I'm really scared I might have PCOS...?Please help!!?

[Chris12445]

Please, please help if you can. I'll go to the doctors but I'm so busy this week it will have to wait until next week and I'd really appreciate help now.



So, I'm 15 and after reading this article I'm starting to get scared I might have polycystic overy syndrome:



http://www.womens-health.co.uk/pcos1.asp



I got my period when I was about 12 and at first it was normal but after a year or so I started getting it really heavily (menorrhagia) and its very painful and I got an iron defficiency from losing so much blood. I started losing hair too, I thought that was because of the iron but the defficiency was actually very light and it turns out it can be a symptom of PCOS.



I got medicine for the heavy periods (tranexamic acid) but I only get my period every few months, or I bleed for one day then don't get it for months later. I didn't have it for 6 months once. I don't have lots of facial hair but I've had hair loss (not insane amounts but quite a lot) and I have acne sometimes on my chest and back but nowhere else, like the article. I've had a slight darkening of a patch of skin on my chest which looks like a bruise but has been there for a couple of years now, not unlike the article describes.



I've put on a lot of weight in the past 2 years too, and now I think of it all the symptoms started about a year after I started my periods.



I'm scared now, and I'll probably go to the doctors if it doesn't improve. I went about a year ago and they just said that it could be irregular the first couple of years but its been nearly 3 years now.



Please answer if you know anything about this.

Is it very likely that I have it?

If I have it is it likely I'll be infertile? I mean obviously I don't want to have children yet but I'd like to in the future.

There's no cure apparently but how do they control it?

How would it affect my life?



Please help, I'm freaking out. =[

[JohannL12526]

if you do have this, you will be put on birth control. There is no cure unfortunately. BC will regulate your period, help with acne, & its not necessarily true that you'll be infertile. There are plenty of women (including myself) who have children with no problem. I know it is really hard to deal with. Yaz changed my life. It made me feel normal again. Yaz may not be for you because BC can be trial & error to find the right one to work with your body chemistry but i have all the symptoms & some that you talk about. I had acne all over my face, cystic acne to be exact & some other symptoms that made me feel like I was disgusting, but after i started taking Yaz in about 6 months I felt like a new person. Your doctor of course will go more in depth with you if it turns out you have pcos. Just know this doesn't have to hinder your entire life

[Glo02837]

You should contact your doctor, or seek professional help. You may also search out trustworthy websites that might help you answer your questions. But, always consult a doctor, nurse, or school counselor before taking any major decisions. You may or may not be putting your health at risk. Good Luck.