Sorry this is a long post, but I'm a newbie in a very confused state. Please help.
I've suffered the following symptoms since my early 20s:
-irregular periods (anywhere from 30-40 days)
-hairloss
-acne (severe in teen years, mild now, just oily skin with lots of blackheads)
-mild hair growth around nipples, chest, abdomen and a few on chin
-memory problems
-depression, anxiety
I am normal weight (115 lbs 5'1" height) although I've noticed my mid section thickening in the last year significantly.
I'm 31. Had a pregnancy this past winter that resulted in a blighted ovum at 9 weeks
I came upon this message board and first heard about PCOS just a few months ago while seeking answers relating to the miscarriage on the web. Despite the fact that I ovulate (I became pregnant naturally within 2 months of trying), I began to wonder if the symptoms described above could possible indicate PCOS. I just had a visit with a family practicioner yesterday. I told her about my concerns/suspicions and said I'd like to be tested to find out. She seemed to think it was a waste of time (said, oh you don't fit the profile AT ALL, I can spot a PCOS patient when they walk in, they all have a CERTAIN LOOK). Needless to say, I was kind of confused because all I had read here seemed to indicate the variation in the PCOS cases and the resulting difficulty in diagnosing. Anyway, I insisted on a blood test for LH/FSH ratio. Today she called and told me my lab work was normal. When I asked her what the results were, she told me they are LH 12 FSH 5. Is this normal? It seems to be a 2:1 ratio, something that indicates the possibility of PCOS. What should I do? I want to see another doctor, but I'm not someone who's used to going to doctors much and am completely lost about where to go from here. Thanks.
You are absolutely right not to trust your doctor. Your ratio is out of whack, which so points to PCOS, as well as your other symptoms. Please find another doctor and get a diagnosis. WHile you're at it, get tested for insulin resistance as well, since you have memory loss. I had brain fog for the longest time and didn't know why or what it was, now it all makes sense, and I have to say it's gotten a lot better since I started Metformin.
Good luck to you, and welcome to SoulCysters!
__________________ Met rules! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. It cleared my brain fog, brought back af, helped me lose weight, made me o' again, and helped me get pregnant. My first Metformin miracle is now 3 years old, my second (surprise one) arrived December11! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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True, we Cysters do have a look...typically. This is not a hard and fast rule, though, so this is something else that's out of whack with your doc. The first time I ever heard of PCOS was from a Cyster who was not typical. She was thin, had regular periods, clear skin, not a hair out of place. The only thing was that she wasn't ovulating. It turned out that she had high prolactin, even though she'd never lactated. This was causing other hormone imbalances that caused her not to ovulate.
To have the typical Cyster look means that you have insulin resistance. Most of us are over weight and have the shape because of the IR. IR isn't the only cause of PCOS though. I think any hormone imbalance can do it. But as hormone imbalances tend to cause a cascade effect, even if you didn't start with IR, you may end up with it. I think this is why some thing cysters start gaining weight and experience that thickening you mentioned, in later years. In fact they may not even realize they have a problem until they start gaining weight and finally fit the profile a doctor associates with PCOS.
Hope this helps.
Christa
PS Japan, your kids are beautiful!
__________________ Age:37
Dx PCOS Nov 1999, Dx To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Nov 2000
Med free since Feb 2001.
Brief stint on Woman's Precious Jan-Feb 2004--no results.
Eating Snickers for breakfast on To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. , and it's working!
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To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. - See Section 2.10 for blood tests and normal values.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Can Help You Find Your PCOS-friendly Doctor!
SoulCyster since August 2001
Quote:
"Everything is okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end." -Unknown
Thank you all for your input. It's nice to be able to "talk" about this with you all. I will go to an endo next to do further investigating. Also thank you for the people involved in creating and maintaining this forum. You rock!
Thanks. They are beautiful, inside and out. And I don't think I'd have the baby if I hadn't found this place and these cysters whose advice and encouragement kept me going to get diagnosed and treated. (You know you're one of them )
__________________ Met rules! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. It cleared my brain fog, brought back af, helped me lose weight, made me o' again, and helped me get pregnant. My first Metformin miracle is now 3 years old, my second (surprise one) arrived December11! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
LH/FSH levels indicate PCOS? 
