PCOS and skin discolourations

[cherrublossom49]

Hi

I have been diagnosed with PCOS (Lived with it since puberty). I struggle to keep my weight down etc, but one thing I haven't been able to do anything about is skin discolourations. I have dark patches of skin around my mouth, under my arms, between my things etc.

I am naturally dark skinned, being from India. But the darker skin around my mouth make my face look blotchy and uneven.

Has anyone been able to manage this? I would like to reduce the discolourations so badly!

[diana0624]

Sounds like it might be AN. This is caused by high levels of insulin. The best way to treat it is by treating the PCOS the right way. I suggest a low carb diet, exercise, and metformin (1500-2550mg per day). Of all my PCOS symptoms, this was the first one that I noticed get better. Usually AN is on the neck too. Do you have it on the back of your neck? It's usually a thick, dry patchy..and dark skin. Good luck.

[cherrublossom49]

Yes I do have discolourations on my neck too. But the one affecting my self esteem most is around my mouth. I do take metformit 1000mg per day. I noticed that my periods became more regular after that.

I am on a slim fast diet at the moment and weight is painfully slow in coming down. How I wish I could have 3 decent sized meals a day!

Thanks for the informatioin about AN. Will look it up on the web to see if I can get more information.

[Xeri_28]

Yup, it sounds like Acanthosis Nigricans to me. I've struggled with it since puberty too. Metformin has really helped to reduce the appearance of AN on my body, but it hasn't completely gone away. My docs say I'll probably have it to some degree for the rest of my life.

Xeri

[Jashobeam]

All of my AN is gone except for that under my arms. I doubt it will ever completly clear up.

[Joice]

Where else did you have it that cleared up? How bad is it under your arms? =/

[Jashobeam]

I had AN on my thighs and elbows for a long time. I first noticed it on my elbows when I was in about 8th or 9th grade and the guy next to me in class wanted to know what was wrong with my elbows. I was so embarrassed since I thought it was just dirt or rough skin (I was a tomboy). I don't know when I started having it on my thighs, but I thought that was from being so overweight. When it went away (as I was loosing weight) I thought that the physical weight loss was causing less chaffing, so the skin just healed. It wasn't till I found SC that I realized what was happening all those years (AN). Growing up around other girls with PCOS I thought the AN under the arms was normal. I never knew how models on TV got their underarms lookikng so good, lol. I'm still on Met. and a lower carb diet, but my underarms have not improved much. They are a lighter dark, but still not nearly the skin tone as the rest of my arms.

[diana0624]

When I was younger..the first place I noticed it was between my breasts (like that small flat area between...not actually on my breasts themselves). I thought it was just super dry skin. I would scrape it off with my fingernail when I would bathe. I didn't know what it was or how to get rid of it. Scraping worked for about a day...then it would be back. That area of my body actually has some scarring from that. Then I noticed it on the back of my neck. It almost burned sometimes. Right at my heaviest weight and before going on met....I had it bad on the back of my ankles. Since taking met....I haven't noticed any on my ankles or chest. On the back of my neck..it's hard to see..but I think it's almost gone completely. I am on 2000mg of met.

[Miss-Meme]

I had some on my neck years ago that looked like I didn't wash good. My doctor gave me a cream (sample) that worked great to get rid of it.

Anyone know what this might be? A steroid? I have a patch in the middle of my neck (where I have a lot of hair growth) and would like to put something on it.

I was on Met for like 2 or 3 years but my Bilriben (Sp) levels were high in Jan so I went off of it then my levels were normal. So I don't think they will put me on it again.

I have put on some weight (mostly because I'm staying at home and eating bad).