Calling all thin cysters!!!!

[Parsimony]

Just a note...you realize by posting your answers on a public forum, none of this is confidential at all?

[PetiteFlower]

Nor does it really count as "research" since a self-selected group is not going to be a representative sample.

[Dodgy82]

Thanks for your concern guys but obviously the people not worries about confidentiality are happy to reply here and the ones who are have emailed me directly. It is absolutely research as it's giving me a starting point to see if any similarities jump out at me and from there I can pursue those areas. There is no harm asking the questions as everything has to start somewhere, and if you do not want to participate please feel free not to. Thanks for all the replies so far guys im getting some great info

[NoelGreen]

Hi everyone! I was just diagnosed with pcos two weeks ago and am trying to piece all of this info together so it makes sence. My husband and I are starting to try for our first child and I was wondering what you can tell me will help and what could make it harder. Is there anything I can make sure I do to not miscarry? I'm on provera now and going to start chlomid. This is all so new and hard to understand and except. I do work out 5 days a week for and hour each day. I eat pretty healthy and am 5'4 122lbs. Please help!

[Dasha123]

Hey Noel,

Many of us also take Metformin for benefits such as helping insulin resistance , or hormonal issues.



This is sort of niche i suppose, but my doctors told me to make sure that the thyroid is functioning properly , to lower chances of miscarriage and make sure baby brain development is good in the first trimester (Tsh levels should be around 1 to 2 m/l is what I was told).

Regarding exercise, I read in the book, "what to expect before you are expecting" , that ladies trying to conceive shouldn't do too much heavy cardio (something about keeping your core body temperature stable and not stressed out). The book recommended things like yoga or Pilates, or other lower impact workouts while TTC.


Good luck to you!

[kfiler]

Current age: 31

Age of diagnosis: 31

Cause of diagnosis (eg. infertility, ammenorhoea etc): infertility

Current Height/Weight: 5’4 130

Has your weight fluctuated much in the past (if so please confirm previousweights): No

Please describe your PCOS symptoms (if any): infertility,annovulation/possible, acne, male pattern acne on my back

Do any family members of your also suffer from PCOS: None known

Medial History

What age did you start the pill: 18 butwasn’t consistent

Reason for starting the pill (eg. painful periods, birth control etc): foracne

Which pill did you take: all of them the ring, patch, shot, and low estrogen

When and why did you stop taking the pill: Had to stop them all because theymade me violently ill

Do you ovulate? If so is it regular and approximately what cycle day: If I ovulate it is late, like day 25

Do you have regular or irregular periods? If irregular how often: irregularthey are longer 38-42 days

Have you been pregnant? If so how many times and how ie IV, naturally etc:Not yet

Have you suffered any miscarriages? If so how many, and cause if known: No

Have you tried any fertility treatments (if so which ones and success ofthese treatments): Not yet.

Has your doctor advised you of any abnormal blood test results associatedwith the condition (ie. abnormal FSH/LH ratio, high AMH, elevated androgensetc): I have normal hormone levels but am heading in again for lipids, testostostorne,glucose fasting...and the works!

Have your thyroid levels been checked? If so do you recall whether levelswere high low or normal, and if normal do you recall whether your TSH was above2: Yes they are borderline low or low normal

Do you suffer any additional fertility complications (ie. endometriosis,fibroids etc): I have the beginning of a small fibroid

Do you take or have you in the past taken any prescription drugs? If sowhich ones and duration of treatment: None other than the normal antibioticswhen needed.

Have y0u taken Metformin? If so did it make you sick, did it make youovulate, did it work? Haven’t yet

Diet

Do you consider yourself to have a healthy,average or unhealthy diet: I was extremely healthy. Worked out most of my life, weight lifting,running, and spinning. I recentlystopped because I thought I might have high testostorone bc of this...in factwhen I stopped working out my period stopped also.

Has your diet always been the same, or have you recently changed it (ie.health kick): pretty much the same. Iate healthy but consumed a lot of sugar during binges on the weekends.

Is your diet high in anything in particular (ie: fats, salts, sugar): SugarI would guess

Do you have a diet higher in sugar? Including sugars found in fruit,yoghurts, cereals, breads etc. not just sweets:

Do you suffer any intolerances in your diet (eg. wheat, dairy): None

Lifestyle

Do you exercise (include frequency andintensity): Yes 4-5 times a week gave mea pretty regular period. 1-1.45 hrs eachtime

Do you or have you ever done any sport: Yes many

Do you have a high stress life or job: YES! I am an inner city teacher. 4^th grade

Are you living a very ‘busy’ life: Yes.

Do you employ any relaxation techniques (eg. yoga, meditation, hypnosisetc): No but will be soon.

Do you or have you ever smoked cigarettes? If so how many and age: No

Have you ever used recreational drugs? If so how often and which type (toremain entirely confidential): No

Do you drink alcohol? If yes how much on an average week (including bingedrinking): Maybe once a week 3-4 drinks

Has your alcohol intake changed (eg. used to party a lot but no longer do)?If so please confirm previous alcohol intake and over how many years: I drankregularly during college


Please also include any additional information you may feel is relevant, orif you wish to describe your particular situation or journey please do so here: Just from this month alone and stopping myregular workout routine and gaining weight my period has been missing for 40days! I have realized after reading acolumn from another cyster that in order to become regular again, I plan onresuming my routine.


Best of Luck!
Kelly

[Dodgy82]

Noel - I asked to be put on metformin straight after my miscarriage (even though I am not IR) and my doc was surprised she hadn't already had me on it (grrrrr), a lot of research seems to show it working well for lean PCOS'ers also who are not IR.
Dahsa - the thyroid stuff is interesting too isn't it. My TSH levels are always around 2.8 and because it is within normal limits (ie laboratory limits of 4) doc doesn't consider my hypothyroid so i can't take anything to get the levels down to below 2 so I am trying to do it with herbs. I also notice that my sisters TSH levels are 4 and she NEVER gets a period, whilst I do get them occasionally and mine are 2.8 so i wonder if that has something to do with something? I also know that abnormal thyroid levels cause miscarriages so i am very scared of having another one due to thyroid.

BTW I also had a look at hypothalmic amenorrhoea recently and this seems like its very similar to PCOS but more common in avid exercisers so worth having a look

Keep the info coming girls, it's all great, thanks!

[Dasha123]

Dodgy, this thyroid stuff has really thrown me for a loop too. I've been on Synthroid for about 4 weeks now (getting my bloodwork done in 2 weeks to see how i'm responding). The crazy part is, since i started taking it, I got my period exactly 28 days after the end of my last one. that's never happened before for me. It's only been one cycle so far so its probably too soon to know if this is going to last; fingers crossed. i'm curious to see what this next one will do (CD 14 right now).

I tried to look up some definitive scholarly articles for you to discuss with your doctor. It seems like treating subclinical hypo & infertility is still controversial and the literature is confusing. :/ Here's one from the Endocrine Society/American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists(AACE). http://www.endo-society.org/guidelin...Postpartum.pdf It says that for first trimester and running up to 1st trimester, TSH levels should be no higher than 2.5. there is even a map graphic in there to show normal TSH ranges by pregnancy trimester.

"1.1.2. If hypothyroidism has been diagnosed before
pregnancy, we recommend adjustment of the
preconception thyroxine dose to reach a TSH level
not higher than 2.5 μU/mL prior to pregnancy."

[emma_h_au]

Lean PCOS Questionnaire


Personal
Current age: 28

Age of diagnosis: 28

Cause of diagnosis (eg. infertility, ammenorhoea etc): ammenorhoea

Current Height/Weight: 5'5", 120pounds

Has your weight fluctuated much in the past (if so please confirm previous weights): never more than 5 pounds either way (last 10 years)

Please describe your PCOS symptoms (if any): acne, irregular cycle, some thinning hair

Do any family members of your also suffer from PCOS: no

Medial History
What age did you start the pill: 18

Reason for starting the pill (eg. painful periods, birth control etc): birth control/ acne

Which pill did you take: dianne, yaz

When and why did you stop taking the pill: 8 months, planning to ttc

Do you ovulate? If so is it regular and approximately what cycle day: not sure

Do you have regular or irregular periods? If irregular how often: very irregular

Have you been pregnant? If so how many times and how ie IV, naturally etc: no

Have you suffered any miscarriages? If so how many, and cause if known:no

Have you tried any fertility treatments (if so which ones and success of these treatments):

Has your doctor advised you of any abnormal blood test results associated with the condition (ie. abnormal FSH/LH ratio, high AMH, elevated androgens etc): abnormal fsh/lh

Have your thyroid levels been checked? If so do you recall whether levels were high low or normal, and if normal do you recall whether your TSH was above 2: normal

Do you suffer any additional fertility complications (ie. endometriosis, fibroids etc): no

Do you take or have you in the past taken any prescription drugs? If so which ones and duration of treatment:

Have y0u taken Metformin? If so did it make you sick, did it make you ovulate, did it work? yes, mild side effects only. have been taking for 3 weeks so not sure if it works

Diet
Do you consider yourself to have a healthy, average or unhealthy diet: mostly paleo

Has your diet always been the same, or have you recently changed it (ie. health kick): same for past year

Is your diet high in anything in particular (ie: fats, salts, sugar): protien

Do you have a diet higher in sugar? Including sugars found in fruit, yoghurts, cereals, breads etc. not just sweets: average

Do you suffer any intolerances in your diet (eg. wheat, dairy): lactose

Lifestyle
Do you exercise (include frequency and intensity): crossfit 4x per week

Do you or have you ever done any sport: crossfit

Do you have a high stress life or job: no

Are you living a very ‘busy’ life: not really

Do you employ any relaxation techniques (eg. yoga, meditation, hypnosis etc): no

Do you or have you ever smoked cigarettes? If so how many and age: no

Have you ever used recreational drugs? If so how often and which type (to remain entirely confidential):

Do you drink alcohol? If yes how much on an average week (including binge drinking): 2-4 drinks per week

Has your alcohol intake changed (eg. used to party a lot but no longer do)? If so please confirm previous alcohol intake and over how many years: used to drink more


Please also include any additional information you may feel is relevant, or if you wish to describe your particular situation or journey please do so here: planning to ttc in a couple months so trying to learn as much as i can now to have the best chance of conceiving

[AbbyJ]

Current age: 27

Age of diagnosis: 23

Cause of diagnosis (eg. infertility, ammenorhoea etc): ammenorhoea, high androgens and cysts (lovley "string of pearls")

Current Height/Weight: 5'4" 127 (holiday weight)

Has your weight fluctuated much in the past (if so please confirm previous weights): between 120 and 130 since high school

Please describe your PCOS symptoms (if any): no period or, recently erratic (so excited to have on at all!) acne, minor hirsutisim , cysts.

Do any family members of your also suffer from PCOS: unknown.

Medial History

What age did you start the pill: 18

Reason for starting the pill (eg. painful periods, birth control etc): boyfriend

Which pill did you take: Ortho Tri, then Koriva because ortho tri stopped working.

When and why did you stop taking the pill: 23 and 25

Do you ovulate? If so is it regular and approximately what cycle day: just started after TEN years!!! Too erratic to say.

Do you have regular or irregular periods? If irregular how often: unknown

Have you been pregnant? If so how many times and how ie IV, naturally etc: never

Have you suffered any miscarriages? If so how many, and cause if known: no

Have you tried any fertility treatments (if so which ones and success of these treatments): not yet

Has your doctor advised you of any abnormal blood test results associated with the condition (ie. abnormal FSH/LH ratio, high AMH, elevated androgens etc): all just came back normal

Have your thyroid levels been checked? If so do you recall whether levels were high low or normal, and if normal do you recall whether your TSH was above 2: normal

Do you suffer any additional fertility complications (ie. endometriosis, fibroids etc): no

Do you take or have you in the past taken any prescription drugs? If so which ones and duration of treatment: just BC

Have y0u taken Metformin? If so did it make you sick, did it make you ovulate, did it work? no

Diet

Do you consider yourself to have a healthy, average or unhealthy diet: healthy. A couple drinks a week and pizza/ junk about once per week. Lots of veggies. low meat.

Has your diet always been the same, or have you recently changed it (ie. health kick): I eat what I want.

Is your diet high in anything in particular (ie: fats, salts, sugar): caffiene

Do you have a diet higher in sugar? Including sugars found in fruit, yogurts, cereals, breads etc. not just sweets:

Do you suffer any intolerances in your diet (eg. wheat, dairy): animal fat. I think I just lost the gut flora for it.

Lifestyle

Do you exercise (include frequency and intensity): 3 mile run per day. long (1-2 hr walks on weekends). Summer is more active.

Do you or have you ever done any sport: track and XC

Do you have a high stress life or job: yes, don't we all.

Are you living a very ‘busy’ life: relativity moderate

Do you employ any relaxation techniques (eg. yoga, meditation, hypnosis etc): running

Do you or have you ever smoked cigarettes? If so how many and age: no

Have you ever used recreational drugs? If so how often and which type (to remain entirely confidential): no

Do you drink alcohol? If yes how much on an average week (including binge drinking): 2-3 beers/ wine per week

Has your alcohol intake changed (eg. used to party a lot but no longer do)? If so please confirm previous alcohol intake and over how many years: up about 90% in the past couple years.


Please also include any additional information you may feel is relevant, or if you wish to describe your particular situation or journey please do so here:

[adelphae]

Lean PCOS Questionnaire

Personal

Current age: 22

Age of diagnosis: 18

Cause of diagnosis (eg. infertility, ammenorhoea etc): Went to see gyno due to absent periods (I've gone up to 8 months without them, usually get them b/w 4-6 mo apart) and she noticed hirsutism as well (flattering)- I have very dark hair/pale skin w/ hair on face/breasts/thighs/upper arms of varying thickness

Current Height/Weight: 5'7", 150 lbs

Has your weight fluctuated much in the past (if so please confirm previous weights): Yes. Has yoyo'd by ~40 lbs through my college years (I graduated June 2012). Was ~125 at lowest, 170 at highest. Also had/have ED (mixture of ano/bulimic patterns, "EDNOS") just to clarify, which probably had more to do with the fluctuation than the PCOS (although the PCOS certainly makes it easy to gain and hard to lose).

Please describe your PCOS symptoms (if any): Occasional acne, but not bad because I have a great derm. Horrible hirsutism- facial hair, hair on my breasts, bikini area/upper thighs are a nightmare, some on my upper arms too. just a hairy girl in general. Very very irregular periods (~6 months apart if that). Depression/anxiety for years. Abnormal FSH/LH ratios, elevated T, insulin resistance.

Do any family members of your also suffer from PCOS: None that I am aware of.

Medial History

What age did you start the pill:Gyn put me on it at 18 after diagnosing me with PCOS, but I stopped after less than a year because I had horrible mood problems and wasn't having sex anyways. Was so deep into depression/ED throughout that I don't really know how it interacted with my PCOS.

Reason for starting the pill (eg. painful periods, birth control etc): see above

Which pill did you take: Yaz

When and why did you stop taking the pill: see above

Do you ovulate? If so is it regular and approximately what cycle day: No idea

Do you have regular or irregular periods? If irregular how often: Irregular, get one about every 4-8 months

Have you been pregnant? If so how many times and how ie IV, naturally etc: no

Have you suffered any miscarriages? If so how many, and cause if known: no

Have you tried any fertility treatments (if so which ones and success of these treatments): no

Has your doctor advised you of any abnormal blood test results associated with the condition (ie. abnormal FSH/LH ratio, high AMH, elevated androgens etc): abnormal FSH/LH ratio, elevated T

Have your thyroid levels been checked? If so do you recall whether levels were high low or normal, and if normal do you recall whether your TSH was above 2: yes, normal. don't recall the level.

Do you suffer any additional fertility complications (ie. endometriosis, fibroids etc): not that I'm aware of

Do you take or have you in the past taken any prescription drugs? If so which ones and duration of treatment: Taken antidepressants on and off for past four years. Currently have been on wellbutrin 300 mg for ~1 yr, took lexapro 20 mg consistently for another yr before that.

Have y0u taken Metformin? If so did it make you sick, did it make you ovulate, did it work? Just starting it- I didn't want to take it while I was in college because I tended to be quite a heavy drinker on the weekends.

Diet

Do you consider yourself to have a healthy, average or unhealthy diet: Very healthy- Paleo. Not total Nazi about it but pretty close. Cheat on the weekends still but working on gradually getting stricter. ~1200 cal/day, lots of lean lean protein (egg white, turkey, salmon), salad, fruits/veggies, etc.

Has your diet always been the same, or have you recently changed it (ie. health kick): Have always been pretty healthy because my weight is important to me but when I go through my depressive cycles tend to get more unhealthy (late night pizzas, binging/purging...)

Is your diet high in anything in particular (ie: fats, salts, sugar): I love salt. Eat a lot of olives, capers, smoked salmon... BP was normal at physical yesterday though.

Do you have a diet higher in sugar? Including sugars found in fruit, yoghurts, cereals, breads etc. not just sweets: Not at all. Eat fruit but not too much.

Do you suffer any intolerances in your diet (eg. wheat, dairy): No

Lifestyle

Do you exercise (include frequency and intensity): Avidly. Was a runner throughout college (avging around 15-25 mi/week), did a half marathon my junior year. got bored with running and started having foot problems so after graduation started mixing it up a lot. currently rotate between spinning, running, yoga (hot and vinyasa), and barre classes. I aim for at least 4-5x/week and am very intense. Ambient heart rate is in mid 50s so I consider myself to be pretty fit.

Do you or have you ever done any sport: Cheerleading, soccer, and lacrosse throughout high school.

Do you have a high stress life or job: Not at the moment, but I put a lot of stress on myself in general. I am a perfectionist and I went to a highly competitive prep school and university. I have significant anxiety problems which contributes.

Are you living a very ‘busy’ life: Not at the moment

Do you employ any relaxation techniques (eg. yoga, meditation, hypnosis etc): Picked up yoga only very recently, but I can already tell I think I am going to find it very helpful

Do you or have you ever smoked cigarettes? If so how many and age: Occasional weekend cigarettes, nothing serious

Have you ever used recreational drugs? If so how often and which type (to remain entirely confidential): experimented in college, none since grad

Do you drink alcohol? If yes how much on an average week (including binge drinking): yes. binge drinking all thru high school and college so unfortunately now have a v high tolerance. Now I only drink maybe twice a week, but I can still have up to 10-12 drinks in a night if I really get after it. in high school drank on the weekends, as much as I could because I ran with a fast crowd so maybe 6-8 drinks in a night? College drank 2-3x/week but more- 8-12 drinks in a night (usually over a significant period of time). used alcohol to cope with depression.

Has your alcohol intake changed (eg. used to party a lot but no longer do)? If so please confirm previous alcohol intake and over how many years: Have been gradually cutting down and now that am starting metformin plan to limit drinks to 6 at absolute most in a night, and that only on the weekend, but hopefully less (that's usually over ~5-8 hr period of time). Hard when you're 22 and single and going out with friends who like to drink all the time

Please also include any additional information you may feel is relevant, or if you wish to describe your particular situation or journey please do so here: Want to conquer PCOS. Weight is fine and I am very fit, but I still think I can do better. However I must say that I have pretty even fat distribution, although more belly jiggle than I would like. Even with, measurements are 39-29-40. I have a fairly muscular build but hourglass shaped (mesomorphic, but tend to gain/lose weight like endomorph). PCOS has been horrible for my romantic life. Even with everything I do to deal with xcess hair and confident that objectively speaking I am attractive, I still feel unfeminine and that I will repulse a guy if he gets too close. Tend to keep men at arms length. Self esteem/mood is a constant battle. Any tips for feeling more positive about self image would be appreciated. ALSO I have big problem w/ hidradenitis suppurativa (disfiguring acne like rash on inner thighs) which I've heard is common with PCOSers and would love to hear from others if they have a similar issue and if so what they do to manage it. Would love to hear about helpful supplements as well (I've been taking NAC for ~1 week and hoping to see results soon).

[sj161]

Lean PCOS Questionnaire

Personal

Current age: 27

Age of diagnosis: 23

Cause of diagnosis (eg. infertility, ammenorhoea etc): Ammenorhoea

Current Height/Weight: 5'9 145lbs

Has your weight fluctuated much in the past (if so please confirm previous weights): Not really.

Please describe your PCOS symptoms (if any): My only symptoms are lack of ovulation and lack of periods.

Do any family members of your also suffer from PCOS: Not that I know of.

Medial History

What age did you start the pill: 20

Reason for starting the pill (eg. painful periods, birth control etc): Lack of periods

Which pill did you take: Microgynon

When and why did you stop taking the pill: June 2012 - we started TTC

Do you ovulate? If so is it regular and approximately what cycle day: No

Do you have regular or irregular periods? If irregular how often: Irregular. I had a 30 day cycle once, but usually my periods are many months apart, if I get them at all.

Have you been pregnant? If so how many times and how ie IV, naturally etc: No

Have you suffered any miscarriages? If so how many, and cause if known: No

Have you tried any fertility treatments (if so which ones and success of these treatments): Not yet.

Has your doctor advised you of any abnormal blood test results associated with the condition (ie. abnormal FSH/LH ratio, high AMH, elevated androgens etc): Yes, abnormal FSH/LH ratio.

Have your thyroid levels been checked? If so do you recall whether levels were high low or normal, and if normal do you recall whether your TSH was above 2: Yes, normal.

Do you suffer any additional fertility complications (ie. endometriosis, fibroids etc): Not that I know of.

Do you take or have you in the past taken any prescription drugs? If so which ones and duration of treatment: No.

Have y0u taken Metformin? If so did it make you sick, did it make you ovulate, did it work? No.

Diet

Do you consider yourself to have a healthy, average or unhealthy diet: Average

Has your diet always been the same, or have you recently changed it (ie. health kick): Always been the same.

Is your diet high in anything in particular (ie: fats, salts, sugar): It is probably on the high side for sugar.

Do you have a diet higher in sugar? Including sugars found in fruit, yoghurts, cereals, breads etc. not just sweets: Yes.

Do you suffer any intolerances in your diet (eg. wheat, dairy): No.

Lifestyle

Do you exercise (include frequency and intensity): Usually 3 times a week but this is not consistent. Some weeks I don't exercise at all.

Do you or have you ever done any sport: I used to figure skate, but not for 10 years.

Do you have a high stress life or job: Yes

Are you living a very ‘busy’ life: Yes

Do you employ any relaxation techniques (eg. yoga, meditation, hypnosis etc): No

Do you or have you ever smoked cigarettes? If so how many and age: No

Have you ever used recreational drugs? If so how often and which type (to remain entirely confidential): No

Do you drink alcohol? If yes how much on an average week (including binge drinking): 2-3 drinks a week.

Has your alcohol intake changed (eg. used to party a lot but no longer do)? If so please confirm previous alcohol intake and over how many years: I used to consume more alcohol during university. I graduated 5 years ago.


Please also include any additional information you may feel is relevant, or if you wish to describe your particular situation or journey please do so here:

[irishgirl49]

Lean PCOS Questionnaire

Personal

Current age: 20

Age of diagnosis: 16

Cause of diagnosis (eg. infertility, ammenorhoea etc): Irregular and super painful periods (normally every 5-7 weeks but I have had as little as 3 weeks and as much as 9 weeks), ultrasound and blood tests confirmed

Current Height/Weight: 5'5", 135 lb

Has your weight fluctuated much in the past (if so please confirm previous weights): I was 124 lb when diagnosed, maintained for a year, gained weight at 17 to go up to 135 lb, partially due to a bad break up, and partially because I grew another inch. I got up to 149 during my sophomore year of college, but lost it with exercise and cutting out gluten. Adding gluten again didn't do much. Interestingly, my current 135 lb is skinnier than when I was 135 lb in high school, as more of the weight is from muscle. I should note that I am naturally muscular and have always looked skinnier than my weight (I have a lot of muscle that bumps up the weight since muscle weighs more than fat). I have always been between a size 2 and a size 6, maybe pushing a size 8 when I was 149 lb. I currently have a size 4 lower body and a size 2 upper body, the exact same as when I was diagnosed at 16.

Please describe your PCOS symptoms (if any): Irregular and super painful periods when I am not on the pill.

Do any family members of your also suffer from PCOS: No.

Medial History

What age did you start the pill: 16

Reason for starting the pill (eg. painful periods, birth control etc): painful periods, birth control

Which pill did you take:
October 2008-May 2009 - Yaz
June 2009 - Yasmin
July 2009-Dec 2009 - Yaz
Jan 2010-Feb 2011 - BeYaz
March 2011 - Generic Yaz (Ocella)
April 2011-May 2011 - BeYaz
June 2011-August 2011 - N/A
Sept 2011-Feb 2012 - BeYaz
March 2012-Dec 2012 - Generic Loestrin (Junel)
Jan 2013-Present - N/A

When and why did you stop taking the pill: I stopped each for different reasons.
I stopped Yaz to try Yasmin in June 2009 because I wanted to try the higher estrogen pill as it had worked better for some of my friends.
I stopped Yasmin in June 2009 because it made me crazy and I was spontaneously crying and super hormonal.
I stopped Yaz for BeYaz in Jan 2010 because it was what my insurance would cover.
I stopped BeYaz for generic Yaz in March 2011 because I realized it would be cheaper for my parents, and because I had never liked BeYaz and much as I liked Yaz (which seems a little crazy since it just has folic acid added but I still never liked it as much).
I stopped generic Yaz because I had a lot of breakthrough bleeding.
I stopped BeYaz in May 2011 because I wanted to see if I still had irregular periods and I felt like my brain had become more foggy and I thought it might be because of the pill.I restarted BeYaz in September 2011 because I became sexually active and my periods were still irregular.
I stopped BeYaz in Feb 2012 and started generic Loestrin because I was afraid of getting blood clots and I wanted to try something new. I had also started to become more depressed over the previous 6 months and I thought it may have to do with the pill. My doctor insisted I stay on a pill and put me on generic Loestrin.
I stopped generic Loestrin in Dec 2012 for several reason, one of which being that I realized I had become seriously crazy and more and more depressed while on Loestrin. Not depressed in the sad all the time way, but I became super slutty and craved male attention and had trouble getting out of bed in the morning due to my apathy for life. And I also stopped generic Loestrin because I wanted to get my hormone levels taken again and my new doctor believes it is possible to grow out of PCOS with correct diet and exercise.

Do you ovulate? If so is it regular and approximately what cycle day: I have no idea because I have never watched my hormones. I guess I do since I got my period...

Do you have regular or irregular periods? If irregular how often: When I was 16 I was pretty regularly getting my period with alternating cycle lengths of 5 weeks and 7 weeks. Like, one ovary was almost always 5 weeks and the other was almost always 7 weeks. Once the 5 week one went down to 3 weeks and the 7 week one went up to 9 weeks, but other than that it was pretty normal. That was the way it was from age 12 on (I got my period when I was 11). The first time I stopped the pill I got my period exactly 4 week after, and then I didn't get it for 8 weeks and so I decided to start the pill again. Now that I have stopped the pill again I have gotten my period regularly every 4 weeks for the first 2 months, and I am waiting to see if it continues.

Have you been pregnant? If so how many times and how ie IV, naturally etc: No.

Have you suffered any miscarriages? If so how many, and cause if known: No.

Have you tried any fertility treatments (if so which ones and success of these treatments): No.

Has your doctor advised you of any abnormal blood test results associated with the condition (ie. abnormal FSH/LH ratio, high AMH, elevated androgens etc): No, but my old doctor didn't seem to think I would understand if she gave me all of the information. My new one totally would but I need to be off of the pill for 3 months in order for my blood tests to be considered not related to the pill.

Have your thyroid levels been checked? If so do you recall whether levels were high low or normal, and if normal do you recall whether your TSH was above 2: My thyroid levels are normal (I got them checked in January). I am pretty sure my TSH was above 2, and if I rememeber correctly than I think it was 3.something.

Do you suffer any additional fertility complications (ie. endometriosis, fibroids etc): Not that I am aware of.

Do you take or have you in the past taken any prescription drugs? If so which ones and duration of treatment: For PCOS? Other than birth control, no. I was put on Celexa for depression and anxiety but it made me go manic, so I was off of that within a month (apparently I have bipolar tendencies and very well may develop bipolar disorder as I get older). I also was convinced that some of the brian fog and attention problems and other cognitive symptoms were caused by underlying ADD, and I got my psychiatrist to prescribe me Dexedrine from December 2011 to May 2012, and then I switched to Adderall which I still take today. I am not completely sure I have ADD though, but I plan on keeping my Adderall prescriptions until I finish college. Both Adderall and Celexa caused me to lose weight.

Have y0u taken Metformin? If so did it make you sick, did it make you ovulate, did it work? No.

Diet

Do you consider yourself to have a healthy, average or unhealthy diet: I eat healthy. I haven't eaten red meat since I was 13 and eat a low carb diet most of the time, eat fast food less than 10 times per year, and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.

Has your diet always been the same, or have you recently changed it (ie. health kick): I have eaten healthy since I was young. I grew up in an upper middle class household that always had healthy food around, and we ate out less than once a week (my mom is a stay at home mom who makes dinner every night). My diet got worse in college, mostly due to alcohol and being on a meal plan meant I had to eat real meals (I prefer snacking throughout the day). When I went on Adderall I realized I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted and not gain weight because it sped up my metabolism and caused me to be hungry a lot less, and so I started eating some crap. I have since stopped eating crap because I decided to get back in shape and work out 5 days a week, and eating crap doesn't help that.

Is your diet high in anything in particular (ie: fats, salts, sugar): Nope. Well, probably low in salt because I hate the taste of salt, so I can't eat any sort of prepackaged soups of foods.

Do you have a diet higher in sugar? Including sugars found in fruit, yoghurts, cereals, breads etc. not just sweets: I probably consume an average diet in terms of sugar, maybe a little bit high. Even so, I definitely eat less sugar than the average american. I don't drink soda or anything like that. I don't really eat food with added sugar; I allow myself up to 13 g of added sugar a day (so the 12 g of sugar per cup of milk don't count, but the sugary cereal does). I don't eat dessert foods more than once a week. But I do eat a lot of fruit and a reasonable amount of dairy so I do consume a normal amount of sugar.

Do you suffer any intolerances in your diet (eg. wheat, dairy): I have some problems with high dairy foods. Same with gluten to a degree. Both make me bloat like hell and I prefer to eliminate gluten from my diet but can't at the moment.

Lifestyle

Do you exercise (include frequency and intensity): Right now I work out 4-6 days a week. I make sure to do pilates or yoga at least 4 days a week. A normal day when I exercise would involve 30-60 minutes of elliptical or stationary biking, always doing some sort of interval training on both (I vary intensity and the program I am doing every time I work out). Then I make a point to stretch out, and try to plan my cardio workouts such that they end about 15 minutes prior to my yoga class. I then go to yoga class for 45-90 minutes. If I am doing a hot yoga class than I make sure to do only 15-30 minutes of cardio before hand. The days I take pilates I prefer to start with pilates and then do some strength training. I am also starting to take some total body work out classes once or twice a week that involve building up strength and not as much cardio. And I will soon be adding Zumba or kickboxing as well. I am lucky though, my gym has ~30 classes a day every day of the week, and that is where I do most of my yoga and pilates and zumba and kickboxing. Belonging to that gym has really opened up my eyes to all the types of workouts there are and I try to try one new class a week to keep it interesting. I should note though that I didn't work out for almost a year and a half prior to joining this gym, and have only been sticking to this regime for a few weeks. It is so worth it though. The endorphin rush makes everything worth it. And I feel so much better in my body. I plan on sticking with this.

Do you or have you ever done any sport: I danced from age 6-14, played soccer from age 11-15, and taught gymnastics 3 days a week from age 15-18 (which I was qualified for because I regularly did yoga and was more flexible and strong and had better balance than most gymnasts)

Do you have a high stress life or job: I am a Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering double major at Carnegie Mellon University, one of the hardest schools in the country, and ranked in the top ten schools in the country for my major. I spend 40-60 hours a week doing work when I am there, which led to an unhealthy lifestyle. I am currently taking a semester off to get my body back in shape, and get my mind back to where it needs to be for me to continue school.

Are you living a very ‘busy’ life: During the semester, yes. Right now, on my semester off, no. I work maybe 20 hours a week while I am home.

Do you employ any relaxation techniques (eg. yoga, meditation, hypnosis etc): I have done yoga for years and am learning meditation techniques now as well.

Do you or have you ever smoked cigarettes? If so how many and age: Yep, not very often though. Maybe 3 packs total in my lifetime, and mostly when I was a sophomore in college (so I guess I was 19).

Have you ever used recreational drugs? If so how often and which type (to remain entirely confidential): Yep. Weed in high school (maybe once a week on average, stopped in college), some slightly harder drugs in college (three times ever).

Do you drink alcohol? If yes how much on an average week (including binge drinking): 5-10 drinks a week, mostly from binge drinking while I am at college. Right now I am averaging maybe 2 a week.

Has your alcohol intake changed (eg. used to party a lot but no longer do)? If so please confirm previous alcohol intake and over how many years: I party 2 nights a week when I am at college, and consumer between 3-8 drinks every time. I rarely drink in moderation, which I know is bad, but while I am at college one thing always leads to another and I drink more than I should on a night that I shouldn't be drunk. While I am home this semester I am barely drinking.


Please also include any additional information you may feel is relevant, or if you wish to describe your particular situation or journey please do so here:

[Tlmkeller]

Personal

Current age: 23

Age of diagnosis: 20

Cause of diagnosis (eg. infertility, ammenorhoea etc): ammenorhoea

Current Height/Weight: 5'3", 126

Has your weight fluctuated much in the past (if so please confirm previous weights): no

Please describe your PCOS symptoms (if any): acne, no ovulation, no AF (only 6 since 2009), fibrocystic breasts

Do any family members of your also suffer from PCOS: 1

Medial History

What age did you start the pill: 15

Reason for starting the pill (eg. painful periods, birth control etc): birth control

Which pill did you take: generic, don't remember name. It is no longer available.

When and why did you stop taking the pill: age 19, would bring on AF but caused more PMS symptoms

Do you ovulate? If so is it regular and approximately what cycle day:

Do you have regular or irregular periods? If irregular how often: 12-18 months apart.

Have you been pregnant? If so how many times and how ie IV, naturally etc: naturally, 2006, M/C at 17 weeks. Naturally 2009, M/c at 4 weeks

Have you suffered any miscarriages? If so how many, and cause if known: cause unknown, blamed on Crohn's disease, but after diagnosis of PCOs, blamed on that

Have you tried any fertility treatments (if so which ones and success of these treatments): no

Has your doctor advised you of any abnormal blood test results associated with the condition (ie. abnormal FSH/LH ratio, high AMH, elevated androgens etc): no

Have your thyroid levels been checked? If so do you recall whether levels were high low or normal, and if normal do you recall whether your TSH was above 2: normal, not sure

Do you suffer any additional fertility complications (ie. endometriosis, fibroids etc): Crohn's disease can cause m/c due to flare ups and poor nutrition

Do you take or have you in the past taken any prescription drugs? If so which ones and duration of treatment: no

Have y0u taken Metformin? If so did it make you sick, did it make you ovulate, did it work? No

Diet

Do you consider yourself to have a healthy, average or unhealthy diet: healthy (have to for Crohn's)

Has your diet always been the same, or have you recently changed it (ie. health kick): health kick since Crohn's diagnosis in 2011

Is your diet high in anything in particular (ie: fats, salts, sugar): protein

Do you have a diet higher in sugar? Including sugars found in fruit, yoghurts, cereals, breads etc. not just sweets: no

Do you suffer any intolerances in your diet (eg. wheat, dairy): all preservatives

Lifestyle

Do you exercise (include frequency and intensity): 4x weekly, cardio

Do you or have you ever done any sport: competitive dance

Do you have a high stress life or job: with a wedding coming up, grad school, full time work and mom with huntingtons, things are nuts!

Are you living a very ‘busy’ life: yes

Do you employ any relaxation techniques (eg. yoga, meditation, hypnosis etc): no

Do you or have you ever smoked cigarettes? If so how many and age: no

Have you ever used recreational drugs? If so how often and which type (to remain entirely confidential): no

Do you drink alcohol? If yes how much on an average week (including binge drinking): 2-3 a drinks

Has your alcohol intake changed (eg. used to party a lot but no longer do)? If so please confirm previous alcohol intake and over how many years: no


Please also include any additional information you may feel is relevant, or if you wish to describe your particular situation or journey please do so here

[Brennan]

Personal

Current age:
27
Age of diagnosis:
24
Cause of diagnosis (eg. infertility, ammenorhoea etc):
menorrhagia & dysmenorrhea
Current Height/Weight:
5'8" / 140 lbs
Has your weight fluctuated much in the past (if so please confirm previous weights):
no
Please describe your PCOS symptoms (if any):
menorrhagia (~95-days, some days i was unable to go to school because i could not get from my washroom to school without having an accident) & dysmenorrhea
Do any family members of your also suffer from PCOS:
no

Medial History

What age did you start the pill:
16
Reason for starting the pill (eg. painful periods, birth control etc):
Dr told me to / birth control
Which pill did you take:
?
When and why did you stop taking the pill:
19 - didn't like taking it. made me sick. did trust it.
Do you ovulate? If so is it regular and approximately what cycle day:
no
Do you have regular or irregular periods? If irregular how often:
don't have periods - i used to have extended, extensive bleeding
Have you been pregnant? If so how many times and how ie IV, naturally etc:
yes, naturally, once
Have you suffered any miscarriages? If so how many, and cause if known:
one miscarriage at ~ 6 weeks
Have you tried any fertility treatments (if so which ones and success of these treatments):
no
Has your doctor advised you of any abnormal blood test results associated with the condition (ie. abnormal FSH/LH ratio, high AMH, elevated androgens etc):
yes - I think it was high androgen
Have your thyroid levels been checked? If so do you recall whether levels were high low or normal, and if normal do you recall whether your TSH was above 2:
yes, many times. everything always checked out
Do you suffer any additional fertility complications (ie. endometriosis, fibroids etc):
no
Do you take or have you in the past taken any prescription drugs? If so which ones and duration of treatment:
Spironolactone since age 24
Have y0u taken Metformin? If so did it make you sick, did it make you ovulate, did it work?
no

Diet

Do you consider yourself to have a healthy, average or unhealthy diet:
average
Has your diet always been the same, or have you recently changed it (ie. health kick):
basically the same - i don't like pop or sweets or fatty foods, but i will have them every now and then
Is your diet high in anything in particular (ie: fats, salts, sugar):
no
Do you have a diet higher in sugar? Including sugars found in fruit, yoghurts, cereals, breads etc. not just sweets:
no
Do you suffer any intolerances in your diet (eg. wheat, dairy):
i'm allergic to salmon and coconut

Lifestyle

Do you exercise (include frequency and intensity):
no
Do you or have you ever done any sport:
yes, baseball, soccer, horseback riding, skiing, kyacking
Do you have a high stress life or job:
yes
Are you living a very ‘busy’ life:
no
Do you employ any relaxation techniques (eg. yoga, meditation, hypnosis etc):
no
Do you or have you ever smoked cigarettes? If so how many and age:
used to, 1/2 pack a day at worst (15 - 19 years old)
Have you ever used recreational drugs? If so how often and which type (to remain entirely confidential):
pot, basically every day multiple times a day (quit eight years ago)
sleeping pills, a few times a week
Do you drink alcohol? If yes how much on an average week (including binge drinking):
yes, a few a week
Has your alcohol intake changed (eg. used to party a lot but no longer do)? If so please confirm previous alcohol intake and over how many years:
no