Re: Can you help me interpret my results for PCOS please?

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

I am sorry, I can't answer any of your questions – but when I watched "embarrassing bodies" the other day they introduced a woman with PCOS. I was surprised to learn that the treatment for it is just changing diet and life style. This woman had a lot of male hair growth in all the wrong places and all they could do for her was cosmetic laser treatment and – because she wanted children - they put her on some fertility hormone program.

I know that you already cut out sugars and that you do a lot of exercise.... so perhaps that is all that could be done in form of treatment anyway, even if you did have PCOS. Surgery, from what I have read, is only performed in extreme cases.

I am hoping that somebody more experienced with interpretation of sex hormones can answer your questions; all the re-assurance I can give you is that your electrolytes (sodium and potassium) are fine, so no adrenal imbalance there... - thank God for small mercies, eh J ?

I leave your original mail in its entirety below for others to read – hopefully somebody else has some answers for you.

Love,

xx

I was wondering if you could give me some advice on my blood results and scan I had for PCOS. I think some members here have been diagnosed with this. My scan said that one of my ovaries was abnormal and suggestive of PCOS while the other showed no abnormalities.I had my blood results come back which according to my GP are all normal. They were:SHBG 49nmol/L, premenopausal 26-110Urea level 5mmol/LTestosterone 1.2nmol/LSodium 144mmol/LProlactin 237mu/L, premenopausal 102-496Progesterone 2nmol/L, follicular: 1-5, luteal: 5-86Potassium 4.1mmol/LOestradiol 140pmol/L foll:46-607,lut: 161-774,ov peak:315-1828LH 6u/L fol/lut: 1-13, ov: 14-96FSH 8u/L fol/lut: 2-13, ov: 5-22She said judging from my blood levels I don't have PCOS but my ultrasound scan needs to be repeated in 3 months time.Now I have several questions:1) Are my blood results really normal? Sorry I don't have ref ranges for all the values, my GP is computer illiterate and cannot print the ranges...2) I read that for a diagnosis of PCOS, you need to fulfill 2 out of 3 criteria.These are:a) delayed or no period-> Mine is usually 10 days late, but GP says this is from coming off the pill. polycystic ovaries by ultrasound-> got those on one ovary.c)Excess androgen activitySo, my main questions are:* Can you have PCOS with cysts only on one ovary?* Do the excess androgens have to be measurable in the blood or can it be clinical symptoms? Ever since coming off the pill (3 months now), I have terrible skin complexion, really greasy and spotty skin and a lot of hair loss, hair is thinning quite badly on my head. I don't have hirsutism. I used to shed quite a lot of hair anyway, I am also low on zinc and take zinc supplements, but ever since coming off the pill this has got considerably worse.* Can my delayed period really be down to coming off the pill?

I'd be very glad if you could give me some answers to my questions. After I had the scan which showed the abnormal ovary I was really surprised to be told that my androgens are normal, despite having high androgen symptoms... Some more info on the side: my mom has been diagnosed with PCOS when she was my age. Not sure if it runs in families.Thank you!

[Guest guest]

Hi

I'm no expert about your blood results, but just wanted to check you had them

done on day 21 of your cycle? as sex hormone tests done out of this time frame

aren't any use.

I am a fellow sufferer of PCOS as well as endometriosis. I had my suspicions

for some time about my gynae issues but suprise suprise my GP fobbed me off

(with IBS >-(. It wasn't until I started trying to conceive that I finally got

referred to the hospital, did loads of blood tests, apparently all " normal " I'll

never know if they were, apart from Progesterone which was low, indicating that

I wasn't ovulating (well I already knew that!) Did Clomid for 6mths, was then

offered a hysterosalpingogram or a laparoscopy, I jumped at the chance of a lap

because I knew it meant a much more thorough examination and would diagnose my

suspicions of Endometriosis (also had a blocked tube) Add all mine and my

husbands issues together and we needed IVF, which we did, went textbook and have

a beautiful daughter who will soon be 4yrs. However I was desperate for another

child and it wasn't till my subsequent IVF attempts, that all went pear shaped

that I finally got diagnosed with PCOS.

I was angry that I'd gone this long without a diagnosis but was told it is very

tricky to diagnose, I too had one ovary with a polycystic appearance (discovered

on my first IVF round ultrasound scan)also I was told I was an atypical case,

i.e not overweight, bloods normal, but it was how I reacted to my subsequent

cycles that brought my team to the diagnosis. I miscarried after one cycle and

was hospitalised with very heavy blood loss. (aparently PCOS gives a high risk

of miscarriage) and on my 3rd cycle I suffered severe OHSS (ovarian hyper

stimulation syndrome) and was hospitalised for a week and took 3mths to recover

from, I think that was the final clincher.

Little did I know but Insulin resistance goes hand in hand with PCOS and they

screwed up my fasting insulin test when I first went to them! had the test been

done I might have known sooner and who knows maybe my miscarriage could have

been prevented. So after 3yrs got my diagnosis and started treatment, Metformin

1000mg, and it worked almost immediately, by that I mean I had regular periods

at last, before Metformin I would be lucky to have 4 periods a year and even

then I wouldn't necessarily ovulate. I'm assuming because I wasn't overweight

no one talked to me about diet, I wish they had, it's only recently that I

myself have realised the benefits of what a diet change can do for the insulin

resistance.

I now eat low carb, low sugar and am able to lose weight. As far as the

spots,PMS, and facial hair (thankfully not too severe) have not really changed

since being on Metformin, for me the main reason for treatment was for fertility

reasons so I won't whinge about the other symptoms, as it's done what it was

meant too. I hope one day to conceive naturally, right now I don't think my

body is up to the job, but when I am well enough I don't want to have to put

myself and my body through IVF again, but if that's what it takes...

Sorry for the long message but wanted to share my experience in getting a

diagnosis with you. It sounds to me like you have PCOS, especially as you say

your Mum has it too, normal bloods don't mean anything as far as I'm concerned,

if you're symptoms fit, someone once posted on here: " if it looks like a duck,

walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it probably is a duck " so true.

My sister has terrible facial hair and is overweight, I'm convinced she has PCOS

too, but her bloods came back normal and her GP just gave her a cream for the

facial hair, she has accepted this and won't pursue it further, depsite me

telling her it's classic PCOS, like many people we blindly put our faith in the

GP to do right by us and won't challenge them, but it's her life and I can do no

more. If it's affecting you then you must pursue it, it's a similar story to

thyroid, normal bloods do not exclude a diangosis, docs rely far too much on lab

results and ignore the classic symptoms starting them in the face.

All the best

Sandie.

>

> Hi all,

>

> I was wondering if you could give me some advice on my blood results and scan

I had for PCOS. I think some members here have been diagnosed with this.

>

> My scan said that one of my ovaries was abnormal and suggestive of PCOS while

the other showed no abnormalities.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sandie,

Thanks for your detailed reply! Sorry for my late response.

Sad to hear that you suffer from PCOS, but glad to hear that despite it you are

doing well and you even have a daughter! I am not trying to conceive just yet as

I am still studying, but the prospect of having problems getting pregnant are

daunting.

My test was done on day 11 of my cycle. My GP didn't mention that it had to be

done at a specific time. And now I am even more confused, because a few days ago

I asked my German gynaecologist who said the blood test will be useless if it

isn't done on days 5-7 of the cycle and on the internet I find quite a few

varying responses as well! Was it your GP/gyno who told you this about day 21?

I have also heard about the link with insulin resistance. I am also really

surprised that you were put on metformin when you weren't overweight. I read

that in the UK it is only given to people with a BMI over 25. I am bordering

this and weight is one of my issues as I eat healthily and exercise a lot and

have put on almost 2 stone since being diagnosed Hashi in 2008. Now with my

acne, greasy skin and hair loss my self confidence is zero...

I did go on the candida diet last year for a few months and was able to lose

some weight, so I know what you mean about cutting out sugar being very good. I

also felt a lot more energetic when I cut out sugar. I guess I need to follow

the low sugar diet more strictly. I don't eat bread/pasta/potatoes/rice anyway,

but just cutting out those isn't enough to do the trick for me.

Was it your GP who prescribed you the metformin? Did you have any side effects?

Thanks for your detailed reply! It's encouraging that eventually you did get

help, even though you could have got it sooner!

xxx

>

> Hi

> I'm no expert about your blood results, but just wanted to check you had them

done on day 21 of your cycle? as sex hormone tests done out of this time frame

aren't any use.

>

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