I found it interesting that apparently the location of the unwanted hairs is very important and that it is possible to have normal bloodtests and still have a hormone problem....
Question.... Since I have many of these symptoms including hair on chin, lower stomach, between breast(cleavage area although these appear to be "vellous" so not sure if I count that...) thinning scalp hair, cystic type acne, infertility, irregular periods, depression, anxiety, night sweats, fatigue, recent weight gain etc.. IF my bloodwork comes back "normal" do you all think I should ask to be "treated" anyhow? meaning, is it possible that bcp and/or spiro could still help me even if my levels "appear" normal? Do you think this is what the article is saying?
update... my Dr's office just called and my bloodwork is "normal" :-( I am crying and disheartened to hear this and I feel so conflicted... shouldn't I be happy? I'm not because it doesn't change that i have all these symptoms, am losing my hair and feel like crap .
Rach, I am soo sorry. I understand why your so upset. You know there is something wrong. It's just not normal. I would disuss pcos with your doc and tell him there is something really really wrong. Have you bee tested fro IR and diabetes?
ok, here for ya
hugs
de
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I've had doctors tell me I was normal too until I had seen the reports and compared them.
Get a second opinion! I really believe that a person knows her body better than doctors do. If something's wrong then you'll know and get another opinion.
I am going to talk to my gyn on Tuesday about treating my symptoms regardless of my "normal" bloodwork... and see what he thinks...
I am having them fax me a copy of my results but I am not sure if I am going to be able to compare them accurately to the inciid chart because my cycles are so irregular (I get periods 2 to 3 times a year and I never know when...) so we didn't know which cycle day I was on when I had the tests drawn (the inciid charts look like they are for cycle day 3 and I'm not sure if that matters...) my gyn told me he would be able to interpret the results regardless when I expressed my concern about that but I don't know if I will be able to (as it turns out I ended up getting a period the day after my bloodtest!)
Also... I am going to ask my derm about having my serum ferritin level checked... I have read that they consider over 20 "normal" (I think) but that if you can raise your level to 70 or above it can help you regrow hair quicker and make anti-androgen therapies more effective... again, I don't know if this is a fact or not but I am going to ask my dermatologist about it..
Also... I have just started using Nioxin shampoo/conditioner and hairspray and I must share that I am really happy with the product... I don't know if I believe that it helps to "regrow" hair or not but it seems to be a really good line for thin and/or oily hair and the hairspray is my favorite... It is a "super" hold aerosol that really works and actually makes my hair shiny... the products are expensive but so far I am happy with them..
I have a copy of my bloodwork results... any "experts" out there? they really do all appear to be normal according to the lab reference ranges and also according to the inccid chart.... The only thing I noticed was that my LH is in fact higher than my FSH and I know that they are supposed to be close to the same but my question is, how 'off" is off? my FSH is 3.1 and LH was 5.2 is that significant? both numbers by themselves are well within normal but I wonder if that ratio is ok?
Excellent article. Thanks for posting it. It definitely says that your serum levels can be "normal", but that if you have symptoms of hirtuism that your hormones are NOT normal. Therefore treatment should help.
My hormone levels are also normal, but I have clinical evidence also and I've always maintained to my dr that there is obviously something wrong regardless of what my blood work says. Unfortunately they don't always listen to us.
Another good article to read about normal levels and why they aren't always accurate is in one of the stickies in the newbie forum - read the second post on this page by Kat - it talks about the free testosterone level also and say that normal for testosterone should actually be 25-30 instead of all the way up to 70 or so. Guide to understanding Lab Results for PCOS...
I believe that a normal LH/FSH ratio is 1:1. 2/1 is NOT normal. Your's isn't quite that high, but is definitely higher that 1:1 so to me that would be significant.
Have you found a doctor willing to treat you? Are you currently taking any meds to treat your symptoms?
I wrote my gyn and my derm a letter yesterday asking if they thought it could possibly help to treat my symptoms as if I had PCOS, regardless of my bloodwork, I also attached some highlights from the article I posted here where they state that women with symptoms, do, in fact, have a hormone problem ,etc.. ( My biggest fear is that bcp could make my hair loss worse which is why I want my derm's opinion on this...) I told them I would like to try Yasmin and Spiro (IF they don't think it will "hurt" to try...) anyhow.. hopefully I haven't insulted any egos with my "self-diagnosis and treatment plan" lol I suppose I will find out on Tuesday.. :-)
Do you have scalp hair loss/thinning? I don't have actual bald spots but my front/top and temples have thinned considerably ...if you were just walking past me you might not notice but if you stared or I pointed it out you can see my scalp in the top/front/temples... Is this pattern typical AGA? anyone know? my derm keeps telling me it is stress related TE but I just don't know because of my other symptoms it makes me worry that it is more related to this...
I take metformin. My fertility doc rx'd it for me a couple of years ago but I stopped taking it after a couple of months because of the bad side effects. A couple of months ago I went to my GP and asked him to start me on the met again because I notice that my symptoms are getting worse. He was an idiot and doesn't believe I even have PCOS because my blood work is normal - despited the fact that I have the classic string of pearl cysts on my ovaries, irregular cycles, painful periods, cystic acne on jawline, mild (thank goodness) hirtuism, and skin tags. I don't respond to clomid, and my fertility doc confirmed lack of ovulation while he was monitoring with ultrasound. I brought all these records with me to show my GP, but he just thinks that it's probably not PCOS. ???? But he gave me 1000mg of met anyway, which I don't think is enough and then spent the rest of the time trying to push BCP on me. I probably should go back to my fertility doc because I know he wouldn't try and get me to take the pill, and would be supportive the met and my diagnosis (since he originally diagnosed me), but he changed offices and moved farther away and so it's harder to go to him. Also, I'm tired of ttcing and don't really want to get into all that again so I'm not sure who to go see. I need to find someone though because I am NOT going back to my GP.
I have only been taking the 1000mg of Met for 1 1/2 months now, so I don't know if it's been long enough to tell if it's helping, but I did have a 30 day cycle - that's an improvment so maybe it is. I don't have hair thinning - at least not noticable. I lose TONS of hair, but I always have and my hair is very thick, so I think it's just normal loss. It doesn't really seem thinner or receeding despite how much I can pull out.
I don't want to take BCP because I really feel like it aggravated my problem when I took it before. I was on it for 1 1/2 years about 10 years ago and when I went off it is when my problems and symptoms started. Except irregular cycles - I've always been slightly irregular, but when I stopped taking the pill they became really eratic (sp?). I didn't have a period for 9 mos after I stopped the pill. It could be coincidental, that the PCOS was getting worse while I was on it and it was just keeping the symptoms in control so I didn't notice until I went off. But I really feel like it made things worse. So I don't really want to take them again. I really want my body to function normally and naturally (which includes ovulation) not simulate a normal cycle with artificial hormones. Anyway, I've gone on and on so I'll stop. Good luck finding a doctor who will really listen to you and knows what he/she is doing. There are a lot out there that don't, but act like they do!
Thanks for sharing so much... I would definetly find another GP if I were you! It doesn't even matter if he is right or wrong (but we both know he is wrong..lol) if you don't like and/or trust your doctor you aren't going to get the help you need and deserve
I would just say this that I do find it interesting that you say your symptoms started when you stopped the bcp... I am certainly no expert but I know from my own experience, that for me, the bcp suppressed my symptoms and therefore I "flared" when I stopped them... which is why many people with PCOS seem to do better on the pill.... I'm sure you have heard that before but you may want to consider that it seems to me you can try for a month or two to see if you feel any better and you can always stop again if you don't.... again, not trying to give you unsolicitated advice...just trying to help!
I have a long history of infertility myself.. we started ttc#1 when we were married in 1999..after a year without success I was given Clomid... got pregnant the first cycle on Clomid! only to miscarry 12 weeks later... tried Clomid 5 more times... no success... ended up at an RE ..had every test (including an exploratory lap) done and did injectible fertility drugs coupled with IUI's (6 times...) conceived and miscarried again with my second IUI and my 5th IUI was a tubal... after that mentally and physically I was a mess... needed a break... I had a very difficult time taking those injections.. my moods were literally out of control.. I am surprised I wasn't admitted to a psych hospital during that time...seriously... Anyhow the next step would be IVF and after considering our odds, the expense, and the many more drugs I would have to inject myself with, my answer just came to me... this will sound so corny but I swear it is true... I went to bed one night and had the most beautiful dream.. I had a baby girl... I was holding her and kissing her and she was mine and we were happy...and she was chinese! and I woke my husband up and I told him... I said... "honey, we have to adopt a baby girl from China.." He said "why?" "why China?" and I said "because that is where our daughter is" :-) And...that was 1 1.2 years ago and Hannah, our baby girl, will be home this June 12th!
wow..I got off track....sorry!
Anyhow, I can understand not wanting to take any meds you don't absolutely have to... I am the same way... good luck to you
Originally posted by Rachnjeff update... my Dr's office just called and my bloodwork is "normal" :-( I am crying and disheartened to hear this and I feel so conflicted... shouldn't I be happy?
Sorry your bloodwork came back normal! (that sounds funny to say). My bloodwork is normal except for slightly elevated tri's. Since I still have many PCOS symptoms, my doc is still treating it as PCOS and I have been on Met since October.
Hopefully you can find a good doc who knows that you don't need to have everything on the "checklist" to have PCOS and treats you for it just the same!
Good luck!
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* * * * * * * * * * Meds: Metformin 1000mg and Celexa 20mg
* * * * * * * * * * "My grace is sufficient for you." 2 Corinthians 12:9a
Hey, I am from Pittsburgh, originally! And I want to go BACK!!!!!!
I had a great doctor while I was there... I will PM you her name.
FWIW< I personally think that if you have the symptoms, you warrent treatment.
And as for the hair, I think that matters as much as where it is is, does it respond to normal hair removal treatments? Ie, "They" say, for example, that leg hair is not an indication of PCOS... BS!!! If you gotta shave twice a day, and your hair is nasty and coarse, and other women only shave every other day or three days, and can get away with going longer if you're not too close... there's a problem!
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"We've tried to wash our hands of all of this
We never talk of our lacking relationships
And how we're guilt-stricken, sobbing, with our heads on the floor
We fell through the ice when we tried not to slip..."
- the verve pipe
Thanks. I'm sure my symptoms would feel better on BCP. But I really want to treat the PCOS not just the symptoms. I worry about it making it worse, or things getting worse and me not knowing because of the pill suppressing the symptoms. But who knows. Some days I get frustrated and don't really care what is best - I just want the problems to go away! Bet no one else knows how that feels - .
That's really cool about your dream and adopting. We just finished our home study and got our approval last week. So now I guess we wait. You come to a point where ttcing just isn't worth it anymore. We've gotten soooo excited about adoption while we've gone through the whole process. It's weird how my feelings about it have changed. I've always thought it was a great thing and never had negative feelings about it. I'm not sure if this will make sense, but I now feel like it's better than having my own baby. I didn't really ever think of it as second best, but I don't know if I thought of it as quite equal. Now I'm more excited about it than the thought of getting pregnant. It's hard to explain, but I'm sure you understand probably even better than me because you've been through it all and have your baby.
interesting article 
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