I have a blog that I have set up to track my progress over the last few years. Anyways, I did a post about this. Here it is.
SO I thought I would share this with everyone because when bad things happen in our lives we usually feel alone. I am hoping that if anyone else has this that they know that others are going through it as well.
Where do I start with this?.... well, I am not sure when I actually got Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. But growing up as a teenager I used to get very painful menstrual cramps. To the point where I couldn't get out of bed. I also never had a set schedule of when my body would actually give me a period. I could get it every month, every 3 months... but when it came it did come normal for the full 6-7 days. My mom always said that the pain was normal and that all girls go through that, so get my ass out of bed and go to school. I would take 4 extra strength advils, then 1 hr later do it again. That helped a lot. All the doctors prescription meds never helped. I have been given muscle relaxers, pain killers... As I became older the pain actually got a lot better.
I went on the birth control pill at age 20 to help regulate my periods and help with the cramps. At age 26 I wanted to enter in my first fitness show so I went off the pill because I thought it was going to make me hold on to the body fat. I didn't get my period for over a year and a half, my doctor sent me to every specialist. I had my blood tested, ultra sound. They didn't find anything. So my doctor just said that it could have been because I went off the pill, or that my body fat levels were low.
It had been 5 years now since that. I have been dealing with a lot of hormonal issues since then. I period has never been on schedule. I guess I have just thought it was the exercising, or low body fat levels, or it was just my body and the way it ran. I have been to a endocrinologist a couple times over the last few years. I just found a great one that I saw 2 months ago. She said that she wanted me to go on HRT. All my hormonal levels were below the chart. She wanted me to go back on the pill. As much as girls are scared of estrogen, it is sooo important for our bodies. If estrogen is low then we are prone to low bone density. Which I have. I found that out a few years ago when I went for all that testing. I admit yes I am scared of gaining weight going back on the pill, but I know it is better for me in the long run.
Now after meeting with the endocrinologist it was time for my physical with my family doctor. During the pap she told me that she felt something and she wanted me to get a ultra sound done. I went the next week and then I just saw my dr last Monday to get the results. Turns out I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. There are a lot of different symptoms that someone can get. I didn't have too many of them, but the irregular periods were a red flag.
I spoke to my sister last night and found out she has this as well. She unfortunately has the diabetes associated with it. 50% of girls with this disorder will get diabetes. I really hope I don't, that is so scary. She has also had many other complications. However, she was very lucky to have 2 amazing children.
My doctor also said that I am very lucky to have a healthy fitness lifestyle and that is probably why I haven't run into a lot of the issues. I do store my fat around my ads which is so annoying
But I am very lean. I eat VERY strict. I don't like to be heavy, so I eat to maintain my leanness and workout to gain the muscle and physique I desire. Now most girls that have this disorder have higher testosterone which leads to issues because they are not balanced and their estrogen and especially progesterone are low. I don't have high testosterone. I actually have very low levels. I am being sent to a gynecologist specialist who is going to explain this situation more and probably monitor me over time.
Here is more information that I have copied from this website:
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome << Frequently Asked Questions << womenshealth.gov
What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?
Polycystic (pah-lee-SIS-tik) ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a health problem that can affect a woman's menstrual cycle, ability to have children, hormones, heart, blood vessels, and appearance. With PCOS, women typically have:
* high levels of androgens (AN-druh-junz). These are sometimes called male hormones, although females also make them.
* missed or irregular periods
* many small cysts (sists) in their ovaries. Cysts are fluid-filled sacs.
What causes polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?
The cause of PCOS is unknown. Most researchers think that more than one factor could play a role in developing PCOS. Genes are thought to be one factor. Women with PCOS tend to have a mother or sister with PCOS. Researchers also think insulin could be linked to PCOS. Insulin is a hormone that controls the change of sugar, starches, and other food into energy for the body to use or store. For many women with PCOS, their bodies have problems using insulin so that too much insulin is in the body. Excess insulin appears to increase production of androgen. This hormone is made in fat cells, the ovaries, and the adrenal gland. Levels of androgen that are higher than normal can lead to acne, excessive hair growth, weight gain, and problems with ovulation.
What are the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?
Not all women with PCOS share the same symptoms. These are some of the symptoms of PCOS:
* infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
* infertility (not able to get pregnant) because of not ovulating
* increased hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes—a condition called hirsutism (HER-suh-tiz-um)
* ovarian cysts
* acne, oily skin, or dandruff
* weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist
* insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
* high cholesterol
* high blood pressure
* male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
* patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
* skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
* pelvic pain
* anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility
* sleep apnea—excessive snoring and times when breathing stops while asleep
Does polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) put women at risk for other health problems?
Women with PCOS have greater chances of developing several serious, life-threatening diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer. Recent studies found that:
* More than 50 percent of women with PCOS will have diabetes or pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) before the age of 40.
* Women with PCOS have a four to seven times higher risk of heart attack than women of the same age without PCOS.
* Women with PCOS are at greater risk of having high blood pressure.
* Women with PCOS have high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
The chance of getting endometrial cancer is another concern for women with PCOS. Irregular menstrual periods and the absence of ovulation cause women to produce the hormone estrogen, but not the hormone progesterone. Progesterone causes the endometrium to shed its lining each month as a menstrual period. Without progesterone, the endometrium becomes thick, which can cause heavy bleeding or irregular bleeding. Over time, this can lead to endometrial hyperplasia, when the lining grows too much, and cancer.
How is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) treated?
Because there is no cure for PCOS, it needs to be managed to prevent problems. Treatment goals are based on your symptoms, whether or not you want to become pregnant, and lowering your chances of getting heart disease and diabetes. Many women will need a combination of treatments to meet these goals. Some treatments for PCOS include:
Birth control pills. For women who don't want to become pregnant, birth control pills can control menstrual cycles, reduce male hormone levels, and help to clear acne. However, the menstrual cycle will become abnormal again if the pill is stopped. Women may also think about taking a pill that only has progesterone, like Provera®, to control the menstrual cycle and reduce the risk of endometrial cancer. (See Does polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) put women at risk for other health problems?) But progesterone alone does not help reduce acne and hair growth.
Diabetes medications. The medicine metformin (Glucophage®) is used to treat type 2 diabetes. It also has been found to help with PCOS symptoms, although it is not FDA-approved for this use. Metformin affects the way insulin controls blood glucose (sugar) and lowers testosterone production. Abnormal hair growth will slow down, and ovulation may return after a few months of use. Recent research has shown metformin to have other positive effects, such as decreased body mass and improved cholesterol levels. Metformin will not cause a person to become diabetic.
Fertility medications. Lack of ovulation is usually the reason for fertility problems in women with PCOS. Several medications that stimulate ovulation can help women with PCOS become pregnant. Even so, other reasons for infertility in both the woman and man should be ruled out before fertility medications are used. Also, there is an increased risk for multiple births (twins, triplets) with fertility medications. For most patients, clomiphene citrate (Clomid®, Serophene®) is the first choice therapy to stimulate ovulation. If this fails, metformin taken with clomiphene is usually tried. When metformin is taken along with fertility medications, it may help women with PCOS ovulate on lower doses of medication. Gonadotropins (goe-NAD-oh-troe-pins) also can be used to stimulate ovulation. These are given as shots. But gonadotropins are more expensive and there are greater chances of multiple births compared to clomiphene. Another option is in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF offers the best chance of becoming pregnant in any one cycle and gives doctors better control over the chance of multiple births. But, IVF is very costly.
Medicine for increased hair growth or extra male hormones. Medicines called anti-androgens may reduce hair growth and clear acne. Spironolactone (speer-on-oh-lak-tone) (Aldactone®), first used to treat high blood pressure, has been shown to reduce the impact of male hormones on hair growth in women. Finasteride (Propecia®), a medicine taken by men for hair loss, has the same effect. Anti-androgens often are combined with oral contraceptives.
Before taking Aldactone®, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Do not breastfeed while taking this medicine. Women who may become pregnant should not handle Propecia®.
Vaniqa® cream also reduces facial hair in some women. Other treatments such as laser hair removal or electrolysis work well at getting rid of hair in some women. A woman with PCOS can also take hormonal treatment to keep new hair from growing.
Surgery. "Ovarian drilling" is a surgery that brings on ovulation. It is sometimes used when a woman does not respond to fertility medicines. The doctor makes a very small cut above or below the navel and inserts a small tool that acts like a telescope into the abdomen. This is called laparoscopy. The doctor then punctures the ovary with a small needle carrying an electric current to destroy a small portion of the ovary. This procedure carries a risk of developing scar tissue on the ovary. This surgery can lower male hormone levels and help with ovulation. But these effects may only last a few months. This treatment doesn't help with loss of scalp hair and increased hair growth on other parts of the body.
Lifestyle modification. Keeping a healthy weight by eating healthy foods and exercising is another way women can help manage PCOS. Many women with PCOS are overweight or obese. Eat fewer processed foods and foods with added sugars and more whole-grain products, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats to help lower blood sugar (glucose) levels, improve the body's use of insulin, and normalize hormone levels in your body. Even a 10 percent loss in body weight can restore a normal period and make a woman's cycle more regular.
Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
