Polycycistic ovary syndrome

[Seshat]

If you have PCOS and you're not gaining weight, you're doing well! Be proud of yourself with that.

Now look around for the local-doctor equivalent of Panacea....

(Panacea, please become a doctor, and move to .. um, all over the world where we all are. )

Seriously: if you have, by yourself, maintained a point where your weight is stable, then with medical assistance you should be able to lose weight 'easily'. Or as easily as any PCOS-er does.

If you can't find a 'Dr Panacea' near you, at least look up low glycemic index/low glycemic load eating; and take up frisbee, kite flying, or whatever form of physical activity you enjoy.

BTW: I not only have chin hair, I have a lovely dark moustache. And I'm blonde/pale brown as head hair. I also have a beautiful crop of dark brown leg hair.

[firecat88]

*sigh* So, according to the NP I saw today, there is no way in Hell that I have PCOS and she refused to hear otherwise. Also, my sleep apnea is apparently nothing at all that I should be *gravely* concerned about, but I get to do a test to see how bad it is just in case. On top of that, and only because my sister and I asked about it, I'm getting labs done to check my thyroid function, kidneys, and blood sugar.

I did not like this woman, though. From the moment she walked in, I felt like I was less being-asked-about-my-symptoms and more being-interrogated-in-a-police-questioning-room. I felt like she was jumping on me every time I couldn't answer a question to her exact specifications.

Also, apparently having random moodswings and bursts of extreme emotion that even I can't explain where the Hell they're coming from means I have depression. *Or* symptomatic hypoglycemia combined with something went severely wonky with my shunt the last time I needed to get it repaired.

[Seshat]

Extreme emotional lability (mood swings) can be a symptom of .. more diseases than I can name offhand. But yes, thyroid, PCOS, and blood-sugar issues are among them.

I'm glad you're getting tested. Keep the test results - you need to find your Doctor (or Nurse Practitioner) Panacea. Clearly, the one you saw isn't her.

[blondemarmot]

My sister had thyroid problems and that looked like pcos too. She had crazy mood swings, wonky periods and couldn't lose weight no matter what. They had to kill her thyroid twice (zombie thyroid eek!) and now she takes replacement pills.

So NP says pcos isn't even a remote possibility and then you have to badger her into doing tests to really figure out is going on with your body? That's just bullshit.

[firecat88]

It wasn't just the fact that she said there's zero possible way that I could have PCOS, it was that she refused to hear any arguments to the contrary that bothered me. She had a counter-argument for everything. I'm not hairy enough in odd places, my periods aren't sporadic enough, my beyond-my-control-half-the-time acne isn't bad enough, that I've been gaining weight over the years and finding it extremely difficult to lose it until recently isn't anything to worry about...

It was like she was pretty much saying "I'm right because I'm the one with the degree, so shush and stop arguing with me, you child" or something. Oh, and she all-but laughed right in my sister's face at one of the possible tests she suggested (now, bear in mind that my sister is a PA and has been studying up on PCOS in particular right now because of everything that's been going on with me), and kept saying said test that I cannot for the life of me remember what it was called is just 'a snapshot'. She must've said 'snapshot' about 20 times. I almost hope that they do find something in my blood work today that points to PCOS just so I can rub her nose in it. Because I'm pretty sure she's just humoring me by allowing me to have these labs done.

Also, on a note related to the labs I'm getting done today, I would give my left foot for a muffin right now. I haven't eaten in over 8 hours because the tests require it.

[Seshat]

A key part of diagnostic ability is keeping an open mind.

Get and keep a copy of your test results. Take them with you to the next doctor or NP you go to. Don't stay with her.

The test that requires you to not eat for however-many-hours is most likely a blood glucose test. (I forget the formal name: Panacea or Amina can probably tell us.) It tells the doctors what your fasting blood glucose level is; from which they can tell whether it's dangerously/nastily low. Diabetics and insulin resistant people tend to have awful fasting blood glucose.

PCOS people are almost (but not always) insulin resistant. (If you're not showing insulin resistance, it might be that you're getting enough exercise! Exercise reduces insulin resistance.)

In fact, if your diet and exercise habits are good enough, you may have PCOS but not be showing some of the symptoms because of excellent lifestyle habits. Which should be applauded, rather than having you being treated like a child.

[Miss_Stress]

*sigh* So, according to the NP I saw today, there is no way in Hell that I have PCOS and she refused to hear otherwise. Also, my sleep apnea is apparently nothing at all that I should be *gravely* concerned about, but I get to do a test to see how bad it is just in case. On top of that, and only because my sister and I asked about it, I'm getting labs done to check my thyroid function, kidneys, and blood sugar.

I did not like this woman, though. From the moment she walked in, I felt like I was less being-asked-about-my-symptoms and more being-interrogated-in-a-police-questioning-room. I felt like she was jumping on me every time I couldn't answer a question to her exact specifications.

Also, apparently having random moodswings and bursts of extreme emotion that even I can't explain where the Hell they're coming from means I have depression. *Or* symptomatic hypoglycemia combined with something went severely wonky with my shunt the last time I needed to get it repaired.

Firecat, see a different doctor. When my mum first suspected I had PCOS, I was 15 years old. She saw 3 or 4 doctors and all of them said I didn't have it and wouldn't listen to her. It took a further 2 years to see the superb doctor I have now, and she actually listened. Hey presto, I do have PCOS. Some doctors don't care at all, and she sounds like one of them. Good luck!

[42_42_42]

Unfortunately, doctors refusing to test for or even listen to your list of symptoms when it comes to PCOS is very common. Almost every woman I've talked to on the interwebs who has it has had that happen to her. I know I had a few doctors refuse to consider it and that I was "just fat". Some doctors really don't treat their overweight patients with the same care as their other patients, which is just wrong.