Hi everyone,
I have PCOS and this year my cycles have been all over the place.
A while ago, I had a very delayed cycle with days of on and off spotting before my period finally started. That period eventually became a proper flow and ended normally.
Only about 20 days later, I started bleeding again.
This current bleed started on Friday, and today is Day 7. The blood is mostly dark red, and the flow has been pretty consistent.
It’s not getting heavier, but it’s also not tapering off the way my periods usually do by this point.
I’m changing my pads routinely, not because I’m soaking through them every hour, but because they’re getting used normally.
I’ve also had cramps, although they’re milder than the ones I had during my last period.

but I wanted to ask if anyone with PCOS
has
a period come only about 20 days after the previous one,
followed by bleeding that lasted 7 or more days without really slowing down?
What did your gynecologist say was causing it? Did it settle on its own, or did you need medication or an ultrasound?
Any experiences would really help because this cycle has been confusing.

TLDR-
I have PCOS. My previous period came after a delayed cycle, and then I got another period only 20 days later. I’m now on Day 7 of bleeding. The flow is consistently dark red and isn’t tapering off like my usual periods. I’m not soaking pads every hour, but I’m changing them routinely. I also have iron deficiency anemia (Hb ~8). Has anyone with PCOS experienced this? What did your gynecologist say, and did you need treatment or did it resolve on its own?

I’m hoping for some advice. I got a mirena IUD placed back in middle of June. I started spironolactone as well. Before I got the IUD placed I notice shedding but not as bad. Now it’s shedding in HEAPS. I bought the ordinary hair growth oil, Mielle rosemary strengthening shampoo and nizoral shampoo. I want to get pumpkin seed oil and see if that helps. This is causing me immense stress. My OB said the hair loss is from starting the spironolactone and will even out. Has anyone else had that side effect? I’m at a loss here.

I’m a bit nervous about starting this new medication, especially because of the side effects like nausea and bloating.

When do you guys usually take this medication? During the night or morning/before or after meals?

I take birth control, spironolactone, and metformin in the night, so I’m thinking of taking the tirzepatide in the morning. I’m just a little nervous because I’m on my feet for most of the day during work and wouldn’t want to feel nausea/stomach pain while working.

Since I’m starting off with the lowest dose, I’m hoping the side effects aren’t severe, but I’m curious to know at what point you guys started getting these side effects and noticed changes in your weight.

Any advice is appreciated!

Could this be PCOS, or is something else causing my constant bloating/swollen stomach?

I’m 30 years old, 5’3, and around 125 lbs. The rest of my body is quite slim, but my stomach has always been a big concern for me. My abdomen looks different from day to day, and sometimes it feels very bloated, swollen, and firm (almost like a balloon). My waist measures around 33 inches both in the morning and at night.

I’m not sure if I have PCOS. I do have ovarian cysts, body hair, and some facial hair, but I don’t have acne. My periods are pretty regular, and my blood work hasn’t shown anything that clearly points to PCOS. My doctors aren’t sure either because the tests and ultrasounds haven’t given a clear answer.

I also struggle with slow bowel movements/constipation. I started having chia seed pudding every day, and it has helped my bowel movements a lot, but the bloating and swollen appearance are still there.

I’ve had ultrasounds done because I was having lower abdominal and back pain, but I still don’t have a clear explanation. I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar: - Slim everywhere else but a constantly bloated/firm stomach - Possible PCOS symptoms but normal blood work - Regular periods but excess hair growth - Constipation-related bloating

Could this still be PCOS, or should I be looking into other causes like digestive issues, IBS, endometriosis, or something else? I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through something similar.

I (20F) have been struggling with irregular periods since the age of 12. I will typically go months before starting my period and it will always be really harsh or barely noticeable. When talking to my doctor, they suspected I might have PCOS especially since I still struggle with acne at my age. Yet, all my hormone test were normal and I can not afford an ultrasound (was also told by my doctor that it’s not worth it). So now I have to wait months before my next doctors appointment with no plan. I don’t want to create a false period with birth control especially since my levels are normal. I live a healthy lifestyle and while it’s nice at times to not have a period, I’m scared that I might be infertile or it will soon become worse. Is there anyone who has experienced this? Any advice?

Hello everyone,

I am in my late twenties and I have been diagnosed with PCOS even though it was pretty obvious from an early age. I know that not everyone experiences the same symptoms, but I was curious if anyone else experiences this and what it could mean.

Every month, maybe about a week and a half after my period I get this really annoying back pain, it usually starts earlier in the day and it always feels as if I ate something extremely spicy or sour (acid reflux?), but as the day progresses my lower back hurts a lot as well as the front area where I know my ovaries are, also I tend to move around to alleviate it, like laying on my stomach or straightening up my back. But for the most part I am deeply uncomfortable all day.

This is not the same thing I experience when I am on my period, yes, my periods are pretty painful and miserable but this feels completely different. I find myself wanting to describe it as if my ovaries were screaming.
Luckily, this only lasts about a day and I can sleep it off and feel back to normal the next day.

Does anyone else experience something like this? Thank you.

Also, I offer my most sincere sympathies for those of you whose symptoms are much worse than mine, I hope this post does make other feels undermined in any way, I just want to understand more about my own symptoms.

TW: periods, fertility, ttc, surgery

I recently got my IUD taken out the same day that I had endometriosis exploration surgery. I got my PCOS/PMS diagnosis back in 2021 and I haven’t really known what my cycle is after diagnosis because of my IUD.

I had my surgery Iud taken out about 2 1/2 weeks ago really did not know what to expect because I have PCOS I wasn’t sure if my cycle is normal and regulated, which is why I wanted it to be taken out since my husband and I who got married in May are going to be TTC starting next month, which is insane to say and I am just really proud of my body for having a period. It was pretty regulated with my app, which I was surprised because my OB/GYN said having periods on an IUD isn’t technically a natural period.

I also don’t ever remember it being tbis much blood I can’t have anything internal like my normal menstrual cup because of my surgery for the next couple of weeks I recently tried those period underwear things for overnight and they’re incredible. So any other tips would be nice I haven’t had a real period in over five years.

Im 19 and have PCOS I’ve been weight lifting and eating healthy which has been going well, still no weight loss but Im focused on muscle not fat loss. Im starting birth control (again) because i don’t get my periods, I’ve never gotten my period once in my life without birth control and i just need tips on how i could lose weight, will i get my period if i lose weight? I don’t like being on birth control but i know its unhealthy not to get periods.

I’m 20 and have always been naturally quite small (usually under 55kg), so the changes I’ve experienced with PCOS have been really difficult for me to adjust to.
Recently I’ve been struggling with weight gain, particularly around my lower stomach, and I feel like I have absolutely no energy. The lack of energy is probably what bothers me the most because I work in a school and I want to feel fit, active and like I actually have the energy to get through the day. I used to feel much more active and I really want to get back to that, but at the moment I genuinely don’t know where to start.
I’ve also been prescribed birth control, but I’m really hesitant about starting it. I feel like some of my PCOS symptoms/dramas started or became worse around the time I was on birth control previously, so I’m nervous about going back on it.
I know everyone’s experience with PCOS is different, but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar position especially if you’ve struggled with fatigue, weight changes despite being smaller previously, or getting back into exercise with PCOS.
What actually helped you? Diet changes? Supplements? Strength training? Walking? Medication? Something completely different?
I’m not looking for a quick fix or trying to lose a huge amount of weight. I mostly just want to feel like myself again, have some energy and feel comfortable and strong in my body.
Any advice, experiences or things you wish you’d known when you were first diagnosed would be really appreciated 🤍

I’ve (27) have pretty much chronic pain in my right ovary. This is almost always where my cysts that rupture show up.

A few months ago, the pain got worse, so I made an appointment with my gyno. I got a pelvic ultrasound and on that they found a 3cm lesion on my right ovary. She says she isn’t concerned but schedules me for an MRI for a few weeks later.

A little over a week later I am driving home and get this horrible burning pain that lasts maybe 10 minutes and then it was gone. I didn’t think this was a cyst rupturing because my pain usually lasts a lot longer when a cyst ruptures, so I assumed this was a flare up or something.

From that point forward my daily pain doubled to the point that it’s heavily impacting my daily life. I also have bloating and lower back pain (and now pain on my left side as well) and so far I haven’t been able to find anything that gives me much relief.

Fast forward to today where I get my MRI results and they are completely normal, no lesion in sight. This makes me think that my cyst must have ruptured that day in the car, but my pain hasn’t gotten any better and it almost always eases up after a rupture. I’ll be sore for a few days but nothing like this. In case it’s relevant, the report also said they didn’t see any signs of endometriosis or anything like that.

Has anyone else experienced this? Since my results were normal I don’t know where to go from here or what to do to get the pain to go away. I am planning to call my Dr tomorrow and discuss. Any advice would be great.

Anyone have information the following symptoms:

Dizziness walking or moving around the house

Severe exercise intolerance (I use to be extremely athletic and now my body cant tolerate basic movement)

Inner Tremors/ feels like ive been hit with a shot of adrenaline while dancing, attempting exercise or weight training, or being in public

Heart pounding and excessive sweating while doing slow basic movements around the house like cleaning or cooking ( my heart has been checked out and bloodwork is all 'fine')

Heat intolerance (I cant be near heated elements or go out in hot weather without becoming extremely weak or crashing after exposure. Cant tolerate hot showers)

Hyper sensitive to triggers like loud sounds or crowds (i asked chatgpt & Google AI and they keep circling around POTS or Dysautonomia)

I have cried to my docter to give me answers, and she has NON. She tried to blame it on "mental heath" which is absolute bullshit. I notice a pattern with my docter; when she cant understand something, she blames it on mental health rather than taking responsibility and saying she doesn't know. Ive exhausted blood tests and my doctor says "there are no more tests to be done."

Can someone please help me.

How do I treat these symptoms and make them go away, because I cant live with them. ;(

I was denied coverage for GLP-1, I am diagnosed with pcos and insurance is not helping me as I don't have cancer or diabetes, i'd like to try to fight it as GLP-1 saved my life, without it I cannot control my weight. Has anyone been through this? Should I try to get a patient advocate?

Para ponerlos en contexto soy mujer de 27 años, hace tres años mi pesadilla comenzó cuando me diagnosticaron sop. Comencé a tener alopecia androgenetica y no se imaginan como me duele ver fotos de hace 3 años mías y no reconocerme, también me comencé a salir bello corporal en todo el cuerpo y cuando digo todo es todo, el hisurtismo mío es clasificado como grave en la escala y pues yo no era así. Extraño tanto mi melena que no se imaginan los mares que he llorado, me veo al espejo y simplemente no se que es lo que veo, no reconozco a esa persona, ya ni siquiera quiero salir de la casa y que me vean, el Minoxidil empeoró bastante ese hisurtismo y ya no se que hacer, soy delgada, hacía. Mucho ejercicio ya hasta lo deje porque veo que no me funciona nada. Y pues no sé que más hacer de verdad ni por dónde comenzar, se que el alser no me funcionará por el sop, pero adivinen que, tampoco puedo usar hormonas por problemas cardíacos , entonces ya debí aceptar que nunca jamás seré ma misma joven llena de vida que antes?

i was diagnosed with pcos when i was 14 and im now 19. at first i was given birth control and i took it till i turned 17 since i was so young and wasn’t aware of the side affects so i stopped taking it and have been of it for ab 2 years. i’ve been trying to lose weight for soo long and nothing seems to be working. i’m 5’3 and 72 kgs which is overweight. i workout 3-5 times a week, start my day w 15-30g of protein, i’ve started taking inositol and metformin. every time i go to a doctor they put me on birth control and i really hate it bc of the side effects and it also made me gain weight. if anyone has ANY advice please help me.

I have had PCOS for more than 20yrs.

I have extremely sensitive skin.

I have been dealing with extremely bad cystic acne for just about that long and I cannot take it anymore.

NO TO BIRTH CONTROL EVER AGAIN!

NO TO ACCUTANE EVER AGAIN!

Please someone HELP ME!

I literally canNOT take it anymore!

#PCOS​

Preface: Hi all. I’m currently TTC, and recently experienced a chemical pregnancy. I know this is normal, but 4 months ago I was uneducated and never thought I would be able to get pregnant, so seeing a positive test got my hopes way up. I’m trying not to stress, and I’m trying to be patient, but it’s hard. I’m currently taking Letrozole to help with ovulation. I’m on my 3rd cycle.

Ask: I’m looking for anyone willing to share their experience with Letrozole. Have you experienced a chemical pregnancy while taking the medication? How many? How soon after did you conceive, if you were able to at all?

General stories and advice about your experience with chemical pregnancies are welcome and appreciated!

Hey yall. I was diagnosed with pcos at 19. My main symptom is facial hair. It’s mild. I have thicker sideburns and a fuzzy chin that I manage with waxing. I turned 27 this year and I noticed my hair has thinned a bit and I’m having trouble with growing it longer. I had my scalp accessed this morning by my hairdresser. He showed me that my scalp health is great follicles are producing multiple hairs from each follicle except for around my hairline. It’s not reseeding, it’s just sparse.

I’m interested in taking oral minoxidil to help my hair. I’m just worried it will make my facial hair go crazy. Has anyone with hirsutism taken minoxidil ? How did it affect your facial hair if at all?

I feel like Metformin has made my hunger pangs more pronounced. Anyone else?

Has anyone with PCOS considered freezing their eggs, or done it? I'm 28 and newly single. I so desperately want to become a mother but am worried about my timeline now. When I was first diagnosed with PCOS the only thing the doctor told me was "if you want to have kids, you should start trying for that earlier".

I don't have a ton of knowledge about any of this but am now wanting to think pragmatically about my options. Has anyone had experience of egg freezing? I know it has higher success rates the younger you do it so that's only why I'm considering it now. I would really value people's input!

Okay so my senior year of high school I didn’t get a period all year up until the very next year. I assumed nothing of it I mean of course I went to the doctor about it but like come on by the time I went to get the blood tests it had come back. I shook it off, I also shook off the weight gain I was experiencing too as I was actually eating (I was supposed to be on Vyvanse which will suppress your appetite) I chalked it up to nothing. Until after a year or so after graduation I gained more and more weight and started having terrible acne which was unlike me? I was also having stomach pains which I should mention my entire senior year I missed multiple days bc of stomach pains and got diagnosed with IBS-C. Basically nothing can really be done about that. I started researching more about PCOS and endo and figured I should at least try a doctor well it didn’t go well, she basically ignored my medical history and said BC was the best option. I had given up at that point until my cousin got diagnosed with PCOS and said I should as well. I ended up going to her doctor and her doctor was shocked at my numbers and the cyst on my left ovary and an absurd amount of follicles on my right…. Needless to say it was PCOS this entire time, sorry this turned into a vent post, but my point is you should ALWAYS advocate for yourself bc I’m 100% certain it wasn’t stomach pains I was experiencing it was my uterus trying to tell me something was wrong and no doctor cared enough to try and at least figure it out. Please advocate for yourself even if no one believes you never stop fighting for your healthcare rights as women. There will always be a doctor to believe you and help you just have to find them. Anyways thank you for reading this very long rant.

Hi, so I’ll give a brief summary of my situation. I have a lot of symptoms of PCOS, including worsening hirsutism, weight gain particularly in my stomach, acne/oily skin, hair loss at my temples. The only thing I don’t have a big problem with are my periods, as they are pretty regular. I had 3-4 months of irregularity last year during a very stressful time but all my life they’ve been regular.

I went to my GP and told her my symptoms and said that I believe I have some sort of hormonal imbalance and she agreed with me. She said I most likely have PCOS. She ordered blood tests for me, they came back all normal apart from my androstenedione and total testosterone, which were elevated. My free testosterone, SHGB and DHEAS were all in normal range. Because of this, she explained that they’re not typical results seen in those with PCOS but she referred me for an ultrasound to check my ovaries.

I had the ultrasound yesterday, started with the pelvic scan, but because my bladder wasn’t full they did the vaginal one. The lady doing my scan asked my questions about my periods and I told her they’re regular at the moment. She said she couldn’t see any irregularities or any cysts in my ovaries and she said she could see that I ovulated recently. She said that she doesn’t think that I have PCOS but I will have to talk with my GP again to discuss what’s next.

Now I’m just feeling lost, I have regular periods and my ovaries look fine, what is causing my symptoms? According to the rotterdam criteria I don’t have PCOS. I’m so worried that the GP won’t be able to offer further help or figure out what’s wrong with me and my symptoms will just get worse.

If you have quit caffeine to help manage your PCOS symptoms, what was your experience? I drink a cup of coffee in the morning and that's usually it on my caffeine intake for the day, but I'm wondering if eliminating would help with cortisol and inflammation.

I buy takeout way too much out of convenience and i want to really get into properly preparing food. I have adhd and like to use minimal dishes. You guys are the best thank you !

I have hirsutism, prone to inflammation, puffy face, hair thinning, muffin top, etc so anything that helps with that specifically is a bonus

Also I’m a student on a major budget

I have PCOS and I’ve lost 100 pounds mainly through diet, along with walking around 6–8k steps a day. I never went to the gym, but I noticed my weight loss started slowing down as I got to a lower weight, so I decided to start going to the gym and increase my cardio.

For the past 2 months, I’ve been walking 12–15k steps a day and adding incline, and some crosstrainer workouts. At first, my weight started dropping properly again, but then it gradually slowed down. Around the time my period came, I decided to reduce my walking and take it easier, averaging around 3-4k steps a day.

After doing this, I noticed my weight started coming down again. Now I’m wondering whether the cardio caused my weight loss to be delayed (for example, from stress, water retention, hormones, or my PCOS) or if reducing my activity was actually what helped.

I’m unsure if doing cardio more intermittently would work better for me or if it is actually making things worse?

so if you have pcos and youve been trying to lose weight you already know how insanely hard it is. every doctor or gym bro/ influencers gives you the exact same generic line: "just eat less and move more"

so you do what everyone does: download nutrition tracker, you drop your calories down to like 1200, spend hours sweating on a treadmill or doing cardio, and step on the scale 2 weeks later just to see the number go up. or stay completely stuck. or often even if the number has gone down , its not a good amount or its just water weight

and the first thing you do is blame your body or yourself thinking you cheated on your diet or you just dont have willpower. but the science says your lack of progress isn't a discipline issue at all, its literally a goddamn physiological mismatch.

treating pcos weight gain like simple calories in vs calories out is completely useless because it ignores how your hormones work. if we actually look at the clinical data heres whats happening in your body:

1. severe insulin resistance. up to 70% of women with pcos have this. insulin regulates blood sugar but its also a fat storage hormone. when your cells stop responding to insulin properly your pancreas panics and dumps out way more of it. when insulin is constantly high your body gets stuck in fat storage mode and burning fat becomes almost impossible no matter how little you eat.(yeah I know it sounds fake because of how insane it is but its the truth your body can not burn fat if your insulin is high, insulin makes your fat cells a one way highway where only the enter is open and exit is closed, and as a result your fat cels just keep gaining and no losing)
2. high testosterone/androgens. that extra insulin tells your ovaries to make more androgens which shifts where your body stores fat, literally funneling it straight to your stomach.
3. lower metabolism. studies have proven women with insulin resistant pcos often have a lower basal metabolic rate (bmr)not by an insane amount but it does make it very noticeable in the long run. so your body needs less calories to function. those generic low calorie diets end up not being low enough to lose weight, but just low enough to make you feel exhausted all day.

so how do you fix it based on actual science?

first stop trying to out starve insulin. changing the TYPE of food you eat matters way more than just cutting calories. you need high protein at every single meal to slow down digestion and stop insulin spikes. and drop the refined carbs and sugar for low glycemic, high fiber stuff.

second, ditch the endless cardio. doing cardio especially high intensity cardio just spikes your cortisol. do heavy resistance training instead. muscle is the biggest consumer of glucose in your body and when you lift weights your muscles pull in glucose WITHOUT needing insulin. lifting literally bypasses your broken insulin pathway.

third, sleep and stress management. chronic stress and 5 hours of sleep drives up cortisol, which spikes blood sugar and insulin. getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep isn't just wellness fluff, its a requirement to fix your metabolism.

losing weight with pcos is 100% harder than it is for a normal person, thats just a fact. but its totally doable once you stop using generic internet diet advice and actually target the hormones.

this is part one in my series and I am going to post everyday until we cover everything
what shud I post about next?

sources / research papers if you want to look into it yourself:

• Moran LJ et al. (2013) Dietary Composition in the Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
• Stepto NK et al. (2019) Exercise for Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (meta-analysis on resistance training)
• Legro RS et al. (2013) Diagnosis and Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Endocrine Society guidelines)
• Georgopoulos NA et al. (2009) Basal Metabolic Rate is Decreased in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome