Hi there everyone. My name is Tatiana and I'm 19. I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 15.
I had gained about 35lbs out of NOWHERE my junior year in high school and my mom was worried so she took me to the doctor. They ran a bunch of tests on me and at first they thought I had Cushing's Syndrome so I did a dexamethazone suppression test and another test where I had to pee in a jug for 24 hours so they could test my cortisol levels. Everything came back normal so that diagnosis went out the window. They also did a bunch of bloodwork and my thyroid and a bunch of other stuff came back normal too. I saw endocrinologist after endocrinologist but they all said the same thing: it was either Cushing's or some sort of thyroid problem. Then I went in for a gyno appointment just because I wanted to go on the pill to regulate my period since it had always been irregular. During my examination, my gyno told me I had "textbook ovarian cysts indicative of PCOS" and THEN he proceed to bring 5 RN's, PA's, and other MD's to show them my textbook cysts - while I was still in the stirrups mind you.
I was prescribe BC and eventually went on my merry way. I unfortunately don't take my BC as regularly as I should since I always forget. I'm not using it as a contraceptive so it's not really priority #1 in my mind and I know that a healthy consistent cycle is important for being able to conceive in the future but I don't want kids so it's yet another reason why I'm not on top of my game when it comes to remembering to take the little buggers.
Based on the posts I've read here and the medical literature I've read on PCOS, I'm one of the lucky ones since I have very few symptoms. The only things I do have are ovarian cysts and concentration of fat in the belly area.
welcome to sc!
i just have to say that you dont need all the symptoms to have pcos, some people have mild cases, and some more severe. and each person has differences in the severity that the symptoms affect them. if you let it go untreated, it could get far worse. always keep that in mind.
my doc had me get the mirena iud cuz i have issues with remembering the bcp and also suffer horribly from all the side effects of it. just thought i would let you know if bc is what is helping you so far but you have trouble remembering it there are other options to use. maybe ask your doctor about all the types of bc that arent taken orally, there are several. the mirena at least is good for 5 years and takes no effort to maintain, and since the hormones are absorbed directly you dont get the side effects at all as they dont go through your liver.
good luck in your endevours!
good luck with everything!
hey! You sound very similar to me. I just joined SC, but was diagnosed about 10ish years ago. I'm 22, NOT ttc at ALL, and have very few symptoms (hair but it's blond and not a real problem, belly fat, actual "textbook" cysts).
If you ever want a buddy, i'm game! I've been able to lose belly fat in the past with Weight Watchers CORE diet, and i'm starting back on it tomorrow!
Another newbie to SC but not PCOS 
i have the belly fat, too. Wayyyy annoying 
