Although I'm a freshman in high school, I was diagnosed two years ago with PCOS. I still haven't found anyone around me that has it, therefore I'm so glad I found you guys. My menstural cycle began when I was 8, and it's been painful, and heavy even on the pill. How do you deal with the pain without sprawling out on the couch with a heating pad and missing a day of school? Also, I'm struggling loosing weight at 5'8" and 188 pounds. (thank you metformin and spironolactone) Do you have any methods that work relatively well? Finally, what am I in for with this lovely problem as I grow older?
Sweetie, I am so glad that you've been dx at a young age because unlike me, you can deal with this now and adjust your life. I know exactly how you feel about your periods. I started mine 1 week after my 10th b-day. I cramped for two weeks, then stopped for a week, then had the worst pain I'd ever felt and started. As for dealing with the pain, the only thing I have found is sprawling out on the couch with a heating pad, only i take pain meds. I just can't stand the pain. I have noticed that since being on Met & beginning to loose weight, the pain is a little lighter, not much, but a little. My dr. says that it should continue to lighten as I loose the weight, but that it may never go away. Just something we may have to deal with. When i was your age though, I found that if I exercised on a regular basis it sometimes helped when my period came. Have you been tested for Insulin Resistance? Some women find that a good healthy lifestyle and diet helps with a lot of the symptoms. Some people call it "the diabetic diet", I bought a book from Barnes and Noble called "The Insulin Resistance Diet", it is a really good lifestyle very livable.
A for what you can expect when you get older...........I don't want to scare you, but I'm not into sugar coating either. Remember, everybody is different and experience this syndrome in different ways. Some have difficulty with acne, weight gain, hair growth on their face, chest, belly, butt, etc and hairloss on their scalp. There are many other symptoms too. Some women have some of these symptoms, some have all, some have a lot more. I didn't have any of them accept the harsh, heavy irregular periods and weight gain when I was your age. The rest that I mentioned came on after my 20's. Now that I am 30 I do have some hair growth on my face and chest that I can get rid of easily, nothing heavy. I do battle acne, but I find that proactiv helps keep it under control better than anything I've tried. My hailoss is slightly noticeable, more so to me than anybody else, but it is nothing drastic, no bald spots, just thinning. But keep in mind, you may be different, no one can really say what you may experience.
There is a thread for teens, you might want to check it out. You will find girls over there just like you who can relate and who have been dealing with this for a while. Although, please feel free to join all the threads!! We welcome all cysters, regardless of age!! Besides, I will want you to keep me posted on how you are, I worry about all my cysters. If you ever need anyone to talk to, I know this can be overwhelming, you can PM me anytime or email me: honeybear0012@sbcglobal.net , I'm always here to help!
Welcome to the board hun. I feel as though the last post put it well what comes later. However, I do get the heavy and painful periods, and I get the pain that goes all through my back and down my legs. So I try stretching out, another trick that works is to get on your hands and knees and rock back and forth to stretch.
Welcome to the board! You are very lucky to have been diagnosed at a young age . PCOS is a disease that can not be cured, but it is treatable. So we live with it the rest of our lives. The only remedy that I know that may help your cramps is bcp, but I don't know if I'd suggest taking them. I feel like my symptoms have worsened ever since I got of the bcps. Hope you enjoy the site!
__________________ Kate (29) To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. DH-Neil (33)
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Married: December 28, 2002 2 furbabies - Q and Zia (They are Yorkies To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ) Dx w/ PCOS - 2003 Meds: Metformin 1700mg a day HSG 08/16/06 - All CLEAR! TTC again...
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Welcome- I am fairly new to the board also and would like to say Welcome. As the others have said it is a blessing to be Dx early. I am 27 and my husband and I would like to start a family so bad, and I have been through many tests in the past 6 months before I got the Dx. Anyways enough of my rambling. You have found a great place and once welcome WELCOME!!!!!!\
NIkki
Hi and welcome to S/C. I think Honeybear explained best some of whats to be expected, later on. However PCOS is a syndrome that's as individual as every woman who suffers froms it. Some of us have more manageable symtoms than others.
Welcome to the boards though. The gals here are great.
Oh, for period pain, try a cup of camomile tea, that's what I use.
__________________ Danielle (28) DX: Hypothyroidism - May 05/ PCOS & IR Oct 05 Meds: 1x850mg Metformin + 1x75mg Levotiroxin + Diane 35
"If you can keep your head, when all about you are losing theirs, it's just possible you haven't grasped the situation"
Hi there Ashley and Welcome to SC!
We are so glad that you have found this site.
There are alot of wonderful gals on here who are always ready with info and support!
There is also a forum here for teens....why don't you check that out as well and get some input from girls who are in your peer group and who have the same challanges as you do.
Welcome to SC! I am 18 and was diagnosed in August, with symptoms for years. If you need any advice from someone around your age, I am here. my e-mail is labellavitabrasil@yahoo.com . Hugs~
__________________ ~NICOLE~
PCOS dx 2006 Cyclical Cushing's Disease 2008
Pituitary surgery May 21, 2008- finally, the tumor is coming out!!!
Welcome. I was about your age when I first started having symptoms. My only difference being that I would have very long periods. I bled for 3 months at a time most of my teen years. As for pain management, try some ibuprofen. Also, I think being on the BCP's will help but not take care of all symptoms. Hopefully your father understands better than mine did when I was that age and put on the pill. He flipped out and totally did not understand what was going on with me and why I needed the pill so he made me go off them.
Good luck, and you are very lucky to get a dx this young. Most people go for years without treatment.
__________________ Me - 32 DH - 34
DS - 13 DD - 5
11/06 confirmed PCOS and IR. On met and spiro.
12/21/06 Novasure endo. ablation
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I'm so sorry for what you're going through hun, but I'm glad you have your diagnosis now and that you're here with us at Soulcysters. We're here to help you any way we can.
I started my period at age 11, and it was always very heavy and painful. For me, rest and the heating pad always works the best. I know how it is to miss school too, I missed quite a bit just due to the terrible pain. And often when I WAS at school I would bleed through my clothes. I also had some thinning hair and increasing weight beginning at puberty.
I didn't have really any new symptoms until after the birth of my second son, when I took the Depo shot (on the advice of a gyn, it's still a decision I regret very much). After that my periods went crazy, I gained hideous amounts of weight, I got very depressed. Finally over 3 years later I was diagnosed with PCOS. Metformin helped me a lot. I lost weight, my periods became more stable, and I got pregnant after ttc for 2 years.
My PCOS symptoms that have developed as I got older: weight gain, thinning hair, dark patches (AN), depression, irregular heavy periods. But most of these were helped by metformin, and prozac for the depression. I also take cinnamon which can help with blood sugar issues and cholesterol. The good news for my periods too, they have been much less painful since I have been treated for PCOS. I really hope you begin to feel better soon hun.
Sorry for the book, I just thought maybe my experience would be helpful in some way to you. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know!
Hugs
Jenny
__________________ Jenny(30) Josh (30) married 3/30/96
PCOS dx 1/03
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I just wanted to drop in and Welcome you!
As the other ladies said its great that you got an early DX! I went 13 years going to Doctors that didnt know what was wrong with me! I am sooo happy you found us If you ever need to talk you can PM me
Young, and diagnosed with PCOS. 
. PCOS is a disease that can not be cured, but it is treatable. So we live with it the rest of our lives. The only remedy that I know that may help your cramps is bcp, but I don't know if I'd suggest taking them. I feel like my symptoms have worsened ever since I got of the bcps. Hope you enjoy the site!
If you ever need to talk you can PM me 
