New to this site. still struggling with PCOS. any help would be appreciated.

[cinnamon_stix]

hi everyone!
im new to this site and im really hopeful that i'll be able to get some advice on my issues. i have been having issues with pcos since i started having my period (13 years old) but here's the thing...

i have always been very skinny. i weighed 95 throughout highschool.
i dont have problems with ovulation. i get my period every month, and i ovulate every month, except my periods are long, heavy, and painful. and unpredictable.
i have severe pms. like i feel absolutely horrible 1 week before and it calms down when i get my period but i still feel pretty bad, i start to feel normal again only after my period goes away completely
i have severely oily skin/acne issues, which is my biggest problem.

i'm 22 at the moment, and i have tried everything under the sun including numerous courses of accutane. i came across spironolactone and went on it except it caused me severe side effects..chronic UTI's, severe anxiety and depression, constant panic attacks, just felt the worst. i managed to stay on it for a year, and it cleared my skin beautifully. my skin was like porcelain. but i had to stop because of the side effects. i also gained ALOT of weight. i looked like a swollen balloon on it. people started to notice and it was really embarrasing. its been a month since ive stopped and my oily skin is coming back and im breaking out allover. now i feel hopeless and out of options. i recently purchased licorice root and white peony root, because i read that it lowers testosterone. im taking 3 grams of each and i am slowly working my way up to 10 grams a day. i just feel like it wont work as well as the spiro did..i heard of flutamide, but if i had anxiety and depression on spiro, wouldnt flutamide just do the same thing to me? i really truly feel as if im out of options. it scares me to think that i might be living with this acne for the rest of my life. i feel like im the only one who had emotional problems on spiro..my older sister takes it and has no problems and i just feel like its so unfair...

also, i think i have a candida problem because spiro gave me chronic UTI so i was constantly on antibiotics. i feel like theres no good bacteria in my body left. im still having issues with UTI's and it hurts when i go to the bathroom. i also look really pale..really sickly..like theres no glow or health to my skin. im depressed, sluggish, and still struggle with severe PMS and no doctor knows what to do with me anymore.

current supplements im taking:

ovablend by vitanica 6 capsules a day
3 grams of peony and 3 grams of licorice a day
synthroid 50 mcg (to help get rid of all the weight i gained on spiro)
lexapro (for depression..although it honestly does nothing)

if anyone can lend me support,it would really help out.

i also have serious problems with sugar cravings. its all i eat because i dont crave anything else. i have to force myself to eat healthy foods.

[cinnamon_stix]

i also wanted to add that the spiro regulated my periods and it lightened my periods, so that was a nice bonus..

[defygravity]

BCP may be a good option - I've taken so many over the years and it was a long time ago so I don't have advice on specific ones, but they help put symptoms "in remission". Do you have a relationship with a good doctor or endocrinologist? An endo can make a world of difference in helping to get your symptoms under control. I'm not sure where you live, but there is a sticky on one of the boards about finding a doctor near you.

Welcome to the boards! I hope you find the help and support here that you need - you are not alone.

[cinnamon_stix]

Thanks so much for the response. I dont know about birth contrrol..my sister takes ortho tri cyclen and it did nothing for her acne untill she added spiro. I feel like putting synthetic hormones into my body would be a bad idea. I heard yasmin is a good choice for my type of acne, but the side effects sound pretty scary...

[Ashleigh B.]

i am also nervous about taking birthcontrol because i think that is what caused my pcos but i was just diagnosed so i dont go back to the endo untill june to talk about meds

[Ashleigh B.]

hi i totally understand about not wanting to take birthcontrol here is a good website to check out about birthcontrol and the side effects it may cause later http://www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au...r-fertile-30s/ in the 5th paragraph there is 2 more links in green
hope this helps!!