Is there a way you can make the symptoms less obvious?

Thank you for your advice! My doctor prescribed Epiduo, though I can't use it all the time as it starts burning my skin. 

Hello Alissatn

I was diagnosed a few weeks ago. I have no cystic acne but severe resistant blackheads which won't go away no matter what I do and male pattern alopecia. The doc gave me aldactone to combact androgens. But I don't want to go on birth control pills. The doc has prescribed them but I will skip on them and see if aldactone doesnt messes up cycles because my periods are always on time. I've been lucky in that part. The hairloss has emotionally affected me tremendously and blackheads too. I get so depressed. Is this depression related pcos.. and did birthcontrol relieve your pms?

Hi Kate! Sorry you have to jump on this not-so-fun bandwagon! I am super happy to hear that your cycles are regular, because mine have NEVER been since the very first time when I was 14. I believe that going through all of these hardships caused by PCOS it will cause depression. Every morning when I wake up and look in the mirror, I am instantly discouraged - so I feel that.. I have tried everything and nothing seems to help... to add to my original message, I am also on Spernolactane which is a pill form antibiotic (can't seem to find any benefits from taking this yet though). To be completely honest, I haven't always taken my birth control pills as directed (I miss a day here and there, oops!). I have terrible cramps randomly... I bleed very often now too since taking the IUD out, every other week for like 4-7 days but it isn't a full-blown period... Heavy for a day then goes to spotting the rest of the time. Very frustrating! But to answer your original question, I feel as if I were to take it regularly, it would help make everything a little more stable and regular. I hope this helps!

Thank you Alissatn for your support! I have been so frustrated disappointed since I turned 16 nd my hair started to fall like crazy.. I didn't enjoy my adulthood as I couldve had I not had this disorder. I skipped my graduation party and all of mt friends weddings because of my frontal hairloss. Nothing seemed to work. I used minoxidil and it made my hair fall worse. I can't put to words how much I have suffered over my hairloss. Maybe it wasn't a blessing that my periods were regular because they made all my doctors thibk that I don't fit in the pcos diagnostic criteria. Everyday was an effort. Everytime I brush my hair I'm left with a new spasm of depression. I didn't marry because of my hair issues. Not knowing what is wrong is worse than any disease. Finally I was diagnosed with pcos a few weeks ago. Im in peace now at least I know what is wrong.

Anyhow, spironolactone is an anti androgen. It combacts testosterone levels in the body.

Thanks again Alissatn, merely knowing that there are more people like me out there helps tremendously.

You're super welcome! Anything i can do to help, I will certainly try! I'm so sorry though that it's kept you from doing many events in your life. I have done the same thing in the past... I didn't have a fun teenage life at all, I stayed at home inside almost every day; I wasn't social... Nobody can ever understand your personal struggles. I've had many people basically shrug their shoulders at the whole situation.. they don't understand and they don't care to... It's so easy for someone to say "you'll be fine" or even once before "Oh just HOW BAD can it really be?" Very rude.

I'm happy for you though that you got your answers, finally! Doctors don't run proper tests like they should... but i do see where you're coming from... having regular menstrual cycles could completely throw them off and think PCOS isn't even an option/

Hi,

I don't really suffer bad facial hair, I mean I do have it but not as bad as other sufferers I know, it's mainly on my arms, I have arms like a mans!! I get really bad black heads, particularly on my back. My doctor didn't mention any birth control pills and I did ask but she recommended Epiduo and if that didn't work she'd put me on hormone treatment. I agree it's a frustrating condition. I think all the doctors appointments and the brush offs are making me worse. 

Thank you Alissatn.. you're so right. People never understand and they think we are just exaggerating or making it all up. You seem like such a blessing, one who finally understands whats it all about.

That part is good news then! I have pretty hairy arms too... I started shaving them randomly back in middle school because "all the girls were doing it", but I heard the whole "if you shave it, it grows back quicker, darker and thicker" is a myth... can't back that up though.... although it does grow back darker. I used to be on Epiduo when I was a teenager, back when they thought it was just teen acne and it never helped. Mentioning new medications won't hurt... some doctors aren't even familiar with all of the treatment options available. it's sad but trust me As a matter of fact when i mentioned Epiduo to my doctor (i saw it advertise on TV years ago) he had to Google it because he didn't even know what it was! I'm just sitting there.... wondering why we even pay for insurance and see doctors, when i could just stay at home and Google things... hahaha. Anyways, I hope you get some better answers/results! Getting brushed off by someone you put trust in is very discouraging.

You're welcome! After getting my IUD taken out, I started doing my own research about PCOS and how it affects fertility, dieting that helps, etc... and I found out a bit. more than a doctor has told me... they're basically just there to tell me what prescription does what and what other terrible side effects i will have by taking said drug. Ugh! constant struggle.

My hair was a really light blonde so it wasn't noticeable, it was just as I hit puberty it started getting darker, my acne was always brushed off as teen hormones, my dad used to say 'they'll go by time your 20' well I'm 20 at the end of the month and still suffering. You have been so helpful and understanding, I wish everyone I've talked to was like that.

Same here - My parents said the same thing to my brother and i. My mom is confused as to why I have all of these health issues... I was born with hypothyroidism and I have read multiple times it's usually genetics, but nobody in my family has it... well, on my mother's side. I know nothing of my dad's bloodline so I guess it could be that. And now this disease. But my brother is 22, will be 23 the beginning of December and still has problems with facial/chest acne... so i think we just got super lucky with bad complexion. In my case, that on top of all of this nonsense! Anyways, enough about me! I'm glad i could help you both out, even if it was just a little bit since i know everyone's body is different. You just kind of expect people of forums to be helpful but yeah.... I have noticed some people type the bare minimum and go on their way.... not really much help. I've seen on many threads for many things about stress and how that affects SO many things and dang it, that's the truth but it's so hard not to be stressed in the world we live in today. so that's WAY easier said than done. I need to do some yoga or something because i know I am very stressed at the moment.. more than usual. Again, i'm rambling. Sorry! haha

I don't mind, to me you're not rambling. Two of my aunties (my mothers sisters) have PCOS and my symptoms are similar to theirs, they both have two kids each but one of them struggled to have more and the other lost some, now I'm rambling. I agree some people say something then nothing more, if my anxiety gets the better of me I would do that but I find it helpful when I talk to people in the same situation, I feel less lonely.

Oh yeah, it definitely helps talking to people who are going through the same struggles. You can have close friends, boyfriends/girlfriends/significant others, family to talk to about it... but they don't understand. With you having family who have the same problem, that's awesome you have someone immediate to you to talk to. When I was 18, I had an ectopic pregnancy and then after that I didn't have a period for 2 straight years up until July of last year when I got the IUD. the OB/GYN gave me a pill to force me to have a period so I could get the device. I believe I just had a miscarriage a few weeks ago too.. maybe. I've been having pregnancy symptoms and i even took a home pregnancy test one morning and it came back positive. Literally an hour later, I started bleeding heavily. Only God knows what's going on inside my body because I surely don't.

No they don't, not to make them sound nasty or anything but they always put it down to hormones. Around this time last year I started having pregnancy symptoms, when I did eventually take a test it came up negative. Up until then my periods were regular, but really heavy, it's only since this year they became more irregular. I feel the same way my body confuses me. 

I'll make a doctor's appointment for like a certain symptom, and by the time/date of my appointment, i have 8237528 other symptoms to discuss. Happens always!

It's always the way... I think my doctor is sick of seeing me haha!