Re: PCOS with only symtoms of irregular & scanty periods and hormone imbalance
From: Janet (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Mon, 28 Jul 2003 01:56:20 -0500 (CDT)
HI AH and Ainla,
I agree completely with AH. I do got a couple other things to add. You
were wondering about why you dont have a weight issue, the hair problems
and the acne. Not everyone gets all the symptoms. There are many women
that have pcos that are not overweight. Also the primary reason that we
have hair issues is elevated testosterone more specifically
dyhydrotestosterone(DHT). For some reason some of us are more sensitive
than others to DHT and may exhibit hair loss with only slightly elevated
DHT yet someone else with higher levels may have no problem at all. The
smae holds true for men. Race and genetics can play a factor in how
much hair and acne problems normal people get. Another thing I would
like to add is that you can have polycystic ovaries without having
polycystic ovarian syndrome. They really need to change the name of
this because you can also have no cysts and have the syndrome as well.
Like so many other things, the cysts are also only a symptom and not the
cause. I hope that you can find an endocrinologist to get you help if
you do need treatment.
--
Janet Heller
At Sun, 27 Jul 2003, AH wrote:
>
>Did your blood tests show any indication of hormone imbalance? If they
>did, then even if you don't have any other clinical symptoms of PCOS
>other than menstrual irregularity and ovarian cysts then you might have
>PCOS. A lot of women have polycystic ovaries on ultrasound, though, but
>they don't have the rest of the symptoms that come with the full blown
>disorder. So you can't diagnose PCOS on ultrasound alone. I'm a bit
>confused about what is considered necessary to diagnose PCOS, but I have
>read that you need 1) chronic lack of ovulation- which would be
>indicated by irregular periods,for example and 2)either clinical signs
>of androgen excess, and/or a blood test shows you have excess androgens
>and 3)in the absence of any other explanation for what is wrong with
>you. However, the definition may have changed for all I know.
>
>Treatment: insulin sensitising treatment might be a possibility even if
>you are not overweight and don't have many symptoms. There has been
>evidence that it can help balance hormones in PCOS. It also may be
>important for your long term health. This may mean changes to diet, and
>going on a medication like metformin (a diabetic medication.) I think
>there are some herbs that can reduce blood glucose without causing more
>insulin to be secreted, so those might be helpful. PCOS cannot be cured
>(yet) as far as we know, but it can be treated to some extent. This is
>why the conventional websites don't talk about cures. I don't know how
>you would go about finding a doctor, but you would probably need to find
>an endocrinologist. Who diagnosed you? Can they not treat you where
>they diagnosed you? Do they know anything about the disorder? I don't
>know how helpful it can be to treat PCOS with herbal medicine. Some
>women do say it has really helped though. This is something I am quite
>curious about, but don't know anything about from personal experience.
>It seems to me from reading and talking to people that a lot of herbal
>regimens can restore regular, more normal menstrual cycles and often
>ovulatory cycles, but I've come across more mixed information about how
>useful they are in treating the disorder as a whole. I'm sorry I
>probably have not been very helpful. Keep reading, and maybe try to
>read some clinical studies on PCOS treatments.
>
>At Sat, 26 Jul 2003, ainla wrote:
>>
>>Hi,
>>
>>I am a 29 year old unmarried woman from India and was diagnosed as
>>having polysystic ovarian disease in 1996 thru' an Ultra Sound of my
>>lower abdomen. but I think I must have had it much before that because
>>as far as I can remember I have been having irregular periods ever since
>>I was 15 or 16. But with the passage of years, my priod has become more
>>and more irregular and very much scanty too.
>>
>>I've never had any excess of body hair nor have ever been overweight. In
>>fact, I am underweight. I dont have acne, I had a little bit of it only
>>in my teens. I don't think I have diabetes and blood report has shown
>>that I don't have thyroid either. So the only recognisable symptoms is
>>the irregularity and scantiness of my periods and my ultrasound showing
>>multiple cysts in both my ovaries. And I have also hormonal imbalance.
>>
>>Does anybody know why I dont have the other normal PCOS symptoms of
>>excess hair, weightgain or acne?
>>
>>I'd never gone for treatment except since last year I started having
>>herbal medication. And after having the medication for almost a year I
>>stopped recently as there were no signs of any improvement which was
>>also proved to be true by an ultrasound of my ovaries.
>>
>>Now, I would really like consult a good doctor get treatment and I would
>>really appreciate if anyone could advise me where, how and with whom to
>>start.
>>
>>please advise which are the medicines usually taken to treat the
>>disease? Do they produce side effects? I have gone thru'a lot of
>>websites giving info about PCOS but so far I haven't come across any
>>positive information regarding PCOS & allopathic/ conventional cure. But
>>you find a lot of homeopatic & herbal sites which claim to cure the
>>disease. Here in India also, you come across homeopathic & herbal
>>doctors who say they can cure PCOD but these kind of doctors are not
>>really qualified in the conventional sense and I feel they dont really
>>have all the information about why & how of the disease and so am
>>hesitant get their treatment. Even then, I am still partial towards
>>these alternative medicines and
>>hoping to fine a good doctor practising alternative cures.
>>
>>I would be very grateful if you could reply me with as much information
>>as could possible give.
>>
>>Thanking you in advance.
>>
>>From,
>>A very distressed PCOS patient
--
Email always welcome
Janet at JanetHeller@msn.com
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