U/sound Results. PCOS or not?

[Mrs Jak]

I have -

Irregular periods (Are they considered that? See below)

Pimples mostly around chin and neck areas and

The scan definatley has the 'pearl neclace' (he he) effect.

(I'm within the normal weight range)

I once read that a symptom could be 'skin tags' in the arm pits. I have them too, but don't get how that is connected?

If I rang my Dr would she give me my previous blood results over the phone?

[butterfly_warrior]

Ella's mum, it would be impossible to say yes or no to PCOS with the information that we have so far. You really need to consult your doctor about this.

Just to give you a bit of an example, I have really quite severe PCOS, yet I've always been within a healthy weight range, I've never ever in my life had an acne problem, and I just don't have the hair issues to any noticable or distressing extent. The only obvious sign I had regarding PCOS was my complete and utter lack of a menstrual cycle - we're talking 70+ days as a matter of course. So for me it's really only through blood tests and scans that it's possible to give me a diagnosis (although the severe menstrual irregularities I have just scream that there is a hormonal problem of some sort).

Now, to my mind I wouldn't consider your cycles to be irregular, but I'm not entirely sure of what the medical definition is. Skin tags are often listed as one of the symptoms of PCOS, but there are also many other causes for acne, skin tags, etc that are not PCOS.

Basically, all I can say, even with the extensive knowledge I have gathered is that it's possible, but if you do have PCOS, it would appear to me to be fairly mild. Have you ever charted? Do you know whether you are ovulating each cycle? That could be a big indicator of whether you need help with this or not. Many women with PCOS need absolutely no assistance with conceiving at all.

Ella's mum, it's a possible diagnosis, but I really couldn't give any indication of how likely it would be at all.

BW

[shellshell]

I would say your cycles are irregular.

This is one of the biggest problems I had with getting a PCOS diagnosis - healthy weight and I thought my cycles weren't too bad - if a doc asked, I said they were regular, because I didn't understand what they meant by "regular"! Apparently, when they ask if you are regular, they mean if they are the same length most months, with perhaps a day or two out either way (ie. shorter or longer) every now and then - but essentially, the same length to the day for most months. When I first asked a health care professional what they meant by regular... I exclaimed, well, I have never been regular then!! This is after telling numerous doctors that I was indeed "regular", since I assumed if it came around every month, that was regular enough!

I also had doctors and specialists arguing over whether I really had PCOS or not... they seem to not be in a hurry to give out a diagnosis - especially when you may not fit the PCOS stereotype they seem to have in their minds...

All the best with seeing a FS - they should know what they are looking for!
Love,
Michelle