I've been on/off this thread, lurking and and reading for more than a year now - but after everything I've been through and my own personal success...I thought it was important that I share my story with everyone; especially since this site has helped me so much in my own personal research.
I just turned 26 and even though I have not be formally diagnosed...I have PCOS. Read on to find out how I know:
I was a late starter when it came to getting my period. In fact, I thought I'd never get it...and then at 15, while in gym class...it came. Anyway, after about a year, I noticed that my period was heavier than usual this one month. I have to tell you, I was pretty overweight in my teens...probably a good 50-60 lbs or so. So anyway...that month, around the time I was 16, my period was "weird"...i just knew it by how I was feeling and how heavy it was. Well, that cycle never ended...my period never stopped. I had it consistently. THREE plus years to be exact. I didn't know what to do...after a few months of it...I thought I was abnormal and something was wrong with me. Though the bleeding never stopped, every month on the days I was "supposed" to have my actual period, I started having insane cramps. To the point that I ended up in the ER more than once. Believe it or not...no doctor really made a big deal of it! I was finally recommended to a gynecologist and went for my first time at age 17. He didn't say anything either except offer birth control pills. Being overweight already, I decided not to do them for fear of gaining weight on them. I let the situation go on and started doing my own research. I read online about endometrosis...and was pretty sure that is probably what I have. Reading that it had no cure, I accepted my fate and tried living with it. Anyway, around the time I turned 20...a lot of huge, personal changes took place in my life and I was also trying to finish up college. I became very depressed and withdrawn and therefore, in a period of 3 months, lost 40 lbs. Well, something amazing happened! My period became normal!! So normal infact, that it was there every month, 28 days later, on the dot. I could literally plan my life around it because I knew exactly when to expect it. It was the biggest relief ever! So the only health problem I had remaining after that point was significant hairloss...I always had VERY thick, beautiful straight hair....well they had thinned out A LOT. However, I attributed that to being anemic from all that blood loss for so many years...and I also decided that my period problem came for hormone imbalance due to my weight and that is why after I lost the weight, everything was normal.
So everything was perfect for a few years. I graduated, got married, moved and life fell to a normal, but content, routine....until Sept. of 2007. In september, I started having this horrible vaginal itch problem. I had NO idea what it was and I went to several doctors and was told everything from UTI to yeast infection. I was treated for yeast more times than I can remember until finally...after several doctors, one actually checked me for a yeast infection rather than just telling me thats what I have. Lo and behold, there was NO YEAST! I was furious...but nobody would tell me anything. I ended up moving and got a new gyno who made me get blood work done on everything you can imagine. I had normal thyroid, normal glucose, normal insulin, no STDs, or anything else. I had a colposcopy with a biopsy done also...and everything was normal thank God. I was put on flagyll more times than I can count...and though it helped this vaginal "rash" for a short period of time..it always came back.
Anyway, during this time...I frantically started my own research and logged down everything...when I was getting new symptoms, doctors I went to and what they said, meds I took, daily log of how I felt that day...etc.
I realized that over the last few years I had pretty much gained my weight back that I lost all those several years ago...but my periods were still normal (which is why no one paid attention whenever I mentioned PCOS). However, I was still experiencing horrible hair loss and coarse hair under the chin area. I knew it had to do with a hormone imbalance, and I once again started thinking this was due to weight. So I rigoursly worked out and dieted to lose weight. Heres the funny thing though...when I lost 14 lbs, BOOM - my period went totally abnormal. My perfect, arriving every 28 day period for the last few years now...was all of a sudden GONE. Though I wasn't trying to conceive, I was frantically taking pregnancy tests and couldn't understand where was my period?! Finally, it came...3 weeks late. The next month, it came late again, but then wouldn't stop...lasted a whole month. By this time, I just wanted to crawl in bed and die. Literally. I couldn't believe that this problem had come back...and this time AFTER I LOST weight!! I just didn't get it. I had already been to 12 different doctors in a years span, had more blood work done than I could count, and taken more meds than I would in a lifetime. I was totally lost.
This is when I realized that I could either lay in bed depressed or I can figure this out myself. Life an obsessive, compulsive person, I got books, got on forums (this one being one of them!), emailed doctors and hospitals, and read and read and read.
Everything kept connecting together to form one conclusion: PCOS. The same problem that all my doctors just laughed away when I had brought it up. Years ago, when I had found out about endometrosis on the net, there was nothing on PCOS then...now...I found pages of info on PCOS all over the net. The abnormal period, hard to lose weight, thinning hair, facial hair, etc...it all added up!
So once I knew what I had...I wasn't going to settle for the common line I was reading..."theres no cure". I read on what causes PCOS. And the more I read, the more I realized that since basically it is a hormone imbalance, then I've done it before...I'm going to figure out how to balance my hormones and naturally. This is where my research into vitamins and minerals began...I studied which one does what and interacts with what ect....Then, I went to the vitamin store and bought everything I thought I needed (read below for my daily regimen) and started my daily intake of vitamins and minerals. I took them religiously...set timers and everything...afterall, these things are expensive. And yes, I was taking several pills a day and YES, it was very difficult but here's what happened so far (its been 2 months now): My period is completely back to normal!!!, my facial hair is significantly less (I get laser treatments, but they never worked before...I got my last one 6 weeks ago and still haven't seen a single hair yet!), my hair is falling A LOT less (and I've noticed a little regrowth), weight is stablizing (without me having to fight to keep off every pound I've lost) and MOST important...that rash problem...the one that 12 doctors, medical tests, biopsy, meds, etc. couldn't figure out? Its GONE! Hasn't been back sine.
Here's what I take on a daily basis and how much:
MORNING:
- 1 Evening Primrose Oil (1300 mcg)
- 1 Flaxseed Oil (1000 mcg)
- 1 Multivitamin
- 1 B-Complex (this pill has niacin, folic acid, and a little biotin)
DURING DAY:
- 1 Flaxseed Oil (1000 mcg)
- 1 Red Clove Extract (1000 mcg)
- 1 Vitamin C (500 mcg)
AT NIGHT:
- 1 Flaxseed Oil (1000 mcg)
- 1 Biotin (5000 mcg)
I do want to say that although this regime has done wonders to balance my hormones, I am still continuously looking for improvements to this. For example, I am looking into adding saw palmetto for the hair loss and seeing if that would be okay for me to take. A downside to this is that the biotin intake has caused me acne problems around the forehead area. I've always had perfect skin and its annoying having to sacrifice that to not have my hair fall. But overall, thats been it and like I said, I'm still searching for more but I felt it important to share this with you guys...I hope that we all can use each others success to keep hope. I apologize for writing so much, but I wanted to give you all a picture of whats happened and I know a lot of you can relate. The most important thing we need to remember is that we need to take control of our own health and sometimes relying on doctors, etc isn't the solution. We shouldn't give up and continue with hope and prayers and eventually our preserverance will pay off.
I would love suggestions/advice/questions if you have any.
You have me curious because I want to try to help myself through vitamins. All my doctors tell me the same thing: diet and lose weight. But somehow, I think taking vitamins would help. The doctors have had me on Metformin (only to cause me terrible bowel bouts) and spirolactone (only to cause my hair to fall out). Needless to say, I'm sick of it.
Why the regimine of those particular vitamins? Can you explain why? That always helps me out, knowing why. Thanks in advance.
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Wow thank you sooo much for posting this! I am having the same situation with doctors not really caring and just trying to put me on bc pill. Im experiencing that non stop bleeding issue and I know it is because of my hormone imbalance. My testosterone is extremely high while progesterone and estrogen are very low. I am doing progesterone cream right now and am interested in starting a vitamin regime like yours. I know I don't get enough good nutrients from my diet.
Could you tell me what brands you use for your flaxseed oil and other supplements? and where do you buy them from? I've been trying to find a good multivitamin and supplements but there are sooo many different brands. Thank you so much! Im going to try to balance my hormones naturally too.
You have me curious because I want to try to help myself through vitamins. All my doctors tell me the same thing: diet and lose weight. But somehow, I think taking vitamins would help. The doctors have had me on Metformin (only to cause me terrible bowel bouts) and spirolactone (only to cause my hair to fall out). Needless to say, I'm sick of it.
Why the regimine of those particular vitamins? Can you explain why? That always helps me out, knowing why. Thanks in advance.
Hi Mellymackey,
First of all, I would not recommend you just start taking those vitamins without making sure there is no interaction with your meds - I am on NO meds right now and that is why I am in a different situation.
As I mentioned in my post...I researched for about a year on vitamins and minerals. I read online, books, talked to informed people (doctors are not always the most informed people by the way) and these vitamins are what I thought best to try. I did not dive right into it...I took one at a time to see how my body reacted and then added one at a time. Like I said, this has worked wonders for me...but there are some side effects (like the acne from the biotin).
Okay so the best advice I can give is to research these vitamins on your own and see what you feel comfortable with. For example, I really want to add saw palmetto to my regime...but I've talked/read a lot about it and keep getting pro's and cons...I am still not 100% comfortable with adding that yet until I've done more research. So it depends on you. Here is why I chose what I did: Evening primrose and flaxseed oil are very well known and documented for balancing hormones...in fact, many post-menopausal women take these in replacement of hormone therapy. Obviously, I take the biotin for my hair loss. B-complex help in a multitude of things...including increasing my energy levels and metabolism. Red Clover is also a recommended vitamin for a female body system. These are things I discovered regarding the vitamins.
Honestly, do your research...try vitamins you're comfortable with, get to a healthy weight, take the extra care on your hair, body, and mind...and you should see/feel a difference. I hope this helps and keep me updated.
Wow thank you sooo much for posting this! I am having the same situation with doctors not really caring and just trying to put me on bc pill. Im experiencing that non stop bleeding issue and I know it is because of my hormone imbalance. My testosterone is extremely high while progesterone and estrogen are very low. I am doing progesterone cream right now and am interested in starting a vitamin regime like yours. I know I don't get enough good nutrients from my diet.
Could you tell me what brands you use for your flaxseed oil and other supplements? and where do you buy them from? I've been trying to find a good multivitamin and supplements but there are sooo many different brands. Thank you so much! Im going to try to balance my hormones naturally too.
Hi Mimipink2,
As far as brands go - I did research on that too. I discovered that as long has there are no preservatives added and the vitamins are 100% real...then brand is not a factor. For example, make sure your flaxseed oil contains 100% flaxseed. Also make sure your evening primrose oil has gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) in the ingredients since that is the main thing that helps.
Another factor is which brand can you take where you get the most amount allotted by taking the least amount of the pill? I found brands for evening primrose where I had to take 3 pills a day to get the amount that I get in one pill of the bottle I bought now. So those are some factors that might play into your decision. Personally, I go to Vitamin Shoppe an buy their brand of my vitamin and mineral products. If I can't make it there, I'll go to my local GNC.
You mentioned experiencing the non-stop bleeding. For me, the first solution for that was to drop weight. I don't know if you have a problem with that - but honestly the is the first and best way to start normalizing your hormones. Be very careful and aware of trying to take care of this problem asap because it causes serious problems, like anemia, which in turn causes more serious problems, (like hair loss), which then just becomes irreversible. So make this your top priority. As someone who went through this...the best advice I can tell you is don't put it off like I did...I could've been much better off today if I was as proactive about my health when problems first started.
As far as doctors are concerned...I know not ALL doctors are bad...but trust me, to find a good one is basically a needle in a haystack. We can't rely on doctors to solve problems that they don't really know much about either. Trust me...my step-father is a doctor (ER doc) and his brother is an infection disease specialist and his best friend is a Cardiologist. My brother is in med school...he has a lot of doctor friends including a endocrinologist, dermatologist, etc. I am surrounded by doctors and NONE of them every gave me any clear direction on what I should be doing. Further, I went to 12 doctors in one year and not ONE doctor every even brought up PCOS or hormone imbalance. I was always told that "its in your head" or "just lose some weight"...etc. I had to figure everything out myself. So doctors are not always those amazing miracle workers that they are given credit for.
Not to shoot everything down...but have you ever looked into thyroid problems or had an MRI done?
Rather than PCOS, which should have shown up in the bloodwork because of the raised testosterone levels, it sounds a whole lot more like an acute thyroid problem...which would react well with the vitamin regimen that you're taking too and make more sense with the weight loss and gain. There's loads of things out there that can sound like PCOS and you have to be careful to make sure that you're taking the right things for the right problem.
As for the doctors, as much as I loathe them with an unspeakable passion, they are just human. It's your job as a patient to push for these tests, but if the tests turn out okay...you have to think differently. No, they're not great miracle workers all the time...but there are some things that are safer if proven...like PCOS vs Thyroid or other pituitary problems.
__________________ Humans learn best when they're face down on concrete...
Even Gods find it hard to love and be wise at the same time.
When life gives you lemons...make grape juice and let them all wonder
I've been on/off this thread, lurking and and reading for more than a year now - but after everything I've been through and my own personal success...I thought it was important that I share my story with everyone; especially since this site has helped me so much in my own personal research.
I just turned 26 and even though I have not be formally diagnosed...I have PCOS. Read on to find out how I know:
I was a late starter when it came to getting my period. In fact, I thought I'd never get it...and then at 15, while in gym class...it came. Anyway, after about a year, I noticed that my period was heavier than usual this one month. I have to tell you, I was pretty overweight in my teens...probably a good 50-60 lbs or so. So anyway...that month, around the time I was 16, my period was "weird"...i just knew it by how I was feeling and how heavy it was. Well, that cycle never ended...my period never stopped. I had it consistently. THREE plus years to be exact. I didn't know what to do...after a few months of it...I thought I was abnormal and something was wrong with me. Though the bleeding never stopped, every month on the days I was "supposed" to have my actual period, I started having insane cramps. To the point that I ended up in the ER more than once. Believe it or not...no doctor really made a big deal of it! I was finally recommended to a gynecologist and went for my first time at age 17. He didn't say anything either except offer birth control pills. Being overweight already, I decided not to do them for fear of gaining weight on them. I let the situation go on and started doing my own research. I read online about endometrosis...and was pretty sure that is probably what I have. Reading that it had no cure, I accepted my fate and tried living with it. Anyway, around the time I turned 20...a lot of huge, personal changes took place in my life and I was also trying to finish up college. I became very depressed and withdrawn and therefore, in a period of 3 months, lost 40 lbs. Well, something amazing happened! My period became normal!! So normal infact, that it was there every month, 28 days later, on the dot. I could literally plan my life around it because I knew exactly when to expect it. It was the biggest relief ever! So the only health problem I had remaining after that point was significant hairloss...I always had VERY thick, beautiful straight hair....well they had thinned out A LOT. However, I attributed that to being anemic from all that blood loss for so many years...and I also decided that my period problem came for hormone imbalance due to my weight and that is why after I lost the weight, everything was normal.
So everything was perfect for a few years. I graduated, got married, moved and life fell to a normal, but content, routine....until Sept. of 2007. In september, I started having this horrible vaginal itch problem. I had NO idea what it was and I went to several doctors and was told everything from UTI to yeast infection. I was treated for yeast more times than I can remember until finally...after several doctors, one actually checked me for a yeast infection rather than just telling me thats what I have. Lo and behold, there was NO YEAST! I was furious...but nobody would tell me anything. I ended up moving and got a new gyno who made me get blood work done on everything you can imagine. I had normal thyroid, normal glucose, normal insulin, no STDs, or anything else. I had a colposcopy with a biopsy done also...and everything was normal thank God. I was put on flagyll more times than I can count...and though it helped this vaginal "rash" for a short period of time..it always came back. Anyway, during this time...I frantically started my own research and logged down everything...when I was getting new symptoms, doctors I went to and what they said, meds I took, daily log of how I felt that day...etc. I realized that over the last few years I had pretty much gained my weight back that I lost all those several years ago...but my periods were still normal (which is why no one paid attention whenever I mentioned PCOS). However, I was still experiencing horrible hair loss and coarse hair under the chin area. I knew it had to do with a hormone imbalance, and I once again started thinking this was due to weight. So I rigoursly worked out and dieted to lose weight. Heres the funny thing though...when I lost 14 lbs, BOOM - my period went totally abnormal. My perfect, arriving every 28 day period for the last few years now...was all of a sudden GONE. Though I wasn't trying to conceive, I was frantically taking pregnancy tests and couldn't understand where was my period?! Finally, it came...3 weeks late. The next month, it came late again, but then wouldn't stop...lasted a whole month. By this time, I just wanted to crawl in bed and die. Literally. I couldn't believe that this problem had come back...and this time AFTER I LOST weight!! I just didn't get it. I had already been to 12 different doctors in a years span, had more blood work done than I could count, and taken more meds than I would in a lifetime. I was totally lost. This is when I realized that I could either lay in bed depressed or I can figure this out myself. Life an obsessive, compulsive person, I got books, got on forums (this one being one of them!), emailed doctors and hospitals, and read and read and read. Everything kept connecting together to form one conclusion: PCOS. The same problem that all my doctors just laughed away when I had brought it up. Years ago, when I had found out about endometrosis on the net, there was nothing on PCOS then...now...I found pages of info on PCOS all over the net. The abnormal period, hard to lose weight, thinning hair, facial hair, etc...it all added up! So once I knew what I had...I wasn't going to settle for the common line I was reading..."theres no cure". I read on what causes PCOS. And the more I read, the more I realized that since basically it is a hormone imbalance, then I've done it before...I'm going to figure out how to balance my hormones and naturally. This is where my research into vitamins and minerals began...I studied which one does what and interacts with what ect....Then, I went to the vitamin store and bought everything I thought I needed (read below for my daily regimen) and started my daily intake of vitamins and minerals. I took them religiously...set timers and everything...afterall, these things are expensive. And yes, I was taking several pills a day and YES, it was very difficult but here's what happened so far (its been 2 months now): My period is completely back to normal!!!, my facial hair is significantly less (I get laser treatments, but they never worked before...I got my last one 6 weeks ago and still haven't seen a single hair yet!), my hair is falling A LOT less (and I've noticed a little regrowth), weight is stablizing (without me having to fight to keep off every pound I've lost) and MOST important...that rash problem...the one that 12 doctors, medical tests, biopsy, meds, etc. couldn't figure out? Its GONE! Hasn't been back sine.
Here's what I take on a daily basis and how much:
MORNING:
- 1 Evening Primrose Oil (1300 mcg) - 1 Flaxseed Oil (1000 mcg) - 1 Multivitamin - 1 B-Complex (this pill has niacin, folic acid, and a little biotin)
DURING DAY:
- 1 Flaxseed Oil (1000 mcg) - 1 Red Clove Extract (1000 mcg) - 1 Vitamin C (500 mcg)
AT NIGHT:
- 1 Flaxseed Oil (1000 mcg) - 1 Biotin (5000 mcg)
I do want to say that although this regime has done wonders to balance my hormones, I am still continuously looking for improvements to this. For example, I am looking into adding saw palmetto for the hair loss and seeing if that would be okay for me to take. A downside to this is that the biotin intake has caused me acne problems around the forehead area. I've always had perfect skin and its annoying having to sacrifice that to not have my hair fall. But overall, thats been it and like I said, I'm still searching for more but I felt it important to share this with you guys...I hope that we all can use each others success to keep hope. I apologize for writing so much, but I wanted to give you all a picture of whats happened and I know a lot of you can relate. The most important thing we need to remember is that we need to take control of our own health and sometimes relying on doctors, etc isn't the solution. We shouldn't give up and continue with hope and prayers and eventually our preserverance will pay off.
I would love suggestions/advice/questions if you have any.
Thanks,
ZK
Did you experience a lot of of hair loss? Did this regimen help with hair loss?
Are you any kind of special diet?
Not to shoot everything down...but have you ever looked into thyroid problems or had an MRI done?
Rather than PCOS, which should have shown up in the bloodwork because of the raised testosterone levels, it sounds a whole lot more like an acute thyroid problem...which would react well with the vitamin regimen that you're taking too and make more sense with the weight loss and gain. There's loads of things out there that can sound like PCOS and you have to be careful to make sure that you're taking the right things for the right problem.
As for the doctors, as much as I loathe them with an unspeakable passion, they are just human. It's your job as a patient to push for these tests, but if the tests turn out okay...you have to think differently. No, they're not great miracle workers all the time...but there are some things that are safer if proven...like PCOS vs Thyroid or other pituitary problems.
Hi,
I've actually gotten my thyroid checked more than once and its always been in the normal range. I am pretty darn sure that this is PCOS....mostly based on the abnormal period history I've experienced and the other "side" symptoms. Trust me, I WISH that this would be a thyroid problem (not that thyroid problems are a laughing matter or anything nonchalant) because at least that would allow me to handle this a lot better. I would take a thyroid problem over PCOS any day.
So yeah, basically I've had all the tests done...just not any good doctors who had the time or care to consider something beyond the norm.
Did you experience a lot of of hair loss? Did this regimen help with hair loss?
Are you any kind of special diet?
Peggotty,
I experienced A LOT of hair loss. Like I said, I had amazingly very thick, jet black, long, straight hair. Over the years...my hair has shed so bad that now if I tie it together, its the width of maybe the same as the width of 5 pencils bunched together....if that can give you any image of it. (sorry couldn't think of a better example!)
My hair is thank God not so bad that there are huge bald spots or anything...but I definitely have to spend particular time on it when I'm tying it up to make sure I every precious piece of hair left placed in place so that no scalp shows through.
This regime has definitely cut back the hair falling. As I said in my first post, the biotin is growing hair like crazy everywhere (for example I notice my arm and leg hair growing faster than I can even manage to shave it off...never grew this fast before...and seems to be more hair on arms and legs too) -so I know its definitely working...but I haven't particularly noticed the regrowth on my head yet. The only thing is the hair falling less and that is better than nothing.
As far as special diet...yes, in a way I am on a diet. Basically I still eat everything but I've restricted my salt intake (I don't have high blood pressure...but when you eliminate salt from your diet, your body is forced to release all that water retention, which allows further weight loss to go towards your fat and not just water weight), restricted carbs, and eliminated processed foods (basically white breads, white rice, etc) for whole wheat or multi-grain. I've up'ed my water intake and get in at least my 8 glasses a day and I try to avoid sweets as much as possible (though chocolate is SO tempting!). Also, I am caffeine free.
These are a couple of changes and yes, some are hard to do (like the carb restriction!) but the purpose of a good diet is something you can follow for a lifetime and not just a burden you put on yourself. I had tried EVERYTHING before this and nothing really worked before.
Hope that helps!
I experienced A LOT of hair loss. Like I said, I had amazingly very thick, jet black, long, straight hair. Over the years...my hair has shed so bad that now if I tie it together, its the width of maybe the same as the width of 5 pencils bunched together....if that can give you any image of it. (sorry couldn't think of a better example!)
My hair is thank God not so bad that there are huge bald spots or anything...but I definitely have to spend particular time on it when I'm tying it up to make sure I every precious piece of hair left placed in place so that no scalp shows through.
This regime has definitely cut back the hair falling. As I said in my first post, the biotin is growing hair like crazy everywhere (for example I notice my arm and leg hair growing faster than I can even manage to shave it off...never grew this fast before...and seems to be more hair on arms and legs too) -so I know its definitely working...but I haven't particularly noticed the regrowth on my head yet. The only thing is the hair falling less and that is better than nothing.
As far as special diet...yes, in a way I am on a diet. Basically I still eat everything but I've restricted my salt intake (I don't have high blood pressure...but when you eliminate salt from your diet, your body is forced to release all that water retention, which allows further weight loss to go towards your fat and not just water weight), restricted carbs, and eliminated processed foods (basically white breads, white rice, etc) for whole wheat or multi-grain. I've up'ed my water intake and get in at least my 8 glasses a day and I try to avoid sweets as much as possible (though chocolate is SO tempting!). Also, I am caffeine free.
These are a couple of changes and yes, some are hard to do (like the carb restriction!) but the purpose of a good diet is something you can follow for a lifetime and not just a burden you put on yourself. I had tried EVERYTHING before this and nothing really worked before.
Hope that helps!
Great. Thanks for the info. May I ask, when you were suffering hair loss, did the actual hair strands become super thin (miniturized) at all?
Great. Thanks for the info. May I ask, when you were suffering hair loss, did the actual hair strands become super thin (miniturized) at all?
Peggotty,
Yup!! Thats why I mentioned having jet black hair before. Most of my hair strands became soooo thin that they actually seem transparent, which gives them a light brown/blondish look. Now, my hair is not even close to the dark color it was before. It'd dull and I'm even getting lots of grays - I just turned 26, and premature graying does not run in my family...so I don't know if this is due to PCOS or not. I still need to look that one up.
What all have you tried for your hair loss so far? Have you had success with anything? I'll give you some more information on something else that I've been doing (but its expensive and takes a while for results) thats also been a major help...if you're interested. Although like I said, the biotin helping so far with a lot less hair falling out. I hope that continuing this regime (hopefully the acne problem won't scare me away from it!) will be the answer. I have almost all the PCOS symptoms, but I gotta tell you...the hair loss is mentally the worst for me...especially because of what I had and what I have now. I want to cry my eyes out when I see old pics of myself with the hair I used to have. Sigh.
So yeah, sharing your experience might help me as well. Take care.
Yup!! Thats why I mentioned having jet black hair before. Most of my hair strands became soooo thin that they actually seem transparent, which gives them a light brown/blondish look. Now, my hair is not even close to the dark color it was before. It'd dull and I'm even getting lots of grays - I just turned 26, and premature graying does not run in my family...so I don't know if this is due to PCOS or not. I still need to look that one up.
What all have you tried for your hair loss so far? Have you had success with anything? I'll give you some more information on something else that I've been doing (but its expensive and takes a while for results) thats also been a major help...if you're interested. Although like I said, the biotin helping so far with a lot less hair falling out. I hope that continuing this regime (hopefully the acne problem won't scare me away from it!) will be the answer. I have almost all the PCOS symptoms, but I gotta tell you...the hair loss is mentally the worst for me...especially because of what I had and what I have now. I want to cry my eyes out when I see old pics of myself with the hair I used to have. Sigh.
So yeah, sharing your experience might help me as well. Take care.
Wow. You sound exactly like me and yes my hair is becoming transparent too. And als some gray hairs. As for my own symptoms, with blood work, I have elevated androgens so I was told to go on Rogaine, Yasmine and spiro for my symptoms but I refused to go on anything and just hoped that my hormones would regulate on thier own. Then it started getting so bad and I was getting desperate that I conceded and decided to start on Spiro, though I never felt so great about taking it. I have been on it for about a year with no improvements so I am thinking of getting off of it. And I'm just praying for something to finally help.
Wow. You sound exactly like me and yes my hair is becoming transparent too. And als some gray hairs. As for my own symptoms, with blood work, I have elevated androgens so I was told to go on Rogaine, Yasmine and spiro for my symptoms but I refused to go on anything and just hoped that my hormones would regulate on thier own. Then it started getting so bad and I was getting desperate that I conceded and decided to start on Spiro, though I never felt so great about taking it. I have been on it for about a year with no improvements so I am thinking of getting off of it. And I'm just praying for something to finally help.
What else are you doing for the hair loss?
I know exactly what you mean about not wanting to take anything thats not natural. Rogaine is something that freaks me out because its a lifetime deal and I'm just not happy with knowing I have to put chemicals into my hair for the rest of my life.
I opted to try a product called Kevis (you can google it to get their official site) a few years back. Its a natural remedy and isn't a lifetime type deal. Heres the thing...my roommate in college and I decided to try it and so we split the price for the one year supply so that we could each have 6 months of it. Its over 1200 dollars for a year supply, but if you're a first time buyer...they will give you a 50% discount. So splitting that in half with my roommate, I only paid over $300 (notice I'm saying "only" because that a lot less than the 1200 price, but its still a lot). It comes with a shampoo, this "conditioner" and these "vials" that have this liquid that you apply to your hair. Its liquid, but they refer to it as "lotion" - anyway, its to rid your head of DHT, and hence prevent hair loss. You're supposed to apply it every night for the first month and then every other night for the next few months - at least thats what I remember the directions as (its been so long since I first read everything on it).
So heres the thing, in college my roommate and I did this religiously, and there was great improvement. My hair did not fall at all, I noticed some good regrowth, it grew faster, and it rid me of no dandruff (i never really had a dandruff issue, but this thing made sure you didn't even have a speck). I stopped using it and I was still supposed to for another year or so for "maintenance" - however, I had already seen results in 6 months and I started taking that for granted. About two years ago, my hormones got really off track again and I was back at square one. I still have a ton of Kevis supply left, so I called up the company, found out they have a 5 year shelf life...so just recently, I've taken it back out and have been applying it every other night (though I should be doing it every night for right now) - I've only been doing this for a month now...so haven't really seen much difference (by the way, you only really need the "lotion" vials...their customer service will tell you that too).
So heres the thing...my roommate, who was having hair loss issues due to major stress and hard water conditions (so remember, NOT due to PCOS) - used this exactly as directed and for the exact time she was supposed to (in other words, she did not at all get lazy about it like I did) and she SWEARS by this product. She still orders a small supply every year to keep everything perfect and maintained and to prevent dandruff.
So now I'm going to give this another go and if it works how it did and continues to do wonders (fingers crossed!) I will definitely post about it here.
What type of doctor prescribed you the spiro? and have you tried the rogaine or anything else thus far? (oh by the way, I have not had hormone tests done...I don't have insurance anymore, so can't get it done either...but based on symptoms, even without tests, its a pretty safe bet that I have high androgen levels too)
I know exactly what you mean about not wanting to take anything thats not natural. Rogaine is something that freaks me out because its a lifetime deal and I'm just not happy with knowing I have to put chemicals into my hair for the rest of my life.
I opted to try a product called Kevis (you can google it to get their official site) a few years back. Its a natural remedy and isn't a lifetime type deal. Heres the thing...my roommate in college and I decided to try it and so we split the price for the one year supply so that we could each have 6 months of it. Its over 1200 dollars for a year supply, but if you're a first time buyer...they will give you a 50% discount. So splitting that in half with my roommate, I only paid over $300 (notice I'm saying "only" because that a lot less than the 1200 price, but its still a lot). It comes with a shampoo, this "conditioner" and these "vials" that have this liquid that you apply to your hair. Its liquid, but they refer to it as "lotion" - anyway, its to rid your head of DHT, and hence prevent hair loss. You're supposed to apply it every night for the first month and then every other night for the next few months - at least thats what I remember the directions as (its been so long since I first read everything on it).
So heres the thing, in college my roommate and I did this religiously, and there was great improvement. My hair did not fall at all, I noticed some good regrowth, it grew faster, and it rid me of no dandruff (i never really had a dandruff issue, but this thing made sure you didn't even have a speck). I stopped using it and I was still supposed to for another year or so for "maintenance" - however, I had already seen results in 6 months and I started taking that for granted. About two years ago, my hormones got really off track again and I was back at square one. I still have a ton of Kevis supply left, so I called up the company, found out they have a 5 year shelf life...so just recently, I've taken it back out and have been applying it every other night (though I should be doing it every night for right now) - I've only been doing this for a month now...so haven't really seen much difference (by the way, you only really need the "lotion" vials...their customer service will tell you that too).
So heres the thing...my roommate, who was having hair loss issues due to major stress and hard water conditions (so remember, NOT due to PCOS) - used this exactly as directed and for the exact time she was supposed to (in other words, she did not at all get lazy about it like I did) and she SWEARS by this product. She still orders a small supply every year to keep everything perfect and maintained and to prevent dandruff.
So now I'm going to give this another go and if it works how it did and continues to do wonders (fingers crossed!) I will definitely post about it here.
What type of doctor prescribed you the spiro? and have you tried the rogaine or anything else thus far? (oh by the way, I have not had hormone tests done...I don't have insurance anymore, so can't get it done either...but based on symptoms, even without tests, its a pretty safe bet that I have high androgen levels too)
Wow, I went to the website for the Kevis and it sounds pretty good. Wish it had more testimonials, esp from women, though.
The endo prescribed the spiro and that is all I have tried thus far. Let us know how it keeps going. Good luck.
When I tried a low carb diet plus B complex in October I had major hair fallout. I didn't know if it was the excess acidity from the meat or excess/unbalanced B vitamins, but when I cut both and switched to a whole foods diet, my hair stopped falling. Funny, the low carb diet did bring on AF and made my boobs grow/stomach shrink...but my hair fell out?!? I also have premature grey at 23, no one can tell yet because my hair is light..
As far as doctors are concerned, pcos is new and exotic for most of them. Just like heart disease when it first hit Japan.
Now I'm taking B complex plus B5 and my hair is staying in my scalp, but I do not see any regrowth yet. I'm going to try rubbing saw palmetto gel caps on my scalp and see what happens.
Working on a cure for this monster that ruined my life, and mostly succeeding, all naturally.
My Story and the PCOS cure I found 
