Hi Everyone My name is Melissa, I'm 22, and I just got my diagnosis yesterday...
My testosterone was slightly elevated and my FSH and LH were apparently whatever fits the criteria for PCOS -- I pretty much have absolutely no idea what I am talking about right now, by the way. The good things were that my health is otherwise pretty good -- my cholesterol was great, thyroid is normal, I'm not insulin resistant and my insulin levels were good, my bloodpressure was great, and I don't have anything results indicating that I have a tumor or CAH. Etc...
I am kind of angry because I honestly think that a medication I've been taking since March may have caused this. I have been taking seroquel -- I've gone down from 300 mg (that I started on in March) to half of 25 mg -- next month I will taper again. The reasons I think the seroquel may have had something to do with me developing this condition are: seroquel affects your blood sugar and can increase your chances of getting diabetes, seroquel affects your metabolism, seroquel causes weight gain (usually at least 20% weight gain) -- and it did that for me -- I had RAPID weight gain for a few months after I started the medicine. The biggest thing for me, though, is that I stopped having periods after March of this year, and that's when I was put on seroquel! I asked several doctors and pharmacists about it and they all said that seroquel CAN cause you to stop having your period.
I have not been on any other prescriptions since March....
One of my doctors thinks that this is drug induced and the other doesn't. Does it even matter? PCOS isn't curable or reversible, right?
So I guess I just needed to rant and get this stuff out. My doctor put me on Yasmin -- I started it two days ago. I expect to start losing weight after I have completely tapered off the seroquel -- I have been exercising regularly since January (and like I said I GAINED weight) -- I can go and swim laps for two hours and then go to the gym and still gain weight (and no, it is not possible that *all* the weight I've gained is muscle weight).
The doctor didn't do an ultrasound -- I had a physical exam, though. She said she didn't think my cysts were big.
I guess I am not so terribly worried about infertility right now because I'm not dating anyone or planning on it anytime soon. Plus I could always adopt kids if I couldn't have my own. I'm not so worried about diabetes or the other health problems because I feel like I'm exercising and watching my nutrition and I get PLENTY of health check ups ... so those things make me feel like I at least have SOME control and can "fight back" and prevent some of the later health problems.. hopefully.
What I AM worried about are the outward/appearance symtoms.... EVERYONE who I have tried to talk to has basically told me I'm being "obsessive" or "superficial" and "having a bad attitude" for worrying about this kind of stuff! In fact when I first started worrying about PCOS everyone told me that they thought I was "imagining" my symtoms -- even my doctors basically played it off as me being worrisome. Well, I WAS RIGHT, I DO have PCOS, so obviously, my worries were legit! I wish I hadn't been right I am pretty much terrified of the idea that I will get hair all over or lose the hair on my head. I feel like if I get those types of symtoms it will be impossible for me to date, get married, or have kids should I decide to want to do those things later on. I have career goals and I'm in school right now, but it would be nice to get married and have kids, too.
Welcome Melissa Just wanted to throw out some hugs to you. I know the first few days after being diagnosed are pretty rough. But it gets better. And remember, everyone has different symptoms, so you may not even have to worry about certain things.
__________________
~*~Melissa~*~
Me (29) DH (29-30 on March 17th lol)
Dx- Oct 17th 2005 (PCOS/Insulin Resistant)
Metformin XR (500 mg-not enough)
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Welcome to SC. YOu may or may not get all or some of the stuff that goes along with PCOS. Take it one day at a time ane learn as much as you can about it. You've come to the right place for that!
You might be right about your medication causing PCOS; my mother believes that a medication she took as a teenager caused her thyroid condition. Unfortunately it is difficult to prove for certain that a medication has induced a condition.
I think your approach is great; healthy lifestyle is important, more important than whether you're a little overweight or have acne/facial hair. And of course healthy lifestyle can prevent those things to some extent.
Don't worry too much about the symptoms affecting your life. Firstly, if you don't have them yet, you might not get them. Secondly, when you meet the right man, he's not going to be an a**hole who cares about minor physical details; he's going to love you for who you are. I've got pretty bad facial hair (it does come off, btw!) and I've had laser therapy, which worked on my sideburns but not so well on my chin. I'd always thought I'd got the laser therapy before I met DH, but recently he reminded me that no, he'd met me when I still had these sideburns! He did think it was unusual but he didn't care enough to not pursue me. The chin hair does bother him a little, but he never bugs me about it. Obviously you probably won't end up with a guy who can't stand to see any body hair on a woman, but those guys are usually almost equally grossed out when they discover we have leg hair, so who cares? And don't worry too much about fertility issues; most of us cysters can have kids, although it might be harder for us.
Btw, great screen name!
__________________ Me (26), DH (28) To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. , married 12/02, Dx 04/04
Hi everyone and thanks for the replies I feel much better now. The other day I went and bought my dog a toy and that cheered me up. I have been working out and doing a lot of homework so those things made me feel good, too. Things could be much, much worse, right? Also I think I may not have mentioned that I am only temporarily on seroquel -- I'm on half of the lowest dosage right now and on November 13th my psychiatrist is tapering it again. So, hopefully, by December, I won't be on any pills accept for the birth control!
My psychiatrist told me I could stop taking the seroquel today! So I am no longer on ANY psychiatric meds and hopefully won't EVER have to take them again!
I also am finally starting to notice the PCOS meds working.
New and Newly Diagnosed (long, rant) 
My name is Melissa, I'm 22, and I just got my diagnosis yesterday...
I am pretty much terrified of the idea that I will get hair all over or lose the hair on my head. I feel like if I get those types of symtoms it will be impossible for me to date, get married, or have kids should I decide to want to do those things later on. I have career goals and I'm in school right now, but it would be nice to get married and have kids, too. 
