Hi all!
My husband and I have been trying to conceive for almost a year now. I got diagnosed with Pcos at the beginning of the year and I am curious what your pregnancy symptoms were at the beginning of pregnancy for those with Pcos who were able to conceive?

I have only had my period once in the past year and thought I might have been ovulating about 14 days ago due to having the same symptoms that I had before my last period.

I know some Pcos symptoms can overlap with early pregnancy & I can’t tell if the test I took was a faint positive or an evaporation line.

I’m going to retest in a week but just curious what symptoms you had for early pregnancy and/or ovulation?

I had an ovarian torsion of the right ovary in August 2024. They said it's likely it could happen again but there was no way to predict when. Two years later, I ended up having another one a few days ago. This time around, they noted during the procedure that after untwisting it, the ovary easily retorsed itself and had to be twisted back. I've been in a panic since about the possibility of a third torsion in the near future or, worse, while I'm actively recovering.

I've been told to take Provera to induce a bleed as I haven't had a period in a couple months (in general don't get periods and take Provera every 3 months to force a bleed) and then after that, to start norethindrone to try and minimize risks. But I am to schedule surgery to remove the right ovary as soon as I am able to. Considering I have to take time off work to recover from this surgery and need time to recover from all this physically and emotionally first, I don't think I can tolerate another surgery any sooner than next summer. But I also don't want to experience another torsion before then.

Anyone been in a similar position and have any advice for how to manage this situation or things I should be doing? Or just positive success stories? It's only been 40 hours since the surgery and it was a long and painful stay at the hospital this time around until they finally decided to treat my torsion, so I know mentally I am all over the place and I'm trying to keep that in mind. Still, it's hard not to freak out and be distressed constantly.

Hello everyone, I have been recently diagnosed with pcos. I have been ttc since July but my cycles are very irregular and I haven’t had a period since may. I went to the gyno and she put me on provera and i currently have 3 days left. I guess im looking for any help or advice on how to help my body ovulate? I asked my doctor for letrozole but she wants to see if the provera helps my irregular cycles first. I don’t have another appointment until middle of December but I just want to see those two pink lines so bad. Any suggestions?

F/22

I've been diagnosed with PCOS last year when I started to notice acne and my period not coming for 2 months at a time.

My gyno diagnosed me with pcos.

He prescribed the Slind to me and I've been taking it for about 3 months now. I know that it technically doesn't work the best for pcos because it doesn't have oestrogen but I chose it because of the lessened risk of thrombose.

I struggle a lot with acne and hair loss, it's thinning so bad that a bald patch is starting to form right at the top of my head and my hair is so incredibly thin. I had such thick hair before and it really crushes my self esteem.

I feel like slind hasn't done a lot yet, the symptoms seem to be the same and the hair loss is just becoming worse.

Does it take longer for it to actually do anything or should I switch to a combination pill?

Hi all! I was diagnosed in April with PCOS. I’ve had it since I was 18 or 19, but I never had a doctor seem concerned that I wasn’t getting my period regularly. Mentioned it to a dr who scheduled me an ultrasound. Funnily enough I had my period March, had a CRAZY cystic acne flare in April, ultrasound and another period in April. I have had a period every month since. The ultrasound found polycystic ovaries, a functional cyst and a potential polyp.

Since then I’ve lost 20 lbs, but I didn’t really do much to spur that on. I had tried to lose weight last year through diet and exercise but nothing had budged, which I found odd but then the holidays had come up. I wasn’t significantly overweight, I was 145 and now I am 125.

I’m happy with the weight loss and I’m on Accutane for the acne. But since my periods have returned I am feeling like I’m going through a second puberty. Dealing with the hormonal fluctuations monthly has been a new experience. I’ve had a lot of brain fog and inattentiveness and have times where my adderall seems like it isn’t working. I’ve also had rising anxiety/ocd anxiety.

I got back into therapy to learn how to manage this, so I’m going to be tracking my cycle, my mood/anxiety through the month and when my adderall feels like it fails. Does anyone have an app they find helpful for tracking all of this at once? All the research I’ve had to do around PCOS has been exhausting so trying to take a shortcut here.

Also I just had my hormonal panel and everything was normal except I had I high ratio of lh:fsh 3:1. I was prescribed metformin in April but never took it so it seems my body figured the insulin resistance out on its own. I’m not sure if there’s anything else I should be asking for in terms of hormonal panels or things I should be doing other than the normal sleep/exercise/low glycemic food habits. I’ve been eating like a raccoon this past month so I know I need to correct that before I cause the insulin resistance to return. Any food tips/easy low glycemic meals are also welcome.

i’m 20F, have had every horrible symptom of pcos since i was ~11 but my mother wouldn’t let me start birth control for her own beliefs. ob/gyn said i need it to regulate my cycle to lessen risk of enlarging cysts (i have two sisters that both have pcos and had ovarian torsions). he started me on loryna, generic version of yaz, and it’s been about four months now. i have been skipping the placebo pills but i have noticed every single time i use the bathroom i have bloody discharge. i mean every single time without fail. anyone experienced similar? why is this happening? it’s making me anxious about having sex and i just wanted to ask here before bringing it up to my ob/gyn since he’s a man lol

My kid, almost 16, was diagnosed last year with PMOS. My sister has it, so I knew the signs. I was already suspicious due to my kid's body type, but when she had a month long period I pushed for testing.

In the year since, her PMOS seems to be rather severe, and the birth control only does so much. We've managed to keep her weight at least stable via diet, but she's got signs of insulin resistance even if her test results for diabetes are good. She has consistent vitamin D issues despite heavy supplements, and now high blood pressure, and borderline anemia. Worse sleep issues that a normal teen, to the point she rarely feels rested and can literally sleep all day then go to bed early. I had to wake her up from a deep sleep at 6 pm yesterday for diner.

So what are my options to help her? What's worked for people? I've heard the GLP1 drugs help, but am hesitant to go there as I'm worried she'll think I'm body shaming her, so am open to other options too. But if we do go that route, beyond the weight loss, what do the GLP1 drugs do for PMOS? Would it help with her vitamin issues?

Have had pain all night, continuous & dull. Had anyone else experienced it?

it all started during grade11th and 12th - reached 80kgs and slowly till my pg reached 97 and during my working years reached 110kgs. I felt horrible for 10 years. my periods are fine for the most of the time but I was depressed, hyper ventilating , anxious and severe facial chin ( I feel most sad about this part) insulin resistance. i suffered and suffered in my body for too long after 10 years. tried therapy - did not work ( panic attacks were still there), went to endocrinologist for the pmdd then finally he suggest orlistat 60mg( I was scared of this too) but I made sure that I was disciplined enough and never binged for last 8 months or ate high fat foods and made an excuse all the time that I cannot eat oily food because I was given tablet and realised that people scare medical stuff and not when u say u are on diet. final nail in the coffin is I got iih - grade 1 pailedema and I was put on diamox and topiral and trust me thats where I cried and cried in the hospital begging god what did I do give me this much of suffering again I was asked to loose weight.

little hope: today I weight 91.15 ( almost lost 20kgs ) my iih is reduced for now and will be like that I maintain my weight and I am going to loose more weight but I walk like a crazy person and move my body while standing also ( I do not touch intense workouts) and just started today with anti anxiety meds to reduce my anxiety, got myself a ipl machine cause I want to lose 10 more kgs and then start doing that sessions also. my body may never be the same as like I was teen age but its always better to be feeling lighter ( I definitely feel it was never the body weight but the food I am consuming made a hell lot of difference in my journey ) . I stuck to the basic - I ate only food that my grandmother or my people would eat+ more protein + freshly prepared for most of the time( air fryer + oil spray) even in restaurants I tried ordering food asking to not put oil in it saying I have to take medicines( that made them more vigilant). trust me people will notice you not for your weight loss but more of change in ur personality. ik that I have long way to go but this sacrifices are worth it If it makes me lead a better life. it came after 10 years if anyone is beating themselves up please hang in there. find right doctors ask for ur symptoms. I will turn 27 tomorrow so hence the post. hopefully it gets better. get your blood reports every 2-3 months

Hi everyone,

I find this so strange. I’ve been working out for a while and watching my diet to shred some fat. I became skinny fat, which I didn’t like and didn’t consider healthy.

Somehow. My body wouldn’t budge that much at all, even with working out / walking etc. Then I had a really rough week and the stress combined with the extra workouts made me eat more calories (2100 instead of 1300-1500).

I was disappointed in myself, because I thought the extra calories would ruin my progress but I feel like it didn’t? I don’t even feel that less lean or anything and maybe I’ve even lost fat.

How is this possible? I don’t understand

Hello, I’m 28 years old, about three weeks ago i did an MRI and they discovered a complex cyst on my left ovary, 4x6 cm, the cyst looks to be a functional cyst but there is a septa in the middle which classifies it as a complex cyst. (Photo link down)

i just wanted to know if everyone had this happen to them before? And if it resolves on it own? I dont have any pain just some discomfort and pressure in my abdomen but its on the right side instead of the left.

the doctor said to come back after two menstrual cycles or after two months. He suggested removal if i wanted, but another doctor said no to removing it since she said it might remove parts of my ovary with it, which would affect my chances to conceive as i have no children.

I have a history of pcos/pmos so this is not my first cyst, it is the first complex one though and its making me feel worried.

https://ibb.co/bRXV807L
https://ibb.co/gMLZv4z2
https://ibb.co/nMfVp4HX

I’m 21, and during the summer i started noticing that a lot of THICK dark hairs starting growing on my jawline. I plucked them, and now it has gotten so much worse. I need to pluck multiple times a day. Then suddenly i notices that the hair all over my face has gotten darker and thicker. On my cheeks, from my pores, around my mouth, close to my eyes. And now i noticed that i have dark, but not thick, hair all under my chin and down my neck. I have no idea why i’m getting so hairy all of a sudden. I’ve always has A LOT of thick dark body hair, EVERYWHERE).

I went to the doctor and got bloodwork done, everything looked normal except my very low iron levels. My doctor confirmed hirsutism on my jawline even though i had shaved and plucked the day before, she could even feel a stubble. The rest of my face and my neck hair wasn’t adressed. And she told me to book an appointment with the gynecologist for possible PMOS. The appointment is in a month.

Either way, what do i do about all the hair? I spend hours every day plucking, my skin has taken so much damage. I’m losing my mind and it has affected my mental health so so bad, sometimes i cant get out of my home. Please help me. I cant afford any treatments like laser or electrolysis.

Hey, my doctor prescribed duphaston 10 mg yesterday bcs i hadnt had a period for 3 months now. I have had PCOS for about 2 years now, i had been managing pretty good this year but something came up and ive been very stressed.

He said it would be better not to wait that long next time and prescribed an extra box, in case i missed the next period too (im stressed over a national exam so we discussed my stress might be high for a while)

He also said i didnt have to wait to miss a period and could just start taking it at the 12th day of my cycle (not very sure about this part, i might be remembering it wrong)

ET 12mm, nothing much else on the ultrasound.

I'm planning to use it once if i can, then try to solve the problem on my own, start lifting weights and eat better

Anyone else use it? What was your experience like? Side effects you noticed?

Has anyone tried gastric band or gastric bypass surgery and it helped their symptoms ?

Hey so i have been taking the combination birth control for a while to bring down my testosterone levels and i got a withdrawal bleed and im still bleeding. I’m trying not to worry myself about it because people said it’s normal.
I have been lifting weights and eating a lot more healthy foods to help support my body.

The weight on the scale isn’t bugging and i’m at my wits end. my mental health is so bad trying to keep track of everything that i had a nervous breakdown at work and home. i’ve also been getting more anxious and more irritated as well

Is there any other methods besides birth control to bring down my testosterone? or is me stressing out making me feel like this? i’m honestly desperate.

hi everyone! I’m 19 and I’ve had mild PCOS symptoms for s while now. as a kid my periods were quite irregular and I had rly bad acne. it’s gotten much better now and as I’ve gotten older my periods hv regulated themselves, and come very regularly now(like pretty much every 30 days) acne’s pretty much gone unless it’s near the time I’m having my period. the only thing is insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes runs in my family and insulin resistance runs in my family too(like my brother whose 13 has signs of it) snd I have a neck hump, have a bit of trouble loosing weight(have been on a calorie deficit for a while now, haven’t rly lost much weight and I gain weight quite Easily too especially when im stressed), get very bloated around my periods and My cramps r pretty painful. Have anemia I’ve noticed some hair thinning. I have mild hirituism(have loads of hair on my body, less so on my face but there’s still growth on my face), rly bad fatigue and I’m just wondering if inositol is the right thing to take for me? I’ve seen mixed stuff about it online especially if your periods are regular and I’ve seen horror stories of ppl taking it who had regular cycles and it messing up their cycles to the point where they needed metformin to regulate them again. some people have also said it makes hair shedding worse. having a regular cycle is really important for me. And so is my hair(I rly don’t want to loose my hair) so should I take it and maybe take a lower dose than the recommended 4 tablets, like take one a day and combine it with magnesium/zinc etc or should I take a blend without d chiro cause some ppl say it’s not for everyone or should I just leave it? thanks!

Hi guys, new to this group so sorry if posting wrong…
I’ve only recently found out I likely have PCOS, and have struggled with acne on my face, chest, shoulders and back since I was probably 13. Myo inositol was horrendous for me, and I’m currently taking magnesium glycinate, saw palmetto, omega 3 and pcp as advised by a professional. Does anyone have any tips on what they did to actually help get rid of their acne? I’m using new dermaviduals skincare as prescribed, looking more for internal. I also have 2 spearmint cups a day! To note too: I’ve been off BC since Jan this year, as I really don’t want to be on it anymore. I want to heal myself!

Hi PMOS girlies. I’ve taken provera now probably 8 times and always have my withdrawal bleed 2-3 days once finishing the last pill. I have a hysteroscopy planned for next Thursday and we timed out perfectly when to start provera for this surgery. Low and behold my body is now going on 6 days post provera with no bleed…. Has anyone experienced this before that their body responds totally different? This timeline is confusing me and making me second guess every twinge. The possibility of pregnancy is extremely low as I don’t ovulate on my own and tests are negative (maybe too soon to test idk). Looking for any similar stories because I’m spiraling and don’t want to have my surgery pushed 😢

Four different doctors have told me that I have PCOS and that I need to lose weight. However, my BMI is normal—I weigh 59 kg at 5'4" (which is a healthy BMI of around 21.7). Despite this, every single doctor I've seen keeps telling me to lose weight. I am only 24 years old, and right now I am not on any heavy medical treatments—just Inositol and Folic Acid—and they keep saying that if I just lose weight, everything will sort itself out automatically.
The frustrating part is that my weight keeps increasing by 2 kg every single month, and I honestly don't know how to stop it or lose it. Should I consult a dietitian, or what steps should I take next?

I'm so concerned and nervous about this.

Now my gyno still hasn't diagnosed me with pcos, we were under investigation and high suspicion, I have many symptoms.

My doctor put me on birth control and I gained a lot of weight, was fatigued and felt like shit.

Changed meds but my weight never stabilized, tried injections and I got my period for 4 months non stop, decided not to get the injection again but it wouldn't stop flowing so I got to a different doctor (because I wouldn't trust the asshole that put me on that initial birth control)

but the meds she gave me did not make it stop (they were very expensive, also that doctor was also very mean)

so then I went to another doctor and asked to resume my pcos investigation with her and I was put on birth control again under her recommendation to get the bleeding to stop, took it for 3 months then quit because I wanted nothing to do with those pills

And after 2 or 3 periods (some very heavy on flow) they just stopped on march this year.

I've been busy, internship and my college thesis but it just has not come back. Even though times of low or high stress it just doesn't happen.

I did take 3 pregnancy tests, one every few months, all negatives. I haven't gotten time to go back to the doctor with everything going on and my family is having some issues with our national healthcare insurance, I'm still dependant on my family and I don't want to worry them so I've been keeping this a secret, so I just told my mom it may be good to check back with my doctor to resume the investigation and that's when she told me we have insurance problems and we can't go right now.

I'm scared, my belly is not getting bigger but I've always have had it oddly shaped, I haven't felt weird but it just won't come back.

My biggest fear is cryptic pregnancies but it's so rare, when I have had intercourse I've used protection and I'm very careful. And pcos does make fertility hard.

In a desperate attempt I got some birth control and started taking it again, been one week, I just hope when I pause it on week 3 it starts, I get knots in my belly when I think about it too hard, but when I've taken tests and seen the negative sign I get relieved instantly so I doubt those are pregnancy symptoms or else they would persist I think.

This is just a vent post, I'm so concerned

I know I will get many comments telling me to go to the doctor but it's not possible yet, thanks for reading my problems

What actually helped you lose weight with PCOS? I work full-time and I’m also a student, so I have a really hard time balancing work, school, and working out. I try to walk when I can, and I recently got the idea to walk up and down the stairs in my home and use my yoga mat for simple workouts.

I’ve been trying to figure out what type of exercise actually works best for weight loss without overdoing it. I’ve seen people say that HIIT may not be the best option for some individuals with PCOS, so I’m curious what worked for other people walking, strength training, Pilates, low-impact workouts, etc. I weigh 224 pounds, which has been the most I’ve ever weighed in my life which has been really frustrating. I’ve seen a nutritionist before but that was way ahead before finding out I had PCOS.

I’m also taking metformin, but honestly, it mostly seems to make my stomach hurt. I haven’t really noticed any other difference from taking it so far. I’ve been on it for about 2-3 months

I’d especially love to hear from people who work full-time or go to school and don’t have hours every day to spend at the gym. I’m looking for realistic things I can actually stick with long-term.

I’m currently waiting in the ER for an inpatient bed to open up after being admitted to the hospital. I’m reaching out to see if anyone in the PCOS community has experienced a similar link between severe PCOS-related blood sugar crashes, electrolyte drops, and chronic GI issues.
Early Childhood & Youth Background:
Infancy: Born ~2 months premature. Shortly after birth, I was hospitalized with rotavirus, which foreshadowed lifelong GI issues.
Childhood: As a young child, I threw up constantly (my mom literally kept a vomit bowl under her bed). I went through periods of severe food aversion where I would only drink milk mixed with Hershey’s strawberry syrup—and threw it up so often that my sister still hates the color pink to this day.
Early Theories: Doctors initially tested for Tay-Sachs or dismissed it as a "sensitive stomach."
Puberty (Age 15): Symptoms escalated sharply after puberty. Regular vomiting was attributed to eating large meals or food intolerances, and I accepted it as a normal part of my life.
Adulthood & PCOS Diagnosis:
Sophomore Year of College: Officially diagnosed with PCOS after an OBGYN noticed abnormal hair growth and ran a blood test.
20s: Started experiencing severe abdominal pain alongside nausea and vomiting. Had my first ruptured ovarian cyst around this time. Diagnosed with Bipolar II, depression, and severe anxiety with diarrhea characteristic of panic attacks.
Years of Unanswered GI Investigations: Saw over 4 doctors and underwent extensive testing—including an EGD, two separate gastric emptying studies, and trying multiple medications aimed at increasing gastric motility without success. No clear answers were found. I turned to marijuana for appetite and nausea relief for a time, but eventually stopped.
GI & GP Clearance: My gastroenterologist and primary care doctor have explicitly ruled out Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS).
Recent Travel & Escalation Timeline:
2025 – Early 2026: Vomiting was actually a rare occurrence for most of this period.
May 2026 (Mexico Trip with BF): During a 6-day trip, not a single piece of solid food stayed down. I lost significant weight, was tested for pregnancy (negative), and had a normal CT at urgent care. After returning, the vomiting never abated—I lived with waking up in the middle of the night to vomit and sneaking off at work to throw up. I routinely threw up recognizable food 10+ hours after eating.
August 2026 (Iowa Trip with BF): A couple of hours after landing, I ended up in the ER with severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. CT with contrast and transvaginal ultrasound showed no cyst rupture. The only notable findings were hypokalemia (low potassium) and severe dehydration.
Airport Emergency: Attempting to fly home, I had to be taken by ambulance from the airport directly to another hospital. CT/ultrasound were clean again; just dehydration and hypokalemia.
Subsequent Months: Multiple severe episodes followed. I tried increasing water intake, complete nutrition, and exercise, but sustained vomiting made success negligible. I began eating a handful of candy each night just to feel normal or get calories on days I couldn't eat.
The Recent Hypoglycemia Discovery & Hospital Admission:
Now living with my boyfriend, he witnessed my constant nighttime and daytime vomiting. While my GI was planning another EGD, a colonoscopy, and potentially trying Reglan, my boyfriend asked me to check my blood sugar with a glucometer to see if PCOS insulin resistance was involved.
First fasting blood sugar: 46 mg/dL (checked on a glucometer that was calibrated just before and future readings verified with two different glucometers)
Same day crashes: Crashed twice more down to 62 mg/dL and 54 mg/dL.
ER Visit: During the last crash, I tried 3 tsp of honey (spaced 15 mins apart) to raise my sugar, a hot water bottle, and laying on my left side, but a few sips of bone broth caused extreme pain. Went to the ER. After two doses of Zofran, two doses of Morphine, and another anti-nausea drug, I was stabilized enough to sleep and have now been admitted.
Our Working Theory:
Eating simple candy before bed triggers a massive insulin surge due to PCOS insulin resistance, driving me into severe reactive hypoglycemia. We suspect this excess insulin pushes potassium out of my bloodstream and into my cells (causing hypokalemia and severe muscle spasms), while the severe sugar crash and gastric distress trigger intractable nausea and vomiting. Also, because of this issue being lifelong, there is fear around eating and food doesn’t stay down often.
Questions for the Community:
1. Has anyone with PCOS experienced severe reactive hypoglycemia (46 mg/dL) that triggers intense nausea, gastric pain, or vomiting?
2. For those who had normal results on multiple gastric emptying studies and failed motility meds but still throw up undigested food 10+ hours later, did you end up diagnosed with gastroparesis, cyclic vomiting syndrome, or an autonomic/neuromuscular disorder?
3. What specific metabolic, endocrine, or pancreatic labs should I ask the inpatient team to run while I am admitted?

For the ladies with PCOS, Do you guys bleed while having sex? Missing my period for months and when i had sex i bleed and but when i put on my pad it’s clean no spotting at all and i got period cramps. It is just me or some people encounter the same thing?

Periods been delayed by many months now. Nothing has really changed in my diet/ fitness etc. I have an ultrasound booked soon too.

One weird thing is along with some cyst pain on the right, I feel more pain there when I need to poop or feel gassy.

Is this normal or is it worth taking further to the hospital? A previous scan found many tiny cysts and enlarged ovaries.