Seventeen and Unhappy

[BJohnson7797]

I'm a seventeen year old girl in her senior year of highschool. I found out a little over a year ago that I had PCOS, but I didn't really know what it was and didn't care to learn. But within the last 9 months I have developed thick dark hair on my face and chest, weight gets put on so quickly, I have horrible skin, and constant cramp like pains in my ovaries. I try so hard to stay confident and tell myself I am pretty and its ok, but I can't help but think of the negative things right now. My dark hair I get laser treatments for, which I went to today, but it still is not helping. I was told i am on my 12th treatment and I have noticed barely any changes. My face is so broken out I am embarrassed to leave the house and go to school. My weight never was a problem until this past year where I put on 15 pounds. I compare myself to all the other girls in my school and even my best friends who are all gorgeous and skinny with perfect skin. I lost all confidence. I don't know what to do to treat my skin or hair anymore or even control the weight. I didn't know where else to vent or turn and I am new to this website.

[missbee082684]

hey sweet pea! it is very hard to deal with. i totally agree and know how you feel. it was a harsh reality for me to go through also. it will get better. after time you will learn to love yourself no matter what.

when i first found out i was terrified. i was 17 and married, just had my first baby and realized i might be loosing my family because i was so insecure, and to tell the truth i had a horrible husband.

but guess what sweetie, i eventually gained my confidence back. it was hard to ever start dating again, or to even talk to a boy again becuase i lost all my confindence. it took me a little while and i learned many tricks in hiding all my imperfections. now, i still try to make them go away, but at 25 i have learned the man of my dreams will love me anyways, and he does.

dont compare yourself to others. you are beautiful just being you.

if you want help with the breakouts on your skin, use tea tree oil, it works for me. i use it in the shower so i dont have to smell like it all day, and wax the hair. that has worked the best for me. i tweeze my face every morning when i wake up.

at first it doesnt feel so great but eventually you dont even feel it anymore.

it will get better in time love. it always does. just remember who YOU are and dont forget that.

its a hard thing to deal with, especially being so young but you can make it and you will learn that you are beautiful no matter what.

people will accept you for you if you accept yourself first!!

i promise you that. people like confidence and it brings positive people towards you!

good luck and hit me up if you ever need to talk.

xoxo
~brandy~

[BJohnson7797]

Thank you so much for your advice. That definitely made me smile and brought a brighter outlook to this whole situation. It's still tough thinking about my weight and skin, but like you said it will get better. Thanks again that really was sweet of you to write back to me and talk to me. I will keep in touch!
Blair

[Trujillo25]

hey sweetie...i know exactly what you are going through...i was heavy in high school and people made fun of me and bullied me..i wasn't given advice and i tiook the wrong route..but thankfully i have realized that no matter what everyone else thinks about me it doesn't matter...the only ones opinion that matters is my own...and like missbee said until you have a better outlook on yourself you can't expect others too..and i dont know what you look like but it's not how you look on the outside it's how you feel and act on the inside that matters and you seem very smart and beautiful..keep your head up sweetie and if you need to talk i am here and so are the other women on here..goodluck and keep your head up..

[BJohnson7797]

Thank you so much. I just met with my doctor today and he put me on metformin he said its meant to help with my weight. And I am on birth control, but other than decreasing the production of cysts what is the purpose of being on it? I'm not sexually active so I don't need it for that. But I was just curious if you knew?
Things just will get better from here though! I just was hired at a local gym and I am so excited because that means I can workout after every shift and work out on nights I am not working. So hopefully I will knock this weight off soon, being in highschool with super skinny friends when you just arent is pretty miserable

[BJohnson7797]

And I can't believe people bullied you. That is just hurtful and rude. Highschool is full of cruel people who just try to put you down to make themselves look and think they are better when really they are just ugly inside.

[KatdasFiddler]

Hi B! There is not much I could say except that what has already been said. I was teased in high school as well for my weight. So I know how you feel!! I didn't get diagnosed with PCOS until this summer, and Im 43!! Fortunatly I have a very supportive husband.
But, getting back to you. I think its great you got a job at the gym. It will give you something to look forward to and to put your mind on something positive. When I was in high school, I was a very sad teenager. Being a teenager can be hard period. My parents got me a job as a working student at a local stable. I always loved horses. And every weekend my dad would drive me to this barn, where I cleaned stalls and paddocks and tack for an opportunity to get a riding lesson. I can't tell you how fast my senior year went, because that is all I thought about all week. Going to the stable and being around the horses!! Eventually I got into 4-H and my leader became a good friend and ended up letting me show one of her horses. And it all took off from there. I ended up getting my own horse, and riding everyday, and I eventually lost my weight and the riding lessons helped my confidence in myself too!!
So, keep your chin up!! There are many of us out there, and we are more than happy to lend an ear!!

[Trujillo25]

metformin is to help reduce the production of cysts..they can cause a lot of pain if they keep coming...they also help keep you regular which you don't need cause your obviously too young to have kids..it will also help with the weight...which will help you stay away from the other serious risks you have with pcos...like high blood pressure, diabetes, high triglycerides, risk for heart attack and stroke...all those things..trust me it's a good thing and it can only get better from here..if you need someone to talk to i am here...and yes i got bullied and i did some stupid things to put them in their place..but this is the way i see it..it only made me that much stronger...when people call me fat i tell them this...i maybe fat but at least i can lose the weight your ugly, you can't make that go away..lol so stay positive sweetie...and no matter how thin or fluffy you are it's not about the outside but whats inside that matters and you are so sweet and that is all that matters...keep on truckin girl and good luck at your new job..

[DiamondInTheRough]

I think you should ask to stop the bcp and try the Metformin alone to see how that works. Some bcp are helpful in the short term because they have anti-androgens in them that help slow down the hair growth. However, the idea with Metformin is to help get you to ovulate regularly. If you ovulate regulalry, your hormones will be on track and that would hopefully take care of the problem with the excess hair.

[scrippsiesasha]

i'm not sure if you should stop the bcp, considering that you're recently diagnosed. i've been sort of where you've been, bjohnson. i was dx at 18/19, at the end of my freshman year of college. but i really believe the meds are there for a reason and will work. i thought my bcp didn't do anything, but since i went off (i was on for over a year), my periods have disappeared and my hair and acne has reappeared. it's a slow but productive process to put your body through this.
btw, i've gained 30 lbs since my dx. you just have to come to a realization that you have the body of a WOMAN and people will accept that once they people adults themselves (particularly boys-->men). this process will make you stronger in the long run because you'll have this experience to draw emotional strength from. your friends with perfect skin and perfect confidence will find confronting challenges more difficult b/c they won't have our commonalities to grow from.
yes, it sucks. i'm right there with you. but you can only look toward the future, which is that your meds will work, it'll balance out, you'll become comfortable in your body again, and you'll gain a network of people to support you.

[BJohnson7797]

Wow. Thank you to everyone. Reading these give me a new sense of strength and are truly helping me realize that it's something many women have gone through and it's all ok. I start tomorrow on my job so I will be focused on that and continuing to get straight A's and try to focus less on all the negatives. I appreciate everyone's support and advice, it's helping me more than ever.

With the medicine I just began an antibiotic for a month to help with my skin, but I still need to consult with my doctor about if this pill is working right for me and if I even need to be on it. I have tried another one, but I am currently on Yasmine since Yaz wasn't helpful. Are these common bcp's that are used with PCOS?

[DiamondInTheRough]

The problem with bcp is all they really seem to do is mask the symptoms of pcos. You aren't getting a real period (not actually ovulating), yet your lining is being shed regularly, which is a good thing to help prevent uterine cancer.

If you ever have to stop the pill, which I imagine you'd choose to do at some point in your life, esp if you want children, symptoms seem to come back hard and fast. Whatever hair was slowed down will come back again.

Especially cysters who have IR, some studies show that prolonged use of the pill can make the IR worse in time.

I just think too many doctors put young girls on the bcp, and brush them away. It's hardly even a bandaid approach in my opinion. There are other - better - medications out there, that are safer for long term use. There is also proper diet/exercise which can often be the best form of treatment for PCOS with or without medication.

[BJohnson7797]

Thanks for the info and advice. I think I will call my doctor tomorrow and let him know.

I am beginning a regular gym routine (My first day was today! ) And I have changed my diet due to an antibiotic I am on and I already feel better so I think I will just keep this dietary routine! Thank you so much!!