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POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME Updated February 2004

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a little know syndrome suffered by many women.

Women either miss the signs of PCOS altogether, they are unconcerned with 
the symptoms they are experiencing, or they are embarressed to tell their
doctor about them.  
Many women may only have one or two symptoms which causes Doctors to miss this diagnosis. 
Some women battle several.





The most common symptoms are as follows: 

 *Absent or Erratic Menstrual Cycle
 *Excess Hair Growth on any part of the body
 *Infertility
 *History or Current Problems with Acne on any part of the body
 *History of obesity in your family, (male family members also)
 *History of Diabetes in Family, (Male family members also.)
 *Painful Cycles
 *Skin tags (small moles that may grow then fall off)
 *Extra pigment in the skin may appear on stomach, nape of neck
 *Cysts on the ovaries may appear but not always (See Insulin Link)

 



    If you have one or more of these symptoms, I must recommend you 
 to tell your doctor about them. 
 Unfortunatly, many doctors are unaware of this condition, so if
 your doctor poo-poos your concerns, ask to be referred to an Endicronologist.
  An endicronologist is a gland and hormone doctor, who will most likely
 know about PCOS. 

 I have family members who have been referred to gynacologists for the problem,
 may I please advise..
INSIST you see an endocrinologist. 

 Many doctor's will 'hear' you talking about your ovaries or lack
of menstrual cycles...ask to see and endocrinologist. 
PCOS is an endocrine disease, not a gynecological syndrome.  
   
 It is mainly a cosmetic problem for most women, as it was with me. 
But it has larger affects, such as a high risk for diabetes in senior 
years, especially if you are overweight, and problems with your uterus,
even cancer. This is caused by the lack of menstruating which causes
build up on the uterus and is potentially dangerous. If you are having 
problems with getting pregnant, look into this problem because it is 
easy to get treated, and not permanent.  It means not being infertile, but
just a little harder to get pregnant. 

    Past treatments (still largely used today by many) are only solutions to the 
individual symptoms of PCOS and not cures for the underlying cause. 
 
They include:

 *Anti-Androgen Drugs to treat excess hair growth
 *Birth Control Pills to regulate cycles, and also help with mild acne
 *Some women may need to see a dermatologist for persistant acne
 *Some women may struggle through diet and exercise to lose weight only to find it is not working.
**There is a reason for this**READ ON

  

UPDATED LINKS!!!
It is now known that Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a misleading, OUTDATED name for
our problems. It was named so due to the fact that those patients 
(way back in the 30's) who suffered from things like excess hair growth
and irregular periods usually had cysts on the ovaries. We now understand 
differently, what the syndrome is, and cysts on the ovaries IS NOT THE CAUSE
but only another SYMPTOM of the actual problem.  
We now know through studies done by endocrinology departments worldwide that 
the root cause of these symptoms is INSULIN RESISTANCE.  
If your endocrinologist participated or led such a study in the past few years
thank him, for our problems, ladies, are almost solved.  
They have confirmed we suffer from Insulin Resistance, and now instead of treating
each and every symptom individually, we can now treat the root cause with drugs
such as Metformin. 
Look below for new links on 
new treatments, low carb diets and their promise and other great information.  We can be cured!!  

Studies all over the world are mostly wrapped up on treating PCOS patients with Diabetic Medication. It is now understood that PCOS is caused by Insulin Resistance and that any cysts on the ovaries is just another symptom of it. We are so lucky to finally have answers to the questions we face, basically like WHY ME? If you have suffered one or all of the above symptoms, it could mean you have an imbalance in the way your body responds to certain foods. It is overwhelming what insulin resistance does to our bodies! When you think of it, the body is such a spectacular creation, everything really should work perfectly ..much a like a vehicle say.. for it to run properly. This problem with insulin affects our hormones, causing alot of the ugly problems. (I have found that insulin itself is considered a hormone, but I'm not a doctor and I'm trying to keep this easy to understand and easy to write.) Doctor's once only considered PCOS to be nothing more than an irritating syndrome, but it is now known that it's sufferer's have a greater chance of heart disease, uterine and ovarian cancers and adult onset diabetes. It also makes it difficult to have a baby, as the hormones cause us to stop ovulating. Fear not, we still have the ability, and we're usually not completely infertile!! Ladies, to know that we finally have a drug that treats PCOS is wonderful, but if you have suffered for a long time, it will be a hard road to rid your body of the effects of the hormones. If you have suffered excess hair growth or skin tags or weight gain, it may be too late to stop it all now, and further treatment may be required to cure that part. Mothers!!! Please if you suspect your daughter at all may have insulin resistance, please talk to their doctor and be strong! If your doctor poo poos your concerns, DEMAND TO VISIT AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST! Also find out your family history. A history of obesity, adult onset diabetes, or infertility may be clues and a good endocrinologist may ask you! Find out if your daughters are menstruating regularly, they should be by age sixteen! WE HAVE TREATMENT WE HAVE TREATMENT!!!! Please read a little about the history of my suffering and this website and all the advances since it's beginning here:

History A Great Big Thank you to all those Women all over the world who have participated in a blind study! These women took the risk of being on the new drug or a placebo so that the rest of us could have the CURE we need so badly!!! Please SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN for more sites on PCOS and INFERTILITY and also to SIGN MY GUESTBOOK!! Can't wait to find out if we get some new treatment!!

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