Anyone else feeling like a she-man?!

njeosys · 05-07-2008, 01:00 AM

Yeah, catchy subject title. Anyway, does anyone else have JUST high testosterone? Your insulin/glucose are normal, your LH is normal, etc.? Because I've got some crazy high testosterone but my doc is still linking it with PCOS. Just wondering if anyone else is out there and what they're doing about it!

Joy

Ella831 · 05-07-2008, 08:32 AM

I do have high testosterone,low progesterone,low estrogen,but everything else is normal,except my thyroid. They diagonsed me w/ PCOS almost 10yrs ago now and they did my ultrasound b/c everything else was in the normal range as far as bloodwork, but I was also having other physical signs that made them want to the ultrasound too. I was very tiny weight wise and started to gain weight unexpectedly and nothing would take the weight off. My acne was very bad, like back when you are 16yrs old. So those were physical signs and sure enough when they checked with an ultrasound my ovaries showed it for sure.
Are you having any physical signs? Did you ask them to check other things like having a vaginal ultrasound?

scapoodle · 05-07-2008, 01:05 PM

That's funny. . .a she-man. . I always say a woman named Bubba.

supersmurf · 05-07-2008, 10:25 PM

This is an interesting topic - something I've always kind of wondered about - I'm still waiting to have my bloodwork done after being diagnosed with PCOS several months ago so I have no idea what my levels are.

But, I have noticed all my life thought that I am a lot more muscular than most women and was considered a "tomboy" when I was little and even still I'm not what you would call really girly. Anyone else?

Supersmurf

njeosys · 05-08-2008, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by supersmurf

This is an interesting topic - something I've always kind of wondered about - I'm still waiting to have my bloodwork done after being diagnosed with PCOS several months ago so I have no idea what my levels are.

But, I have noticed all my life thought that I am a lot more muscular than most women and was considered a "tomboy" when I was little and even still I'm not what you would call really girly. Anyone else?

Supersmurf

Well I don't think being a tomboy has anything to do with it because that's more of your personality. But high testosterone can make you grow facial hair or hair under your belly button and on your chest. Hopefully your blood work comes back normal though!

njeosys · 05-08-2008, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ella831

Did you ask them to check other things like having a vaginal ultrasound?

They did do an ultrasound. Both a vaginal and abdominal one and I still need to go to my doctor for the results. I personally believe that I may be at the beginning stages of PCOS and obviously PCOS is very different for each woman. I guess that's why I was wondering if anyone else had just high testosterone but still ended up having PCOS.

Mainly becuase my doctor was confused why testosterone was the ONLY hormone that was off. Everything else was perfect. I hope she prescribes Met. so I can move on with my life!

I, too, gained a lot of weight and I need to lose 50 lbs. NOTHING I DO WORKS! And while I know Met isn't guaranteed to help that, I can only hope.

Ella831 · 05-09-2008, 09:12 AM

njeosys- You might just have PCO. That is where it hasn't gone into full fledge PCOS and you can do liftstyle changes to help prevent that. Unfortunately for me I didn't even know about PCO until mine was already full blown. When I first started out only my testosterone was off too and they said oh it is probably a stage,then a few years later my ovaries had the cysts. I wish my doc. would of told me about the PCO and things I can do to change it and help not getting the "S". It is different for women the signs or symptoms they have from PCOS. Some are alot the same others are totally different. Hopefully for you it won't get too bad and maybe now you will be able to get a jump start and change some things to help. For me I tried Met. 2 different times and my body could not tolerate it. Then just last year we went to our 8th doctor a Repro. Endo. and she said I didn't even need Met.b/c my GTT was fine and said there was nothing in the world that could help or fix PCOS that it is just something I need to live with. She was even a PCOS specialists. Ok I was bummed for awhile but now I am really thinking that after 8 doctors and no one could help and trying everything we did that she could be right. I think it just depends on where womens bodies are in their PCO,or PCOS stage and if certain things like Met don't work then we dont' have too many options. For you I hope everything works out. I wasn't meaning to be a downer on you I just wanted to share some of my experience with you.

joyblack · 05-09-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by njeosys

Yeah, catchy subject title. Anyway, does anyone else have JUST high testosterone? Your insulin/glucose are normal, your LH is normal, etc.? Because I've got some crazy high testosterone but my doc is still linking it with PCOS. Just wondering if anyone else is out there and what they're doing about it!
Joy

What a co-incidence -- another Joy! I've got high testosterone and low estrogen levels. But I've been able to have children.

The title does really fit quite well. My breasts hardly developed -- but my moustache certainly did and I had far hairier legs at 15 than any of the guys my age.

I'm female. I'm strongly heterosexual. But I'm a long way from feminine. I've probably got a largely-male-type brain but a body which is functionally female, though heavily influenced by high levels of testosterone and low levels of estrogen.

njeosys · 05-10-2008, 01:13 AM

Ella, I too believe I'm in the very beginning stages. I even brought that up to my doctor today at my appointment and she agreed! I've had two babies and never had cysts until the ultrasound a couple months ago. I think the testosterone thing has been around for a while.

sallyn · 05-10-2008, 05:49 AM

i totally feel like a she-man! i hate it. my testosterone was at 2435 and i can sport more of a beard than some guys i know. it's not cool. i don't have blood sugar/glucose issues at this point, but my LH and FSH ratios were 4:1. but yeah...i totally feel like a she-man with some of the pcos symptoms ;(

Ella831 · 05-10-2008, 08:21 AM

njeosys- That is GREAT your doctor agrees with you!!!! I am hoping for you that they will try met and that will help you. That is GREAT you have been able to have 2 children,what a blessing. My DH and I have been TTC for 8years now and not yet. I strongly believe God has a plan as to why not yet and it is in His hands!!!!

zoerba · 05-10-2008, 11:36 PM

I feel very much like a she-man! I have quite the hair growth that includes sideburns all the way down to my neck. I have to shave everyday and it is so embarrasing. I also have hair on my toes, thighs, and under my bellybutton. The hair has actually gotten worse over the last few months (since I started taking Met, coincidence??) I am also TTC but haven't ovulated in the 3 months I've been charting.

Yeah, you could say I feel like a she-man....and it sucks!

szavala · 05-10-2008, 11:47 PM

That is so interesting that you could be PCO without the "S", it makes me wonder if there could have been something done to help me, but for me I think it started as soon as I hit puberty, but the doctors wouldn't even look into it until I was 16 because they said it could just be "normal". As for the testosterone, they have never told me that I had high levels of it, but I definitely have the body hair and acne to prove it! Have nay of you heard of a medicine called *spronactolane* that is supposed to help with excess body hair?

njeosys · 05-11-2008, 01:14 AM

My two babies are definitely miracles! But I believe the PCOS began after I gave birth to my youngest because I've had my ovaries looked at via ultrasound while pregnant and only had a luteal cyst (normal for pregnant women).

And... I got my Metformin prescript! I started my first dose yesterday. She started me off on 250 mg and I feel great. I don't have an reactions to the meds except a slight dizzy feeling if I move too fast. I'm drinking TONS of water!

And get this---I was 8 days late for AF and the morning after I started my first dose (THIS morning) I woke up to AF. Yeah, had to throw the ol' panties away, but at least she CAME! I can't believe it. I feel like the Met is working fast.

njeosys · 05-11-2008, 01:16 AM

Wow, some of you definitely have stronger symptoms than me and I apologize if my subject title was rude!!! I truly hope that you ladies regulate and can get off the Metformin in the near future!!!