Just wanted to let you know my daughter had a hysterectomy on April 28th due to PCOS and the other things that seem to go along with it. She's only 29 and was dx'd as a teenager. She's never had children and thankfully didn't really want any so the mental aspects of this have been less for her than someone that wanted children. Of course it's diff when you say you don't want children and someone tells you that you 'can't' have children.

We won't find out the path info until May 16th.

Good luck to you and please keep us posted.

Debi from Georgia

It is important to note there are different types of ovarian cysts (not all cysts mean PCOS) and further ready may help in understanding:

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publicat...ian-cysts.html

ladyinpain, I am sorry for your pain and I hope all is better soon.

What you are describing does not sound anything like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). With this syndrome irregular periods are normal, missing anywhere from one to several months.

Infertility problems is common as is hair growth on the chest, face, neck, as well as other symptoms. As stated earlier these symptoms start in the teen years. The cysts associated with PCOS are small but numerous and these cysts do not get larger.

Please speak with your Dr. for a better understanding of your female health problems.

Surgery is NOT considered as a treatment for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Surgery could be a recommendation for other types Ovarian Cysts.

I'm really sorry, but I'm not understanding...

Even if the ovaries are removed (Oophorectomy) then a person will still have some of the symptoms of
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS is not a disease, as such, of the ovaries or the uterus.

I don't understand how having the uterus removed (Hysterectomy) would affect the symptoms of PCOS,
so am wondering Debi and ladyinpain, how the doctors have managed or are suggesting to manage any other symptoms
that may be present
e.g. do you ladyinpain, or in Debi's case, does your daughter have hormone imbalances and Insulin Resistance etc.?

Androgen is not only made in the ovaries, it's also made in the adrenal glands and fat cells I think (?).

Insulin Resistance will not be cured by removal of the uterus. It also won't be cured by removal of the ovaries.

PCOS type cysts are the result of many factors.

I really wish the powers-that-be would update and change the name of this condition so that the description was not so cyst-related.

I ran out of time earlier, but wanted to add...

We have a
Diabetes / Insulin Resistance / Metabolic Syndrome Forum
here at NeuroTalk.

There are many older posts regarding PCOS on there as it relates to Insulin Resistance.

There's also
Search Forums
which enables us to search the whole of NT for specific words.
There's also a separate Search feature on each Health Topic that allows us to search just that Forum.

I also wanted to say that my daughter's shown a lot of improvement since being diagnosed with PCOS.
After diagnosis she was immediately prescribed Metformin and one of the contraceptive pills that was chosen
to suit her specific oestrogen and other hormone needs.

My daughter is actually very slight in build but was still told to immediately lose 5 kilograms and to increase her exercize.

She has been able to get off her Metformin totally and her last fasting glucose levels were good.
She changed her diet (even going gluten free for a long time), increased exercize dramatically,
lost some weight (even though she didn't look as if she needed to) and her cholesterol levels were better as well.

However, having said that, the least little increase in weight that she has noticeably changes everything.

I know it's a very individualized condition and there is still so much to learn about why it happens,
but I have seen with my own eyes how important that diet and exercize are for my daughter.

She had even gone off her 'pill' for some months, but symptoms returned.
So what she has learned is to maintain a healthy diet, get lots and lots of exercize and
for now to continue with her hormone pill.

That ... and regular check-ups with the doc..

Don't forget ladyinpain to check out the other forum if you have Insulin Resistance.
Lots of information there.

I don't believe the diagnosis either Snoopy, but when I go back to speak with the GYN I will have a list of questions. I was told I had PCOS last year and I got a second opinion who said that I didn't have it. This is a third GYN saying that I have PCOS. I had irregular cycles for about a year. Now I have the cysts, discoloration on my neck, weight gain (which could be from other health problems) and constant pain and bleeding. Something is going on; I just don't think it's PCOS. I'm going to ask to have more tests done before I go under the knife again. I've had seven surgeries and I'm not really looking forward to an eighth.

I found this thread after a google search. I realize it isn't current but I would like to share my experience with PCOS in hopes that it may be helpful for some women. I struggled with PCOS for years. I was prescribed metformin but I had to stop it because I couldn't get past the constant feeling of nausea. I was desperate to try anything because the way I felt affected every aspect of my life. A year ago I stumbled on some research that proposed a natural solution for PCOS. I thought well meds haven't worked so I thought I would give it a go because I needed to do something to loose weight too. The article explained to me that my increased insulin levels stimulate the production of androgens which causes an imbalance in reproductive hormones, therefore, leading to PCOS. My Doctors have always recommended that I loose weight but never informed me that doing so can restore my insulin balance, decrease testosterone production and restore my balance of estrogen, hence, improving ovarian function. I adapted to a complex carb, no sugar, no gluten diet with only healthy fats and lean proteins. I incorporated dietary supplements that were suited for me and yoga. It didn't happen overnight, but soon I shed pounds, had less pain, regular periods and more energy. The PCOS diet article from detoxscientific helped me get back to my old self. I wish you all the best of luck, PCOS is a battle that can be won with the right technique.

Request a high resolution pelvic MRI. Have them look for adenomyosis. It causes abnormal uterine bleeding and severe pelvic pain that gets worse during bleeding. It can be focal in certain spots or diffuse throughout the uterus. It can also cause weight gain and anemia. Adenomyosis sets off a vicious cycle of bleeding through locally high estrogen levels. Like endometriosis, abnormal cells grow in the uterine wall causing bleeding, setting off increased hormone levels which in turn make it worse.

If you have adenomyosis, it is treatable WITHOUT a hysterectomy using Mirena. Alternatively, high doses of Prometrium can work but the side effects of Mirena are easier to tolerate.

Find a good reproductve endocrinologist. Where are you located?

I have diffuse adenomyosis of the entire uterus, and also tend to get ovarian follicular cysts too. It took going to Mayo Clinic to have it diagnosed. Once diagnosed, my local reproductive endocrinologist who is quite good too, has been able to treat it. It was overlooked because I had a massive pelvic hematoma, so rare no one knew what it would do.