Hey ladies! I am very new to PCOS, as I've just had a doctor tell me this week he suspects I have this. I am almost thirty and after my last child was born (when I was 22), I lost TONS of hair. I have had a ton of problems in between as well. To make a very long, long story short, I am now at the point where my symptoms are only getting worse. They are as follows: Hair loss (the main one), hypertension, fast heart rate, pre-diabetic (so I've also been told), high leptin levels, regular --but light periods, anxiety and I'm overweight! My testostorone (sp?) was pretty normal if I remember correctly.
From my understanding, every woman's symptoms are different (to certain degrees). I have read about PCOS before and was shocked when the doctor told me this. He also went as far to say it is a "shame" no other doc, considering my family history and symptoms, had diagnosed this syndrome. Prior to this new doc, I have seen almost every doc under the sun but with no answers. All of them said I have to learn to live with it. Intuitively, I always knew there was an answer and feel very blessed to have stumbled into this special place --I feel as if I finally have a solid, understandable reason for all the symptoms and ill health I've experienced the last 8 years.
I recently bought a book by Dr. Ron Rosedale that describes an insulin lowering diet, The Rosedale Diet. I have been on it since Sunday and have lost 3 pounds already, which IS amazing! I also don't feel that crazy hunger and deprivation. I have a lot more energy, too!
Have any of you experienced hair loss like this (male pattern baldness)? If so, has anything helped slow it down since you've been diagnosed with PCOS? Have any of you regrown hair after eating/living more healthy?
While I feel confident that this is my answer, I'm also holding on to that last bit of hope that I can regrow my hair --I want my hair and my health back!
I've know I've had PCOS for a long time, since I was thirty, and I've had it since I was a kid. I only started thinning mildly in my mid to late thirties, but my serious loss started in the past year, since I found out I have diabetes and since I started taking Met.
Mind you, I"m not blaming the hairloss on the Met. I think is is just good old PCOS starting to affect my hair.
Even though I've become much healthier in the past year, and I feel my hormones are straightening out a good bit, I'm not assuming that it's going to reverse my hair loss. And I'm not doing Rogaine or Propecia or anything. I'm not hearing a lot of success stories in that regard.
The way I see it, I have hormonal hair loss. I don't believe it can be reversed, in my case. I think if there were a cure that was even halfway successful for balding, there wouldn't be anyone walking around balding.
So, I'm going the best I can, and I wear a cute hairpiece. I have prettier hair than I ever did. And when the time comes, if my hairloss gets worse, there are scads of pretty wigs out there! And if my hair decides to grow back, that's great.
I'm sorry if I sound pessimistic or gloomy. I AM pessimistic about this, or at least a realist. I'm doing what works for me.
__________________ "I knew I had a problem when I put my underpants on backwards and they fit better..."
Age 46
Obesity, very mild hirsuitism now almost gone with age and met, seriously thinning hair. Regular cycles on met.
Diagnosed with diabetes 8/2003
Hi April...Welcome to SC. Glad you found us. I knew i had PCOS before i was dx...just didn;t have a name to it. Contact me if you wish. See you around.
__________________ Cathy 36
Lee 40
Married Feb 12, 1994
HSG Nov 2004
Brandon Aug 8, 2005
Where do you find the cute hairpieces??? My hair is shedding a lot and I have been thinking about hairpieces lately, but haven't started looking into them. My hair has been thin and stick straight my whole life and I have stopped doing perms and harsh things to it since it started shedding so much.
Thanks!
April -
You mentioned that "crazy hunger and deprivation." That describes me, for sure!! I was diagnosed in late April with Celiac also (an intolerance to wheat, rye, barley, and oats) so I have been on a special diet for it. It seemed like my hair shedding was much better, and then in late July it started going crazy. That also happens to be when I bought a whole bunch of gluten-free cookies at the health food store and binged on them!!! I'm feeling like this binging triggered some major insulin issues which, in turn, triggered the hair loss. That's only a guess, but it's really weird that it started up again when I ate all those carbs. Unfortunately, I've been having that psycho hunger and have been binging a bit lately, but after reading your post, I realize I really need to behave!! Good luck - I hope the diet helps your hair loss. I do have lots of new little hairs shooting our around my hair line, but it seems to be taking FOREVER for them to grow, so I'm not sure what's up with that.
__________________ Lisa - age 39, gallbladder surgery 5/03; lap for Endometriosis 7/03; Hysterectomy 9/03 (uterus only); Celiac 4/04; PCOS; horrible return of the Endometriosis beast in 01/06
Last spring when I was really getting worried about hair loss, I started researching wigs online. I found the WigSupport forum, which is a total treasure of information on wigs, hairpieces, practical stuff, and emotional support! Everyone there is fantastic and I learned so much.
That's where I learned women could wear partial hairpieces, or "toppers". I didn't realize that before. They are great if you have hair thinning or loss up on top or in the front, but like me, have enough hair on the sides and the back.
I read the posts there a couple of weeks, asked questions, and got help there tracking down what kind of hairpiece would work best for me. I ordered my hairpiece through the woman who manages the forum, but you can also get them elsewhere online, or through wig shops. This is what I am wearing:
I chose this one, because it is the brand whose textured most closely matches my own wavy hair, and the woman I bought it from helped me choose colors. They come in all colors, of course, and all textures of hair, so you ought to be able to find one that suits your straight hair texture.
If you are starting to think seriously about this option, visit wig support and do some research/browsing there. You need to be aware of what your options are, and what might work for you, before you start spending money.
The forums at HerAlopecia also have a ton of info about choices.
__________________ "I knew I had a problem when I put my underpants on backwards and they fit better..."
Age 46
Obesity, very mild hirsuitism now almost gone with age and met, seriously thinning hair. Regular cycles on met.
Diagnosed with diabetes 8/2003
Thank you SO MUCH for all the great info!! I will check out the sites now!!!
__________________ Lisa - age 39, gallbladder surgery 5/03; lap for Endometriosis 7/03; Hysterectomy 9/03 (uterus only); Celiac 4/04; PCOS; horrible return of the Endometriosis beast in 01/06
Androgentic Alopecia and PCOS 
