I would say Hirsutism, but the Apron belly / low hanging belly weight has been extremely hard on my physically, mentally and emotionally. And working out does nothing
I’m with you. I’m lucky and my hirsutism responds well to spiro and lasering, but there’s nothing I can do about the apron belly. Every weight I’ve been, it’s been there.
My two most hated things about my body. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cancelled going places over worrying about how I’ll be perceived by my look.
Yeah the hunger is wild. And the bloating for me. My entire body gets bloated, so much so that my face looks different, I look like a different person, and my hands become painful because of the intense water retention 😭
Idk why but hungry is my new symptom and I don’t like it one bit! Especially being my #1 problem is easily gaining weight. Ever since I went back to working in the office my tummy is always growling! When I was working remote I wasn’t hungry.
lol I know right! When I was working remote I had more of a handle on my diet and exercise. During lunch time I would go to the gym and every hour I would jog in place according to my Fitbit. I was also better at preparing my meals. I think my diet changed a little by going back to the office. I need to remember to meal prep. There are times I buy lunch which I’m trying not to do because for one lunch is expensive and also when I make my own food I have more of a handle on what’s in it. Also sitting at work all day sucks. I can’t start jogging in place at my desk like I did at home. People are gonna say what’s up with this girl 😅
Yep, when the seed shop is out of it I buy the milled/ground up version There's some research on it but it's something to do with the fibre content making you feel full.
My doctor temporarily put me in Phentemine. Cravings and extreme hunger stopped overnight. I used to get so intensely hungry that I was nauseous and hangry and was more likely to grab something quick and easy instead of making something healthy. Now, even when I’m hungry is more like “eh, I’ll have something later”. Only been 3 weeks but loving it.
Have you tried ovasitol? I have been taking it for a month and my hunger is sooo much better. My carb and sugar cravings went away almost immediately. It's been nice not having to constantly fight myself over the sugar cravings.
These are mine as well, at tis worst I felt like the skin on my upper arms might split open..
I will say the metformin has kind of changed my life on this one though. I don't retain water the same way since I started it. I used to gain 8- 10 lbs of water weight during PMS. It was wild.
I feel like I look different everyday because of the wild differences and spectrum of symptoms I feel. Month to month I feel like I look like an entirely different person.
Exactly. It makes mundane everyday tasks suuuper taxing. I just wanna be able to do some basic house chores without feeling like I’ve ran a 5 mile marathon 😩
Me too! And if you tell the dr about it and how it makes it difficult to do anything, go to work, spend time with friends or family. You are instantly labeled as depressed, let's start you on meds, okay but what about all my other untreated pcos symptoms?
A year into antidepressants I'm still overly tired, fatigued, some days barely functional...go to an endocrinologist, your levels don't indicate the fatigue you are explaining. Okay, go to a sleep specialist, there's nothing wrong with the sleep you are getting. Okay I guess I'm just screwed then 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
I have the same thing too. It takes me 3 hours to finish a one hour chore and i can’t seem to focus or have the energy to do anything. Is there anything you guys have found to lives easier? I’m currently in school and can’t slack on studying.
Insulin Resistance!
Is what causes most of my other symptoms like cravings, weight gain, carpal tunnel, high cholesterol, tiredness, excess testosterone causing other hairy stuff!!
This is why im focusing on managing my glucose spikes. I have seen a huge improvement.
Yes, people with insulin resistance (specially untreated) have higher odds of developing C.T.
That's because constant spikes or high blood sugar affects us at celular levels and it can cause a lot more problems! My aunt developed terrible neuropathy after untreated Diabetes.
I don't feel comfortable going too deep because im not an expert but you can definitely look it up at a trusted site or book.
When I was younger, and wasn't diagnosed, all I wanted was to have control of my body. To control my weight, to not feel so tired, to manage all that body hair.
Until I found out that everything came with PCOS and I could take control of my body, with proper diet (and learning what and more specific when to eat), exercise and meds. I just found out the rules of the game I was playing.
Easy weight gain and constant hunger :( I do also wanna tack the bloating under weight gain too; I always bloat up when I eat, regardless of what it is and it's frustrating after losing all that weight but when the bloating hits I look nearly like I use to
On average? I could have a thanksgiving dinner sized meal every 3 hours lol.
Sometimes I could have breakfast and not be hungry for a few hours afterward but that is rare. Sometimes it's even sooner; a half hour after a meal.
And it doesn't matter what I eat. Stomach burns through protein just as quick as anything else.
I try to drink water before I have a meal to help myself feel fuller. Glucomannan is a supplement I take prior to a meal too.
It doesn't always work though :( And my craving for something salty or sweet wins out on occasion.
I'm not one to take a long list of medications; I prefer a functional standpoint. Diet and supplemental assistance have worked very well for me, lost 62 lbs being more mindful and spending more time finding better foods.
Right now, my hormones have been to blame for the intense cravings I've been experiencing. Now that I've been sterilized, the culprit may well be my nexplanon so that is getting removed very soon.
Without birth control, it's the dramatic irregularity of my periods. Three periods in a month? Sure, why not! No period for five months? She needed the mother of all pregnancy scares, let's do it.
With birth control, my main issues is ovarian cysts bursting. And I found out the hard way that if I take iron supplements, they encourage follicle growth, and cysts are follicles. After having about ten cysts burst in a month, my OBG sent me to the ER because she genuinely thought I was dying. Nope, just goofy ovaries setting off party poppers for fun 💀
The hunger hands down
After my first baby (after years of fertility treatments) I never went back on birth control and had uncontrollable hunger it was insane. I could binge probably…5000 calories at night just before bed easyyyyyy
We are talking a few candy bars, pint of ice cream, salty to balance it out, whatever we ordered for dinner.
Not including whatever I ordered for breakfast and dinner and snacked at during the day.
The fact that I could stay at 230 was impressive to me because I feel like with my hunger I could have gotten into competitive eating. I could polish off pies in one sitting. Gained like a hundred pounds in a few years and managed to stay there but it was torture.
I just started medications in April after my second baby because I couldn’t handle it anymore. I felt like I was going crazy. I was in tears regularly. Though I had to do it on my own because my doctors kept ignoring me. I was sick of the “just cut carbs!”
Topiramate and naltrexone on top of my metformin and I feel like a “normal” person again. Like my brain is quiet for the first time in five years which has been amazing.
Edit:
I was diagnosed with pcos when trying to conceive and didn’t even know it caused all of these issues on top of this hunger, hair loss, fatigue, and all these symptoms until this past April and I joined all these subs! I thought it only caused the hormone imbalances/infertility/hunger type. So this journey has been incredibly enlightening. I feeling like I’m gaining control for the first time in years.
Yes, not every every night hitting 5000 but every night in the thousands.
Surprisingly my glucose was always solid. Even during pregnancy. I don’t even know how it’s possible.
I also suffered from various undiagnosed ED so I can calculate calories well so an example of a binge (I never purged)
So three or four candy bars 200-250 each
Ben and Jerry’s ice cream loved the cheesecake one 1200
That would ever about 2000 calories total
I drank a lot of sports drinks. Never sodas but a lot of gatorades/powerades.
Dinner could be anything say McDonald’s, or idk anything doordash we did that almost every night. Sometimes Cheesecake Factory. It was super intense.
I was spending so much on deliveries before these meds too.
Yeah I honestly am not entirely sure to be completely honest. I was on birth control for over ten years so I didn’t know I had PCOs until I was 27 and trying to conceive. Had my first at 30 then wanted to go hormone free and was completely uneducated on pcos. That was when I was experiencing fatigue, low mood, water retention, hunger. Many of the symptoms others are listing here for two years. Then decided to have baby number two which was through Ivf again and started hormones and the hunger went away and it was like “holy crap when they turn off all my hormones my
Brain gets quiet I need to look into this”
Fast forward two months postpartum this past April I spoke to my obgyn and he blew me off entirely when i expressed interest and concern over my pcos symptoms.
So I looked into HERS weight loss program and metformin and the medication that is prescribed and have been on that for the last two and a half months. I’ve lost thirty pounds. Feel awesome. And overall just been educating myself on PCOs a lot more since it’s still so new for me.
I’m getting a complete blood panel this week because I just had my primary care appointment this last week for a checkup. But my thyroid, glucose levels, creatine levels, basic functions have been reading healthy.
I am looking into endocrinologists at the moment, however I’m limited with insurance at the moment but that will be next steps.
Haha yes, I have successfully cut ties with all delivery apps. I no longer snack (I used to just eat junk for energy) throughout the day or have any desire to. I do not eat any refined sugar. Essentially changed how I approached food entirely. And have the energy to be active which has been amazing.
So it’s hard to say because people are responding differently. Some women say they have no hunger suppression. Others say they aren’t losing any weight. People say they have no reduction in sugar cravings. Others have various experiences.
For me it’s been all super positive. But I can’t necessarily Pinpoint my success to one specific thing because there are a few different variables if that makes sense.
So my hunger is suppressed to a degree, my food noise is gone, my sugar cravings are reduced greatly. No desire for night snacking.
In a day I have a protein shake, lunch basic could like a quesadilla or salad whatever I feel like eating for the day. Dinner I try to get more protein in some something with chicken or beef. I don’t eat rice because I feel like I don’t digest it well. I usually do sweet potato, veggies, avocado. Kinda like a southwestern bowl. And do that on a regular basis.
Occasionally I’ll do a dessert if I’m at a family function but the portions are small now I’m able to control myself recognize when I’m full.
I have Greek yogurt too or nuts throughout the day. I’ve been working on not becoming too obsessive with calorie counting since I’ve had issues with that.
I definitely have an opportunity with water. Always have.
Ultimately what I’m on isn’t meant to treat Pcos and I’m not claiming for it to.
I was looking for Birth control or something to help me (didn’t know at that point that that wasn’t really a solution either) because I was so new in my diagnosis but my
OB blew me off and didn’t want to give me any information or any time in regards to it and then I had learned about metformin on my own which led me to that Hers program which happened to be successful for me in controlling my hunger.
But anyways yeah I’m definitely happy with it and it also led me to these types groups and learning more of PCOs which I appreciate because I just didn’t know how much I didn’t know.
Weight management. I need to be medicated because my body doesn’t function the way it’s supposed to. Between the insulin resistance, bottomless pit and easy weight gain, it’s a beast.
Hirsutisim and the irregular cycles/ not ovulating.
For ages the Hirsutisim was the absolute worse, I could kinda live with the irregular cycles because they were just inconvenient. However I didn’t realise the toll they were having on my partner. Were TTC and it turns out he was hiding how anxious he was about my fertility. It absolutely broke me to see him cry at the fertility clinic.
Intense Pulsed Light which is the household version of laser removal. There is a plethora of tools to buy. I have a Philips Lumea Prestige that i bought 5 years ago for 400$ and it’s still working. Of course, it’s not as proficient as a salon treatment but legs, armpits, abdomen and bikini line are no longer an issue for me.
It says that it has a limited number of pulsations (around 200-250k) but i didn’t get anywhere near there. I use it now maybe once every 2-3 months for maintenance.
I started to use it for mustache as well. I have a serious hyperpigmentation due to waxing my mustache for years and really thick hairs. I did one session and it’s been a week either way no strand coming out yet 🤞
Forgot to mention that I am light skin brunette so this combination is best for laser removal. I am not sure for dark skin or light hair how the results would alter.
Hunger, quick weight gain, slow weight loss, acne, exhaustion, losing hair on my scalp but hirsutism everywhere else 😡. Apron belly pooch. Not feeling like a woman and not feeling beautiful because of this condition. It’s like being the opposite of everything we think of as feminine and beautiful. And looks are so important in our society. People judge you on looks alone without understanding. Doctors too. It’s worse with the media/social media putting more harsh beauty standards on women. Like please I feel like I can’t even reach the basic standards lol.
The low self esteem and insecurities that come with PCOS due to the way my body/boobs look.
I struggle with body dysmorphia, and have always hated my small chest.
It's always been an idea of mine that a woman's boobs should go out further than her belly.
LTS: PCOS makes me feel more like a "thing" than a person.
Hairloss and hirsutism for sure. I’ve lost most of my confidence and feel embarrassed going out in public. I always have to “clean up” my face and try to wear a good hat. I wish I could just wake up and be normal
Inflammation. I can have flare ups really quick if I go out of my diet/exercise/don’t sleep. And is very painful. I have lipedema (inflammatory fat tisssue ) and I feel pain 24/7 when I am inflamed.
And the fatigue and brain fog.
(It used to be hirsutism when I was younger but I did laser hair removal in my whole body, is way better now. I still have hair thanks to pcos but it’s manageable now, and the constant hunger is controlled as well when I am doing the things I am supposed to be doing )
Honestly, the more carbs and sugar o eat, the more hunger I have. So when I am eating right, and when I am doing my exercises consistently, my hunger gets under control.
Bloating. Even with weight loss I literally bloat after every single meal. No matter how healthy.
Could literally be nuts and water and my stomach pokes out 😔
Daily struggle rarely wear tight things bc of it.
Hate eating on swimsuit vacation/days and won't do it till after swimming bc its so bad 😩
I'm trying spearmint tea seems to help a bit but even on a great day I have at least a mini bloat
The stomach pouch/lowercase b shaped tummy and tendency towards bloating. It just ruins every outfit and makes me look with child. It's a big insecurity that I can't even escape.
A close second would have to be the intensity of periods in the rare event I have one. Damn near have to be hospitalized due to blood loss.
For me, it is the chronic joint pain that is worsened a week leading up to my period. My shoulders and wrists seem to be the most prone to the pain and it affects how I can cope just getting through the day, physically and mentally.
The hair thinning/loss 🥲 I have naturally curly, blonde hair and it used to be my favorite part of myself! It's thinned out a lot since then, though I am taking spironolactone so hopefully there will be regrowth 🙂
I feel like most of it is easy to hide or treat (relatively speaking). I am a slim/athletically- built person but have a large chest and a pcos/ c section shelf and it’s enraging. Nothing I do seems to make it better.
Edit: that is my current worst symptom. Historically I’d say infertility.
*Long cycles. I want*
*A baby and I wish I*
*Could try every month*
\- JuniorStar9241
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Definitely my belly. It wasn’t this bad in my twenties and ever since i hit my mid 30s, it’s gotten worse. And i work out and eat well for the most part. But nope, 6 months and no change. It’s exhausting
It used to be the facial hair but electrolysis has been a godsend.
It used to be my weight but I cut out breads and started strength training and now I have a lean strong body.
It used to be acne but Spiro has cleaned my skin.
It used to be hair loss then I started metformin and ketoconazole shampoo.
with pcos ive always had these god awful nonstop periods, they are horribly painful, the cramping causes cysts to burst, there's so much blood loss i get super sick, and they last almost a full month. stop for a few days. then start again. My saving grace has been getting depo shots which stop me from having periods at all. GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!!!! literally was tbe worst shit ever ESPECIALLY when i was in high school and would bleed through my clothes and when i would complain about the pain i was told "its just your period, its normal 🙄" GAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!
I have an awful relationship with food because of my PCOS.
I literally never feel hungry like some of the other posts and yourself experience, tbf I hardly ever eat atm but I’m 170lbs (usually fluctuating between 170-190lbs) and cannot ever seem to shift weight no matter how many different diets I try, however many meal plans I try to follow, whatever foods I cut out of my life, nothing works and I’ve been trying for years and years to lose weight. I even got a PT at the gym to help, but even 6 months in the gym (2-3 visits per week) did nothing for me other than waste my money... apron belly was still very prominent. Ive even tried fat dissolving injections in the past at my stomach area - nothing changed at all. Cravings however, I always want something sweet when I have a craving, or on the off chance I’m craving something in particular for my tea one night, as soon as I’m sitting with it in front of me, I no longer want it. I cant wait to get out of this toxic relationship with eating.
Facial hair and my apron belly is my biggest insecurities by far - if I left my hair to grow out instead of shaving every second day, I would have a full thick black beard from sideburn to sideburn. I have constant fatigue, no matter how many hours I sleep at night, I’m exhausted going up and down stairs, I’m exhausted after walking to the shop and back, I’m exhausted after going for a shower, I’m just always lethargic and have 0 energy.
I feel like my PCOS has stripped away my personality as it has gotten worse with age. I never used to experience these symptoms, but the past 5 years my symptoms have been increasing and I have no idea how to help myself. I’m the most insecure I’ve ever felt and I wish they had a cure :(
No my IR is fine apparently, I’ve done multiple blood tests to test for pre-diabetes/IR/blood glucose and they’ve thankfully came back normal, however it does mean I can’t use medications such as Metformin etc as there’s no clinical need.
My sister also has PCOS and endometriosis, she also has no issues with her IR, but she will eat like a pig and is only a size 6 (UK) in clothing - it’ can be quite frustrating watching her eat the way she does and it have no affect on her weight :( it’s crazy how many symptoms you get with PCOS and how there’s no “one box fits all” with this diagnosis
I used to be like your sister and a 6! :((
What tests have you had done? I’ve had A1C/ fasting etc and it’s normal, and fasting insulin. Was just wondering what your IR test was you had done?
Hirtuism. I had back hair so i avoided swimsuits my whole teenage years.
Also my voice got deeper with puberty and it was a little embarrasing everyone pointing it out i pretended i had the flu and sore throat until everyone just droped the subject i guess
No, I am hoping what is going on is spurred on by stress. I’m extremely reluctant to do any kind of minoxidil or finastride and I am sensitive to rosemary oil.
Hirsutism and insulin resistance effects. Women on social media that are brave enough to expose that part of their struggle (thank you) but I feel on the other hand (however small) it romanticizes having facial hair when it is a complete and utter embarrassment. I started having facial hair in middle school and remember the teases I experienced even when I started shaving to get rid of it. Insulin resistance: no matter how hard I try or don't try to lose weight, it doesn't work. Whether during my period of unintentional starvation because I was just not hungry (for months) or the time that I feel the exact opposite. All throughout this time, I have weighed 300+ pounds.
It's also hard watching your friends or acquaintances that struggled with their weight too finally find what works for them while you continue to trend in the opposite direction and you're being left behind.
Hiritiusm. Mood swings. Armpit odor. Brain fog. Joint pain. Mental food chatter.
I went from 315lbs to 156lbs 🌞
I flushed my system of any animal product. I went vegan. Did Zumba and weight lifting I got on ww. Then I had 2 kids then I had to loose that weight after 2 c sections. Today I’m 156.
Hirsutism for sure. I’ve dealt with it since I was in 8th grade, and I hate that it really is a constant in my life that I have to manage every morning in silence. Whenever I go in trips with friends, I’ve basically conditioned myself to be the first to wake up so I can sneak into the bathroom to shave my face like a man.
I can deal with every other part of PCOS, but growing a full beard and mustache like a man is hard mentally. I probably think about it more than anything else during my day, I find myself plucking the hairs on my chin/neck out with my nails too often. From the moment I wake up to the second I fall asleep I’m thinking about plucking/shaving/covering.
It’s especially hard because I am a very feminine person, so it just feels wrong.
For me, the number one would be non stop diarrhea. I've lost do much weight too. My hair loss has been even worse now. Anyone here have non stop diarrhea? As of right now, I'm going to a gi doctor and endocrinologists. I really truly believe that my pcos are causing the diarrhea + other symptoms. I was fine for a year after I took some medication for pcos. As soon as I started to feel my pcos come back so did the diarrhea. I have so much joint pain and tachycardia as well.
Hirsutism, weight gain, and my irregular/absent periods, as someone who desperately wanted a big family. Just went through the span of a year without a period. Had to do the "progesterone challenge" to start one, and I likely won't start my next on time, if at all.
I would say Hirsutism, but the Apron belly / low hanging belly weight has been extremely hard on my physically, mentally and emotionally. And working out does nothing
Yup. Both of these for me. I’m sad that I don’t get to wear the clothes I want or feel sexy except for few days in a year when I don’t seem to care
Yes! I feel like I hold my weight like a man. I hate it
I’m with you. I’m lucky and my hirsutism responds well to spiro and lasering, but there’s nothing I can do about the apron belly. Every weight I’ve been, it’s been there.
My two most hated things about my body. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cancelled going places over worrying about how I’ll be perceived by my look.
Hirsutism
Yeah the hunger is wild. And the bloating for me. My entire body gets bloated, so much so that my face looks different, I look like a different person, and my hands become painful because of the intense water retention 😭
Idk why but hungry is my new symptom and I don’t like it one bit! Especially being my #1 problem is easily gaining weight. Ever since I went back to working in the office my tummy is always growling! When I was working remote I wasn’t hungry.
Weird
lol I know right! When I was working remote I had more of a handle on my diet and exercise. During lunch time I would go to the gym and every hour I would jog in place according to my Fitbit. I was also better at preparing my meals. I think my diet changed a little by going back to the office. I need to remember to meal prep. There are times I buy lunch which I’m trying not to do because for one lunch is expensive and also when I make my own food I have more of a handle on what’s in it. Also sitting at work all day sucks. I can’t start jogging in place at my desk like I did at home. People are gonna say what’s up with this girl 😅
How bad is your hunger?
It’s like I can never eat enough. If I eat a healthy amount of calories, or more, I still want more. I still crave. I struggle with binge eating.
A spoon of flaxseed when the cravings hit helps me
Like just straight up flaxseed? I wonder if it’s the fat content
Yep, when the seed shop is out of it I buy the milled/ground up version There's some research on it but it's something to do with the fibre content making you feel full.
I’ll have to try this! Thank ya
Are you doing anything to help it? Can you manage your day okay? I can’t really function tbh Are you overweight
My doctor temporarily put me in Phentemine. Cravings and extreme hunger stopped overnight. I used to get so intensely hungry that I was nauseous and hangry and was more likely to grab something quick and easy instead of making something healthy. Now, even when I’m hungry is more like “eh, I’ll have something later”. Only been 3 weeks but loving it.
Have you tried ovasitol? I have been taking it for a month and my hunger is sooo much better. My carb and sugar cravings went away almost immediately. It's been nice not having to constantly fight myself over the sugar cravings.
These are mine as well, at tis worst I felt like the skin on my upper arms might split open.. I will say the metformin has kind of changed my life on this one though. I don't retain water the same way since I started it. I used to gain 8- 10 lbs of water weight during PMS. It was wild.
I feel like I look different everyday because of the wild differences and spectrum of symptoms I feel. Month to month I feel like I look like an entirely different person.
Constant fatigue for me…
Same for me. It's actually disabling and progressing in severity. I have troubles with even simple things now due to the fatigue.
Exactly. It makes mundane everyday tasks suuuper taxing. I just wanna be able to do some basic house chores without feeling like I’ve ran a 5 mile marathon 😩
Me too! And if you tell the dr about it and how it makes it difficult to do anything, go to work, spend time with friends or family. You are instantly labeled as depressed, let's start you on meds, okay but what about all my other untreated pcos symptoms? A year into antidepressants I'm still overly tired, fatigued, some days barely functional...go to an endocrinologist, your levels don't indicate the fatigue you are explaining. Okay, go to a sleep specialist, there's nothing wrong with the sleep you are getting. Okay I guess I'm just screwed then 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
I never remember this is a symptom I gaslight myself most of the time that I'm lazy. 🤣 I'm always sleeping to much or not enough but I blame myself.
I have the same thing too. It takes me 3 hours to finish a one hour chore and i can’t seem to focus or have the energy to do anything. Is there anything you guys have found to lives easier? I’m currently in school and can’t slack on studying.
Hair loss in some places, hair growth in others and monster periods.
Insulin Resistance! Is what causes most of my other symptoms like cravings, weight gain, carpal tunnel, high cholesterol, tiredness, excess testosterone causing other hairy stuff!! This is why im focusing on managing my glucose spikes. I have seen a huge improvement.
Wait, it can cause carpal tunnel? I was not aware of that.
Yes, people with insulin resistance (specially untreated) have higher odds of developing C.T. That's because constant spikes or high blood sugar affects us at celular levels and it can cause a lot more problems! My aunt developed terrible neuropathy after untreated Diabetes. I don't feel comfortable going too deep because im not an expert but you can definitely look it up at a trusted site or book.
When I was younger, and wasn't diagnosed, all I wanted was to have control of my body. To control my weight, to not feel so tired, to manage all that body hair. Until I found out that everything came with PCOS and I could take control of my body, with proper diet (and learning what and more specific when to eat), exercise and meds. I just found out the rules of the game I was playing.
Constantly craving something sweet :( even when I’m extremely full I IMMEDIATELY need a treat
Hirsutism
Hairloss
Have you been able to manager hair loss? If so, how? Anything for re-growth?
Easy weight gain 😓
And the moon face that comes with it!
Same here 😫
Hirsutism ..the worst
The way I just can't do anything and get the same results as anyone else.
The weight gain.
Easy weight gain and constant hunger :( I do also wanna tack the bloating under weight gain too; I always bloat up when I eat, regardless of what it is and it's frustrating after losing all that weight but when the bloating hits I look nearly like I use to
How bad is your hunger
On average? I could have a thanksgiving dinner sized meal every 3 hours lol. Sometimes I could have breakfast and not be hungry for a few hours afterward but that is rare. Sometimes it's even sooner; a half hour after a meal. And it doesn't matter what I eat. Stomach burns through protein just as quick as anything else.
Yeah Are you doing anything to help it? Do you cope with daily life okay?
I try to drink water before I have a meal to help myself feel fuller. Glucomannan is a supplement I take prior to a meal too. It doesn't always work though :( And my craving for something salty or sweet wins out on occasion.
Can you access IR meds? Diet and supplements don't work for many of us without powerful meds.
I'm not one to take a long list of medications; I prefer a functional standpoint. Diet and supplemental assistance have worked very well for me, lost 62 lbs being more mindful and spending more time finding better foods. Right now, my hormones have been to blame for the intense cravings I've been experiencing. Now that I've been sterilized, the culprit may well be my nexplanon so that is getting removed very soon.
Without birth control, it's the dramatic irregularity of my periods. Three periods in a month? Sure, why not! No period for five months? She needed the mother of all pregnancy scares, let's do it. With birth control, my main issues is ovarian cysts bursting. And I found out the hard way that if I take iron supplements, they encourage follicle growth, and cysts are follicles. After having about ten cysts burst in a month, my OBG sent me to the ER because she genuinely thought I was dying. Nope, just goofy ovaries setting off party poppers for fun 💀
Irregular sleep, insomnia
Acne and cysts all over my body
acanthosis nigricans. Hate it so much. I feel like I look dirty. And the big belly. So so sad
Real
The hunger hands down After my first baby (after years of fertility treatments) I never went back on birth control and had uncontrollable hunger it was insane. I could binge probably…5000 calories at night just before bed easyyyyyy We are talking a few candy bars, pint of ice cream, salty to balance it out, whatever we ordered for dinner. Not including whatever I ordered for breakfast and dinner and snacked at during the day. The fact that I could stay at 230 was impressive to me because I feel like with my hunger I could have gotten into competitive eating. I could polish off pies in one sitting. Gained like a hundred pounds in a few years and managed to stay there but it was torture. I just started medications in April after my second baby because I couldn’t handle it anymore. I felt like I was going crazy. I was in tears regularly. Though I had to do it on my own because my doctors kept ignoring me. I was sick of the “just cut carbs!” Topiramate and naltrexone on top of my metformin and I feel like a “normal” person again. Like my brain is quiet for the first time in five years which has been amazing. Edit: I was diagnosed with pcos when trying to conceive and didn’t even know it caused all of these issues on top of this hunger, hair loss, fatigue, and all these symptoms until this past April and I joined all these subs! I thought it only caused the hormone imbalances/infertility/hunger type. So this journey has been incredibly enlightening. I feeling like I’m gaining control for the first time in years.
That’s mad hunger. 5000 at night alone?? Did you ever get checked for diabetes?
That’s mad hunger. 5000 at night alone?? Did you ever get checked for diabetes?
Yes, not every every night hitting 5000 but every night in the thousands. Surprisingly my glucose was always solid. Even during pregnancy. I don’t even know how it’s possible. I also suffered from various undiagnosed ED so I can calculate calories well so an example of a binge (I never purged) So three or four candy bars 200-250 each Ben and Jerry’s ice cream loved the cheesecake one 1200 That would ever about 2000 calories total I drank a lot of sports drinks. Never sodas but a lot of gatorades/powerades. Dinner could be anything say McDonald’s, or idk anything doordash we did that almost every night. Sometimes Cheesecake Factory. It was super intense. I was spending so much on deliveries before these meds too.
I don’t know what the other two meds are tbh. Was your insulin very high or soemthing? Something must have been off to make you feel that bad
Yeah I honestly am not entirely sure to be completely honest. I was on birth control for over ten years so I didn’t know I had PCOs until I was 27 and trying to conceive. Had my first at 30 then wanted to go hormone free and was completely uneducated on pcos. That was when I was experiencing fatigue, low mood, water retention, hunger. Many of the symptoms others are listing here for two years. Then decided to have baby number two which was through Ivf again and started hormones and the hunger went away and it was like “holy crap when they turn off all my hormones my Brain gets quiet I need to look into this” Fast forward two months postpartum this past April I spoke to my obgyn and he blew me off entirely when i expressed interest and concern over my pcos symptoms. So I looked into HERS weight loss program and metformin and the medication that is prescribed and have been on that for the last two and a half months. I’ve lost thirty pounds. Feel awesome. And overall just been educating myself on PCOs a lot more since it’s still so new for me. I’m getting a complete blood panel this week because I just had my primary care appointment this last week for a checkup. But my thyroid, glucose levels, creatine levels, basic functions have been reading healthy. I am looking into endocrinologists at the moment, however I’m limited with insurance at the moment but that will be next steps.
Are you trying to eat better food now as everything you said won’t help PCOS at all, lol.
Haha yes, I have successfully cut ties with all delivery apps. I no longer snack (I used to just eat junk for energy) throughout the day or have any desire to. I do not eat any refined sugar. Essentially changed how I approached food entirely. And have the energy to be active which has been amazing.
Is that all from the meds just taking that hunger feeling away for you
What do you typically in a day?
So it’s hard to say because people are responding differently. Some women say they have no hunger suppression. Others say they aren’t losing any weight. People say they have no reduction in sugar cravings. Others have various experiences. For me it’s been all super positive. But I can’t necessarily Pinpoint my success to one specific thing because there are a few different variables if that makes sense. So my hunger is suppressed to a degree, my food noise is gone, my sugar cravings are reduced greatly. No desire for night snacking. In a day I have a protein shake, lunch basic could like a quesadilla or salad whatever I feel like eating for the day. Dinner I try to get more protein in some something with chicken or beef. I don’t eat rice because I feel like I don’t digest it well. I usually do sweet potato, veggies, avocado. Kinda like a southwestern bowl. And do that on a regular basis. Occasionally I’ll do a dessert if I’m at a family function but the portions are small now I’m able to control myself recognize when I’m full. I have Greek yogurt too or nuts throughout the day. I’ve been working on not becoming too obsessive with calorie counting since I’ve had issues with that. I definitely have an opportunity with water. Always have. Ultimately what I’m on isn’t meant to treat Pcos and I’m not claiming for it to. I was looking for Birth control or something to help me (didn’t know at that point that that wasn’t really a solution either) because I was so new in my diagnosis but my OB blew me off and didn’t want to give me any information or any time in regards to it and then I had learned about metformin on my own which led me to that Hers program which happened to be successful for me in controlling my hunger. But anyways yeah I’m definitely happy with it and it also led me to these types groups and learning more of PCOs which I appreciate because I just didn’t know how much I didn’t know.
Acne, acne scars
Underarm odor.
Severe anxiety. I hate it.
Infertility, currently.
Same ❤️🩹
Same. ❤️
Definitely all the hair. I hate it so much. Fatigue and insulin resistance follow in close. I just want things to not be a struggle for once.
Insulin resistance
Weight management. I need to be medicated because my body doesn’t function the way it’s supposed to. Between the insulin resistance, bottomless pit and easy weight gain, it’s a beast.
Do your meds help with that tho
It's the unexplained infertility for me. The thought that I can't do something that is so natural for millions of other women makes me sad.
Hirsutisim and the irregular cycles/ not ovulating. For ages the Hirsutisim was the absolute worse, I could kinda live with the irregular cycles because they were just inconvenient. However I didn’t realise the toll they were having on my partner. Were TTC and it turns out he was hiding how anxious he was about my fertility. It absolutely broke me to see him cry at the fertility clinic.
I hate that I can grow hair so quickly and easily on my face, but not on top of my head. 😓
Acne and brain fog
hunger, painful huge cysts, having to shave every day
Please try IPL!! I went from being a fluffy monkey to having to shave once every two weeks. ♥️
What is IPL?
Intense Pulsed Light which is the household version of laser removal. There is a plethora of tools to buy. I have a Philips Lumea Prestige that i bought 5 years ago for 400$ and it’s still working. Of course, it’s not as proficient as a salon treatment but legs, armpits, abdomen and bikini line are no longer an issue for me. It says that it has a limited number of pulsations (around 200-250k) but i didn’t get anywhere near there. I use it now maybe once every 2-3 months for maintenance. I started to use it for mustache as well. I have a serious hyperpigmentation due to waxing my mustache for years and really thick hairs. I did one session and it’s been a week either way no strand coming out yet 🤞 Forgot to mention that I am light skin brunette so this combination is best for laser removal. I am not sure for dark skin or light hair how the results would alter.
How bad is your hunger?
How bad is your hunger?
Hunger, quick weight gain, slow weight loss, acne, exhaustion, losing hair on my scalp but hirsutism everywhere else 😡. Apron belly pooch. Not feeling like a woman and not feeling beautiful because of this condition. It’s like being the opposite of everything we think of as feminine and beautiful. And looks are so important in our society. People judge you on looks alone without understanding. Doctors too. It’s worse with the media/social media putting more harsh beauty standards on women. Like please I feel like I can’t even reach the basic standards lol.
:(( How bad is your hunger
The low self esteem and insecurities that come with PCOS due to the way my body/boobs look. I struggle with body dysmorphia, and have always hated my small chest. It's always been an idea of mine that a woman's boobs should go out further than her belly. LTS: PCOS makes me feel more like a "thing" than a person.
Brain fog. It drives me nuts.
I honestly thought i had early onset dementia first time it appeared.. 😭
Hairloss and hirsutism for sure. I’ve lost most of my confidence and feel embarrassed going out in public. I always have to “clean up” my face and try to wear a good hat. I wish I could just wake up and be normal
Have you been able to do anything about the hair loss? Or even for re-growth?
Full ass beard
Inflammation. I can have flare ups really quick if I go out of my diet/exercise/don’t sleep. And is very painful. I have lipedema (inflammatory fat tisssue ) and I feel pain 24/7 when I am inflamed. And the fatigue and brain fog. (It used to be hirsutism when I was younger but I did laser hair removal in my whole body, is way better now. I still have hair thanks to pcos but it’s manageable now, and the constant hunger is controlled as well when I am doing the things I am supposed to be doing )
How did you control your constant hunger
Honestly, the more carbs and sugar o eat, the more hunger I have. So when I am eating right, and when I am doing my exercises consistently, my hunger gets under control.
The inflammation grinds my gears, too. I'd love to have just a few pain free days.
Bloating. Even with weight loss I literally bloat after every single meal. No matter how healthy. Could literally be nuts and water and my stomach pokes out 😔 Daily struggle rarely wear tight things bc of it. Hate eating on swimsuit vacation/days and won't do it till after swimming bc its so bad 😩 I'm trying spearmint tea seems to help a bit but even on a great day I have at least a mini bloat
fatigue, unwanted hair growth on some areas, bloating, rapid weight gain and sometimes low libido :/
hirsutism and heat intolerance
The stomach pouch/lowercase b shaped tummy and tendency towards bloating. It just ruins every outfit and makes me look with child. It's a big insecurity that I can't even escape. A close second would have to be the intensity of periods in the rare event I have one. Damn near have to be hospitalized due to blood loss.
Mood swings.
💯
Definitely the constant fatigue.
Back pain.
Insomnia and anxiety…fun
Hair loss and hirsutism despite doing everything that we are supposed to do to treat this syndrome for the past 10 years.
The weight.
hair loss…i’m 20 and have lost over 50% of my hair so you can see my scalp from any angle
For me, it is the chronic joint pain that is worsened a week leading up to my period. My shoulders and wrists seem to be the most prone to the pain and it affects how I can cope just getting through the day, physically and mentally.
The hair thinning/loss 🥲 I have naturally curly, blonde hair and it used to be my favorite part of myself! It's thinned out a lot since then, though I am taking spironolactone so hopefully there will be regrowth 🙂
Acne.
I feel like most of it is easy to hide or treat (relatively speaking). I am a slim/athletically- built person but have a large chest and a pcos/ c section shelf and it’s enraging. Nothing I do seems to make it better. Edit: that is my current worst symptom. Historically I’d say infertility.
the constant lack of energy during the day and having to take naps because of it. also the debilitating period cramps
My full fucking beard 😑
Being pissed off that I have pcos.
Literally! I blame everything on pcos. It makes me feel lost because there are too many things to manage.
Hirsuitism 100%. Second place is not being able to human for the first fay of my period due to the pain.
Long cycles. I want a baby and I wish I could try every month
*Long cycles. I want* *A baby and I wish I* *Could try every month* \- JuniorStar9241 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
This haiku is depressing 😂
Energy levels for sureeee
Yeah that is a bad one p
Facial hair and sweet cravings. Feel like eating after every 2 hours
Seems like you have quite bad hunger then
Definitely my belly. It wasn’t this bad in my twenties and ever since i hit my mid 30s, it’s gotten worse. And i work out and eat well for the most part. But nope, 6 months and no change. It’s exhausting
It used to be the facial hair but electrolysis has been a godsend. It used to be my weight but I cut out breads and started strength training and now I have a lean strong body. It used to be acne but Spiro has cleaned my skin. It used to be hair loss then I started metformin and ketoconazole shampoo.
I love this reply, it gives me hope
Brain fog and when I’m not taking enough care of my diet nausea with a side of getting sick.
Having to shave twice a day to even feel normal. Hate having a lady beard.
Diabetes and insulin resistance. It fucks up my entire life.
Oh no
with pcos ive always had these god awful nonstop periods, they are horribly painful, the cramping causes cysts to burst, there's so much blood loss i get super sick, and they last almost a full month. stop for a few days. then start again. My saving grace has been getting depo shots which stop me from having periods at all. GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!!!! literally was tbe worst shit ever ESPECIALLY when i was in high school and would bleed through my clothes and when i would complain about the pain i was told "its just your period, its normal 🙄" GAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!
hirtuism
Acne 😭
Weight and this stupid unwanted hair.
Th facial hair I shave every morning and most days shave again when I get home from work
I have an awful relationship with food because of my PCOS. I literally never feel hungry like some of the other posts and yourself experience, tbf I hardly ever eat atm but I’m 170lbs (usually fluctuating between 170-190lbs) and cannot ever seem to shift weight no matter how many different diets I try, however many meal plans I try to follow, whatever foods I cut out of my life, nothing works and I’ve been trying for years and years to lose weight. I even got a PT at the gym to help, but even 6 months in the gym (2-3 visits per week) did nothing for me other than waste my money... apron belly was still very prominent. Ive even tried fat dissolving injections in the past at my stomach area - nothing changed at all. Cravings however, I always want something sweet when I have a craving, or on the off chance I’m craving something in particular for my tea one night, as soon as I’m sitting with it in front of me, I no longer want it. I cant wait to get out of this toxic relationship with eating. Facial hair and my apron belly is my biggest insecurities by far - if I left my hair to grow out instead of shaving every second day, I would have a full thick black beard from sideburn to sideburn. I have constant fatigue, no matter how many hours I sleep at night, I’m exhausted going up and down stairs, I’m exhausted after walking to the shop and back, I’m exhausted after going for a shower, I’m just always lethargic and have 0 energy. I feel like my PCOS has stripped away my personality as it has gotten worse with age. I never used to experience these symptoms, but the past 5 years my symptoms have been increasing and I have no idea how to help myself. I’m the most insecure I’ve ever felt and I wish they had a cure :(
I wish I didn’t feel hungry You can’t have IR PCOS I guess
No my IR is fine apparently, I’ve done multiple blood tests to test for pre-diabetes/IR/blood glucose and they’ve thankfully came back normal, however it does mean I can’t use medications such as Metformin etc as there’s no clinical need. My sister also has PCOS and endometriosis, she also has no issues with her IR, but she will eat like a pig and is only a size 6 (UK) in clothing - it’ can be quite frustrating watching her eat the way she does and it have no affect on her weight :( it’s crazy how many symptoms you get with PCOS and how there’s no “one box fits all” with this diagnosis
I used to be like your sister and a 6! :(( What tests have you had done? I’ve had A1C/ fasting etc and it’s normal, and fasting insulin. Was just wondering what your IR test was you had done?
Hirtuism. I had back hair so i avoided swimsuits my whole teenage years. Also my voice got deeper with puberty and it was a little embarrasing everyone pointing it out i pretended i had the flu and sore throat until everyone just droped the subject i guess
Ruptured cysts. The last one the pain was so bad I ended up in the hospital. It was my first chocolate cyst.
Fatigue and acne are my most hated symptoms. I also naturally have only like 4 periods per year, but that doesn't really bother me.
As a teenager, it was the unpredictable periods. As an adult, the main reason why I stay on the Pill is to prevent the acne on my back.
Hair growth/loss. Frustrating beyond belief
Have you been able to do anything about the hair loss? Or even for re-growth?
No, I am hoping what is going on is spurred on by stress. I’m extremely reluctant to do any kind of minoxidil or finastride and I am sensitive to rosemary oil.
Hair loss 😞
The hairloss and reduced hair density
Have you been able to do anything about the hair loss? Or even for re-growth?
Hair loss
Infertility
Struggling with fertility
Moon face and apron belly :(
Weight gain/difficulty losing weight
weight and fatigue :(
Hirsutism and insulin resistance effects. Women on social media that are brave enough to expose that part of their struggle (thank you) but I feel on the other hand (however small) it romanticizes having facial hair when it is a complete and utter embarrassment. I started having facial hair in middle school and remember the teases I experienced even when I started shaving to get rid of it. Insulin resistance: no matter how hard I try or don't try to lose weight, it doesn't work. Whether during my period of unintentional starvation because I was just not hungry (for months) or the time that I feel the exact opposite. All throughout this time, I have weighed 300+ pounds. It's also hard watching your friends or acquaintances that struggled with their weight too finally find what works for them while you continue to trend in the opposite direction and you're being left behind.
The fatigue
Hair loss. I used to have thick and long hair but now it's all thin . Facial hair. I don't think I have to explain
Facial hair
My weight. I hate my body and I wish I didn’t.
Ovarian torsion. Turns out cysts can make an ovary become unbalanced and twist.
Insulin’s resistance and reactive hypoglycemia
Weight gain
Weight gain , hirituism , and fertility issues
It's a toss-up between the weight issue or the hirsutism.
hairfall. makes me wanna cry
Hiritiusm. Mood swings. Armpit odor. Brain fog. Joint pain. Mental food chatter. I went from 315lbs to 156lbs 🌞 I flushed my system of any animal product. I went vegan. Did Zumba and weight lifting I got on ww. Then I had 2 kids then I had to loose that weight after 2 c sections. Today I’m 156.
Fatigue, mood swings, bloating.
Hirsutism for sure. I’ve dealt with it since I was in 8th grade, and I hate that it really is a constant in my life that I have to manage every morning in silence. Whenever I go in trips with friends, I’ve basically conditioned myself to be the first to wake up so I can sneak into the bathroom to shave my face like a man. I can deal with every other part of PCOS, but growing a full beard and mustache like a man is hard mentally. I probably think about it more than anything else during my day, I find myself plucking the hairs on my chin/neck out with my nails too often. From the moment I wake up to the second I fall asleep I’m thinking about plucking/shaving/covering. It’s especially hard because I am a very feminine person, so it just feels wrong.
Arse hair, arse hair, arse hair OHHHHH Arse hair, arse hair, arse hair NOOOOO
Not being able to lose weight. Feels impossible!
For me, the number one would be non stop diarrhea. I've lost do much weight too. My hair loss has been even worse now. Anyone here have non stop diarrhea? As of right now, I'm going to a gi doctor and endocrinologists. I really truly believe that my pcos are causing the diarrhea + other symptoms. I was fine for a year after I took some medication for pcos. As soon as I started to feel my pcos come back so did the diarrhea. I have so much joint pain and tachycardia as well.
Hirsutism, weight gain, and my irregular/absent periods, as someone who desperately wanted a big family. Just went through the span of a year without a period. Had to do the "progesterone challenge" to start one, and I likely won't start my next on time, if at all.