Separating Fact From Fiction of PCOS

I will warn to begin this blog that there may be a bit of TMI.

Over the past few years that I have had this blog, I've mentioned somewhat sporadically that I have PCOS (aka Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).  A few people have asked what it is, as it's not a well known issue. 

That's weird though, because one in ten women suffer from it. 

1 in 10. 

Let that sink in for a moment. 

PCOS is possibly one of the most common hormone driven issues that women of childbearing age have. It is one of the leading causes of infertility in developed nations. 

What is PCOS? Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a hormonal (generally reproductive hormones) problem where too much or too little of certain hormones are created by the body. Generally it effects a woman's eggs so they don't develop properly as they are being released during the menstrual cycle. It causes cysts on the ovaries and can result in insulin resistance. It also causes thickened lining in a woman's ovaries which causes issues with ovulation.

What causes PCOS? There isn't a lot known exactly about what causes PCOS. It is thought genetics play a role in it, but there is very little known about it. Which is frustrating considering how many people have it. There are two noticeable factors that contribute to it, but aren't the only causes.

• High Insulin Levels: Women who are overweight and have high insulin levels tend to develop PCOS. That being said, they aren't entirely sure as to whether women become overweight and start developing insulin resistance and THEN PCOS comes to play or is people develop PCOS and THEN the insulin levels start running a muck. 
• High "male hormone" levels: While it is known that women do produce androgens (aka "male hormones"), some women do produce more than normal. This is another commonality among women with PCOS. 

How is PCOS Diagnosed? Doctors are still trying to figure out the best way to diagnose PCOS. Since there is still very little know about it overall, there are obviously multiple ways to diagnose it. With that said, many women are commonly diagnosed with other syndromes. According to Right Diagnosis.com the following are all things that have similar symptoms:

• Cushing's syndrome
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperprolactinemia
• Ovarian tumor
• Adrenal gland tumor
• Pituitary adenoma (type of Adenoma)
• Endometrioma/endometriosis
• Late onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Obesity
• Ovarian failure
• Androgen secretive tumors
• Metabolic syndrome
• Prolactinoma
• HAIR-AN syndrome
• Hyperthecosis
• Pregnancy
• Diabetes
• Hypothalamic dysfunction
• Adrenal gland dysfunction
• Acromegaly
• Medication effects
• Hirsutism
• Masculinisation
• Menopause
• Oligomenorrhea
• Weight Gain

There are four ways to actually test for it that are most commonly used. A blood test to check hormone levels, a pelvic exam, a pelvic ultrasound to check for cysts, and just a normal exam. 

How was I diagnosed? A common question I have received is how did I find out I have PCOS. To answer that, I have to go back to my schooling days. From the beginning of my "womanly" days, my period was ALWAYS very consistent, at least after it settled down. In high school, my weight remained firmly within two pounds of 136. No matter how much I ate (or didn't), no matter how much exercise I got (or didn't), I never weighed more than 138 or less than 134. Never. That stuck with me through most of college, even my most stressful times. 

My Senior year of college started out normally. Although I had begun to gain some weight, it wasn't a lot and I contributed to the fact I was drinking alcohol. It didn't concern me. January of 2014 rolled around and I hadn't stepped on a scale since the previous summer. I noticed my clothing was getting tighter, but blamed it on clothing shrinking in the wash or something. 

That month was the first time I truly "skipped a period." I blamed it on the sheer amount of stress I was under, which looking back on it, wasn't any more than I had been under at any specific point in time. There was no way I was pregnant, so after the initial concern about carrying the next baby Jesus. I just let it slide. February came and went, and my period which normally would last 6-8 days lasted maybe two days. But they were two days of misery. 

March, I didn't have one (but I did experience my first panic attack ever). April, it again lasted a short amount of time. May, it seemed normal again. May is also when I finally accepted that I had gained A LOT of weight. My graduation pictures showed that to me in a glaringly obvious way. Especially since my dress was a 2XL. June and July, my period wasn't there. So I figured that I probably ought to go to the doctor to see if anything was wrong. 

My doctor was a bit concerned with the sheer amount of weight I had gained. At that point I was around 210-220. In the course of a year, I had gained almost 100 pounds. 

My doctor took some blood for testing and it showed strongly elevated androgens and an uncomfortably high insulin level.

How is PCOS treated? There is no cure for PCOS. There is no magic pill or magic supplement to cure it. With the extreme lack of knowledge about it, there is even remarkably little research being put into it. Symptoms can be managed though. The three medications generally given are:

-Birth control

-Anti-androgen medications

-Metformin

Metformin is what I was placed on. It is originally for diabetics to help control the insulin levels. It helped kick start my weight loss, but there are many people it doesn't help. My main advice for anyone put on this medication for anything would be eat it with protein. Protein helps the stomach issues it tends to cause a lot. 

Myths of PCOS: 

1.) You will gain hundreds of pounds and will never be able to lose it. This is the biggest, most ridiculous myth I've heard about it. Yes, PCOS does cause you to gain weight, especially before it is diagnosed. Yes, it is difficult to lose weight. And yes, it is difficult to keep the weight off. But No, it is not impossible. You just have to work at it. PCOS has given a lot of women the excuse to just give up when it comes to losing weight. And when other women who do struggle with PCOS come across this myth it is detrimental. 

It is possible. Over the course of two years, I've practically lost all of the weight I've gained. And I understand how hard of a struggle it is to lose weight when you have this. 

But no matter what people say, it is NOT impossible. 

It takes a lot of self discipline and a lot of hard work. And in most cases it takes some sort of jolt to begin the weight loss (like when I went on Metformin, or when Sasha Pieterse went on Dancing with the Stars). 

The older you are, the more difficult it is. 

2.) You will never be able to have children. Depending on when you were diagnosed with PCOS and how long you've been working against it, the easier it will be to have children. With that said, PCOS does make it more difficult. But again, that doesn't mean it's impossible. Many women go on to have healthy and beautiful children. (Side note: if you are someone who has PCOS but doesn't want children-- because just because you're a woman doesn't mean you have to want children, I'd still recommend doing whatever you can to fight against PCOS because it does affect many other things.) Recent studies have been coming out that although women with PCOS have more difficult time getting pregnant, they actually remain fertile longer and hit menopause later. Just as a reminder, although PCOS does cause issues with fertility, it doesn't actually have any issues with the eggs. A woman with PCOS doesn't have poorer quality of eggs. 

3.) To have PCOS, you have to have cysts on your ovaries. I have PCOS and I don't have cysts on my ovaries. It's very misleading in the name of the syndrome, but no. To qualify for having PCOS, cysts are not a requirement. 

4.) You have to take either Metformin or be on Birth Control to help. I have admitted that when I was first diagnosed with PCOS, I was put on Metformin. That said, I was only on it for three months. It made me feel miserable, emotionally. And my face started breaking out so badly that I felt like a teenager again. Except my face had never been as bad as it was then. My doctor did want me to avoid being put on birth control for as long as possible, so when my periods started coming back to normal, she didn't put me on it. 

When I realized that I needed to do something to get off of Metformin, I scoured the internet looking for different things. The one thing I found that I decided to give a try was Apple Cider Vinegar (which I've mentioned before on this blog, in fact I've blogged about it before, but since there's been more information come out about it in the two years since I initially blogged about it, I think I will do a post about that in the near future). It helped me. 

Do you have PCOS? If you do, how do you manage it? Are there myths out there that frustrate you about it and want to help spread the word that they aren't true? 

Until Next Time,

Shelby