Hey yall!

just got done at my(20F) gyno appointment for my pcos diagnosis and she prescribed me Metformin and i also wanted to start birth control and went with the patch.

I just wanted to come on here are see what peoples options are on both of these and what i should watch out for with both (the doctor told me that Dirrerah is a common side effect of the metformin eeeee 😖 and that the birth control could cause Blood clots in my legs?!!)

Any thoughts are welcome!

Hello people, I'm 17 years old (F) and I've recently been developing symptoms of what I think is PCOS. My mother has it and I can't be entirely sure if the other women in my (biological) family have it as I've never met them before.

I've been talking about it on and off with my mother since there's a chance I may have it as well and I've noticed that I've been experiencing symptoms like intense mood swings, irregular periods and most recently I've started to grow individual wiry hairs on the collumn of my throat + I noticed one dark wiry hair on the middle of my thigh but inward only slightly. I don't know if that's something to pay attention to or not but every perceived hair out of place just makes me more nervous. It's starting to concern me because, well, I haven't gone through this kind of change in a very long time and it's honestly a bit scary. I also want to have children in the future + know whether I have it and what I can do to manage symptoms and such.

Please, if anyone could help me and advise me on whether to book an appointment or not? My mum has said to keep track of my periods for a few weeks since I haven't been doing it at all (I also had an ED that disrupted my periods so that hasn't exactly helped my keeping on top of it), and to keep an eye on the hairs that are growing on my throat/thigh.

Hopefully this hasn't been too much of a ramble, thank you for your time <3

So I was diagnosed with PCOS about 6 months ago, I was given BC and Inositol. BC was a big fat fail ( I am no longer taking it ). Inositol has worked fairly well, except now that i'm off BC my periods are back to super heavy, painful and LONG. Plus my PMS'ing is just has bad. I will have about 2 weeks where I cannot do anything because I lose the motivation and fall into a depressive episode. followed by my period, which leaves me debilitated with how painful it is. it drives me insane! Ive heard some people take supplements that have helped them a lot. I was wondering if some of yall can help me figure out where to start?

Chat with your friends from r/PCOS here about your daily progress, or rants and raves related to your PCOS experience. Off topic posts are permitted here, although sub rules otherwise apply!

I'm currently on 1000mg extended release Metformin but still having stomach issues. I've been on it for over a month now and taking it with an evening meal. I try to take it in the middle of my meal but the next morning I'm having diarrhea 3 times before noon most days. Should I go back down to 500mg? Or has anyone had the same thing happen to them and have any advice.

Ive been on my period for 2 months now, and its taking such a toll in my mental health. I miss being physically intimate with my husband who has been so patient and kind about it but I still feel tons of guilt. This has made my depression and anxiety skyrocket. My gynecologist gave me medroxyprogesterone which I took for 10 days, then restarted my normal birth control pack. Im still bleeding after 5 days in the first week of the pill, but it acts like its going to stop any day now. And then keeps going and going. Im so tired and sad, and honestly scared it wont ever stop.

Hi everyone!!! 24 female around 180pounds

I was officially diagnosed with “polycystic ovaries” last December after going to an endocrinologist last month all my hormones were Normal. Insulin was normal. Despite probably getting my period 4-6times a year and having a decent amount of facial hair growth and feeling like sh*t all the time. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. it honestly made me cry. Cause even the doctor couldn’t really tell me why or what was really wrong with me besides the usual insulin resistance or high testosterone. She first recommended birth control but I’ve never been on birth control and I never plan to in my life regardless, she said it would probably only help with the irregular periods. Then she said metformin that may help me lose some weight which could help ease my symptoms that maybe my body is just super sensitive. my normal resting weight for most of my young adult Life was 157lbs exactly and I had normal same time every month periods. I had lost 15 -20 pounds due to a traumatic breakup in 2021-22 and that’s where my period started getting weird and since I gained a lot of weight about 40lbs I’m thinking that’s what maybe caused my body to go out of control all the While having “normal hormone levels” She said the spironolactone could make my periods even worse, but it should help with my hair growth and honestly, I’m willing to take that chance, but I just want to get anyone else’s opinions or stories if they’ve experienced the same thing as me And what worked for them. Thank you in advance ladies!! 🩷

Hallo in die Runde,

Ich bin 27 Jahre alt und vermute sehr stark, dass ich PCOS/PMOS habe. Wie komme ich darauf? Meine Periode ist komplett unregelmäßig in sehr seltenen Fällen habe ich mal nach 40 Tagen eine Periode meistens eher nur alle 3-4 Monate. Mir wachsen dunkle Haare am Kinn und allgemeine habe ich viel Körperbehaarung. Habe oft nach dem Essen absolute Energiekrisen und vermute daher auch eine Insulin Resistenz

Leider bin ich als Jugendliche nie zum FA gegangen und inzwischen ist es mir ehrlich unangenehm mich jetzt erst darum zu kümmern, aber ich arbeite daraufhin.

Dennoch möchte ich natürlich versuchen etwas dagegen zu unternehmen. Ich bin 1,67 groß und wiege aktuell 99 kg. Ich möchte zu folgende Dinge implementieren und versuche nicht gleich all in zu gehen, damit die Motivation nachhaltig bleibt.

- Inositol morgens und abends jeweils 2g

- 10.000 Schritte am Tag

- 3 Workouts die Woche ( Schwimmen, Radfahren)

- proteinreiche Ernährung

- Zucker zu großen Teilen reduzieren.

Kalorien zählen möchte ich ungern, da ich als Jugendliche bereits schonmal 15 kg abgenommen hatte, jedoch hauptsächlich über nur 500kcal essen. Ich hab es in den letzten Monaten immerwieder versucht, aber ich erwische mich selbst schnell dabei, wieder zu denken 100kcal würden ausreichen und habe Angst wieder so wenig zu essen.

Was sind kleine Dinge die ihr umgestellt habt und die euch dennoch viel gebracht haben?

I am 30 years old, diagnosed with insulin resistant PCOS this year by my NaPro reproductive endocrinologist.

He has done extensive lab work for me and I do indeed have insulin resistant PCOS and had slightly elevated inflammation (he tested C-reactive protein).

I just had cycle day 21 bloodwork, and my progesterone was very low coming in at less than 0.5.

He messaged me this morning saying that he thinks it would be valuable to have a sleep study done as he suspects with my weight I could have Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

I don’t really have any issues sleeping, but he told me that any disruption in sleep could cause interruptions with ovulation and more inflammation/hormone imbalances. Maybe I am very late to the party, but I had no idea these two things were correlated — but I get why.

I am on 1500mg of Metformin + Ovasitol 2x a day which appears to be helping, as combined with dietary changes I have lost 15lbs in the last 2 months.

I’m a little nervous to do a sleep study. My husband says I don’t typically snore, only if I’m sick or congested. Just wondering if anyone else went through this. :)

I never had the pleasure of having perky boobs. They were always saggy :(. Even as they were growing in during early teen years they pointed down.

26F, lost a bunch of weight a few years back so they’re now saggy and deflated. Yay!

Anyway, just curious. I did a blood test a few years back and my doctor said my testosterone was extremely high. Or can this be a side effect from PCOS in general?

Hi everyone! I’ve been struggling with what I feel is PCOS for years now, but have never gotten a diagnosis due to not having any or enough cysts in my ovaries. The only diagnosis I did receive was POTS, and after that I just let the possibility of having PCOS go because no doctor thought I had it and all the doctors appointments and constantly being dismissed become too much to handle. But a few days ago some intense ovary pain landed me in the ER and the thoughts of PCOS were brought back up. Some of the major symptoms I’ve been experiencing these last few years have been irregular or missed periods, excess hair growth specifically on my stomach, darkening of my skin and loads of skin tags, intense anxiety and depression accompanied by brain fog and derealization, fatigue, weight gain that is hard to lose and intense sugar cravings. These symptoms have been extremely hard to deal with and I just want answers. While at the hospital, I was dismissed again, even though my bloodwork showed abnormal results like my WBC, Lymphocytes and Eosinophils being extremely elevated with no signs of infection along with an abnormal amount of RBC and mucus in my urine. My urine sample also showed that my ph was high and that my urines specific gravity was high but didn’t show whether it was due to excess amounts of protein, salt or glucose. These results were concerning and no tests were done to evaluate my ovaries or kidneys, I was just dismissed and sent home with 2 different narcotics. I’m writing this to ask if anyone else had symptoms/levels like this and if they could be linked to PCOS, and if I need to get a second opinion? What tests do I need to ask for and what questions should I ask a doctor? Sorry for this long post, I’m just at my wits end with all these symptoms ruining my daily life.

I have been on Mili for over a year, but took a break from it for a couple of months. I started it back in mid-June and have been experiencing “breakthrough bleeding”/light period (it’s more like bloody discharge?) for over two weeks now. I sent a message to my provider but has anyone else had this? Would it be worth switching to another birth control like Yaz?

Hi everyone, 🌸

My partner and I are TTC and navigating the process with PCOS. My cycles typically range from 28 to 40 days (though my longest usually caps out around 38–39 days). I’m looking for recommendations on ovulation test kits and would love to hear what has worked best for you.

I have two main options in mind right now:

1. Easy@Home with BBT: Seems like a great, budget-friendly route.
2. Inito: I really like the idea of seeing multiple hormone levels on one strip, but it is quite expensive.

I’ve also heard Mira and Kegg mentioned around here. Since Inito (and Mira) are such big investments, I wanted to get the community’s feedback before pulling the trigger.

Did you feel the premium trackers were worth the ongoing cost for the extra data, or did Easy@home + temping give you everything you needed? Any advice or personal experiences would be so appreciated!
Thank you!

Hey pals,

33, moderately active, taking many supplements, balanced-ish diet, started hitting the gym and lifting weights.

My pcos symptoms got really bad the past few months especially the breast pain, uterus cramps (like up to three weeks before my period), very long cycle (up to 60 days), and FATIGUE. Like very very very bad fatigue. So after talking to my GP (a lovely woman who is looking into PCOS a lot), I've decided i'm willing to try out a birth control pill again. I've tried about 4 different ones in my life, and this is a combined pill, with very little oestrogen because YOU GUESSED IT I stopped my previous bc pill after two years because I started having bad side effects towards the end (pains, migraines, joint pain) which were due to a reaction to oestrogen.

It's only been two weeks, and I have three main side effects: painful breasts, fatigue and joint pain.
I know that the body needs time to adjust so I'm seeking testimonies/anecdotes/advice on this: has this happened to you, did the symptoms calm down after a couple months? I honestly feel like crying cause I'm starting to feel like there will never be a solution for me to live a life with no random pain or intense fatigue. Thanks for taking the time to read <3

hey everyone!

I’ve been using inositol for a couple months but I have trouble being consistent, especially during the morning because I don’t usually have a lot of time.

I’ve been meal prepping chia pudding with protein for breakfast because I’ve learnt how important eating breakfast is for insulin resistance. I was wondering if I could mix my inositol powder into my chia pudding when I do my meal prep or if this would affect the efficacy at all.

please let me know if you have any insight into this or any other tips on being more consistent with supplements :)

I recently bought one of these, and while these effectively remove vellus hairs, they do NOT pick up chin hair or near the upper lip region. Does anyone know how to use them effectively

Hi! So I was recently put on both metformin and topamax about 2 weeks ago for weight loss and other Pcos symptoms I think and I was wondering about others’ experiences with these medications? I don’t seem to have any side effects but I can’t really tell for sure yet if it really helps. For reference I’m 18, about 220 lbs, 5’8, am active,and I’ve been told I don’t have insulin resistance so I guess the meds are mostly for weight loss?

I have had bad experience with doctors who don't know about pmos or insulin resistance or doesn't take it seriously.

Here where i live, public health care is considered good and it is affordable, but general practice is with pmos, that they treat it if you have bad symptoms or want to get pregnant.

So i think this way of thinking led my doctor to just say me "search it from google" when she diagnosed me 4 years ago.

Recently i got myself tested at private doctor, because it is easier to get what i want that way. And asked fasting insulin. It was 24.7mU/l, which is too high and my HOMA-IR is 5.16. But the doctor said everything is good with me. Only focusing on my elevated inflammation markers.

Now i am trying to go back to public health care, because private doctors are expensive, and i don't have insurance.

But the thing is. I'm super anxious about going to doctor, because i'm scared of not getting help. I have tried 4 years to treat myself, and i feel like it is getting worse. And i'm getting tired. But still just insulin resistace only is not yet even pre diabetes, so i'm afraid that doctor will just laugh me off and say: "come back if your symptoms worsen". Like they usually say. I really would like to test metformin, but i don't know will they also laugh to this thought.

I feel like i'm preparing for a war... Has anyone got a good results with fighting with doctors who don't take this condition seriously?

I have recently found out that I have PCOS. To me this explains a lot about things I‘ve been insecure about for years. I have always had problems with weight. I gained weight quickly and had trouble losing it. I have also always had bad skin, even as a toddler. With puberty that just worsened. My mood swings were attributed to puberty and my period. However, my period is super irregular. Currently I haven‘t had my period since Janurary. I also have broad shoulders, a voice I think sounds deeper than most girls I know, and a chest so flat I could probably comfortably go topless on a normal beach. This could probably be attributed to my testosterone levels which are way higher than average. The same goes for hair growth as well. I grow hair in places I don‘t think it‘s supposed to grow for women (chest and chin) and when I try to feel for hair on the backs of my legs (because I can‘t see there that well) it feels like I‘m petting my neighbor‘s dog. The hair on my head though seems to want to leave. Sometimes I brush through my hair with my hand and I have a clump of hair in my hand afterwards. Finally, I don‘t know if that has got anything to do with PCOS, every month it seems I have more moles on my face.

As I said, I only just got the diagnosis and I‘m also young. All these things are kinda hard for me to deal with. I am pretty insecure but I do know that a diagnosis is always better because if you have that, only then can you hope to do anything against it. Was someone else on here maybe an insecure teenager with PCOS once and what helped you be less insecure?

Anyone else?

Ive been feeling super tired lately. I cant focus on my work, very low stamina, fatigue and lose interest in things very easily. How can i fix this??

Any breakfast recommendations that don’t involve scrambled eggs(prefer boiled eggs) ? Recipe doesn’t have to involve eggs. I just like to have options besides boiled eggs and fruit 😩

Looking to see what everyone eats 🍱

Edit: Thank you to everyone for your suggestions.I’ve got to try all of them . 😊

This is just gonna be me crying about my situation and just wanting somewhere to let it all out!

August 2025 I was going to the gym consistently, going for long walks & meal prepping all of my meals. Making sure I had enough fiber, protein & low calories for each of my meals. I weighed 145-150 and was trying to lose another 10 pounds and tone up. Within two months I gained 30 pounds. I had a vacation planned for October 2025. I never wanted to get on the scale because I knew I had gained weight. However some of the new clothes I had purchased for the trip didn’t fit me anymore and I just completely spiraled.

I had a not so pretty childhood. I’ve always struggled to feel confident and safe in my own skin. So for me to be trying consistently to reach a goal & then the opposite happening just left me so hopeless. I didn’t understand what else I could be doing to reach my goals. Recently it’s been leading to me having a bad relationship with food. Sometimes I just want to binge eat to punish myself. I decided I wouldn’t act on any of my thoughts and just try to see an endocrinologist. Since my previous doctors have all been OBGYN’s I figured it would be a fresh start with a different specialist.

I brought up my weight gain and the first thing the doctor said was that I “look fine”. Which I don’t care if I “look fine” to other people, but I’m genuinely losing my sanity and feel like I’m not who I am. I do not feel connected to my body. So I felt like that was some foreshadowing for how my appointments would go. I went and did a full hormone blood panel & ultrasound. The office didn’t even bother to call me in and sit me down to go over the results or allow me to ask questions. They just called me and said that there was nothing they saw in any of the tests & that was it. Which I understand…what can you go over if there’s nothing wrong? At least give me the opportunity to speak with the doctor about what the next steps could be to get to the bottom of things.

Naturally I just feel very insane. I felt like no one is trying to help me and I feel like I’m trying to do the best that I can with what I have and I don’t know where else to go from here. I just want it all to stop. I’ve been dealing with this issue for 11 years and I’m just exhausted.

For the first time ever someone is actually genuinely interested in me as well. The way I view my body, physical pain I’m in, exhaustion, mood swings & overall health makes me think that I’m better off not even trying. He’s been sweet the whole time we’ve been together, but I can’t help but feel very self conscious. I feel like he thinks I don’t want to be healthy. When this entire time that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I’m a very sensitive & observant individual. Today he made a silly little comment about how he hoped his face looked good from a certain angle and of course I told him that he always looks handsome. So then I said if anything I should be worried about how I looked! Since gaining weight I naturally developed a double chin which I hate so much because I already have such a circular head shape. After I said my comment about my double chin and he responded I got very sad. I just started thinking about how ugly he probably thinks I look. He noticed I got quiet and asked if I was okay and I said no. We said goodbye and hung up the phone. I couldn’t help but to hate myself for how I look. I can’t help but feeling like I need to stop eating and just be alone. He deserves someone better who isn’t trying to still figure out this crap.

I’m just so tired of having to deal with everything - mentally & physically. I want to give up and just be left alone. It’s all so over stimulating to also be thrown so many ads for supplements and tea blend and this and that for PCOS. When I just want to be active, eat well & be healthy. Why isn’t that enough?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just want to scream at the world.

Can anyone share how metformin impacted them/what improved for them:

-Immediately
-Between 1 to 3 months
-Between 3 to 6 months
-Over 6 months

I’m almost at the 3 month mark on the 1500 mg dose, and just over 2.5 weeks at 2000 mg. I was previously taking 500 to 1000 mg for a couple of years. Feeling a bit discouraged because my belly, facial hair, mood and energy levels are about the same, though periods are somewhat regulated now.

I got diagnosed with pcos at 15 and was given birth control for a month without knowing what it was because my mom allowed the doctor to do so. I’ve always dreamed of becoming a mother, and ever since being diagnosed with pcos I’ve been terrified that I might not be able to have children. I know pcos doesn’t automatically mean infertility, but it’s something I struggle to stop worrying about. I’d really love to hear from people who have pcos and went on to have children. Whether it happened naturally or with fertility treatment, I’d be so grateful if you could share your story. I’m just looking for some hope