[California17]

Hi ladies,

I've been reading your posts for the past couple of days obsessively. I'm up to about page 25 and aim to go all the way to page 75 sometime this week

About 4 years ago now, I started to have pelvic pains and went to a GYN to get it checked out. I had had irregular periods since about 15 but when I asked my mum, she said it was ok as she had had the same problem until she had me (at 31). I went to the GYN, she physically examined me and said that I probably have PCOS but that she wanted to double check with an ultrasound. So a couple of days later I went back for an ultrasound and she diagnosed me with PCOS. I chose not to go on BC as I was a student in a foreign country so I wasn't 100% sure of their medical standards etc.

Now I'm back at home and my periods have continued to be erratic. I went to my GP here and he did a blood test and it came back that I had elevated testosterone levels. He said I may have PCOS and sent me for an ultrasound. I went, had a pelvic and internal (?) ultrasound. The technician also checked my kidneys and liver (not sure why haha). Anyway, I was watching the screen and there were many little cysts on my ovaries so I expected that I had PCOS and I actually thought it was really severe. This morning I went to the GP to get my results and he was all when I walked in and said I don't have PCOS! He said that all women have small cysts on their ovaries but I don't have an unusual or high amount. I'm ecstatic but also confused.

I am overweight and I do find it hard to lose weight (but he did find a hormonal imbalance in my blood work and sent me to pee in a large container for 24 hrs woo hoo)!! He's trying to find why I can't lose weight that easily. I do have excess hair, but I do have an eastern European heritage although it has increased with my age and weight I guess. I don't have a lot of facial hair, don't have dandruff or acne, no skin discolouration, no "PCOS stomach" etc. I guess my only symptoms are missed periods, a bit overweight, and excess hair.

What do you guys think? I'm pretty confused. Can cysts just disappear like that, from one ultrasound to another?

SO WEIRDD!!

Love the board, everyone is great here!

[astrophe]

Well, mine sometimes burst, it hurts, they heal, and new ones come on down the road.

I'm not a doc, but take a gander at the dx area of the inciid faq. Print it and go over YOUR results against these things so you understand what is happening and make sure your doc covered all bases and checked everything in the dx. You could try a second opinion too.

http://www.inciid.org/faq.php?cat=infertility101&id=2

Here's another thing to think about. I have PCOS/IR with very good control. My endoc told me my labs are so normal you wouldn't even know I had PCOS/IR from them. I still consider myself insulin resistant -- I just keep it in check. Did you improve from one doc appt to the other?

What is causing the elevated testosterone? Did doc say?

A.

[California17]

The first Dr didn't do blood test so I don't know if there's an improvement. My current GP has sent me for more testing to figure out the high testosterone in my blood work. I have to pee in a container for 24hrs (yay) and also get a blood test during the 3rd day of my next period.

[Rana]

PCOS -- Polycystic Ovarian/Ovary Syndrome

A Syndrome is hard to diagnose conclusively, like Astrophe said, she has her IR under control so a new doctor wouldn't immediately think PCOS.

I like that your doctor is testing, but it's more of an art than a science, because there isn't a PCOS marker.