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Ultrascan

Diagnosed a few months ago, worst symptom is definitely tiredness.

Came off birth control in February 2020 and expected to return to my cycle as it was before which was perfect every 32 days like clockwork. Sadly have never gotten back to that. Instead had severe cystic acne and a missing period for 8 months which then did return but was very irregular. GP’s did one blood test which showed slightly high testosterone levels and immediately diagnosed me with PCOS. Have had no help since. They also refuse to do any further investigating to ensure I have PCOS and refuse to admit that this was caused by birth control. As someone who had a perfect cycle before it’s soul destroying. One thing that I would say helped regulate my cycle slightly was Vitex supplement but be careful as most people advise this isn’t for use in PCOS yet it helped me short term.

I had irregular periods my whole life, they were masked by the implant which stopped my periods completely. I didn't get diagnosed with PCOS until I tried to get pregnant and struggled with infertility for two years. I've been lucky to not have dealt with some of the more common symptoms but struggling to get pregnant was hard. I do wonder if my non-binary identity and my high androgen levels are related, but I guess it doesn't really matter in the end.

I'm 41, had some symptoms since 16. By 19 very severe. Diagnosed aged 21 using ultrasound, blood tests, fasting glucose tests under care of endocrinologist

I was diagnosed with PCOS at aged 17. I'd started puberty at 10 and had my first period at 13, but then only 1 or 2 more until 17. I had an ultrasound scan to diagnose the condition. I was then prescribed an anti-androgen pill (can't remember the name), to which I had horrendous side effects - heavy periods, mood swings, sharp rectal pain and weight gain. At the time (early 2000's) I thought I had no other options so put up with it. After a few years I found I was 'forgetting' to take my pill and returned to the doctor to review alternatives. They put me on a combination pill which eased many of my symptoms. On the pill I got periods as expected and they were moderate. It didn't help with other symptoms though, like excess hair on my tummy and face or acne, so I dealt with this through my beauty regime instead. In my mid thirties I stopped taking the pill all together after nearly 2 decades on it. I decided I didn't want children but was becoming aware of some health issues with long term use of the contraceptive pill. My periods stopped immediately and took about 2 years to return to a semi-regular pattern. My current cycle is every 35 days, for 3-5 days and is usually heavy and painful. Now I'm in my early 40s and experiencing signs of peri menopause like hot flushes and lapses in short term memory. My hair has thinned quite a bit at the front / top of my head, and I still have unwanted hair elsewhere on my body, along with the odd bout of acne. I also have high cholesterol, which I am working to reduce but it's very challenging (I'm vegetarian, don't drink alcohol and walk every day - all the things they recommend!). However, my HbA1c test (for diabetes) is always optimal. I've spent most of my life feeling self conscious about the visible PCOS symptoms (excess body hair, thinning head hair, more 'manly' face features like big nose) but now I'm at a point in life where I don't care what society thinks about my looks and it's just about how I feel in my body.

I was diagnosed in my mid 20’s during an egg donation process as a donor with a private fertility clinic and have since performed 2 donation sessions, producing many eggs with the clinics hormone infections to induce ovulation. During the donor process the consultant took my history, and did a transvaginal ultrasound. She diagnosed me with PCOS and advised I was to seek further advice via my own doctor. After doing research, I found out that I had been experiencing PCOS symptoms such as hair loss, acne, excessive hair body/ facial hair growth and sweating since adolescence. Looking back at my history, I found that there were many missed opportunities for an earlier diagnosis, but due to my own lack of awareness about PCOS, and assuming it was all down to being a teenager, I was diagnosed almost two decades after the onset of symptoms. I also hadn’t begun my period until the late age of 18 years old, I since have always been experiencing very irregular periods- 3months to 1 year apart with excessive bleeding causing anemia. I was convinced not long ago I was going through an early menopausal state, destined to never have children of my own. I hadn’t had a period for over a year, developed daily hot flushes, stubborn weight gain, fatigue, excessive snoring, high levels of bloating, anxieties and worry. My doctor reassured me this wasn’t the case but was possible I could have Endometriosis! I’m now approaching my mid 30’s continuously experiencing the same symptoms. I’ve sadly had x3 miscarriages in the last 10 years. I see becoming a parent in the future an impossible ambition but I hold an optimistic heart. PCOS is a serious disorder that impacts many aspects of life, yet is severely underdiagnosed, misdiagnosed and under-recognized by healthcare providers.

I was diagnosed with PCOS after an ultrasound and blood tests. The ultrasound showed an 'abnormal' number of follicles in my ovaries while the blood test revealed high/low levels of LH/FSH and high levels of prolactin. I was given no explanation as to what this meant (I had to request my own blood test results) or what I should do to help ease my excruciatingly painful periods (which I've had since I was 13). I was given my diagnosis over a 3 min phone call with my GP who told me to come back when I wanted to have children. I was left having to do my own research and still feel like I don't understand what's happening inside my body of how to treat it. Since then, I've picked up running, which does seem to help a bit. I'm also seeking help from a private gynaecologist (which I'm lucky enough to have access to through my work) to find out whether I might also have Endo. Women's healthcare is an uphill battle and it's as if no one cares about you unless your trying to have babies.

I started getting cystic acne in my early twenties, and I never had regular periods (cycle lengths 35-55 days). No facial hair, but dark hair around my nipples. Testing for PCOS was inconclusive (normal testosterone levels and no cysts on ovaries). However, spironolactone did resolve my symptoms. Once Yasmin came onto the market, I switched to that (using just 3 of the placebo pills), and that controlled my symptoms just as well for 10+ years.

I was diagnosed by ultrasound and hormonal blood tests through the NHS in Jan 2021 and my periods got very severe, they were lasting 8 weeks and very heavy so much that it caused me to be aneamic each time I had a period even though I was on high dose iron tablets, I knew I had PCOS since I was around 17 years old (2013) but gps would not test me for it and I got dismissed each time and only got diagnose when I’d reached a breaking point with my health