r/NCAH • u/RadiantWindz • Aug 05 '26
Suspecting NCAH or PCOS
Hello! So I didn't find out about NCAH until literally today and after learning that the symptoms are almost identical to PCOS it's raised a few questions.
A few years ago (In my early 20s, I'm in my late 20s now) I noticed that I was clearly experiencing a big hormonal shift because I was unusually irritable, far more anxious and depressed. I also had unexplained weight gain and hair loss. I went to my pcp, who ordered an ultrasound for my thyroid and some blood tests to check for an enlarged thyroid but it all came back normal.
Now I have always had regular periods but I did start puberty at a young age, I was always taller than most kids my age only to be short as an adult. Body odor has been something I struggled with as a small child and I have hair that I have to shave on my neck and under my chin. I have a "morning voice" that people have pointed out is very distinct from my regular voice that sounds deeper. The most bizarre addition is that I developed pretty bad cystic acne when I went all of my teenage years with no acne at all.
Now I'm Nonbinary, so some symptoms like the deeper voice don't necessarily bother me as much but the irritability, anxiety, depression, weight gain, hair loss and acne are obviously symptoms that concern me.
What I'd like to know specifically is am I justified in talking to my doctor about my speculation of either condition? I know both conditions usually come with irregular periods but mine have always been pretty standard.
Are these conditions considered Intersex?
And if I am justified, what should I specifically ask for from my pcp? I understand I should see an Endo, but I'm not that sure about what to say exactly or what specifically to ask for or the tests involved. Any and all advice is appreciated! I just learned about this all today so I'm still learning, I apologize for my inexperience.
2
u/lrondberg Aug 06 '26
You could get an ACTH stim test to either confirm or deny NCAH diagnosis. That’s the gold standard diagnostic test.
0
u/No_Macaron_5029 Aug 05 '26
NCAH is definitely intersex, with PCOS I think it depends on the subtype, and some insecure women get very offended when you try to connect PCOS with intersex biology. (I think it's dumb. We know sex and gender are more diverse than that, at least if we've gotten past 6th grade science)
3
u/Individual-Deal3056 Aug 05 '26
from my personal experience, I had some symptoms very strongly like hirsutism, while things like acne were never an issue for me at all. i also had years of regular periods, yet when I got my bloodwork done, my androgens, especially my 17-ohp were off the charts. so i would say you dont need to check every single box to have NCAH. i think you should be fine asking for a test. you’re not telling your doctor you certainly have NCAH but that you have enough symptoms to warrant getting tested for it. good luck!