A typical 20 something gal with major medical complications. Just need a place to vent.. exchange ideas and most of all support! The purpose of this Blog is to let people know these things really do exist and also thanks to a close friend one day it can be turned into a documentary...
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common female endocrine disorders affecting approximately 5%-10% of women of reproductive age (12–45 years old) and is thought to be one of the leading causes of female infertility. The principal features are obesity, anovulation (resulting in irregular menstruation) or amenorrhea, acne, and excessive amounts or effects of androgenic (masculinizing) hormones. The symptoms and severity of the syndrome vary greatly among women. While the causes are unknown, insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity are all strongly correlated with PCOS.
If you have polycystic ovary disease, you are likely to have some of the following symptoms:
Abnormal, irregular, or very light or infrequent menstrual periods
Absent periods, usually (but not always) after having one or more normal menstrual periods during puberty (secondary amenorrhea)
Acne that gets worse
Decreased breast size
Development of male sex characteristics (virilization), such as increased body hair, facial hair, a deepening of the voice, male-pattern baldness, and enlargement of the clitoris
Medications used to treat the symptoms of polycystic ovary disease include:
Birth control pills
Clomiphene citrate
Flutamide
Spironolactone
Treatment with clomiphene citrate causes the pituitary gland to produce more FSH. This causes the egg to mature and be released. Sometimes women need stronger fertility drugs to get pregnant.
In women with polycystic ovary disease who also have insulin resistance, glucophage (Metformin), a medication that makes cells more sensitive to insulin, has been shown to make ovulation normal.
Losing weight (which can be difficult) may help to reduce the high insulin levels in the blood. For women with this condition who are overweight, weight loss can reduce insulin resistance, stimulate ovulation, and improve fertility rates.
Polycystic ovary disease affects hormone cycles. Hormones help regulate the normal development of eggs in the ovaries. It is not completely understood why or how hormone cycles are interrupted, although there are several ideas.
Follicles are sacs within the ovaries that contain eggs. In polycystic ovary disease, there are many poorly developed follicles in the ovaries. The eggs in these follicles do not mature and, therefore, cannot be released from the ovaries. Instead, they form cysts in the ovary.
This can contribute to infertility. The immature follicles and the inability to release an egg (ovulate) are likely caused by low levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and higher than normal levels of male hormones (androgens) produced in the ovary.
Women are usually diagnosed when in their 20s or 30s. Women with this disorder often have a mother or sister who has symptoms similar to polycystic ovary disease.
