PCOS & my diagnosis.

Dec 10, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Jan 3, 2025

What is it and how do I know if I have it?

And how I was diagnosed with it.

What is it?

PCOS stands for polycystic ovary syndrome. It is a chronic endocrine disorder (which is all to do with hormones) and it is an imbalance of hormones that is thought to cause PCOS. One key hormone is insulin and, in particular, the way in which the body handles insulin leading to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance has a knock-on effect on the female hormones which can cause fertility problems. However, not all women with PCOS will have insulin resistance, and, although there is a genetic link, no specific genes have been identified.

What causes it?

The cause of PCOS is unknown. Scientists believe it is likely to be 'multifactorial', that means there will be genetic factors as well as environmental factors that play a role in whether someone develops PCOS.

What symptoms does it cause?

Symptoms vary from person to person and they can also change over time. They include:

irregular, light or no periods at all
fertility problems
excess hair growth (hirsutism)
acne
weight gain
thinning of scalp hair

How is it diagnosed?

In the UK, PCOS is diagnosed if you have 2 of the following:

infrequent or no periods
polycystic ovaries on ultrasound scan (at least 1 ovary with >20 follicles)
signs of excess male hormones known as hyperandrogenism (excess hair growth, acne, raised blood testosterone level)

My diagnosis story.

I was diagnosed with PCOS in October 2021, 9 months after stopping my combined contraceptive pill. Looking back I had terrible acne and it was the reason I started the pill when I was a teenager. After stopping the pill 10+ years later my acne returned with a vengeance, it affected my face and my back and I ended up with painful cysts and scarring as a result. My periods were also very irregular and we were trying to have a baby so I went to my GP who arranged blood tests and an ultrasound scan.

My blood tests were all normal but my ultrasound scan showed that I had >20 follicles on both ovaries. My GP confirmed I had 2 out of the 3 criteria and therefore I had PCOS.

I have never had excess hair growth and I have a normal BMI. So, for me, losing weight was not an option to help my symptoms. As we were trying to conceive, my GP referred me to the NHS fertility clinic. I had heard of women being given metformin for PCOS but the evidence is limited as to whether it helps or not when you have a normal BMI. My fertility consultant recommended I try a herbal supplement called myo-inositol instead and after 1 month of taking it, I went from having 3 periods in 12 months to a period every 4-5 weeks. And that has continued every since!

Inositol deserves it's own blog post (coming soon!) but if you have PCOS it's definitely worth looking into.

As a little update, I had another ultrasound in July 2024 which showed only one of my ovaries is polycystic now. Clearly, we're still struggling with infertility but at least there's some improvement on the scan. Also, my acne has pretty much cleared up and, again, this was within a couple of months of starting inositol.

When we go to our first consultation with the IVF clinic I'll be asking them more questions about PCOS and how this is managed in IVF so look out for another post in the new year.

Ask questions, share your thoughts, share your stories.

L x