Re: PCOS--too much estrogen or too much testosterone?
From: Linda (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri, 14 Jun 2002 10:49:41 -0500 (CDT)
Hi Anonymous,
Wow, we are neighbors. I live in the nyc area.
I meant having the veins fixed, thinking of sclerotherapy. Are you
familiar with this or thinking about it too? They're really bothering me
b/c I think they are getting worse. It's rainy and cold today though
and they are lighter. :) btw, I heard that taking bcps makes them
worse. Are you on any right now? I was but stopped for a couple of
months alreeady. I thought they would fade, but that didn't happen.
--
Linda
At Thu, 13 Jun 2002, anonymous@obgyn.net wrote:
>
>Hey Linda -
>
>Yes, I live in NJ.
>
>I don't have pain, although, I do have Costrocondritis - inflamation between
>the rib cages. The Costrochondritis is sometimes painful/sore, so I might
>not notice if the "blue veins" were giving me physical discomfort. My legs
>ache everyday....I can feel small cyst-like things undereneath, but I was
>told it's nothing (of course, I must be imagining it). I have also been
>retaining water in my legs/toes/feet for several months and have recently
>been taking Lasix for it, which doesn't seem to really help much. Of course,
>the humidity in NJ lately hasn't helped at all with the swelling. In
>additon, I have sciatica, which is a complete joy...;) The pain/lack of
>comfort in my legs is constant, regardless of if I am standing or
>sitting...although it does feel a little worse when I am sitting in my office
>chair - I am assuming because my legs aren't up.
>
>You mention "having them fixed"...having WHAT fixed?
>
>Anonymous
>
>In a message dated 6/13/2002 3:28:28 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>anonymous@medispecialty.com writes:
>
>> Subj:Re: PCOS--too much estrogen or too much testosterone?
>> Date:6/13/2002 3:28:28 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>> From:<A HREF="mailto:anonymous@medispecialty.com">anonymous@medispecialty.com</A>
>> Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:pcos@obgyn.net">pcos@obgyn.net</A>
>> To:<A HREF="mailto:pcos@mail.medispecialty.com">pcos@mail.medispecialty.com</A>
>> Sent from the Internet
>>
>> Hi Anonymous,
>> Same here. I have them across my breats too and same thing happens when
>> I get out of a shower, especially a hot shower and I also notice that
>> they get darker when the weather gets hot and humid. Do you feel any
>> physical discomfort? Does yor legs ache or anything , specially when
>> when you sit or stand too long? I am contemplating having them fixed.
>> btw, do you live in the new york area?
>>
>> Linda
>>
>> At Thu, 13 Jun 2002, anonymous@obgyn.net wrote:
>> >
>> >Holy Cow!!! I have those same very blue veins as well. They used to be
>> much
>> >much lighter...now they are so blue that you HAVE to notice them!!! I
>> >thought it was just me...not knowing what made them that way. I have some
>> >right across my breasts...when I get out of the shower, they are even more
>> >noticeable.
>> >
>> >Anonymous
>> >
>> >In a message dated 6/13/2002 12:31:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>> >anonymous@medispecialty.com writes:
>> >
>> >> Subj:Re: PCOS--too much estrogen or too much testosterone?(to Belle)
>> >> Date:6/13/2002 12:31:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>> >> From:<A HREF="mailto:anonymous@medispecialty.com">anonymous@medispecialty.com</A>
>> >> Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:pcos@obgyn.net">pcos@obgyn.net</A>
>> >> To:<A HREF="mailto:pcos@mail.medispecialty.com">pcos@mail.medispecialty.com</A>
>> >> Sent from the Internet
>> >>
>> >> Hi Belle,
>> >>
>> >> So this means that if one has too much estrogen in the body, it can get
>> >> converted into testosterone as well?
>> >>
>> >> I was just confused b/c when I started noticing my pcos symptoms, I also
>> >> noticed that a lot of the veins on my arms and legs were becoming
>> >> visible (this didn't happen with time. it just happened like within 2
>> >> months, which scared me), not spider veins but the larger ones that are
>> >> deeper down than the fine spider veins that I see in older people. I
>> >> don't think they are varicose veins either b/c they don't bulge...just
>> >> visible blue veins. Anyway, I heard that they can be caused by excess
>> >> estrogen in the body. My periods also changed all of a sudden. I used
>> >> to get irregular bleeding and when I did get my periods, they were
>> >> HEAVY, but it got really light all of a sudden. A couple of months
>> >> later, I got my hormones tested and my estrogen levels were normal and I
>> >> had high (total and free)testosterone levels. So, I was just thought
>> >> maybe the estrogens in my body are being converted into testosterone...
>> >>
>> >> Linda
>> >>
>> >> At Thu, 13 Jun 2002, Belle wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >Testosterone and estrogen are both steroids. They are chemically very
>> >> >similar to one another. Testosterone can be converted easily into
>> >> >estrogen in the fat cells. PCOS'ers do not necessarily produce too
>> much
>> >> >estrogen (but they can since there is nothing to oppose the
>> production).
>> >> >
>> >> >Our bodies are a system of checks and balances. If one thing is out of
>> >> >whack, it can affect many other things in our bodies.
>> >> >
>> >> >At Wed, 12 Jun 2002, Linda wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >>Can someone clarify for me? Read in this forum some women saying that
>> >> >>pcos'ers are producing too much estrogen. What about the testosterone
>> >> >>side effects? Is it too much estrogens causing the elevated
>> testosterone
>> >> >>levels? confused.
>> >> >>
>> >> >>--
>> >> >>Linda
>> >> >>
>> >> >--
>> >> >Hope this helps,
>> >> >
>> >> >Belle
>> >> >
>> >>
>>