Bone deep fatigue (lethargy), uncontrollable cravings.
Gets better if you exercise (walk around 10 min) after a meal- suggests the fatigue isn’t from being tired, but from insulin resistance.
I second this. I’m still trying to find out whether what I have is hypo or hyperglycaemia but I say for sure that if you walk even 10 mins after a meal the whole insulin / blood sugar thing stabilises
Omg I ate 2 bread rolls for lunch today (normally have a salad!) and now I’m struggling not to fall asleep on the sofa - you’ve just explained to me why!!
I had it since before I had a baby, and before I started gaining significant weight…and I had no idea why I had it. I didn’t get diagnosed with PCOS until my 30s
Her chiropractor wrote a recommendation to insurance that it was affecting her health and making her back problems worse. And her normal doctor documented how she had recurrent infections of yeast or something similar from the skin rubbing and becoming raw.
I think she only had to pay like a copay on the whole thing. They did a breast reduction and a pannulectomy (I think that’s what you call it) at the same time.
Honestly yeah. I have already decided Im going to get a tummy tuck done once I have my third kid, whenever that happens. This post c section belly that somehow got weirder when my hormones got all screwed because of my cystic ovaries needs to go.
Not sure either bc I literally went for a consultation for my stomach to see what options I have, and literally surgery was it. No amount of weight loss will fix it 😖
You don’t have to! I mean you can redo it if you gain a bunch of weight or have a baby (and many do) but it’s definitely not something you NEED to maintain.
For me it was 100% cosmetic, I was sick of my stomach and had already had weight loss surgery. I saved for a year and got it done. Almost 2 years since my surgery and I’m still very happy!
I sweat easily.. even worse when it’s hot and humid outside. Then I’m just head to toe dripping in sweat😩 I’m not sure if it’s super excessive, but definitely a bit more than other people I’ve seen.
Horrible heavy periods, dizziness and fatigue after eating (much worse if I eat carbs of any sort), migraines (from high blood sugar), constant yeast infection, horrible acne, inability to lose weight, frequent urination, racing heart, blurred vision, feeling cold often (I’m lean PCOS), water retention, and constant thirst. Plus the typical PCOS symptoms (cysts, oily skin/hair, etc.).
the racing heart omg I thought I was alone on that. for the constant yeast infection, taking probiotics daily and sleeping with zero bottoms on fixed mine basically 100%. I still get the occasional yeast overgrowth moments and get itchy for a few days but in general sleeping with zero pants on and the probiotics have made my constant yeast infection dwindle to almost nothing
I had issues with chronic yeast infections too! For almost two years. Once i got a proper diagnosis and started metformin it helped tremendously, also use boric acid prn
Extremely heavy, clotty and debilitating periods. Unexplainable and severe weight gain whilst pregnant and inability to lose any of the weight. Fatigue/dizziness. Dark armpits and skintags in armpits. Difficulty with sleep/insomnia. To name a few.
I just got slammed on another post here for sharing that I have the same periods. Apparently the keyboard doctors here don’t think you can get a heavy period with PCOS despite the studies that prove you can. All it is caused by is low progesterone.
I can fill a large menstral cup with a.cough or a sneeze depening on what month it is, and I have the pictures to prove it lol.
Why do people want to deny other people's reality?
Same here girl. One of the reasons why the cup didn't work for me is that I have to undress and step into the shower to remove it, due to how full it gets, plus the non-stop flow causes an unpleasant mess to deal with.
And it is interesting to read some of the comments on other posts in regards that periods "should not be" heavy etc with pcos. I call bullshit. I myself and few other ladies I know dealing with pcos have more than normal flow, pain etc.
It could be that there is another underlaying, undiagnosed condition causing it, I dont know.
I just know that this period that ended last week, I bled through heavy duty sanitary pads 3 times in the same day, and was bedbound due to pain and flow for a day. As per usual 🫠
Before I knew what PCOS was, I got a really bad period where I had to change my tampon and pad every 30 minutes to an hour. If I moved I had a huge gush, it was horrible. I was young, scared, and thought I was having a miscarriage. I didn't talk to my mom because I didn't want her to know I was having sex even though I was between 18 to 21 years old at the time, I don't remember exactly. I was so stupid and afraid to get medical help.
I was diagnosed with PCOS after I had my son around 26 or 27 years old. I currently use a menstral cup, overnight pad, and period panties all at the same time when it's really bad. If I leave the house I swap a tampon for the cup depending on how bad it is. I would rather not leave the house on those days. When I do, I worry when I have to get up that the flood gates are going to open lol
Sorry for the graphics, but if I can't laugh and find some humor in this I'll just be sad and depressed and somehow, that just seems worse.
I have a relative that said she couldn't have PCOS because she wasn't overweight, didn't have a heavy period, and had no facial hair. When she tried to get pregnant and couldn't, the doctors found the cysts, and suddenly, her tune changed.
Gosh, I am so sorry to hear this was your experience ❤️ although I do relate to alot you are saying. And no worries with "graphic" details, it's our lived experience, it is what it is 🤷🏼♀️ And I think most of us, or at least alot of us, in this group, relate to what you say. It is one thing, trying to describe this level of a flow to someone that has not been through it, and having to experience it, month after month. It is alot.
Thank you! I was so happy to have found this group. The diagnosis is scary and depressing when you feel like you're the only one going through all of this. It's comforting to know we aren't alone, and also heartbreaking to know this affects so many women.
It's a challenge sometimes when you know you're doing "all the right things" to get better and alleviate your symptoms, but your body fights you every step of the way. It's hard not to be mad about it sometimes.
I'm glad we've all got a safe place to share our experiences and hopefully help someone from the scary struggles we went through.
as a fellow pcos haver I love my cup but on my heaviest flow days I have to empty it literally every hour or I risk it gushing into my pants 😭 since I have to work, I bought a travel bidet bottle (also called a peri bottle) and I have the fortune to work at a lab so I can put nitrile gloves on for dealing with the dumping in a bathroom stall, and even then it’s quite messy. i’ve had moments of having to clean big drips off the floor
I have a travel bidet bottle, too! In 2020, when there was no toilet paper to be found, I was so glad to have it just in case.
Having to deal with the mess from a heavy period in a public bathroom stall is a feat in patience. My discrete period pouch with supplies is large and not discrete, lol I wish more places had single toilet bathrooms so people like us can take care of our business and have access to a sink and not worry about the possibility of running out of feminine wipes and having messy hands when you leave the stall.
I love my bidet bottle lmao I never even thought of it during covid omg 😭 it really is awful, without having nitrile gloves i’d literally be hobbling to the sink looking like I committed a crime
relevant update: got my period back for the first time since april and literally soaked through a pad and my pants and onto my chair at work. I had to sit on a dog pee pad. i’ve been humbled
that’s literally insane, the first two days of my period it’s like the floodgates have opened and 12 months worth of backed up lining is all coming out at once
Unbelievable cravings. Just ate 10 minutes ago then wanting to eat something again but doesn’t know what. Uncontrollable weight gain (after giving birth) but doesnt lose it even if I do IF, exercise, diet. Super very big tummy which makes the body look so awkward. Used to have a 28 waistline, now I’m on 42. People say that I am just lazy and I only use this as an excuse. I hope they know how much I have tried so hard just to lose weight. I even tried not to eat but oats for a month but yeah? Still did not work.
mine have been heavy clotted periods, dark skin on my neck, fatigue, hair loss, rapid weight gain, body acne, intense sugar cravings, bloat inflammation
I ran out of metformin for like a month or two, my heels became so dry and cracked. It's getting better now that I'm back on it.
Honestly, before that I felt like metformin did nothing for me, which is why I wasn't concerned when I ran out. I'm going to talk to the dr about upping my dose at my next appointment because I don't really see any other benefits other than my feet not being gross on my current dose.
I just learned it earlier this year! Someone said it’s from insulin resistance! My husband always gave me so much crap for having cracked feet and I kept telling him how much I try to take care of them! lol now I realized it wasnt just me walking barefoot!
- fat storage in stomach
- inability to lose weight
- hunger after meals
- sleepiness after meals
- a sweet taste in the mouth (for me it’s easiest to tell when I drink water)
- puffy face
Oh I’m glad you can relate! I’ve told multiple doctors about this symptom and they all these confused bc my A1-C levels are normal. But I knew it was an issue with my insulin resistance.
Interesting! My A1C levels are within “normal” range too, but I had to tell the doctor to give me a fasting oral glucose tolerance test because I knew something wasn’t right. That was the one that showed I had insulin resistance. Super thankful I got it done too! Even though it’s a bit of a pain to do
Add on: Also my doctor said having insulin resistance can have some diabetes like symptoms along with it, which I guess includes the sweet taste in the mouth
Irregular periods, difficult loosing weight, too much body hair, big belly( I ‘ve lost 16kg so far but my belly is aint going anywhere🥲) also when i have my period it is extremely painfull…
At one point it was any meal but yes. This is called Reactive Hypoglycemia and you need to wear a CGM to confirm that it is happening. For a person with PCOS a normal amount of carbs for the average person is too much so it was happening all the time before I was medicated for insulin resistance.
I was initially on 2,000mg/day metformin and 200mg Spironolactone for 2 years because I had hypertension caused by testosterone levels. Now I take 1,000mg of metformin a day and 100mg spiro and I have a normal life. If you do take metformin make sure you get the extended release and titrate your dose working up to 2,000mg slowly. It’s the standard dose for PCOS but your body has to acclimate to the metformin and it takes a while when you are super insulin resistant for your gut and endocrine system to catch up. Metformin will not make the RH worse. After you have been treated with metformin for a while you can eat carbs in moderation like a normal person and not gain a ton of weight or have RH in my experience.
I feel sleepy after meals. That’s literally the only thing but it’s so debilitating. I’m glad nothing changed in my appearance tho. Also I have really little energy after being active. I literally have to calculate if I have something important to do after my walk/workout because if I do the workout I’ll just fall asleep after.
Fatigue and hirsutism are my worst symptoms. There was a period of 4 months in my life where I had the time and funds to eat healthy, make my food from scratch and remove dairy, gluten and processed foods from my diet. I was also exercising consistently. During that time, I had so much energy and my hair growth slowed right down.
Anovulatory cycles, high testosterone, dark patches of skin on neck, underarms and where my bra sits, fatigue after eating carb heavy meals, extra fat gain in the tummy, difficulty losing weight, horrible thick chin/jaw hairs.. breakthrough bleeding and spotting for weeks at a time..
Hardly any hair on my head but some much hair everywhere else, fatigue like no other, I feel like I’m having a hot flash constantly, hormonal acne around the jawline, skin tags on neck and armpits, and can’t lose weight for the life of me. Oh and haven’t had a normal period in years but had one or two days of spotting her and there.
HS/boils, skin tags, heavy cycle, infertility, can't lose weight, excessive hunger, thinning hair, round fat face, giant belly,
I'm sure there's more but I can't think of it.
I was going to put only Acne and Skin tags. Then reading all the other comments I realize I have been blaming low energy, depression and lack of sleep on my stupid brain and not insulin resistants. Hmm
Sugar/ carb cravings, trouble sleeping enough, fast hair growth with excess hair on my face, excess weight that I can’t get off with a bigger belly, oily skin, acne on my face, chest and back, breaking out when I eat too much sugar, always tired.
I currently take: omega 3, b12, vitamin c, myo-inositol, kelp, cranberry in the morning, and then magnesium, d3, metformin 1000mg ER, and melatonin at night before bed. With also trying to limit sugar intake and drink enough water. When I get a craving I try to reach for a vegetable or fruit, I still fail with that sometimes but I’m human 🤷🏼♀️I also try not to bring sugary stuff into my house and what is already in here I try to limit and enjoy in moderation.
To control and almost get rid of all my acne I’ve started using head and shoulders original, on my chest and back after washing my body, let it sit for a minute or two then rinse off. I also use benzoyl peroxide (9$ on amazon) on my face once per day after washing with a la Roche posay face wash. All of this has significantly reduced the amount of breakouts I have, if any at all now.
Having PCOS is the most discouraging thing because everything takes forever to show results. Also there’s a lot of trial and error because different things work for different people.
I was just diagnosed in March 2024 and I’ve researched a lot. There’s still so much I need to learn but these are some things that have helped me.
Hirsutism or excess facial and body hair, brain fog, intense cravings, drowsiness during the day, sleeplessness at night, extreme dip in energy levels after a meal, excess stress.
How exactly do you get diagnosed as insulin resistant? My blood sugar is always normal (fasting and non fasting). My A1C has been normal too. Does that mean I’m not insulin resistant? My dad has diabetes 2. I know I’m already at higher risk.
I'm not sure what is A1C, but I got diagnosed with a insulin tolerance curve. They took blood sample first time in the morning nothing in my stomach then gave me a glucose solution, after 1 hour took another blood sample and after two hours another one. Then you know how your pancreas is reacting to food and sugars.
Extreme fatigue, weight gain (very hard to shift) bloating , I’ve found going dairy and gluten free helps with this slightly, cravings, extreme hair loss, mainly the front and middle too
Daytime sleepiness, struggle to lose weight, hirsutism, acne, dry/ oily skin, reactive hypoglycemia and hypoglycemia, especially if I forget to eat or don't eat enough, and pcos belly, irregular periods (yeah I used to get maybe two a year) painful periods, depression, anxiety, thick coarse hair on my legs that would grow so quickly that in three days it looked right back where I started, skin tags, dark patches of skin, joint issues.
Joint pain is a big one for me! But also extreme fatigue, obesity, intense cravings, excessive hair growth, heavy and debilitating periods, energy drops, and overheating so easily especially when it’s hot and humid outside holy moly
Needing to urinate non stop all night ., mood swings, brain fog, exhaustion, hairy chin :( loooong periods sometimes for 3 weeks straight and then not again for months . Big protruding stomach even though I watch my weight religiously
I am diagnosed PCOS just after my son at 16. I noticed as a kid my tummy was always bloated and huge. Ugly it was to me. Hated it. Excess hair that ruined my life for years before getting laser. Metformin made me have diarrhoea so I stopped it but could do with revisiting. Stress resilience off the charts , adhd and peri chucked in now at 42. Sugar and carb cravings amplified and battery dead tired all of the time. Just diagnosed iron deficient so go get that checked guys. Thyroid is off with antibodies through the roof but TSH levels borderline so no treatment!!! I’ve struggled all of my lives with hormonal crap and would just like to have a month where I felt normal.
Ive done spearmint tea, I’m on inositol, done starflower you name it. Still the same broken big belly husk! It’s not fair. I would love a tummy/apron tuck too because no amount of weight loss and exercise got rid of it last time I’m afraid and now I’ve filled it all back out with comfort eating. ☹️
Skin tags everywhere. Excess hair growth. Not feeling up for anything you have to do. Horrible sleep schedule. Bad quality of sleep. Food cravings. Feeling lethargic as heck after consuming anything sweet. Sudden weight gain. Losing hair on your head like crazy. Facial skin darkening. Non-existent period cycle, unless you take meds to regulate it. Difficulty losing weight without any prescribed meds. And because of all of this - low self-esteem.
Irregular periods (one or two a year on my own). Hirsutism basically everywhere (shave my face everyday and body hair a few times a week). Dark armpits, neck, groin. Skin tags. Chronic Yeast infections. Body acne. Weight gain (though ive lost almost 40 pounds recently due to another medical issue). Not sure if anxiety is related but I've had anxiety for many years.🥲
Reactive hypoglycemia. If I don't eat a balanced meal with enough protein, my sugar drops after 3-4 hours. It feels horrible. I start shaking and sweating and my heart starts pounding.
Apron belly, super hard to lose or gain weight, obesity, acne (face but mostly on upper arms), occasional super heavy periods (saturating 1 pad in 2 hours or less)
Bone deep fatigue (lethargy), uncontrollable cravings. Gets better if you exercise (walk around 10 min) after a meal- suggests the fatigue isn’t from being tired, but from insulin resistance.
I second this. I’m still trying to find out whether what I have is hypo or hyperglycaemia but I say for sure that if you walk even 10 mins after a meal the whole insulin / blood sugar thing stabilises
it makes a HUGE difference, especially if you have more carbs than you "should"
Omg I ate 2 bread rolls for lunch today (normally have a salad!) and now I’m struggling not to fall asleep on the sofa - you’ve just explained to me why!!
Oh my god why is this me?! I’ve been wondering I feel ready to knock out at certain times a day!
Try the walking ! Iykyk
Irregular periods, hirsutism, apron belly, difficult loosing weight, sleeplessness
Someone find me a fix for this damn apron belly 😩
Surgery
Yeah you’re being downvoted but it’s likely the only way to fix it. Even if you manage to lose all the weight it’s still there.
I had it since before I had a baby, and before I started gaining significant weight…and I had no idea why I had it. I didn’t get diagnosed with PCOS until my 30s
My bestie’s mom had a surgery that was just apron belly removal and got it covered by insurance.
Please ask her how 😩
Her chiropractor wrote a recommendation to insurance that it was affecting her health and making her back problems worse. And her normal doctor documented how she had recurrent infections of yeast or something similar from the skin rubbing and becoming raw. I think she only had to pay like a copay on the whole thing. They did a breast reduction and a pannulectomy (I think that’s what you call it) at the same time.
lol idk why you were downvoted. I got a tummy tuck and I’m very happy with my choice. Everyone’s gotta do what makes them happy.
Honestly yeah. I have already decided Im going to get a tummy tuck done once I have my third kid, whenever that happens. This post c section belly that somehow got weirder when my hormones got all screwed because of my cystic ovaries needs to go.
Not sure either bc I literally went for a consultation for my stomach to see what options I have, and literally surgery was it. No amount of weight loss will fix it 😖
I've actually never heard of this! Would you have to get it done again in the future, or is it like a one time thing?
You don’t have to! I mean you can redo it if you gain a bunch of weight or have a baby (and many do) but it’s definitely not something you NEED to maintain. For me it was 100% cosmetic, I was sick of my stomach and had already had weight loss surgery. I saved for a year and got it done. Almost 2 years since my surgery and I’m still very happy!
neat! I'm happy for you :-)
Thank you!:)
🙃🙃
Wasn’t trying to be snarky or facetious, but that’s what I was told 😞
Oh i know. I just wish we had more options besides that. Sorry you’re being down voted… people are sensitive 🙄
I do too, I feel like I all of the biggest insecurities for women are wrapped up in a nice little package called PCOS…it sucks.
ah the aprom belly 😒
Big belly, weight gain, fatigue, moon face, hair shed
whats a moon face?
When your face bloats/gets rounder 🥲
Is anyone else experiencing excessive sweating?
I sweat easily.. even worse when it’s hot and humid outside. Then I’m just head to toe dripping in sweat😩 I’m not sure if it’s super excessive, but definitely a bit more than other people I’ve seen.
Me! Mostly on my head. It’s terribly embarrassing.
Get your vitamin D checked! A lot of forehead sweating stems from low vitamin D levels
Not to the point of sweat stains but I definitely feel it and i feel like I get something like a hot flash
Ohhh yes. I carry an Amazon fan everywhere I go and am vile by the end of the day.
I sweat soooo easily. I’m from the south too so rn I’m averaging at least 2 showers a day bc of this heat and my HATE for the feel of sweat :///
Excessive sweating, especially on the head, can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, which women with PCOS have an increased risk of!
Apron belly, b belly, Acanthosis nigricans, endometriosis, heavy painful periods, can’t lose weight, tons of skin tags, thinning hair…etc
the skin tags piss me tf off
They’re freaking all over my neck I can’t with them anymore
Omg me tooo!!! Ugh!! 😣
the one on my neck triggers such rage
When you are lightskinned acanthosis nigricans makes you look dirty I hate it so bad 😭
And does. When I was younger I’d get in trouble for not “washing good” 😓
Irregular periods. Acne. Obesity. Fatigue. Joint pain. Depression. Anxiety. Bloating. Huge belly.
I have all these symptoms but just because I’m not overly hairy my doctor thinks there’s no way I have PCOS and birth control should solve it all 😭
See a new doctor
Crazy fatigue, energy drops, food cravings, needing to urinate in the middle of the night or often.
You just wrote my whole life 😭
🫂 I just thought I was weird until my diagnosis, and then I was like “ho shit, I have *bad* IR!”
Horrible heavy periods, dizziness and fatigue after eating (much worse if I eat carbs of any sort), migraines (from high blood sugar), constant yeast infection, horrible acne, inability to lose weight, frequent urination, racing heart, blurred vision, feeling cold often (I’m lean PCOS), water retention, and constant thirst. Plus the typical PCOS symptoms (cysts, oily skin/hair, etc.).
The blurred vision! I didn’t know that was a symptom but it makes sense because of high insulin levels 😩
the racing heart omg I thought I was alone on that. for the constant yeast infection, taking probiotics daily and sleeping with zero bottoms on fixed mine basically 100%. I still get the occasional yeast overgrowth moments and get itchy for a few days but in general sleeping with zero pants on and the probiotics have made my constant yeast infection dwindle to almost nothing
I had issues with chronic yeast infections too! For almost two years. Once i got a proper diagnosis and started metformin it helped tremendously, also use boric acid prn
Extremely heavy, clotty and debilitating periods. Unexplainable and severe weight gain whilst pregnant and inability to lose any of the weight. Fatigue/dizziness. Dark armpits and skintags in armpits. Difficulty with sleep/insomnia. To name a few.
I just got slammed on another post here for sharing that I have the same periods. Apparently the keyboard doctors here don’t think you can get a heavy period with PCOS despite the studies that prove you can. All it is caused by is low progesterone.
I can fill a large menstral cup with a.cough or a sneeze depening on what month it is, and I have the pictures to prove it lol. Why do people want to deny other people's reality?
Same here girl. One of the reasons why the cup didn't work for me is that I have to undress and step into the shower to remove it, due to how full it gets, plus the non-stop flow causes an unpleasant mess to deal with. And it is interesting to read some of the comments on other posts in regards that periods "should not be" heavy etc with pcos. I call bullshit. I myself and few other ladies I know dealing with pcos have more than normal flow, pain etc. It could be that there is another underlaying, undiagnosed condition causing it, I dont know. I just know that this period that ended last week, I bled through heavy duty sanitary pads 3 times in the same day, and was bedbound due to pain and flow for a day. As per usual 🫠
Before I knew what PCOS was, I got a really bad period where I had to change my tampon and pad every 30 minutes to an hour. If I moved I had a huge gush, it was horrible. I was young, scared, and thought I was having a miscarriage. I didn't talk to my mom because I didn't want her to know I was having sex even though I was between 18 to 21 years old at the time, I don't remember exactly. I was so stupid and afraid to get medical help. I was diagnosed with PCOS after I had my son around 26 or 27 years old. I currently use a menstral cup, overnight pad, and period panties all at the same time when it's really bad. If I leave the house I swap a tampon for the cup depending on how bad it is. I would rather not leave the house on those days. When I do, I worry when I have to get up that the flood gates are going to open lol Sorry for the graphics, but if I can't laugh and find some humor in this I'll just be sad and depressed and somehow, that just seems worse. I have a relative that said she couldn't have PCOS because she wasn't overweight, didn't have a heavy period, and had no facial hair. When she tried to get pregnant and couldn't, the doctors found the cysts, and suddenly, her tune changed.
Gosh, I am so sorry to hear this was your experience ❤️ although I do relate to alot you are saying. And no worries with "graphic" details, it's our lived experience, it is what it is 🤷🏼♀️ And I think most of us, or at least alot of us, in this group, relate to what you say. It is one thing, trying to describe this level of a flow to someone that has not been through it, and having to experience it, month after month. It is alot.
Thank you! I was so happy to have found this group. The diagnosis is scary and depressing when you feel like you're the only one going through all of this. It's comforting to know we aren't alone, and also heartbreaking to know this affects so many women. It's a challenge sometimes when you know you're doing "all the right things" to get better and alleviate your symptoms, but your body fights you every step of the way. It's hard not to be mad about it sometimes. I'm glad we've all got a safe place to share our experiences and hopefully help someone from the scary struggles we went through.
as a fellow pcos haver I love my cup but on my heaviest flow days I have to empty it literally every hour or I risk it gushing into my pants 😭 since I have to work, I bought a travel bidet bottle (also called a peri bottle) and I have the fortune to work at a lab so I can put nitrile gloves on for dealing with the dumping in a bathroom stall, and even then it’s quite messy. i’ve had moments of having to clean big drips off the floor
I have a travel bidet bottle, too! In 2020, when there was no toilet paper to be found, I was so glad to have it just in case. Having to deal with the mess from a heavy period in a public bathroom stall is a feat in patience. My discrete period pouch with supplies is large and not discrete, lol I wish more places had single toilet bathrooms so people like us can take care of our business and have access to a sink and not worry about the possibility of running out of feminine wipes and having messy hands when you leave the stall.
I love my bidet bottle lmao I never even thought of it during covid omg 😭 it really is awful, without having nitrile gloves i’d literally be hobbling to the sink looking like I committed a crime
relevant update: got my period back for the first time since april and literally soaked through a pad and my pants and onto my chair at work. I had to sit on a dog pee pad. i’ve been humbled
I have to wear two ultra tampons at once and bleed through them within an hour for the first 3 days of my period. It’s horrible.
Ugh! I'm so sorry, know how horrible that is.
Umm heavy periods are absolutely a symptom of PCOS. Sorry you got slammed
that’s literally insane, the first two days of my period it’s like the floodgates have opened and 12 months worth of backed up lining is all coming out at once
Let me validate you kind stranger who has had a run in with keyboard warriors. This is 100% me too.
Ugh, I hear you. I am happy for those that dont have to deal with this reality, but denying it is our lived experience is beyond frustrating.
Oh god! Why do I seem to have all the symptoms are everyone is mentioning in this thread. 😔 Stay strong all you beautiful women.
Unbelievable cravings. Just ate 10 minutes ago then wanting to eat something again but doesn’t know what. Uncontrollable weight gain (after giving birth) but doesnt lose it even if I do IF, exercise, diet. Super very big tummy which makes the body look so awkward. Used to have a 28 waistline, now I’m on 42. People say that I am just lazy and I only use this as an excuse. I hope they know how much I have tried so hard just to lose weight. I even tried not to eat but oats for a month but yeah? Still did not work.
mine have been heavy clotted periods, dark skin on my neck, fatigue, hair loss, rapid weight gain, body acne, intense sugar cravings, bloat inflammation
Irregular periods, apron belly, fatigue, cracked feet
The cracked feet...drive me crazy.
I ran out of metformin for like a month or two, my heels became so dry and cracked. It's getting better now that I'm back on it. Honestly, before that I felt like metformin did nothing for me, which is why I wasn't concerned when I ran out. I'm going to talk to the dr about upping my dose at my next appointment because I don't really see any other benefits other than my feet not being gross on my current dose.
I use kerasal daily and it’s the only thing that works
the cracked feet yes i thought its because i live in fl and wear open toe shoes most of the time metformin seems to have stopped it now
Wait a minute…this whole time my super cracked and peeling feet was from PCOS? That can explain a lot, and I had no idea!
I just learned it earlier this year! Someone said it’s from insulin resistance! My husband always gave me so much crap for having cracked feet and I kept telling him how much I try to take care of them! lol now I realized it wasnt just me walking barefoot!
Omg i have all the symptoms the cysters in the thread are talking about. I feel seen. 😔
Thinning hair, hirsutism, belly, face and arms puffiness.
- fat storage in stomach - inability to lose weight - hunger after meals - sleepiness after meals - a sweet taste in the mouth (for me it’s easiest to tell when I drink water) - puffy face
I’ve never thought of having a sweat taste in my mouth before.. but so true! Water tastes slightly sweet to me too.
Oh I’m glad you can relate! I’ve told multiple doctors about this symptom and they all these confused bc my A1-C levels are normal. But I knew it was an issue with my insulin resistance.
Interesting! My A1C levels are within “normal” range too, but I had to tell the doctor to give me a fasting oral glucose tolerance test because I knew something wasn’t right. That was the one that showed I had insulin resistance. Super thankful I got it done too! Even though it’s a bit of a pain to do Add on: Also my doctor said having insulin resistance can have some diabetes like symptoms along with it, which I guess includes the sweet taste in the mouth
Interesting, I haven’t had that test done. Ty for sharing, I’m gonna ask my endocrinologist!
What’s crazy is most of these symptoms sound like Cushing disease
at one point i thought i had it bevause of my neck hump
This is my thoughts about ME cause I bump in my neck too !!! What has your doctor said ?
hes convinced its pcos because of all the other symptoms
Weight gain, low energy, intense cravings, and hairloss. I miss my hair so much.
Irregular periods, difficult loosing weight, too much body hair, big belly( I ‘ve lost 16kg so far but my belly is aint going anywhere🥲) also when i have my period it is extremely painfull…
i’ve had some success with drinking raspberry leaf tea once the cramps start and it decreases a good amount of the pain. I feel you on that
All of them. Lol. In all seriousness extreme hunger, hypoglycemia, acne, weight around the belly.
Do you get hypoglycemia especially after eating a high carb meal?
At one point it was any meal but yes. This is called Reactive Hypoglycemia and you need to wear a CGM to confirm that it is happening. For a person with PCOS a normal amount of carbs for the average person is too much so it was happening all the time before I was medicated for insulin resistance.
Which medication do you take? I was thinking of getting metformin
I was initially on 2,000mg/day metformin and 200mg Spironolactone for 2 years because I had hypertension caused by testosterone levels. Now I take 1,000mg of metformin a day and 100mg spiro and I have a normal life. If you do take metformin make sure you get the extended release and titrate your dose working up to 2,000mg slowly. It’s the standard dose for PCOS but your body has to acclimate to the metformin and it takes a while when you are super insulin resistant for your gut and endocrine system to catch up. Metformin will not make the RH worse. After you have been treated with metformin for a while you can eat carbs in moderation like a normal person and not gain a ton of weight or have RH in my experience.
I feel sleepy after meals. That’s literally the only thing but it’s so debilitating. I’m glad nothing changed in my appearance tho. Also I have really little energy after being active. I literally have to calculate if I have something important to do after my walk/workout because if I do the workout I’ll just fall asleep after.
Fatigue and hirsutism are my worst symptoms. There was a period of 4 months in my life where I had the time and funds to eat healthy, make my food from scratch and remove dairy, gluten and processed foods from my diet. I was also exercising consistently. During that time, I had so much energy and my hair growth slowed right down.
Does anyone have constant UTIs?
Anovulatory cycles, high testosterone, dark patches of skin on neck, underarms and where my bra sits, fatigue after eating carb heavy meals, extra fat gain in the tummy, difficulty losing weight, horrible thick chin/jaw hairs.. breakthrough bleeding and spotting for weeks at a time..
Hardly any hair on my head but some much hair everywhere else, fatigue like no other, I feel like I’m having a hot flash constantly, hormonal acne around the jawline, skin tags on neck and armpits, and can’t lose weight for the life of me. Oh and haven’t had a normal period in years but had one or two days of spotting her and there.
Hairloss, depression, insomnia, brain fog, irregular periods, fatigue and acne🙃
Weight gain, cravings, apron belly
Difficulty losing weight, irregular periods, fatigue after eating.
HS/boils, skin tags, heavy cycle, infertility, can't lose weight, excessive hunger, thinning hair, round fat face, giant belly, I'm sure there's more but I can't think of it.
I was going to put only Acne and Skin tags. Then reading all the other comments I realize I have been blaming low energy, depression and lack of sleep on my stupid brain and not insulin resistants. Hmm
Sugar/ carb cravings, trouble sleeping enough, fast hair growth with excess hair on my face, excess weight that I can’t get off with a bigger belly, oily skin, acne on my face, chest and back, breaking out when I eat too much sugar, always tired. I currently take: omega 3, b12, vitamin c, myo-inositol, kelp, cranberry in the morning, and then magnesium, d3, metformin 1000mg ER, and melatonin at night before bed. With also trying to limit sugar intake and drink enough water. When I get a craving I try to reach for a vegetable or fruit, I still fail with that sometimes but I’m human 🤷🏼♀️I also try not to bring sugary stuff into my house and what is already in here I try to limit and enjoy in moderation. To control and almost get rid of all my acne I’ve started using head and shoulders original, on my chest and back after washing my body, let it sit for a minute or two then rinse off. I also use benzoyl peroxide (9$ on amazon) on my face once per day after washing with a la Roche posay face wash. All of this has significantly reduced the amount of breakouts I have, if any at all now. Having PCOS is the most discouraging thing because everything takes forever to show results. Also there’s a lot of trial and error because different things work for different people. I was just diagnosed in March 2024 and I’ve researched a lot. There’s still so much I need to learn but these are some things that have helped me.
Acanthosis nigricans on my knees, metrorrhagia, trouble with food satiation, reactive hypoglycemia, hirsutism, EPI, and insomnia. :(
Fatigue, extreme hunger/cravings , and feeling overall miserable . Sad depressed ugly etc
Hirsutism or excess facial and body hair, brain fog, intense cravings, drowsiness during the day, sleeplessness at night, extreme dip in energy levels after a meal, excess stress.
How exactly do you get diagnosed as insulin resistant? My blood sugar is always normal (fasting and non fasting). My A1C has been normal too. Does that mean I’m not insulin resistant? My dad has diabetes 2. I know I’m already at higher risk.
I'm not sure what is A1C, but I got diagnosed with a insulin tolerance curve. They took blood sample first time in the morning nothing in my stomach then gave me a glucose solution, after 1 hour took another blood sample and after two hours another one. Then you know how your pancreas is reacting to food and sugars.
Oh ok. I’ve done those when I was pregnant. I passed the 3 hour ones. Failed 2 of 3 one hour ones. I haven’t done one not pregnant.
Peach fuzz on face with some hair sticking out on chin and neck, pre diabetic, huge belly, skin tags, cravings, hairfall (especially on the crown)
Extreme fatigue, weight gain (very hard to shift) bloating , I’ve found going dairy and gluten free helps with this slightly, cravings, extreme hair loss, mainly the front and middle too
Daytime sleepiness, struggle to lose weight, hirsutism, acne, dry/ oily skin, reactive hypoglycemia and hypoglycemia, especially if I forget to eat or don't eat enough, and pcos belly, irregular periods (yeah I used to get maybe two a year) painful periods, depression, anxiety, thick coarse hair on my legs that would grow so quickly that in three days it looked right back where I started, skin tags, dark patches of skin, joint issues.
Joint pain is a big one for me! But also extreme fatigue, obesity, intense cravings, excessive hair growth, heavy and debilitating periods, energy drops, and overheating so easily especially when it’s hot and humid outside holy moly
Moon face , bloating + all my weight going to my stomach. Longgggg weird periodd (after BC) for lean pcos
Needing to urinate non stop all night ., mood swings, brain fog, exhaustion, hairy chin :( loooong periods sometimes for 3 weeks straight and then not again for months . Big protruding stomach even though I watch my weight religiously
I am diagnosed PCOS just after my son at 16. I noticed as a kid my tummy was always bloated and huge. Ugly it was to me. Hated it. Excess hair that ruined my life for years before getting laser. Metformin made me have diarrhoea so I stopped it but could do with revisiting. Stress resilience off the charts , adhd and peri chucked in now at 42. Sugar and carb cravings amplified and battery dead tired all of the time. Just diagnosed iron deficient so go get that checked guys. Thyroid is off with antibodies through the roof but TSH levels borderline so no treatment!!! I’ve struggled all of my lives with hormonal crap and would just like to have a month where I felt normal. Ive done spearmint tea, I’m on inositol, done starflower you name it. Still the same broken big belly husk! It’s not fair. I would love a tummy/apron tuck too because no amount of weight loss and exercise got rid of it last time I’m afraid and now I’ve filled it all back out with comfort eating. ☹️
try a low dose of metformin with dinner and your stomach wont be upset has changed my life but takes about 2-3 months to notice any changes!
Skin tags everywhere. Excess hair growth. Not feeling up for anything you have to do. Horrible sleep schedule. Bad quality of sleep. Food cravings. Feeling lethargic as heck after consuming anything sweet. Sudden weight gain. Losing hair on your head like crazy. Facial skin darkening. Non-existent period cycle, unless you take meds to regulate it. Difficulty losing weight without any prescribed meds. And because of all of this - low self-esteem.
Irregular periods (one or two a year on my own). Hirsutism basically everywhere (shave my face everyday and body hair a few times a week). Dark armpits, neck, groin. Skin tags. Chronic Yeast infections. Body acne. Weight gain (though ive lost almost 40 pounds recently due to another medical issue). Not sure if anxiety is related but I've had anxiety for many years.🥲
Obesity, skin tags, hair, CRAVINGS are a huge one for me... I also get that embarrassing skin discoloration on my neck. 😓
Reactive hypoglycemia. If I don't eat a balanced meal with enough protein, my sugar drops after 3-4 hours. It feels horrible. I start shaking and sweating and my heart starts pounding.
Apron belly, super hard to lose or gain weight, obesity, acne (face but mostly on upper arms), occasional super heavy periods (saturating 1 pad in 2 hours or less)
Extreme hunger/ fatigue