Hello,
I was recently diagnosed with PCOS. I am considered thin for my height (5'9", 121 lbs) and have had irregular periods for years, but I do get a period every 35-45 days and from taking my bbt for the past 6 months, have seen a clear temperature shift to show ovulation every month except one of the months when I was under a lot of stress from work/travel - my dr. also confirmed that I am ovulating based on these shifts each month. I also have PMS (tender breasts, bloated, etc), which would lead me to believe I'm ovulating.
I am completely confused because all of my blood work (FSH, LH, thyroid, prolactin, and i think they also checked testosterone) came back fine and I also was checked for insulin resistance and my nurse at the dr's office said that came back clear, too. So basically the only symptoms I'm having are longer periods and the "string of pearls" appearance on my ovaries, based on an ultrasound I just had. I know that thin women can have PCOS, but wouldn't at least one of the blood tests come back with a problem if you're thin with the syndrome?
So my question is, is it possible for women with PCOS who do ovulate on their own each month to still have trouble getting pregnant? Does the fact that I have the 'string of pearls' appearance on my ovaries mean that I'm producing 'bad eggs' every month? I'm just very confused.
I am just beginning to try to get pregnant, so perhaps I will be able to on my own, but I just don't know why I have this syndrome and what I can do to help myself in a more natural way than fertility drugs, especially if I appear to be ovulating on my own. My doctor had told me that if I don't get pregnant naturally after starting to try for the next 5-6 months, she can put me on Clomid...but every article I'm reading says that Clomid helps women with PCOS because it triggers ovulation...and since I'm ovulating on my own, how would it help me?
I am trying to improve my diet in hopes that that will help. I have always been more of a junk food eater, so I am trying to increase my exercise by doing yoga and walking, while eating healthier foods, and cutting out refined sugar and lowering carbs...without losing weight, since that could cause more problems in trying to get pregnant.
Any advice or help with be most appreciated!! Thanks so much.
Hello. I'm about your size, all of my labs always come back perfectly normal, and I have full blown PCOS. Save for hair loss, I've got all of the symptoms and the "string." It's possible to have PCOS without having abnormal lab results, sometimes even fasting blood work won't detect the problem.
I would suggest cutting all of the simple carbs and refined sugars out of your diet perminently. Working out can also help to balance your hormones. Also, before you try any meds I would suggest coming up with a comprehensive natural approach. Feel free to give mine a shot, it's in my signature. As for 2 hours of cardio I know that's a bit intense, but I always switch it up from the track, pool, and machines. It's not 2 hours of straight cardio but it's 2 hours of hard work! lol. As far as a vegan diet that's entirely up to you, I've found that switching from a vegetarian diet to vegan has improved my acne and moods immensely, but I understand that it's not for everyone.
I can't stress cardiovascular exercise enough. The harder you work, the better the outcome. After a couple months of dedicated workouts I noticed a huge change in my overall health and my symptoms seemed to lessen quite a bit, especially my skin & hirsitism. I'm sure the same goes for the repo end of things, although I am 21 and unmarried so I haven't dealt with that yet
__________________ -D-chiro-inositol
-Vegetarian / Organic Diet
-Morning Cardio / Two Hours
-Vitamins / A, B, C, D, E, K Books- Skinny B!tch(s), The Ultimate PCOS Handbook Treatments- Laser hair removal, Dermabrasion
Topical Prescriptions- Differin, Vaniqa
Last edited by ReverseTheCurse; 01-02-2009 at 02:25 AM.
Great, thanks so much! Just started getting back into exercise, and will see if that helps. I also agree with you on the diet - even though my dr. says I'm not IR, I really think that the refined sugars/carbs play a role for thin people with PCOS.
Thanks again,
Completely Confused 
