low sex drive/pcos

[twin_mama]

could PCOS make you sudently have a Very low sex drive? we went from 2-3 times a week to 1-2 a month. Even when we do it, it's just to please my DH, i mean i have no desire at all.
I have been diagnosed with PCOS for 8 years and gave birth to a cute B?G twins 2 years ago after several miscariages.
I took Metformine and Clomid for 3 cycles.
i'm worried about our relationship.
Please help!

[babybee]

I to have PCOS I was diagnosed with it about 8 years ago as well, and struggle with low sex drive. BIG TIME! My husband and I use to have sex all the time and now its like 1-2 a month and it feels like its a choir to have to do. It helps if your husband understands what PCOS does to a women but they don't understand.  My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for almost 2 years now and I have been on metformine and clomid and nothing helped us, and it doesnt help that i have such a low sex drive either.  

[usarmywife]

I, too, have no sex drive. No matter what I do, I can never ever get turned on. When we do it, it's more like "oh it's in there? hurry up and get it over with." If we havent been ttc for 3 years I wouldnt mind never having sex again. :( PCOS has ruined my life more ways than one.

[babynay]

I, too have the same problem...my husband and I have been trying for 3 years to get pregnant.  Throughout all that I found out that I am diabetic and I just found out from my new gyn that I have to wait until my Hemoglobin A1C (three-month blood sugar average) has to be below a 6 before she will even let me consider getting pregnant because of the risk of birth defects...I am almost at that point, my last check it was 7.3 but my fear is not wanting to have sex....i don't want to get to the point of just doing it to get pregnant...that is not fair to my hubby...and to make matters worse, i just found out today that my really good friend whose got married in January is 6 weeks pregnant.  I am truly happy for her but I could not help but to cry after I got off the phone with her...I try to keep the faith as hard as it is and I pray for all of us that are going with this to be blessed with happy and healthy babies.....

[anna000]

hi,i knew i had pcos since i was 13.i have been with my husband since i was 17 years old.i have never had an orgasm in my whole life.i think its becz of pcos only.i dont even know what its like.my husband always said that it will happen one day when i m not too worried or something.i have never seen a docter regarding this or told this to anyone else.my husband is great & we both love each other very much.although i dont know how it feels like for a woman to have sex & enjoy it but i try to do my best so that our relationship doesn't suffer becz of something thats wrong with my body.we r also trying for a baby.i do hope one day they find a cure for pcos coz i know how it affects ur whole life.

[Maria2707]

Ok.. now it makes sense to me.. I was thinking I was abnormal. I too have PCOS and absolutely no sex drive. I had to do it only on those days hoping to get pregnant.  But I am through IVF now.

[trakehnergirl]

Hi I have just been to the doctor and she thinks that I may have pcos, as I have high insuline, dizzy, heart palpitations etc now I am going to have to go for a scan but as I was reading this site I noticed several other things that I have that never occured to me could be due to something like PCOS, I have irregular periods sometimes two a month, and a VERY low sex drive, I rather eat and sleep than have sex, so I am pleased to hear that it could be due to PCOS...
so thanks for sharing your stories!

[jap0720]

I'm suffering from hypothyroidism and PCOS-yup! SUFFER! I was diagnosed with PCOS early this year. My husband and I used to enjoy sex before all of my medications. My OB told me that side effect of meds and pressures of trying to conceive lowers the libido. Don't pressure yourself too much. Foreplay is the key. :-)

[barb5]

if anyone becomes aware of meds we can take for low sex drive, let me know. I'll do the same. I realize that w/ the hormone issues, there may be no hope for meds that help w/ PCOS symptoms, and increase sex drive.. but perhaps...

[ThisEndUp]

This doesn't make sense to me.  I am an RN and as far as I know having more male hormones produces a more male sex drive, which would be higher.  Don't understand if this is not the case but there may be something more complex involved.

[hippy_chick]

It's funny you should bring this up because I experience the same, yet at the same time the comment from 'This end up' also makes a lot of sense. I wonder if our libido is more related to a different side of PCOS which was what I was online looking for when I came across this site.
I'm sure you will all probably agree that throughout all our experiences in arriving at a diagnosis of PCOS and then re-adjusting our lives to deal with it, we have all been poked and prodded around more than the average female that may only have to go for the odd smear. Plus we probably all experience side effects that can effect our confidence such as Hiruitism (I may have speltthat wrong - hell I can barely pronounce it - Hairy bodies for those that like English!)., Weight gain etc etc
Perhaps our lack of libido is down to our bodies going 'd'ya know what: naff off and leave me alone!'  We have associated a tense/anxious feeling with any form of attention paid to certain area. Plus possibly thinking I can't be bothered to get dressed up or dehaired or what ever ones ritual is, as perhaps we go to extra efforts that other ladies wouldn't because of these added side effects?
Incidentally, the reason I was looking around was because I suffer with a reasonable crop of hair on my breasts,nipples and chest as a result of my hormone imbalance. I am trying to find out if I went for Laser hair removal - could this leave me more prone to cancer in this area or of the skin in the future?. Have you or has anyone heard anything? as there's not a lot to be found.
Hi by the way!

[TK19]

I have thought that I might have PCOS since I was 18 or 19 but it wasnt until I was 22 that I found out I had cysts on my ovaries. I took birth control pills to treat it and ending up having horrible emotional side effects. Now I am on effexor for my depression and anxiety (which seems to be linked incredibly to my hormone imbalances). These days I barely want to touch my boyfriend and I dont even fantasize anymore.. about anyone!!! I have heard that anti-depressents can lower your sex drive, but I have been on them almost a year and havent had such lowering sex drive effects until just recently. In the last 3-4 months I have not been taking care of my body, thus not taking care of the imbalance. the more imbalanced I get, the more depressed, anxious and horny-less I get. I tend to think that it has alot to do with not feeling sexy anymore, because that has been my problem lately. And because I am all depressed, I have no drive to help myself get better. Like someone else said, I wouuld rather lay on the couch and eat ben & jerrys than start initiating a change in my life.. Its such a vicious cycle!!

[mountofolives]

WOW...i didn't know PCOS lowered womens sex drive ! Strangely enough.....I am quite the opposite. I was diagnosed in 2005 with PCOS and besides the excess hair growth ( which I down right HATE !!!) and the weight gain which has really been troubling me & my husband ; the only other thing I had that I was upset about was acne, which disappeared when I started using Proactiv *. It's weird because even though I tend to be very self concious about my body and the way it looks and stuff....I don't lack sex drive ! I actually have a higher sex drive than my hubby most times !!! LOL. I tell him sometimes..." I feel like the guy and youre acting a woman whos playing hard to get...lol " He finds it amusing....but I do wish we were on the same page all the time ! My hubby takes meds for High Blood pressure which lowers his sex drive, so basically I'm lucky if I get " it " once a week or once in 2 wks. Don't worry ladies...I think the lack of sex drive might be due to meds or the fact that you're not happy with the way you look and feel. When we don't feel feminine and are always self-conscious, that can destroy out sex drives. Don't worry things will get better. Try to do things for yourself that make you feel good about yourself ! Try to explain to your partners whats going on with you inside and out. If they love you, they will listen and understand ! Don't ever feel pressured to do things you don't feel like doing !. Sex should never be mechanical and fake ! You might aswell NOT do it at all !!! Good luck to you all !!!

[sunnytj]

There is a new study that I just came across today - Excessive estrogen appears to be the cause of the problem. When very young mice were given estrogen, they all developed polycystic ovaries. It is thought that estrogen alters the function of the thymus gland, thus preventing the full development of the regulatory T-cells.

Maybe that is why we have a increases sex drive- from all  the estrogen -not the male hormones?

here is the link to the whole article-
http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/news81.html#sec2

I also have decreased sex drive - this new study also is saying it may be genetic and is like a immune dysfunction. Which makes sense. I have had so many fluky things when it comes to my health  and chronic pain  for 10 yrs. and rashes , stomach problems etc. How about you guys?

[wanabb]

Hi, I think i have twice the sex drive as my husband! however since i started metformin it has decreased.  my insulin and testosterone levels are normal though, and no abn hair and im underweight.  so who knows.

[Mama_p]

My husband and I just finished arguing about my lack of sex drive. I honestly never noticed. I was diagnoced with pcos about 3 years ago. Until just now I never put it together. This is really hard. I want to be a good wife in all ways but I just have no urge to have sex. I don't even miss it. I'm afraid my husband will leave me! Does anyone have any advice. I'm willing to do anything.

[amelendez90]

Are any of you on birth control?  I know it might sound silly especially if you're TTC, but I was on Yaz for like 2 months and my sex drive went into the negatives.  It was awful. I did some research and found out that it affected a lot of people in that way.  More research said that it could take up for a year for your sex drive to get back to normal. I switched back ASAP and its helped a lot.  I sometimes fine mine is higher than my boyfriends too, but hey, who knows.  

[25andhurt]

hi i've had pcos for 10 years now and same as u no sex drive but other than that none of the normal symptoms.

[emos]

hey im confused i have pcos and my syptoms are hunger,very sleepyad strangely enough a very high sex drive that my husband cant always keep up with ..i think theres definately aconnection with libido but either goes one way or the other up or down

[Catc217]

I agree with you. I'm not 30 .. I found out I had PCOS and Hypothyroidism when I was 26. I had my little girl in feb of 2005 ..soon after I had her I felt great for a month or town and things seem to go down hill quick. I felt like crap! I wasn't having a period not spotting nothing.. I had dry skin, brittle hair, weight gain BIG TIME, hair growth that I didn't have before, my mood was CRAZY! LOL : )
Nov of 2005 was when I found out I had PCOS and Hypothyroidism.. I was a big change for me to adjust to. From 2005 till now I have had a great sex drive.. and again foreplay is the key! : ) But these last few month is been bad for me.. I went from having a great sex drive to not having one! I know it has to have a lot to do with my health issue and I do think it's important for you to always talk to your partner about it so they will understand better.

P.S. I'm new to this site and I hope I posted appropriate response! I feel so clueless on here... if anyone has any tips.. please share them with me.. all feed back is always welcome! THANK YOU!! : ) Cat

[luis_y_amanda]

Im so glad that im not alone I have a 3 year old son and since I had him i gained ton of weight and have the irregular periods where i get 1 a year if im lucky. got a little extra hair going on my arms etc.... but before my son we had sex 2-4 times a week now I  can go for a month without sex I have to force myself to have sex. my husband gets mad but he dont understand pcos.. I thought it was my fault but now i know im not alone

[rachael27]

i am so glad i am not alone. i found out when i was 18 that i had PCOS. my sex drive was fine until the dr put me on clomid. now i have to force myself to have sex. i am 27 now. i just do it now to make my hubby happy. he does not understand that i can't help it. he thinks that i am not attracted to him and thats why i don't want to have sex. wrong. has anyone found anything to increase their sex drives. please let me know.

[photogal13]

I was also just recently found out i have pcos. My partner has a very high sex drive and i have none at all. You would think that she being a woman would ubderstand the pain and emotional stress im under but it seems to be hurting our relationship...i dont know what to do! I love her and feel like pcos is tearing us apart.

[dcimags]

This is a great thread, but it's sad that while we are all commiserating, no one has found any solutions.

I am about to switch to d-chiro-inositol  - I've read on other forums that it helps.

[staracom]

I wish I could say this thread was comforting. I am 24, was diagnosed with PCOS 3 years ago.  My boyfriend and I are always arguing about sex.  we have sex 3-5 times a month and he wants more, but I just have no desire to.  I want to live with him forever, grow old together, but this is tearing us apart.  he is so bitter towards me over this and there is nothing I can do to fix it.  I really wish I knew what to do.