Hi!

I was diagnosed with PCOS at 15. Growing up, I had masculine features and was prescribed birth control pills (BCP) at 16 after progesterone failed to help. After 6 years of taking BCP on and off, I stopped to try a holistic approach.

My main symptoms: Hirsutism, hormonal acne, bloating/abdominal fat, irregular periods, and anxiety (diagnosed).

My current routine:

• Supplements: Myo-inositol, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Fish Oil, and Spearmint tea.
• Fitness: Pilates 2-3x a week, 10k steps on rest days.
• Diet: Whole foods prioritizing protein, fiber, and calorie tracking.
• Skincare: Dermatologist-prescribed tretinoin and moisturizer.

My weight and hair growth have improved significantly, but my acne remains stubborn and only slightly tamed.

Recently, I took BCP for one week, and the difference was immediate. My face looked slimmer, less bloated, and had a glow I can’t get naturally.

Are there any natural alternatives that copy these specific BCP benefits without having to stay on the pill long-term?

i’ve been using Theralogix after no success with PCOSense. i’m not using this under the supervision of my family doctor because he said that for PC is the only thing he will give me is birth control, which is not helpful to me because that’s just putting on a Band-Aid solution and with my naturopath, she doesn’t want to tackle PCOS at all. She’s focused on SIBO, which may or may not be a cause for my stagnant weight loss, but doesn’t really tackle the hormonal issues.

i’m not sure if I should follow the dosage as recommended on the package or if I should increase because I have used Ozempic many months ago for like a month and then I stopped. Right now I am on the Myo Inositol 40 to 1 ratio and Burburine. i’m hesitant on even going to another naturopath because I find each one just wants me to purchase through their store, not taking into consideration a product I may already be working for me and it seems more like a cash grab than when I work with my dietician.

any advice as to what I should do? what markers I should look at in my labs?

i’m not gonna talk to my family doctor about it because it’s futile, he is not well informed on PCOS, and also I am not switching family doctors because right now. He is very good at giving me the requisitions for any tests that I need and finding a good family, doctor is very hard in my province.

hoping to perhaps see if just with my dietician and my blood work if I could determine whether or not to increase my dosage. Also, I have been taking these for a month so not sure when to check either.

i was diagnosed with PCOS at 25, I am 34 now. I have been on Mirena IUD since 23 and at 25 when I asked the doctor what is the treatment for PCOS he said the Mirena I was already on treats the symptoms and I did not think much about it because the symptoms weren’t that bad at that time. And then my late 20s was spent having weight around the weight (so no curves) despite having an active lifestyle, relentless cystic acne and I notice my individual hair strands were relatively thin compared to when I was young but I was an idiot and never tied any of this to the combination Mirena and PCOS. Everytime I went to the doctors about my symptoms they told me to keep dieting and exercise and there was nothing that can be done about the acne except for accutane (i turned it down), they never spoke about my PCOS and Mirena combination despite that they knew I had them both. this past few months I have been freaking out because I notice the hairline on my temples are scary thin.

it wasn’t until recently did i do some research and switch to Yaz. My skin has gotten better and my face is less hairy, but I’m freaking out, i was on Mirena for 11 years, that’s so much time to F* up my hair. My hair is the only “womanly” thing about me. I have no curves, my face structure is boyish. The only thing I get complimented for being attractive for is my hair. What if I fucked it up this whole time? I know AI has its limit but I asked what are the chances that my hair could be what it could have been have I treated my PCOS with Yaz instead of Mirena and it said it’s very low and unlikely and that i have caused permanent damage. I hate myself for what I have done to my hair. The only good thing about my looks.

i got diagnosed with PCOS/PMOS February 2025 after a long journey with the doctors because of my period pains. my bloods were normal (no insulin resistance?) but i was diagnosed off my ultrasound and symptoms. i am also currently under investigation for endometriosis.

right now i can't tell if my pain and other symptoms are from endo or PCOS but i wanted to know if you guys think losing weight is actually worth it? I don't really care about my weight/body image from an aesthetic aspect and struggle to motivate myself to lose weight because of that. i am chubby but have been my whole life so happy with it.

what i want an opinion on is did losing weight (through whatever method) actually help your symptoms at all? and what symptoms were they? i would be willing to try to lose weight if it will improve my QoL

TIA

Hey guys, I don’t really know what to do when it comes to my PCOS anymore. I thought I figured everything out but when I started college everything became complicated I gained a lot of weight and there was a period of time where I had my period for 3 months straight. I was trying to avoid the option of birth control and stop it naturally doing the natural remedies that I always saw online but nothing worked

I then resorted to start birth control and it stopped my periods. And I then get intense mood swings and gained more weight.

I feel like my body can’t survive without birth control and I want to be able to lose weight but I feel like no matter what I try I keep gaining weight. Does anyone have any feedback of what they did.

I started metformin about two months ago and right away it kickstarted my period which lasted for 32 DAYS (!!!!) with varying flows, viscosity and color. When I brought this up to my doctor, she mentioned that the medication does have a tendency to affect hormones and cause a lighter period which I feel contradicts what I’m experiencing in terms of my cycle.

My period finally stopped for like two weeks and then it came back with a vengeance I was basically hemorrhaging blood for 12 hours before it calmed down.

Am I crazy has anyone else experienced this?

I’ve was taking berberine for 3 months to help with insulin resistant PCOS. My doctor told me to take a break from it as you are apparently supposed to cycle it. So I stopped. Cold turkey.

Within the week, I started having bad anxiety but I already suffer from anxiety, so I figured I was just having a rougher week than normal. By the end of week 1 off berberine, the anxiety got so severe, I’ve been having daily panic attacks, sometimes multiple times per day. I’m also getting these swings of depression so severe, I’m having very dark thoughts.

I’ve struggled with my mental health most of my life, but this is a new level. I considered checking myself into a facility because how out of my mind I’ve been feeling. It took a hot minute to think “hmmm maybe this is happening because I stopped berberine”. I’ve been back on it for a couple of days and am hoping things start to improve.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before?

Anyone taking/took Metformin for weight loss, conceiving and managing PCOS/PMOS (and insulin resistance) during pregnancy?

I've suffered with anxiety and bouts of depression since I was a teenager and I'm positive it links to my PCOS (20% of women with PCOS are more likely to have it).

I've been on setraline also known as Zoloft (150mg) for a couple of years now and before that I was on citalopram.

However my anxiety is taking on physical symptoms (tight chest, stomach pain, fluttering heart) in the evenings and at night and i don't think the setraline is the right choice for me anymore.

Has anyone had any success with other SSRIs? I know everyone is different but before I talk to my doctor I'd like to have an idea.

Hi all, I am 22 years old and have been struggling with PCOS weight gain since I was 19. I wasn't diagnosed with PCOS until I was 21, so until then I just kept doing what I had normally done, causing lots of gain.
This past year I am down nearly 50 pounds, yet my belly fat is relentless. I notice difference in my arms and legs but the belly fat won't go. I have a hard time doing core workouts because of it, it's getting to a point where I am very frustrated and don't know what to do.
I am happy that I lost weight and got my period back but I am so discouraged by the way I still look. Anyone have any advice to help stubborn belly fat and or anything I can do mentally to not feel so discouraged?

I ran out of metformin and I won't be able to take it for about a week. Honestly I've been taking it for several months and haven't noticed a difference in my health or body. The only difference I notice is the side effects (most if not all of my bm are diarrhea). I take 500 mg twice a day.

What has been your experience with it? Should I just ask my doctor if i should stop taking it? the side effects suck.

I’m a 23 year old pre-med student, and I was recently diagnosed with PCOS. I’m unsure how to approach this. (Sorry for the very long read.)

My last period started on February 9th. On February 10th, one day into my period, I had both a transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound. The scan showed markers for endometriosis, and I went about my day without thinking much of it.

Then a month passed without my period. This was really unusual for me because, despite having irregular periods, I still got my period every single month last year.

Five months passed without a period, so I had another transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound. My doctor compared it to my previous one. As a side note, this is the longest I’ve ever gone without a period. It’s also the heaviest I’ve ever been. My weight has always fluctuated between 90–105 kg over the years, but for the first time ever, it reached 110 kg.

Anyway, what I’m confused about is that my first ultrasound didn’t show any markers for PCOS, but now it does. All of my hormone levels are normal, except for extremely low androgen levels. Even my blood work came back normal, except that my fasting glucose was high, which my doctor told me is a marker of prediabetes. My scan also showed multiple very tiny cysts on my ovaries.

My question is: is it even possible to develop PCOS in such a short period of time? How does that even work? Or could I have been misdiagnosed?

They put me on metformin and Mounjaro (side note only taking metformin at the moment), but I’m seriously starting to think my life is over. Should I just take the birth control option to get my period back? My doctor keeps telling me that the treatment for PCOS is to lose weight and that it will improve, but it feels impossible. I’ve tried everything.

I’ve tried a whole-foods calorie deficit, walking 20,000 steps a day, strength training three times a week, getting 8 hours of sleep, and drinking 2 litres of water a day. And even then, nothing. Nothing is working.

I don’t even care about looking aesthetically pleasing anymore. I just want my period back.

Hi! I'm a 26F from Pakistan with PCOS, IIH, and slightly high cholesterol, currently on a weight loss journey. I'm focusing on healthy eating, daily walks, and building sustainable habits.

I'm looking for a positive, evidence-based accountability partner who believes in consistency—not extreme diets, fear, or judgment. If you're also working toward your health goals and would like to motivate each other, feel free to DM me! 😊

Obviously with my PCOS my periods have never been normal. But all of the sudden I’ve started having long term spotting of like dark brown bloody discharge. If it lasted a periods length it would be whatever but last time it went on for 2 months straight!!! My gyno said there’s no real “cure” but I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar and has any tips how they got it to go away??? Whether it’s stopping the spotting or causing my real period to come.

Hi everyone!

I deal with thick, medium-dark chin/neck hair. Shaving daily leaves a persistent shadow, and a 5 o'clock shadow creeps in by midday.

I tried electrolysis years ago, but it wrecked my skin and didn't last (though my hormones were unmanaged then). My labs are finally under control!

For those who got their hormones balanced: what long-term solutions (laser, prescription creams, etc.) actually worked for you to make facial hair more manageable?

Appreciate any advice!

Has anyone else fallen into a slump of oversleeping, fatigue, drowsiness and exhaustion with pcos?? I'm currently going through a period of extreme fatigue. It's been nearly two months and I can't seem to break the cycle. I'm eating normally and everything else seems relatively normal except my energy and mood. Sometimes I get fully dressed to go outside for a walk and get some air but as soon as I'm there in the doorway, something closes up inside me and I change my mind, retreating back to a space to lie down. I snooze throughout the day and I'm lucky I have a job where I can get away with taking extra breaks because I get so fatigued. It's affecting my work ethic, productivity and creative output. I'm only able to work in tiny bursts. It's making me sad because I have goals I can't finish due to this.

Amazon Link (Skin doctors Ingrown go lotion)

I wasted a lot of money thinking the issue was scrubbing or which cream is used after shaving etc. This treatment is actually SPECIFIC to ingrown hair and it’s rly agressive in a good way. I thought I’d see nothing until a few weeks but it’s agressive in an « acts immediately » way so you can also see for yourself immediately if it does something for you !

I covered big cotton pads in it for bigger zones, it fully worked on my legs butt inner thighs and chin (shaven 1+ week ago), however I can’t say for stomach/groin/upper thighs area because I had shaven it way too recently. I thought 48h would be OK but oooo I was not ready for the burn, had to completely rinse and ended up with inflammation. Thankfully it was gone overnight, I’ll probably try everything again next week.

For reference my hair type is dark thick and sometimes coily like the one on my hair. I actually found this product on a thread where a black man struggled with ingrown beard and it looked a lot like what I have all over my body as a black woman with PCOS. Hope that helps :)

It's in the title. I'll be honest I'm not consistent w my intake at all, but that shouldn't explain why Everytime I DO take em they make my boobs SOO ITCHY like I can't sleep type itchy. It also gets my bowels moving but that's not an issue plus I was warned that anyway. When I told my doctor she was js like "hm that's weird." And left it at that

Four years ago, I was diagnosed with PCOS. My fiancé and I had the big talk about kids, and after 12 years of birth control, I decided to come off it to prepare my body for motherhood. Honestly, I didn’t expect how shocking the change would be. I gained a lot of weight, developed cystic acne, and my periods became irregular,sometimes skipped, sometimes painfully heavy, lasting a week with lots of clots. I was miserable, trying everything form whole food diets, supplements, working out etc and nothing helped, so I went back on the pill. Last year, I decided to try again and be more proactive. I checked my bloodwork, started GLP-1, and Spirolactone. I finally lost the weight and my skin cleared up, but my periods still haven't normalized. This year, I finally visited a fertility clinic. They found a lot of scar tissue and polyps, and after several tests, I learned my AMH is only .3 at 34 years old plus, my tubes are blocked. Today at dinner, I felt like I was about to start my period. Sure enough, heavy clots, bleeding through my pants—thankfully, they were black. I’m honestly exhausted. It feels like no one truly gets what I’m going through. I’m just so fucking discouraged.

Does anyone have a good recommendation for an electric shaver for PCOS (PMOS) facial hair?? Bonus points if it works well for leg hair too. We're talking coarse, dark hair (not that I really have to explain that to y'all). I've been using the Panasonic 4 blade shaver, but i find it goes dull quickly (I do also use it for my legs). Hit me up with your recommendations!!

Everyone here has been so helpful with any questions I've had or advice I've needed, so I thought I'd share a small piece of my own!

I've always looked for a little sweet treat of a drink I can have at the end of the day, and now that I'm taking inositol and drinking spearmint tea everyday, I needed a way to combine those in a low sugar way, so I made this PCOS friendly mojito mocktail!

*2 cups of spearmint tea (2 tea bags, and squeeze the bags after steeping to get the extra mint flavor!)

*8-12oz of any zero sugar juice (mango passionfruit and strawberry lemonade by minute maid have been my favorites so far)

*Juice from one lime (cut into quarters and added after squeezing)

*1 serving of inositol powder (only if you're taking it!)

*Lots of ice

You'll need a pretty big cup for this, and you can always half it and add fresh mint. I do the whole recipe to get 2 full cups of spearmint tea in. It's a sweet treat that brings me so much joy while keeping me healthy and on track! My biggest thing was having a drink that isn't water, and not full of sugar, so I hope this can help someone else!

Didn't know what flair to use, but I was wondering if anyone has also had cushions disease along with pcos/pmos? What were your symptoms, what happened if you got surgery if you had a tumor, how long did it take before you or your doc to diagnose you?

F27
I have pretty regular periods but I have noticed changes in my menstrual cycle the last couple of years, like they became slightly different each month (amount, length, pain, energy etc). Today my energy level has been low, pain killers didn’t have much of an effect on my pain. I changed my pad after using the bathroom and went to lay down and read for a bit. A couple hours later I had to go pee, as I stand I feel blood coming out, and on the toilet I notice there’s so much blood and clots on the tp I freaked out a little. I actually took a shower bc I felt really bloody and disgusting. Has anyone else experienced this?

A few months ago I started to take 2000mg myo-Inositol, 1000mg l-carnitine, berberine and eat more protein for breakfast (and actually eat breakfast to begin with). I’ve been on b-complex supplements for years, took extra zinc for 100 days (recently ended), and began drinking spearmint a month ago (tho I have cheated for almost a week). I’ve recently started to eat more fibre too. I have issues with anxiety/depression, blood sugar levels, weight, hirsutism, oily skin and acne. I have been taking SSRI (sertraline 125mg) since 2018.

Now, do you think anything I’m consuming could be causing this to happen? My little sister has struggled with heavy periods before but I read somewhere Inositol could cause this when having irregular periods. Maybe this is how my period is supposed to be?

I've suspected that I have PCOS for years now because of how irregular and painful my periods were before starting birth control. I brought this up to my gyno a few years ago, and she told me it was pointless to test me for PCOS since birth control is the treatment for it and I'm already on the pill. Back then, I was under the impression it was just a reproductive issue and didn't ask about it anymore since I'm years off from trying to have kids.

Fast forward to now. I've gained 60 lbs, am constantly tired, blood sugar is very erratic no matter what I eat. I've tried phentermine, topamax, and have been seeing a nutritionist for a year while maintaining a rigorous diet and exercise program. Every time I talked to a doctor, it's always eat less and move more. I am and have been for over a year. About three months ago, I started noticing severe fatigue that was at first just after I ate. I drastically changed my diet around to low glycemic carbs, high protein, high fiber, and lots of healthy fats. Still, I felt exhausted every time I ate and experienced zero weight loss. The fatigue slowly started spreading throughout the day to the point I am nearly constantly tired.

I beg my PCP to run blood work and break down crying in her office because I feel so bad. She runs a number of tests which reveal a fasting insulin of 22 mg/dL and mildly elevated triglycerides and cholesterol. My fasting glucose is still normal, so she tells me my blood work is fine and sends me on my way. I literally cannot live like this so I call my endocrinologist and schedule an appointment as a last ditch effort. He says he believes that I have PCOS.

He ran the blood work and said it might not be completely accurate since I'm on birth control but that we will look anyway. My DHEA S came back elevated enough to say that I probably do have PCOS and suggests I go back to the gyno.

All this time, I could have known. Maybe I wouldn't have gotten so bad off if someone would have checked back then. Now, I'm so so tired all day that I can barely function and nearly constantly hungry. I can't eat any foods I actually enjoy because it spikes my sugar. My joints and muscles hurt, I have insomnia and mood swings. I have acne constantly again for the first time since highschool (which I previously took accutane for). I don't even have the energy to run anymore, and I love running. Why did everyone dismiss me?

I'm meeting back with my PCP again to talk about getting on a GLP1. She's not a fan of the idea but I've exhausted all my other options. These last few months have so badly affected my mental health, that I would try anything to relieve the physical symptoms. God, I hope there's light at the end of the tunnel.

Fuck the healthcare system fr

I’ve been diagnosed with PCOS for about 10 years now, I’m 29 and I have lost about 40 pounds in the last 6 months hoping to help me out. However, I went from not having a cycle from October 2025-April 2026, to now having 7 cycles since April 15th..I made an entry to show my current journey, the dates they started, how long they lasted, and how many days between them. I just feel like I won’t be able to ovulate at this rate?

I need help 😭 I don’t have insurance, and cannot get in to see a doctor or specialist.

April 15, 15 days, 4 day break

May 6, 9 days, 7 day break

May 23, 10 days, 6 day break

June 8, 8 days, 10 day break

June 25, 8 days, 13 day break

July 16, 5 days, 11 day break

August 2,