cysts developed. Cysts are more likely to come about when periods skip, which I didn't know. Though, I don't get why they couldn't determine that from doing the ultrasound. They found several follicles, but I'm still totally confused on the difference b/w cysts and follicles. I guess follicles can be cysts or turn into them.
Thanks for your response. It's not that I don't want to know about PCOS, but it's hard for me to think all this through. I wish I'd asked my doctor more and went ahead with further tests instead of waiting and going on the pill right away. Not that I would really be more confident with a diagnosis because it seems like PCOS is something that can have a wide variety of symptoms and there isn't any treatment in a lot of cases. I guess I was in denial too because I didn't hear anything about my ultrasound, then I come in to ask about my missed periods (with the new symptoms cause those are what I was most concerned about) and am told,
"Well you COULD have it. We did note the follicles on your left ovary..." I just feel like I don't have any of the symptoms and if you can't tell from an ultrasound then what more do I have to do? Since I don't want children, the main problem I have is the skipping periods. I just don't want that to get worse, but I mean, will a PCOS diagnosis really help me determine what will happen with my cycles? I know that my cycles are off, but from all the research and questioning I've done, it appears that no matter how many tests I've done there is nothing that will give me clockwork periods. That's what I'm really frustrated with. They just say yeah something is likely off, but there isn't anything you'll be able to do but go on the pill.
What I'm afraid of is that all those months I didn't ovulate, cysts developed. Cysts are more likely to come about when periods skip, which I didn't know. Though, I don't get why they couldn't determine that from doing the ultrasound. They found several follicles, but I'm still totally confused on the difference b/w cysts and follicles. I guess follicles can be cysts or turn into them.
Thanks for your response. It's not that I don't want to know about PCOS, but it's hard for me to think all this through. I wish I'd asked my doctor more and went ahead with further tests instead of waiting and going on the pill right away. Not that I would really be more confident with a diagnosis because it seems like PCOS is something that can have a wide variety of symptoms and there isn't any treatment in a lot of cases. I guess I was in denial too because I didn't hear anything about my ultrasound, then I come in to ask about my missed periods (with the new symptoms cause those are what I was most concerned about) and am told,
"Well you COULD have it. We did note the follicles on your left ovary..." I just feel like I don't have any of the symptoms and if you can't tell from an ultrasound then what more do I have to do? Since I don't want children, the main problem I have is the skipping periods. I just don't want that to get worse, but I mean, will a PCOS diagnosis really help me determine what will happen with my cycles? I know that my cycles are off, but from all the research and questioning I've done, it appears that no matter how many tests I've done there is nothing that will give me clockwork periods. That's what I'm really frustrated with. They just say yeah something is likely off, but there isn't anything you'll be able to do but go on the pill.
Hi, I understand how you feel. There is alot that attributes to PCOS; but, there is alot to help lighten the symptoms of it also. Do you have children already? Are you overweight? I started medhelp probably 7 months ago when I was diagnosed with PCOS. I wanted to learn everything about it. I didn't post alot of questions merely because I just didn't know how to word what I want to say alot of the time. My fiance and I have been trying for almost two years to become pregnant ( I'm 26). My doctor put me on metformin. I've never skipped a period but spot alot during my cycle. If we are not pregnant by the first of the year, I'll have surgery. My doctor wants to do a HSG to make my tubes are not blocked, take a cyst off my left ovary, look for anything else that could be going on, and drill my ovaries.
I've also had to deal with depression for most of my life. I just take it one day at the time. If you ever just want to talk or vent write me.
I've also had to deal with depression for most of my life. I just take it one day at the time. If you ever just want to talk or vent write me.
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