Hi, recently I went to my gyn because my dermatologist said I had alot of PCOS systems, thinning hair being my most worrisome ( I have posted about this before )...well anyway my gyn said that she could not check my for PCOS unless I went off birth control, and then that if I did have it she would treat me by putting me on birth control - so she made it sound like I should just let it lie and stay on the birth control...Are most of you with PCOS just on birth control?
Also if you did have thinning hair as one of your symptoms, once you got on the proper meds did your hair grow back? Or at least stop thinning?
Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Ask your hair stylist about Nioxin. (Medicated shampoo) I have been using it for a month and it's amazing. My IR doctor also recommended it and said that if for some reason it doesn't work, she could prescribe Rogaine for Women. So far, Nioxin is working for me though and I really started noticing it last week actually. As I was drying my hair, there were all of these little fly-aways near my scalp and I was so excited...lol...

She probably meant that she wouldn't get an accurate read on your hormones such as

estrogen
progesterone

But she should still be able to check if you are IR, if you have cysts on your ovaries, your skin for tags or discoloration, and any other hormones that would not be effected by the pill.

Your biggest concern should be if you have skin tags and discolored patches of skin to get tested for insulin resistance.


HTH

I have very few skin tags and I know of only one patch of discoloration.

Cat Lady - Thanks, I have been using Nioxin for about the past couple of months, I like how it makes my hair seem thicker, and gets it so clean, I will keep using it and see what happens.

Nioxin is not prescription? And what's the diff between Rogaine that's by prescription and the Rogaine you can get OTC?

Nope, Nioxin isn't prescription, my hairstylist ordered it for me and I just went back to the salon to pick it up. I'm not sure what the diff is between the 2 though....???

Hi Satine!

I was diagnosed with PCOS last summer - my case is (at least it seems) relatively mild and I am only on birth control pills prescribed by my gyno. The idea is that oral birth control meds raise estrogen/progesterone levels and also help to bind the extra androgens running around in your system. From talking to my sister, who is a nurse practitioner, apparently this is an approach often taken by gynecologists, who consider PCOS to be mainly a disorder concerning reproduction and not a larger endocrine problem. If you're not happy with this idea, then you might want to go see an endocrinologist or even just an internal medicine doctor that you know is familiar with pcos. Insulin Resistance is often diagnosed just by looking at overall health and your waist to hip ratio - Also they may look at your blood glucose levels and/or insulin levels...as far as the thinning hair, that's a fairly common pcos symptom from what I've read and it sounds like people have given you some good advice for shampoos and stuff to get for that.

Keep on Truckin!
Erin

Hey all,

I was diagnosed with PCOS back in 1993. It was almost unheard of then. It can be diagnosed by having the doctor do an ultrasound of your ovaries. If you have the cysts or "ring of pearls" it's PCOS--definitively. A lot of doctors skip this step and use sympom diagnosis. This is fine, if it's relatively definitive.

As for treatment, birth control will help, but for me, it had awful symptoms. I was put on Metformin and Spironalactone. I also cut all caloric liquid from my diet (except an occasional bit of milk with cereal). I lost more than 70 lbs. My heuristism is pretty well controlled--I was able to do lazer hair removal and have it work. My hair loss stopped (but hasn't really regrown yet). The metformin should make weigh loss easier, and spironalactone blocks the androgens (17 hydroxycorticosteroids)--including cortisol--which even more than testosterone--is causing a lot of your sympoms.

Rather than going to a gyno, go to an endrocinologist. The best is a reproductive endrocinologist, but a lot of them only see women who are trying to get pregnant. These are the doctors who (in my experience) will know the most. Also, I've had the best luck at research hospitals/doctors who teach at medical schools. Now, when I move or have to change doctors, I go into a endocrinologist, tell him/her I have PCOS, and if they give me a blank stare, I tell them exactly what I want (1000 mg of Metformin 2x a day, 100 mg of spronalactone 2x a day, and birth control/progesterone tablets (Yes, progesterone tablets will work if you don't want to take birth control--however, because spironalactone blocks adnrogen uptake, you don't want to take it while pregnant. If it's a girl, you're fine, if it's a boy, he'll not be able to uptake the androgens either, and he'd need them). (I've since decreased my dose, but that's standard to start you off/until you lose weight). It usually works well. With the spronalactone, it will also help high blood pressure, to some degree. The thing to watch out for is it increases potassium to some degree, so you need to watch your other meds. Ask your pharmacist if anything else you are on will increase potassium. Also, some birth control pills do, so be careful. Metformin may make you sick when you first start taking it or when you increase your dose. It WILL pass in a few days, and it's well worth it, imho.

Hope it helps. (standard disclaimer: I am not a nurse/doctor, do not take any of those meds unless you are under medical supervision and they have been prescribed by a doctor.)

Check the inciid faq for dx info -- esp labs and values.

http://www.inciid.org/faq.php?cat=complementarymed&id=2

I see an endoc and never bothered with OB/GYN until I was pregnant. I've read how OB/GYN want to make it all about your reproductive system but it isn't. It affects that system but it is an endocrine disorder.

Also keep in mind that how PCOS "presents" itself will vary in each patient. There are at least 5 types:

• traditional PCOS -- anovulatory, increased androgens, no insulin resistance
  
• endocrine syndrome X -- anovulatory, increased androgens, insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
  
• non-traditional PCOS --anovulatory, normal androgens, obese, insulin resistant or type 2 diabetes
  
• non-traditional PCOS -- ovulatory, increased androgens, mild insulin resistance
  
• idiopathic hirsutism -- ovulatory, increased androgens, no insulin resistance

There's also books to check out... Vliet's "Savvy Guide" is very good.

http://www.amazon.com/Savvy-Womans-G.../dp/1933213019

HTH!
A.

My sister & I both have PCOS. My case is mild and my sister has full blown pcos. She struggled a lot with hair loss too. She recently found out that metformin blocks the absoption of Vit B & D. She claims that her has stopped coming out in clumps after she started taking a Biotin supplement.

My husband is borederline diabetic, and his endocrinologist has him taking Vit D supplements along with his metformin. You should probably consult with your doctor and have them run a bloodwork to check your vitamin levels.