Hopefully not the supidest question ever!

paytons · 11-25-2008, 12:11 AM

When does pcos usually start? (is it always present, but just never detected until tested or symptoms show)?

littlemissanniexo · 11-25-2008, 12:35 AM

I think it has been present in me ever since I hit puberty but I didn't realize it until I read an article about it in a magazine. I started noticing my symptoms around middle school-high school, then I finally went to a professional doctor and was diagnosed with it this year.

tiggarat · 11-25-2008, 04:47 AM

I think that it's always present, we just don't know it's there until the symptoms show up in puberty, or when we try to start a family. I was dx'd at 19, but knew something wasn't "right" pretty much since I began having periods.

ivetastedflight · 11-25-2008, 01:27 PM

I'm assuming that I've had it since puberty - I remember a ruptured cyst when I was 16 or so, and a "String-of-Pearls" ultrasound after that. Nothing was ever too bothersome after that point, and I went on to have 3 kids.

After my 3rd, KAPOW! My body called some kind of mutiny or something and I gained 80 pounds, got a lot of hair where I didn't want it, and lost a lot of hair where I did want it. My acne was so bad. My period never came back after I had DD. Oddly enough, I felt that I could live with all of these things.

Only when I found a lump in my breast did I go to the doctor, and she took one look at me and told me she thought I had it, but blood came back normal. Two years later, things were at their worst, and I became extremely depressed and FATIGUED. EXHAUSTED. I fell asleep while sitting up, while driving, while waiting in offices. Now THIS I could not live with. I went to a different doctor and she said the same thing as the first, did the blood work and it was conclusive. PCOS.

Sorry for the ramble.

OliviaLeigh · 11-25-2008, 02:53 PM

I never had symptoms of PCOS until I had a cyst rupture in 2002. Since then I've had all the issues.

Good question though!

Sister GBO · 11-29-2008, 01:16 AM

My dr. said it was something I was born with. He said it was attributed to "lazy" ovaries. Meaning that they did not fully make the eggs properly to be released so they turned into cysts. Then the cysts in turn have/ or produce testosterone...which further hinders the ovaries from properly making & releasing eggs. so it's a cycle.

Been few yrs since DX so I'm trying to recall correctly. But I think we are born w/ eggs in our ovaries, or soon after start making them anyway, so all those improper eggs house testosterone. And by the time puberty hits PCOS symptoms are made known through the rise in hormones. but most times it's ignored by dr's or by wmn who have it b/c who wants periods anyway...(until you realize how important they are!)

anyway..that's my long way of saying it probly (in most cases) is something ur born w/. B/c it is caused by ovaries not working properly.

ok i'm done - you can ban me later.

hollymlb · 11-29-2008, 09:56 AM

I think the possiblity is there but that something triggers it to be. Because some like me have it from a very early age and others have no signs until after some event. I can't really recall anything that cause my sudden wieght gain in the 2nd-3rd grade other than I was under alot of emotional stress(the death of my cousin) at the time and having a very tramatic surgery(tonsils and adnoids removed I woke up in the middle of the surgery.) I believe that was the start of my PCOS. What caused it the possible triggers or the wieght gain I don't know but I really do believe that the ball at least started rolling at this piont.

Stacie M · 11-29-2008, 12:55 PM

There are a lot of theories about the origins of PCOS. My belief is that it is probably something that some women are genetically predisposed to (like diabetes, etc). In some women with the genetic predisposition, it never rears it's ugly head. Maybe their excellent diet, lower stress lives, or exercise keeps it at bay. But for some of us, it pops up and wreaks havoc.

Sister GBO- Your docs explanation doesn't make sense to me. PCOS women don't really have bad eggs. Some of us just don't ovulate (and some ovulate regularly) often. I think the problem is that we do not get the surge of hormones that we should, which trigger the ovaries to actually release an egg. I am not sure that is necessarily the ovaries fault though. It seems that there is an underlying issue causing the hormones to not trigger (insulin/glucose levels possibly).

Either way, I hope that in the future (and soon) more research is done on PCOS. I think the fact that is seems closely linked to a family history of diabetes could be the key in figuring out exactly what the process is, and what we can do to control/stop it.

chloe12 · 11-29-2008, 01:52 PM

I think Stacie M is right about it being linked with a history of diabetes. My grandma had diabetes and my dad has hypoglycemia. I don't know if I have those things, but my blood sugar does get a little unstable compared to a lot of people I know. I did not have PCOS that I know of until the age of 24. I got off of my birth control that I had been on for one year, (first time I had used hormonal BC) and that's when the PCOS showed up. My doctor said she did not know if the PCOS caused the lack of periods, or if the lack of periods (due to coming off BC) caused the PCOS.

Slow-Motion · 11-29-2008, 05:24 PM

When I first found out about PCOS I thought that taking Depo Shot when I was 15 had caused it. Then after talking to my grandma I started to realize that she had it. Her first AF came at age 13 the next was a spot at maybe 16, she went on to have 3 kids and after her last she had her last AF where she blead for two months! She was maybe 30 when she had a full hysterectomy (ovaries and all). She was then dignosed with Diabetes in her 40s.

My story is first AF at 13 VERY NORMAL 3day AF, maybe 27 day cycles. Age 15 depo shot: no AF for three months, when it did come it lasted 1 month, seconde shot no AF for 5 months, never got another. AF came and lasted over 2 MONTHS until i got on the pill to regulate it back, then stopped. (i never knew bcp was making my cycles normal all i knew was it was to keep you from getting pregers- i felt i didnt need it)

I wasnt dignosed with PCOS until july 08, three years of going 6 to 7 months with no AF then getting it and having it for 3 up to 20days. I really didn't notice much being wrong I thoght it was normal for me. But i wanted a baby a learned that it wasnt normal..

I really dont think I have always had it. But then again with my grandma having it I may have.. IDK...

Edit: HollyMlb- I was very thin until hitting 2nd grade.. with you saying that it makes me think that PCOS was the cause.. How tho? I went from a very small 1st grader to an extremely over weight 2nd grader... But then BLOW UP when I was about 15

wiggles · 11-29-2008, 09:22 PM

i wasn't diagnosed with pcos until i was 29...but the symptons started around 28....i have never had "regular" periods. so who knows, i guess i've always had it....but the extra weight brought on the hair on the chin, high testosterone, and weight that just won't come off.

AcidicLemons · 11-29-2008, 09:37 PM

I was diagnosed personally when I was in middle school, after I experienced the symptoms.

I had facial hair, and unexplained weight gain. I was very active, so I couldn't understand why.
My period stopped and my hormones were c-r-a-z-y.

Needless to say, mom took me to a GYN and that's where I was diagnosed.

ginettelg · 11-29-2008, 09:56 PM

This is a very interesting question. I got my first period at age 10 and they were normal periods up until age 20. I even used to ovulate. I never had any signs of anything being wrong until in my early 20's when I started to have irregular periods. I wasn't diagnosed with PCOS until I had my first miscarriage. So, are there certain things that trigger PCOS?

SandV · 11-29-2008, 10:04 PM

As Stacie said, there are many theories about when it starts. If you look at the research section of the forum, Kat has posted some of the articles. Most recently I read that research indicates the foundation for PCOS is due to diet/exercise during pre-pubescence years. Your signs or symptoms may not occur until later in life due to some other hormone/health change.
For instance, during all of my adolescent years until I reach almost 20, my cycle was a perfect 28 days lasting 3-4 with light to moderate flow. As I reached 20 years, I went through an interrupted pregnancy caused by a fall down a flight of stairs. After my body started to recover from this, my cycle started to go waky. I gained lots of weight in a short amount of time. That was the start of symptoms for my PCOS.

hollymlb · 11-30-2008, 05:08 AM

Slow yeah that's how it was for me this stick skinny little thing then 50-60 pound gain out of no where. Then I did a big gain around 14 or 15 again. I started AF right before 13th bday and had 5-7 Af with 28 day cycles until 15 when the just stopped.