Hi all!
I'm 20 years old, 5'3'' 125 lbs and have just been diagnosed with PCOS. I had irregular periods every since I started menstruating at 12. I would get my period for 2 weeks, and then start bleeding again 2 weeks later. So I would technically have a 28 day cycle, but with 14 days of bleeding. At the age of 15, my obgyn put me on BCP. After developing high blood pressure, I was taken off of the pill about 4 months ago. Ever since then, my periods have more or less returned to the way they were before i went on the pill. I bleed very frequently, for different amounts of time. It's very frustrating! I went to the dr about 3 weeks ago, and he did a sonogram that showed indeed my ovaries are polycystic. He also did some blood work, but I haven't heard anything back about it.
I'm not trying to conceive at this point, but would love to in the future. I'm just confused- most cases I have read about talk about women rarely getting their periods. I'm quite frequently getting mine. Sometimes I go 1 week without a period, sometimes 3, sometimes 10 days, etc etc. Why is this? I thought NOT getting your period was typical of PCOS. I guess I'm just asking if anybody has gone through something similar and if getting my period frequently will make it any harder or easier for me to eventually start ovulating once I do decide to conceive(probably years from now!)
I sometimes get 12 day cycles, sometimes 85 day cycles. It varies from person to person but you are right, it does not sound typical for PCOS.
An ultrasound by itself IS NOT enough for diagnosis of PCOS. Everything else has to be ruled out first. Some women have the classic "string of pearls" ovary of PCOS but are actually normal. If all the other symptoms also fit, i.e. hirsutism, acne, and the bloodwork fits (high LH:FSH ratio, high free testosterone (even if total testosterone is normal)) then you will be given the clinical diagnosis of PCOS.
Your symptoms sound suspicious for hypothyroidism. You should contact your doctor find out your results. I am sure he has checked your thyroid (TSH, free T4). You might want to check the internet to see if you have symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis as well and bring it up if it is a concern. Any condition causing low estrogen is also suspicious.
What you describe sounds like metrorrhagia. (you can google it since I'm not allowed to post links yet)
Also check out "menometrorrhagia" if bleeding is both heavy and frequent.
Hope this helps!
__________________ Me (33), DH (34)
Lean PCOS dx 2007, no IR, no FHx
TTC #1 since 3/21/09
10/13/09 - cycle 1 - 50mg Clomid x 5d + HCG + Prometrium - BFN
Hi all!
I'm 20 years old, 5'3'' 125 lbs and have just been diagnosed with PCOS. I had irregular periods every since I started menstruating at 12. I would get my period for 2 weeks, and then start bleeding again 2 weeks later. So I would technically have a 28 day cycle, but with 14 days of bleeding. At the age of 15, my obgyn put me on BCP. After developing high blood pressure, I was taken off of the pill about 4 months ago. Ever since then, my periods have more or less returned to the way they were before i went on the pill. I bleed very frequently, for different amounts of time. It's very frustrating! I went to the dr about 3 weeks ago, and he did a sonogram that showed indeed my ovaries are polycystic. He also did some blood work, but I haven't heard anything back about it.
I'm not trying to conceive at this point, but would love to in the future. I'm just confused- most cases I have read about talk about women rarely getting their periods. I'm quite frequently getting mine. Sometimes I go 1 week without a period, sometimes 3, sometimes 10 days, etc etc. Why is this? I thought NOT getting your period was typical of PCOS. I guess I'm just asking if anybody has gone through something similar and if getting my period frequently will make it any harder or easier for me to eventually start ovulating once I do decide to conceive(probably years from now!)
any info/support would be appreciated!
Thanks!
-AR
Hi ar94
I have had pcos for 16 years now and it has varied in symptoms...Now mine is similar to yours so you could very possibly have it with the other condition described by miyu. I also get frequent periods and sometimes they last 2 weeks and are 2 weeks apart. My problem is not enough progesterone which can happen with pcos. Best to get your progesterone levels checked as this sounds like what I am going thru...I know how you feel - no sooner does your period end then it starts again...but it is not impossible to have kids with pcos...
Thanks! If i may ask, do you know if the frequent bleeding has anything to do with being insulin resistant as well? Or is this more of a matter of low progesterone? are you on anything to regulate the bleeding at this point?
Thanks!
-ar
Well I can tell what has happened so far...been thru 2 gynes and this last one said she did not think I was insulin resistant - this was all from a cursory look at my CBC (blood work) and my body - as a thin cyster I do not look insulin resistant - which is silly. I asked to go on Met but she refused saying that she needed to fix my hormone problem with more hormones ie. Yaz...I took it and mulled it over but I read the monograph and it scared the hell out of me. I have migraines and it warms against taking when you have that condition. She really did not do her due diligence so I am back to family gp to get referred to endo...I can certainly keep you posted. I am pretty sure it is the progesterone but the insulin resistance may also be involved bc I go thru weird cycles of fasting and binging with about 5 lb weight gain. It just looks like a pms gut so the gyne said it was bloating but I think she is wrong, wrong, wrong...What about you? Do you think insulin resistance is implicated in your issues? What do you for your strength as you must find it hard like me to have period for 2 weeks...and annoying!!!
I know from the site (sorry i can not add the link, but even then...you probably would not be able to read Danish ) of my RE (here in Denmark) that in lean women with PCOS it does happen that they have very short cycles. Yes, most women have very long cycles - or no cycle at all - but paradoxically some have very short cycles. Nobody knows why this is. But I think nobody knows the pathology of PCOS exactly anyway.
123, i'm not sure if i am insulin resistant. I just had a period that lasted from oct 26th-november 1st and ended. I've never really had a period off of the pill that was this short, so I am hoping that this is a good sign. I am praying that my period doesn't return for another 21 days or so. That would be amazing. If, however, it does return very soon, I will be calling my dr to discuss the results of my blood work before I see him again ( in a month). I will certainly keep you posted on what the blood work says.
iris, thanks for the insight. i had not heard of any research saying that lean women with pcos sometimes suffer with shorter cycles, but that is great to know. thanks!
Thanks for asking about frequent bleeding! I have not seen anyone else say anything about this. I also have periods regularly every 2 weeks, not very heavy, so at first I just thought it was some sort of break-through bleeding. But literally bleeding every 14 days - this must stop!
I'm 31 years old and was diagnosed with PCOS just this week by ultrasound and hormone levels (normal thyroid tests though). I'm 5'8 and 168lbs (BMI at 25 and falling) I have an amazing new trainer who knows what we're dealing with! I've been down to 125lbs before but I've always had absorbtion issues with Crohn's, so gaining weight has never been a bad thing for me. I am testing for insulin resistance tomorrow, but I doubt I'm IR. I've also never had hair growth, thinning hair or really bad acne. But at 31, the little pimples are starting to make me crazy and I'm just exhausted constantly.
My periods were totally regular when I was a teenager and then I went on BCP for 10 years when I was 19. I was also diagnosed with Crohn's Disease during this time and spent a year and a half on pretty strong steriods. I noticed the more frequent bleeding for about the last 6 months on BCP. I stopped taking them 2 years ago because we are TTC - been trying a year and a half and had a missed miscarriage Sept 2008 at 8 weeks. Nothing has been right since and the bleeding is getting heavier every two weeks.
We are finally are seeing an RE now. I'm on my 3rd round of clomid and I've made it now a whole 25 days without bleeding because I'm on Provera. Maybe this means we're headed in the right direction.
Let me know if you find out anything else about frequent bleeding because it's been fooling my docs for years, but I'm REALLY complicated! Good luck and hang in there!
Ok so I am new to the site and to PCOS. I recently was diagnosised but am afraid it is not correct. I have all normal hormone levels, and nothing on my bloodwork was abnormal. No acne,weight gain,hair loss,hair growth, and absolutely no family history. I am also a very healthy weight, and do not have obesity in my family. I am very active, and eat a very well balance whole food diet already. (5'6", and 125lbs.) The only symptoms of PCOS are NO PERIODS AT ALL FOR 16mths now, but absolutely NO lining buildup (with perfect estrogen levels), and ultrasound showed cysts but they were "unsure". I am almost positive that I had a cyst rupture but my dr is not exploring this possibilyt. I had one day of bleeding after feeling ill for two days. It came with sudden pain, and soreness after. the blood was also dark brown and thick extremely thick. It was just a rush of this and then nothing. I also have a small very low potbelly.
Side note: No hormone (estrogen or progestrone) challenge tests have worked. I have not had any withdrawl bleeds.
new thin cyster- my story! and some questions 
) of my RE (here in Denmark) that in lean women with PCOS it does happen that they have very short cycles. Yes, most women have very long cycles - or no cycle at all - but paradoxically some have very short cycles. Nobody knows why this is. But I think nobody knows the pathology of PCOS exactly anyway.
