Hi everyone. I hesitate to post this because I don't want it to be taken the wrong way. But I really have no one to talk to about this. Let me say up front, I'm not looking for a diagnosis at all. Just advice.

I'm worried because I have a lot of symtoms of PCOS.

I carry most of my weight in my belly and have a very large waist.

I have skin tags all over my neck and underarms.

I have dark areas on my neck and in my vaginal area.

I have a "mustache" and wild eyebrows I constantly wax.

But I've looked at a lot of these symptoms and realized they run in my family. My mom and both grandmothers had the apple shape. They all had skin tags too. They also have the hair on upper lip and eyebrows, I think that's just Italian heritage.

I have been getting regular periods for 7 years now, I only have peach fuzz hair on the rest of my body. I've never had any acne. Basically, I've never had any cause for concern.

I didn't learn about PCOS until my friend was diagnosed with it an I came to this board to explore.

Do you think I need to see a Dr.? I'd rather not for a lot of reasons. Right now I don't have any medical insurance and the free clinics in my region have bad reputations. I'd rather not go get this checked out unless I absoleutly had to.

Also, I'm 18 and never had sex so I haven't been to the gynecologist, so even if I decided to go to one...how does a woman pick a gyno? My mom's not around and my friend's don't go either. Should I be going anyways by now?

Thanks, and I'm sorry if any of this came out wrong. I know people get annoyed when someone goes "SO DO I HAVE THIS DISEASE", so I'm trying my best to make this sound respectful.

Thank you so much.

Hi, I think you should go ahead and see a Dr you could go to a Regular Dr and then get referred to who you need to go to. If your not having regular periods and other symptoms it should be checked out.

I agree with the PP. You should go to just a GP and see if they can run the tests for you. The other option is that planned parenthood offers more than just information on adoption/abortion. Most clinics have doctors for exams and other reproductive issues. You could check and see if they have a gyn that you can see and discuss these issues with you. Even if you aren't sexually active, the birth control pill may actually help you out in the long run if you do have PCOS so it is worth talking to a doctor about it, especially at your age.

Good Luck.

Go to a GP, they can do bloodwork and pap smears. Then they can refer you to a specialist if needed. They will work with you on payments.

Since it sounds like your relatives haven't been going to regular exams, its possible that they may have never been diagnosed since many doctor's aren't familiar with these issues or haven't gotten up to date info.

In my experience, they never did a physical exam for my diagnosis, so you wouldn't have to worry about your hymen. They took five vials of my blood and looked at the levels of different things. That and the symptoms I came to them with (lack of period, hair, weight gain, etc.) made my case a pretty open/close thing. The symptom (aside from my lack of periods) that set off bells for my doctor was my sudden and large weight gain. I put on nearly 100 pounds in a year...has your weight gain been slow and steady or quick?

I think you'll be ok. You're making an effort to lose the weight and you haven't lost your periods. If you continue to lose and then maintain the weight, I think any symptoms you may show will fade. If they don't fade, then I'd agree with you when you based it on your Italian heritage.

The only other thing I can suggest is when you your DH start trying to conceive, see a doctor for a general fertility diagnosis (both of you)...you never what they'll catch.

I would not categorize your symptoms as PCOS related. The eyebrow/mustache things - as you say - runs in your family and IS common enough. The weight around the middle is where many women carry extra weight - but that AND the skin tags and the acanthosis nigricans are STRONG indicators of IR. Almost 90% of women with acanthosis nigricans are in fact IR. That can be VERY serious and lead to Type II diabetes and heart issues. Definately get some bloodwork done and talk to a doctor.

When do you think you'll have health insurance? I hate to put things off, but at the same time, there are some things that could be considered a pre-existing condition if you are tested for them. So, if you think you'll have health insurance within a few months, I'd wait.

If not, definitely go to a family Dr and ask about IR.

Just in case you're unsure IR is insulin resistance. From what you're saying I second what others are saying - that may be what you're looking at and a simple blood test can confirm/deny it.

If you don't have insurance and you need to see a gyno, I would reccomend planned parenthood. That is where I went for my annual exams and birth control. Best of all, it was all free because I didn't make very much money. I don't know much about the PCOS, but if you are concerned please go to the doctor!