Are you sure that you have pcos?

ericschick · 11-04-2003, 11:29 PM

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am happily diagnosed with hypothyroid and not PCOS has they previously thought. I went to a different doctor who recommended low carbing and that my thyroid be tested. I am happy to report that I feel the best now that I have ever felt in my entire life. I did some research on the symptoms of hypothyroid and found that many of them are the same as that of PCOS. If your thyroid is out of whack then so is the rest of your body. We thought that my hypothyroid was a result of PCOS but when I told the dr that I had had an ultrsound and everything was completely normal, not even a sign of a cyst ever being there, we concluded that I didn't have pcos and should be treated for my throid not PCOS. You should also always ask to know your numbers of your thyroid TSH test. Mine was a 4.6 but has been as high as 8! Normal levels have also been reestablished by the ACCE to be between .034 and 3.4 not between .5 and 5! Even if your doctor considers these old levels normal to function properly you thyroid should be around 1 or 2. Some things that have changed for me. I started spotting on my own! nothing big but it was there for 5 days consecutively. I think I may have actually ovulated because I had a change in CM. I have never really had this before. The third thing is with low carbing I have lost 10lbs in one month. The fourth thing is my body temperature went from staying at 97.2 to 98.6. I am on 75mg of levoxyl. I am hoping to remain on it for awhile to see how my levels do. I go back for more testing in the next few weeks. I am also hoping to have a visit from AF in the next week or so as I am feeling bloated, crampy, and swollen. I also feel nausea after I eat and am getting diarhea ( a good sign of AF-at least for the females in my family.) I am glad that this discovery has been made and is making feel better than anything else has. Even the arthritis is my foot is not bothering me! Be aware of your levels and be sure that you have an ultrasound of your ovaries. You could be being treated for the wrong thing.

DianeJ · 11-05-2003, 03:17 AM

I'm so glad you're feeling better.

However, I just need say that you have some wrong information - not everyone with PCOS has cysts on their ovaries. And some women who have polycystic ovaries don't have PCOS. There are many parts to PCOS and not everyone has every single symptom. That's why the "S" stands for "syndrome".

http://www.inciid.org/faq/pcos1.html#1.2

Cystic ovaries — Classic PCOS ovaries have a "string of pearls" or "pearl necklace" appearance with many cysts (fluid-filled sacs). It is difficult to diagnose PCOS without the presence of some cysts or ovarian enlargement, but sometimes more subtle alterations may not have been recorded, or are not recognized as abnormal, by the ultrasonographer.

Enlarged ovaries — Polycystic ovaries are usually 1.5 to 3 times larger than normal.

Were your insulin and glucose levels ever tested? Your FSH and LH hormones? Any other testing?

I'm not saying that you DO have PCOS, but I just wanted to address the fact that you can have it without having polycystic ovaries.

I've read the symptoms of thyroid problems too. I'm hypothyroid but have many symptoms of hyperthyroid too. I was treated for pcos first - and I got AF back on track long before I was ever dx with hypo-.

I wish you continued success. Unfortunately, I'm still stuck with having both.

Good luck!

BTW - did you ever think that that temp rise was ovulation?? That will make your temp jump higher along with your thyroid straightening out. Just a thought.

ak82 · 11-05-2003, 03:46 AM

Yup I'm sure I have pcos. I got my thyroid checked because that's actually what I thought was wrong with me before I knew about pcos.

ericschick · 11-07-2003, 04:23 AM

I really appreciate the extra info about the confusion with not having PCOS, but I failed to tell you a few extra things. I have been treated for PCOS for awhile now with no luck on anything helping. Nothing has worked until I began being treated for my Thyroid. My mom and I can only figure out that there is a connection between a severe staff infection when I had my tonsils taken out at the age of five and my thyroid problem. My throat was nearly gange green from infection and I was hospitalized for an additional two weeks after the surgery. After that surgery was when I began experiencing weight gain and then on into puberty I never seemed to lose the baby fat and I never have really had cycles of my own. However, every time that I have been tested for glucose tolerance and all other levels they all come back fine. even when I have had my thyroid tested before the doctor would say it was fine, but I am beginning to wonder if it really was. I think that you are right about the temperature rise - it could have been ovulation. I am not intentionally trying to get pregnant but more concentrate on my health, however we are not not trying either. A lot of the problems like acne and dark hair on my face has receded to a more typical, every once in awhile black hair as well. Anyway, I just wanted my infertile friends to make sure that they explore this possibility because unfortunately this is one of those organs that messes everything up!

prunepie · 11-07-2003, 04:45 AM

eric..get teh word out there on thryoid issues...i am sure taht there are sooooooooooooo many women with hypo issues that go undiagnosed until its way out of control..unfortunately for me i have both pcos and hypthyroid..what a whammy..but only recently have i started treatment for thyroid bc my level was only about a 4 no other drs would treat it until i found one who understand about the new ranges and believes in optimal thryoid not just in some range like a one size fits all....and he belives in checking t3 and t4 not just tsh..........

aslong as you have had all your hormonal levels checked as wellthen you can be sure that you may not have pcos even if you dont have the cysts..i never had the cysts but all blood tests confirmed major homone whackage...have you been to www.thyroid.about.com ? fabulous site

good luck and i am glad you are feeling better..btw what med for your thryoid did hte dr give you? xo jenn

shenacat · 11-07-2003, 08:54 PM

My low carbing didnt work either until I got treated for thyroid. Also thyroid symptoms often mimic arthritis and tendonitis and carpal tunnel, tinnitus, etc. So no wonder your foot doesn't hurt anymore.

My jaw (TMJ) hurts like the dickens when my thyroid is low.

Thing is the dr. always said my fasting was good but it was at 102-106 and now on glucophage for a year the fasting is 88, I'd say a 20 point drop is good evidence that I needed the meds.

Many hypothyroid people low carb to good effect, whether or not they have been dx'd with pcos.

bananasmom · 11-08-2003, 07:33 AM

Quote:

My jaw (TMJ) hurts like the dickens when my thyroid is low.

Oh wow. I hadn't made that connection, but now that I think about it, so does mine!!!

Drkaito · 12-04-2003, 02:30 AM

interesting about the jaw hurting...my jaw hurts sometimes too, and I never know why...now I may have the answer!

JV1311 · 12-13-2003, 11:35 PM

When you say low-carbing, do you all mean Atkins?

Cause this is my dilemma: I feel like crap thyroid-wise on Atkins, and best when I eat carb in a sort of "The Zone" plan - smaller amounts of low-GI carb, but getting enough not to be in ketosis. However in the little I know about PCOS, I understand Atkins might be better.

What do I do? Do I eat according to which disease?

shenacat · 12-13-2003, 11:40 PM

Atkins only starts out extremely low carb, it moves upward fairly quickly after the initial stage. (2 weeks on 20 grams of carbs per day, then add 5 grams of carbs a week or some such).

Studies have shown that starvation can cause decreased conversion of T4 to T3, which would give people symptoms of hypothyroidism. Some people have reported this effect on extremely low carb diets.

JV1311 · 12-13-2003, 11:45 PM

I know it adds more carb, but even on Atkins mantainance, I don't feel so good, and some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism return. When I quit it and stay on the same amount of meds, they go away. Also, Atkins really interferes with my ability to exercise. I lose weight, but I feel terrible. I am stubborn so I've done it 4x, and regretted all of them.

It is not really starvation, cause I eat more calories on Atkins than when not on it, it seems to really be the lack of carb.

prunepie · 12-14-2003, 12:56 AM

maybe thats why i feel like craps when i eat mainly protien..bc it makes hypo worse??? i never heard bout that before..interesting xo jenn

JV1311 · 12-14-2003, 08:37 AM

They say that people who have difficulty converting T4 into T3 have even more difficulty when there is no glycogen stored in the liver, like when you are in ketosis. I know I almost don't convert at all, since I take a lot of Cytomel compared to the Synthroid (62.5mcg Cytomel and 150mcg Synthroid), so that is probably my problem.