Hello,
This is my first visit to the board... so happy to have found it! I have a really basic question about PCOS that I'm hoping some of you will know the answer to.
As a teenager I always had irregular (very long) cycles, but didn't think much of it. When I was 18 I went on the BCP and continued taking it until I was 22. I went off of it because I had really low energy, no libido, and was feeling pretty irritable and yucky. My doctor checked my hormone levels and said my testosterone was very low; he suggested that I try going off the pill so I did. After a few months, I did have more energy and felt better, but my menstrual cycles went haywire. I would not have my period for 2 or 3 months (or more) and then when I did get it the bleeding/spotting would last for weeks. The last time it happened, I'd been experiencing some bleeding/spotting every day for over 7 weeks! I went to see a doctor and he took some blood, told me to get back on the BCP immediately, then referred me to an OBGYN. Based on the blood results alone the OBGYN told me I had PCOS. He told me to stay on the BCP indefinitely and only to stop using it if I wanted to get pregnant. I asked him about diet, exercise, and other meds, but he told me that the pill should control all my symptoms and not to worry about anything else. He also actually said that there was no proven connection between insulin resistance and PCOS.
I was able to conceive my son the next year without any intervention. When I told my midwife that I had PCOS, she asked if I had any cysts on my ovaries. I said I had no idea since an ultrasound hadn't been done. She was surprised and wondered (though she wasn't sure) if PCOS could be diagnosed through a blood test alone.
I had my baby and breastfeeding kept my period away for 10 months. All of sudden I had acne again and felt like I had the flu. I had one normal cycle (though it was about 40 days long), then when I got my period again I didn't stop bleeding. I knew the pattern so I went back to the OBGYN immediately. He did a blood test, reconfirmed PCOS, and put me back on the pill. I went off a few months after that so we could conceive our 2nd child. We did without trouble and I had a daughter who is now nearly 2 years old. My period didn't come back until a couple weeks ago (I didn't have one for over 2.5 years!). I've had bleeding or spotting every day for over 2 weeks and suddenly have acne again. Sigh.
My question is... what tests are necessary to confirm PCOS? Should I have an ultrasound? Is a blood test for hormonal levels enough? Are there other things have similar symptoms to PCOS that my doctor should rule out? I'm really not fond of the OBGYN I saw and feel he gave me bad advice so I'm going to visit my family doctor to talk about this. I don't mind going back on the BCP, but I feel like it just masks the symptoms instead of actually addressing the problem.
Other things that are possibly relevant - I don't have many signs of PCOS other than the irregular cycle. I am thin, have low blood pressure (100/60 and sometime lower), no problems with hair and skin (other than a little bit of acne on my face from time to time), no problems conceiving my children, no diabetes, etc. I'm 28 years old. I had an operation to remove half my thyroid 10 years ago due to a tumour growing on it. I'm not on thyroid meds, but have my levels checked regularly to make sure they're normal. I did have them checked a couple months ago and everything looks fine there. I'm often irritable or moody and don't have as much energy as I'd like. My fasting blood glucose is normal, though I feel I have a lot more ups and downs of blood sugar than your average person. My dad is a diabetic with heart disease and high BP even though he is extremely careful with his diet/lifestyle and is thin.
Many thanks for any ideas or advice!
Zoe
