Hi everyone! New here, not really new to PCOS though (unfortunately). A bit about myself and my long story:
I'm 24 years old, I work in human research, which is one of the coolest things in the world 'cause it lets me meet some cool people.
And I play video games and make art (when I can overcome the laziness to do so, lol).
My endocrinologist diagnosed me with PCOS because of the hyperandrogenism, but I don't have any other symptoms (insulin resistance or cysts, but apparently that's not everyone either, although my blood sugar is sort of borderline hypoglycemic). He didn't look at LH or FSH or progesterone and whatnot, I guess he's just taking my sensitivity to testosterone and running with it. But it's been a total nightmare my whole life!
I started having acne when I was 5 or 6, got really bad when I was 8 and then a year or so later my period started. My acne got progressively worse, then spread to my back (completely covering it) and chest by the time I was 11 or so. My mom took me to dermatologists and they'd give me Differin, Retin-A, Accutane, etc. and NOTHING helped. Even antibiotics. When I was 15 I started to get some facial hair and some weird rough patches on my neck and skin (not skin tags or fungus, just the texture roughened up, kind of like my dad's skin). Around that time my periods started getting REALLY heavy, I'd have to wear a tampon and a pad because in 3 or so hours, the tampon would leak and after another one or so, the pad would be soaked. I'd go through 4 or 5 of each a day, and my periods lasted about 12 days. Then 8 days later, I'd have another one, maybe for 10-15 days. My mom took me to a gynecologist and she checked my testosterone levels, I remember them being close to 140 or so, was something way outside of the normal range for women. So she put me on Mircette and while that didn't cure everything, it made a HUGE difference. The acne cleared up on my back and chest quite a bit. But generally, the longer I was on it, the more it cleared up (albeit very slowly).
Tail end of high school, I ended up anorexic and bulimic (rare instance I ate, I threw it up). As horrible as it sounds, my symptoms improved even tho I had dwindled down to near 90 pounds (I'm 5'6"). After a couple of years in college I was sick of what I was doing to myself. I was vegetarian since before high school (didn't do it right though) but went to veganism to force myself to eat right and learn about diong things the right way (and I did). Gained some weight back, but was at a healthy weight. My symptoms improved DRAMATICALLY, in fact there would be periods I'd have only 5 or so pimples on my face (historically I'd have at least 20). I had to go back to regular vegetarian just 'cause veganism was so expensive as a college student, and although I was doing it correctly finally, my symptoms got worse again.
Then about 5 years ago, I had suddenly gained 20 pounds in one month, couldn't get enough sleep, had to nap every chance I could. My mom took me to her endocrinologist (whom I see now) and diagnosed me with hypothyroidism and a "mild" PCOS (mild because my symptoms weren't so bad at the time like they were? I have no idea). He prescribed me Levoxyl 50 mcg and Spironolactone 50 mg twice a day. I was still on the Mircette and still am to this day. I had a really hard time losing the weight I had put on (ended up being almost 170 lbs when I graduated college a few years ago), but I'm keeping it off. Actually losing some. But I'm trying to just maintain really.
So since then, my acne has gotten better, but in the last 3 years I've lost over 50% of my hair suddenly. I had a realy good thick head of hair, too. My thyroid levels are normal, testosterone is low (around 20 or so). But my hair is falling out like crazy. My endocrinologist upped my Spironolactone to 100 mg twice a day, then to 50 mg three times a day (which I take now). I have been under a lot of stress in the last few years, and my symptoms over all these years have totally destroyed my body image. I've always felt, and have been called ugly most of my life. But I'm hoping it'll get better when the stress subsides anyway. My doctor prescribed Prozac 20 mg to me over a month ago, I took it for 3 weeks and couldn't sleep but 25 hours over the course of the three weeks, so last week she put me on Wellbutrin SR 150 mg (once a day for now). I had a few side effects but most of them seem to have worn off. I still had a hard time getting back to sleep, but I'll get 5 hours of sleep beforehand. Actually slept really well last night (the alarm actually woke me up, I was like, what's that infernal noise?!!). So hopefully the insomnia is wearing off. But it has helped me. I suffered from a lot of fatigue before, and now it's pretty much gone, I guess because it's a stimulant. I see that doctor again tomorrow actually, so I'm wondering if she'll change the prescription.
I've been eating a vegan diet again in the last year too, and my symptoms have gotten a lot better, almost like they were when I was in college. My hair seems to go through some random spurts of regrowth, like something in my body is trying to change to regrow my hair, but could be varying levels of stress. I see a naturopath too for some complementary alternative therapy, and that has made a difference too.
Lately I'm trying not to worry about it so much, 'cause that seems to make everything worse. But it's good to know I'm not the only one who has to go through this. Looking forward to making friends here.
Hi everyone! New here. 
thanks for sharing your journey. there is a link to the newbie roadmap in my siggie for you
