Hello 
I know PCOS is a very common condition among South Asian females. I was curious to know how some of our GSers found out they had PCOS and what route they took for treatment?
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
i suspected pcos way before i got diagnosed...but i was way too shy to talk to doc abt it...khair...i finally spoke to my doc about irregular periods....stuck weight :( and facial hair which caused me so much embarasment :(
she send me for a blood test and den another blood test and a scan....den it got diagnosed and now i have that contraceptive pill and facial hair are so much better...and my weight is also dropping and i am trying to be determined with it....down to 63/64 from 70 kg....been on pill for 6 months now and doc told me that u should atleast eat it for 8 months to 2 years...i started my official dieting shieting on 22 oct...my weight just keep getting stuck for couply of weeks then drop about a kilo-ish...:)
also my facial hair have gone so much better and finer and now i wax may be after 2-3 weeks....but pehle it used to be litterally 2-3 days....so i am damn happy...:)
i am eager to hear more stories...:D
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
I had none of the typical symptoms, had my periods regularly, no facial hair, not overweight, just started to lose my hair too much, anyways went to the DR when i was not falling pregnant, after some tests she diagnosed PCOS, gave me metphormin. which has proved that it works for ovulation on me, however has done nothing to correct my hair fall :( or me getting pregnant :(
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
My post is quite a long one, because well my PCOS journey is a long one and I’m still on it 
I lead a relatively normal life in that department up until the age of 21-I say relatively, I have since found that if you start your period early i.e. before the age of 12 that is probably one of the first signs of PCOS. Mine started at age 10 and they were ridiculously heavy- but I put that down to my mum having really heavy periods too.Then we went to Pakistan for my sister’s wedding and when I came back I had a horrific outbreak of spots. I had had my teenage spots when I was 12 or 13, had scars, they had cleared up and was over that phase. But these were terrible, for 3 months I stupidly thought it was an infection I’d picked up in Pakistan and just kept using rose water, tea tree oil etc, and all this time they got worse. Around this time, my weight started to increase a bit- not much but noticeable, my periods disappeared and I started getting facial hair.
A family friend who suffers from PCOS suggested it could be PCOS and said it would be an idea to have it checked out.
I too went for blood tests, scans, more blood tests, see a consultant and yes I had PCOS. But I was told nothing could be done until I wanted a baby (am not married). I was put on antibiotics for 3 months for the acne and they cleared up but have left terrible scars that are not fading and I was also given Dianette.
This started off a downward spiral in my life 
. Dianette just made my weight balloon, I either had no periods or ones that never went, I was anemic, became severely depressed and my weight was just climbing and climbing. I was just locked in this circle of despair. My doctor took me off Dianette and put me on Metformin but she didn’t know enough about it so only put me on 500 mg a day when I have found out later that the minimum dose is 1000mg for PCOS to see any kind of benefits. I saw no results and eventually turned to alternative medicine i.e. homeopathy.
For 3 years I paid out ÂŁ50 a month and I have to be honest, I did see slight improvement, but not much. However, my homeopath kept telling me I was definitely getting better and I believed her.
My doctor sent me for another scan to check on the situation and they discovered a 13 cm cyst! Which looked cancerous.
The next 6 months were terrible, full of tests and scans and more eventually they operated and it was benign. It was a relief but it was also a wake up call. This was 2 years ago
Since then I did my own research online. Soulcysters and fitsycsters are amazing forums and websites. I have learnt so much and I feel better because now I know. But it has taken 9 years to get here.
I am starting counselling, am on 1500 mg of metformin, have a diet and fitness regime and it’s slowly coming together Alhamdulillah. There’s a long way to go but Inshallah I’ll get there.
Sorry about the long post, I just thought it may help someone else, PCOS isn’t just something that effects your periods, it’s something that has an effect on so many aspects of your life and can cause so many conditions esp if it is left untreated. So please go and get yourself checked, there is a wealth of information on the internet and it may take time to find out what suits you but you will eventually. Also, I would like to advise everyone, if you do go down the alternative route- be careful and make sure you go to the doctor as well or else stories like mine aren’t uncommon.
Apologies again for the long post
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
I always had a hint that I had PCOS but then again my gynaecologist never said it was definitely that. I have been gaining weight, havent had much of a regular period in the past year. I went to a specialist for pregnancy workup and turns out I do have it. She now needs to check my insulin levels and then prescribed me metphormin incase I do have high insulin resistance, which in turn should help with the weight loss and the regular cycles.. I think they put u on for abt 2 mnths before you start seeing any major differences though.
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
Thank you for sharing 
…this is interesting. You had none of the typical symptoms!
Thank you for sharing…
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
The long post was informative as well as insightful…so no worries We need as much information and personal stories as possible. It helps to see others who have overcome PCOS and are doing well.
Waiting to hear more!
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
My story is very similar to oceanbeds. I also started my periods early but then so did my cousion so no one was worried and had terrible acne at the age of 11 and 12. I was prescribed benzoyl peroxide by my GP. As a teenager I was very active due to swimming and other activities so never saw the extreme side of the syndrome.
When i started to gain a lot of weight, developed acne on my back face and facial hair. I really wasn't bothered about it to be quite honest. I never thought much of it nor did my parents. It was only after going to uni and studying endocrinology module i suspected something wasn't right. Sometimes I wouldn't have periods fr months then would get periods which would last 3 weeks. I went to my GP got some blood tests my testosterone came back elevated enough for me to have a scan of my ovaries. After the results of the scan my GP prescribed me dianette. The problem with dianette i find is that yes your skin clears up and facial hair decreases but it makes it very hard for weight loss (you actually put on a lot of weight). I also find that it does little to help with hair-loss.
I will say sometimes you do have to harass your GP its like getting blood from a stone. Also i would say losing weight and eating a low Glycaemic index diet are beneficial. I think it requires lifestyle change because PCOS is a syndrome there is no cure so it must be managed.
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
its very painfull problem (mentally)...enough to say....may allah bless every1 wid gud healthy life ameen.
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
I had none of the typical symptoms, had my periods regularly, no facial hair, not overweight, just started to lose my hair too much, anyways went to the DR when i was not falling pregnant, after some tests she diagnosed PCOS, gave me metphormin. which has proved that it works for ovulation on me, however has done nothing to correct my hair fall :( or me getting pregnant :(
Wow, this scares me and makes me want to go for a check up! Was your period regular as in every 28 days give or take a few days? I always thought one of the main symptoms of PCOS was irregular periods. Maybe your doctor is wrong? If you do get your period but the cycle have a range of 5+ days, that's a sign of PCOS too.
I keep hearing cases of PCOS and it seems like it has become so common! It's not only limited to the brown population. A lot of women have it these days. Even though I don't have any of the symptoms, I did have acne during my teenage years. I took Accutane and it got cleared but I'm paranoid that maybe it was a symptom of PCOS??
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
My periods were as regular as clockwork, always have been, usually between 5 - 7 days, thats why i never ever suspected PCOS, i had none of the symptoms related to it, when i had my scan she clearly showed me the "water sacs" and then when i started taking metformin, a few months later another scan showed that the sacs had cleared.
I was trying for a baby, and thought that as my cycle was more than regular there should be no problem.
i started using ovulation sticks, and they would always appear blank!! thought maybe i'm using it wrong or something, when i was diagnosed with PCOS it was confirmed that it stops ovulation, but once i started on the tablets within months the ovulation started again.
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
i had hair loss but that was due to low iron levels. but when i wanted to have a baby it wasnt happening. i went to doctor and she did blood test and said i was on the border. but she gave me medication for high insulin levels two years back and i fell pregnant next month and i stopped taking medication.
i never had issue with my periods but only had problems with hair and weight gain. its nt easy for me to loose weight.
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
I have had PCOS for a long time. I went in to the doctor because it was always really difficult for me to lose weight (still is, I can do hours of cardio and still not see a difference) so thats how i was diagnosed. I am now just trying to be patient and "stick with it". I also suffer with extreme mood swings.
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
Does anybody has any experience with microgynon bcp? and does it helps pcod?
Re: PCOS - how did you find out and what did you do about it?
I myself was diagnosed with pcos at the age of 16. At that time i was living in US..the docs gave me regular orthocyclin at that time..im talking about 96 and im sure they have made quiet progress now but at that time they told me there is no cure for ur disease and u'll have difficulties having babies...u know i was so damn depressed..and not to mention the weight and those damn hair on my face...and u know goin to high school with all those facial hair was a disaster..so i have to was my face or tweez them like 2 times a week,..well anyway then i went back to pakistan in 99 and someone told me about a homeopath doc in islamabad...so my mom took me to him and he gave me bunch of drops and some sweet tiny pills...guyz u wont believe it...i started to loose weight..but no decrease in facial hair..and when i got married in 2001 i was pregnant within the first month and i am a mother of 4 kids now and i have had those kids without any medication and i also stopped taking my homeo med after my marriage...so u guyz should give homeo a try..i believe the medicines he gave me were pulsitilla 2000 and natrium phosphoricum but im not sure now cuz it's been 10 yrs :) so my best wishes to all the PCOS girlz out there and ...damn those facial hair ;o)