# How common is PCOS?



## ThatFatGirl (May 19, 2007)

I'm often surprised by the number of fat women I meet who also have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). 

PCOS seems to raise a question similar to "What came first, the chicken or the egg?" - "Did your fat cause PCOS or did PCOS make you fat?" Doctors don't even seem to know. In the 20 years I've dealt with this condition, I've dealt with healthcare practitioners that were either quite knowledgeable or surprisingly rather ignorant.

Fortunately, my symptoms aren't really an issue at this point in my life, but as I consider the baby or no baby question as I approach age 40, I realize PCOS may answer the question for me.

What I wanted to ask in the poll above - how many of us have PCOS or a partner with PCOS? And are you (or she) fat? I'm keeping it anonymous. Please chime in.


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## Jon Blaze (May 19, 2007)

Yep.... You've got it right. It's kinda reversible in a sense. Being fat heightens the risk of a woman getting PCOS, but PCOS dramatically (Let us stress the dramatic) lowers metabolism which can lead to added pounds.


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## Sweet Tooth (May 19, 2007)

I was fat before having PCOS, but only about a size 22/24. I gained weight along with developing the symptoms, and the weight pretty much stayed where it was even with healthy eating and exercise.

My weight is stable again for now, but I hear it can go in cycles like that.


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## Tracyarts (May 19, 2007)

There was no answer for "I am currently fat, but developed PCOS when I was not fat".

My PCOS manifested itself when I was at a low-average weight and was diagnosed when I was at a high-average weight. 

Tracy


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## ThatFatGirl (May 19, 2007)

I was only about 200 lbs when I developed it myself. Is that fat? Seems svelte to me now.


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## gypsy (May 20, 2007)

ThatFatGirl said:


> I was only about 200 lbs when I developed it myself. Is that fat? Seems svelte to me now.



Amen, TFG. 

I was 17 when I was diagnosed with PCOS. And when I was 17, I was 190 lbs (with being nearly 6ft tall, I'd hardly call that "fat") so I know what you mean.


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## Butterbelly (May 20, 2007)

I was around 200lbs when I was diagnosed with PCOS as well. I only have one ovary now, but my symptoms seem to be stablized.


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## Waxwing (May 20, 2007)

Diagnosed at 17 would seem to indicate that it's not *caused* by weight, yes? I wouldn't think that that's enough time for a problem to develop.

Does it seem to have any genetic component?


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## BeautifulPoeticDisaster (May 20, 2007)

How many men do you think took this poll as to say they did not have PCOS, lol....one has to wonder.


I've had all the symptoms of PCOS since I was 11/12...first starting my period. The symptoms just got worse and I was finally FINALLY diagnosed at the age of 23!!!!! At age 12 I was about 220ish pounds. 

Now that I look at it.....at age 12 is when I started having terrible mood swings, and my weight went up. 

In retrospect all the women in my family on my moms side had it. My grandmother had a hysterectomy at a young age and my mother had a hysterecomy in her very early 40's due to PCOS symptoms...she was never diagnosed. My younger sister has the same issues as me...and she is gaining weight super fast around the middle..and I keep telling her to go get checked out for PCOS...but I'm just the older sister...what do I know?????

hmmmm.

I have PCOS and all the fun things that go along with it, like insulin resistance, hair...lots of facial hair....mood swings like you would believe!! Mike always knows when I am PMSing...cos I go completely mad.

PCOS is just one of those things.....it's a shit deal....but I'm not the only one out there who got this shit deal.

And you CAN get preggo with PCOS...just ask me. PCOS is NOT a valid form of birthcontrol!!!!!!!!


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## Isa (May 20, 2007)

I have PCOS and was diagnosed a couple of years ago.


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## Renaissance Woman (Aug 16, 2007)

I wasn't too upset about my thin hair. I was doing my best not to be vain, to tell myself that it wasn't under my conscious control, and all that other kind of stuff we tell ourselves. And I really was okay with it.

Until I saw pics of myself from Vegas.

I'm horrified now and feel incredibly self-conscious. I want to wrap a scarf around my head and never take it off.


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## Tad (Aug 16, 2007)

My wife has suffered from ovarian cysts for the past few years (until going back on hormonal birth control one would burst every couple of months, accompanied by crippling pain). However I don't think it has ever been said that she has PCOS--I'm not sure if PCOS has certain limits or applies to all cases of ovarian cysts? So I didn't answer the poll.

I don't know when it started, but the first burst cyst happened when she was medically obese, but down some 20 pounds from her heaviest. Her weight has gone another 10-20 pounds since then, but part of that at least was from stress over a rough couple of years.

Someone mentioned insulin resistance--she was recently diagnosed with that.

-Ed


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## ashmamma84 (Aug 16, 2007)

I'm fat and don't have PCOS...I think something that we might want to keep in mind is that while 200 lbs may seem svelte on this board, it really is fat (well, height, depending)...I'm 5'2'' and over 215/220 lbs, and I'm quite fat...I've been tested for PCOS because hot flashes and what-have-you...


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## AnnMarie (Aug 16, 2007)

Renaissance Woman said:


> I wasn't too upset about my thin hair. I was doing my best not to be vain, to tell myself that it wasn't under my conscious control, and all that other kind of stuff we tell ourselves. And I really was okay with it.
> 
> Until I saw pics of myself from Vegas.
> 
> I'm horrified now and feel incredibly self-conscious. I want to wrap a scarf around my head and never take it off.



Aww, Barb, I'm so sorry. I don't know what you can do/not do but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry you feel that way and that you're having to deal with it. I know it's a hard issue for everyone, but I know for women you really feel it at your core, it's so tied to all we feel about ourselves in that purely superficial way. (Not saying you're superficial, I hope you know what I mean...  )


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## willisgirl (Aug 16, 2007)

I was diagnosed with PCOS a couple of years ago. I take Metformin for it.


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## Miss Vickie (Aug 17, 2007)

I had a lot of the symptoms -- hair loss, abdominal weight gain, high cholesterol, high insulin levels, and hypertension. But my ovaries, while they make cysts occasionally, aren't the string of pearl type that is usual with PCOS and my periods were dead on regular (though very heavy). I think I more likely had "Syndrome X" or "Metabolic syndrome" and my WLS seems to have resolved those issues. I tried Metformin but it made me sick and didn't make a difference in my insulin levels.

I was pretty freaked out by all these heart disease markers because of the very very strong history of heart disease that's in my family (the men all die in their 50's). Everything is fine now and I hope it stays that way for a long time to come given what my brothers are going through. My eldest brother who is 59 now had a quadruple bypass, part of his heart removed and a valve repaired this year, has horrible CHF, neuropathy in his hands and feet from his diabetes, and is losing his vision. My other brother who is 49 has lost part of his foot from diabetes (even after having WLS so it's definitely not a cure) and will be disabled for the rest of his life.

This is the genetic hand we were dealt in my family. 

I still get cysts in my remaining ovary but like before they're not the kind typical with PCOS, but they still hurt like a sumbitch sometimes.


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## Tad (Aug 17, 2007)

Miss Vickie said:


> I had a lot of the symptoms -- hair loss, abdominal weight gain, high cholesterol, high insulin levels, and hypertension. But my ovaries, while they make cysts occasionally, aren't the string of pearl type that is usual with PCOS and my periods were dead on regular (though very heavy). I think I more likely had "Syndrome X" or "Metabolic syndrome" and my WLS seems to have resolved those issues.
> 
> .......
> 
> I still get cysts in my remaining ovary but like before they're not the kind typical with PCOS, but they still hurt like a sumbitch sometimes.



Thank you for posting that--it sounds much like what my wife has. So no really PCOS, just unfortunate in its own way.

-Ed


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## ThatFatGirl (Aug 19, 2007)

Renaissance Woman said:


> I wasn't too upset about my thin hair. I was doing my best not to be vain, to tell myself that it wasn't under my conscious control, and all that other kind of stuff we tell ourselves. And I really was okay with it.
> 
> Until I saw pics of myself from Vegas.
> 
> I'm horrified now and feel incredibly self-conscious. I want to wrap a scarf around my head and never take it off.



The only thing I noticed about your hair was how rocking the color looks with your complexion and lipstick (I love dark hair, pale skin, red lips!). I know it's difficult (for all of us), but try not to be so critical of yourself. I honestly thought you looked stunning in the photos.


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## Renaissance Woman (Aug 19, 2007)

ThatFatGirl said:


> The only thing I noticed about your hair was how rocking the color looks with your complexion and lipstick (I love dark hair, pale skin, red lips!). I know it's difficult (for all of us), but try not to be so critical of yourself. I honestly thought you looked stunning in the photos.


Thanks, Sweetie. I needed that.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Aug 19, 2007)

Renaissance Woman said:


> Thanks, Sweetie. I needed that.



Barb sweetie - about 5 years ago I was almost bald on top and I was devistated. I started taking herbs to control my symptoms and my hair started growing back. I highly suggest you go to this yahoo group and do some reading and ask questions about PCOS and hairloss. It really helped me. 

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/pcoHOLISTIC/


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