Can you still have PCOS if ...

[*Princess Kylie*]

Your testosterone levels come back normal?

I got some blood results back from the GP today, and apparently my testosterone level was normal - and I thought this was a precursor to PCOS.

I have been booked in for a pelvic ultrasound next week, so I guess I will have to wait for results until then?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[butterfly_warrior]

My testosterone levels are normal, yet I still have PCOS. Did they test other hormones, or just testosterone? For me, the only one that was up was free androgens, whatever that is, but that along with the PCO that were found on the ultrasound and complete and utter absence of anything resembling a normal cycle were enough to confirm the diagnosis.

It's also possible to have PCOS (the syndrome), and have normal looking ovaries. It's a really complex condition.

BW

[beastie]

yes you can

PCOS doesnt only depend on your testosterone level but also on cysts, progesterone, insulin resistance and many more

but a normal level could also mean, that your PCOS has gone

i cross my fingers for you, that would be great news

[Lil_Aussie]

Yes, Pcos has to be one of the most utterly frustrating things to suffer with, and have diagnosed.
Even though my blood work came back all screwed up when I was first diagnosed at 19, The doctor did a laparoscopy and took a biopsy from one of my ovary's, which came back positive for pcos. The doctor said though that there was a list of criteria that pcos sufferers can experience. I think if you have a number of these things, it puts you into the pcos diagnosis range, eg insulin resistance, high androgen lvls, high testosterone, excess hair, irregular or lack of menses etc

[*Princess Kylie*]

Thanks girls! Like I said, will wait for ultrasound results and see how I go.

[Aranah]

My testosterone was up, but also the free androgen was too high and another sex hormone.

Also my progesterone and other female hormones were way down.

At first, a doctor told me my hormone levels were normal! He printed out the blood test results for me to take to a specialist as he didnt' know what was up with me he said. i read them and thought, no way is that normal. I took them to another doctor, he said my female hormones where menopausal (i was 26) and three male hormones were too high and something to do with insulin. Also my U/S showed many cysts, but apparently a lot of women with PCOS don't show that on U/S.

It is terribly frustrating to get diagnosed properly!

They look at your symptoms too, weight gain, absense of periods, hairy things, acne, etc, in my case, all these things were sudden onset in the last year, particularly the weight gain.