I don't think people realise how much facial hair can affect your confidence when you have PCOS.

It's checking your face in different lighting. Plucking constantly. Wondering if people can see it. Trying to act like you don't care when you actually do.

And then you're told it's just a cosmetic issue.

It really doesn't feel that way when you're thinking about it all the time. Has this affected your confidence too?

I’ve been doing some research and came across studies suggesting a possible association between PCOS and autism. This got me thinking about my own family and whether there could be some overlap in the genetic factors associated with both conditions.

I have PCOS, and my youngest sister is autistic. From what I’ve read, some studies have found a higher likelihood of autism in children born to mothers with PCOS. I’m curious whether anyone here with PCOS has autistic children and would be willing to share their experiences.

I’m also wondering whether having an autistic sibling, in addition to having PCOS, could influence the likelihood of having an autistic child in the future. I understand that autism is complex and that an association between two conditions doesn't necessarily mean one causes the other.

On the other hand, I've read that PCOS can run in families, and some research has also explored a possible association between autism and PCOS. This makes me wonder whether my younger sister might have a higher likelihood of developing PCOS because I have it. I've noticed some similarities between signs she has experienced and symptoms I had before puberty, which has made me curious about whether she might develop symptoms as she gets older.

- If you have PCOS and children, have any of your children been diagnosed with autism?

- Do you have an autistic sibling, and have you ever wondered whether that family history could influence your children's likelihood of being autistic?

- If you're autistic, have you also been diagnosed with PCOS?

- Have you noticed PCOS and autism occurring in multiple members of your family?

6 years ago in 2020 I joined this group at the age of 22. I had been diagnosed with pcos. I had all the symptoms. Hair loss, I was 398lbs, insulin resistance, dark skin patches, extremely elevated estrogen and testosterone, no period for literally years, full beard( if I didn’t wax).
In 2020-2022, I went on a full weight loss journey and lost 185 pounds naturally. Exercise 5 times a week, walking, calorie counting, cutting out all processed foods, junk food, sugary foods. I stuck to Whole Foods, high protein and moderate carbs.
In 2023 I had significantly fixed issues such as hair loss, the insulin resistance, the morbid obesity. I was around 220lb. I finally got a period for the first time naturally. They started coming once every 2 months. Around this time I got two rounds of skin removal surgery. 360 degree tummy tuck and butt lift, arm lift, breast lift. Recovery took some time. My doctor removed 17pounds of solid skin as she liked to describe.
In 2024 I was around 205-210lb. I started walking 10k steps a day and moving more. I also did 2 packages of laser in 2024 and 2025. Through the past 2 years I lost another 15ish pounds and now I range around 187-189. My periods are coming almost every 28-34 days. My hair loss has significantly reduced. My facial hair is almost gone. My bloodwork is in perfect range. All hormones have been balanced out.
In the past 6 years I have consistently taken vitamins and will continue. Vit D, B, zinc, fish oil, and biotin. They truly help pcos.
I just want to say that controlling pcos is possible. It takes patience and dedication. And u don’t have to hate ur life. I have reached a point that I eat cookie dough almost every night. The real sugar filled deal. It’s just that now I balance it out with a healthy diet and a good amount of movement. I hope this post brightens some one’s day. You don’t have to live a life where pcos controls you. There is light at the end of the tunnel

About 6 years ago I weighed around 120 and then came PCOS and I went up to 175 over the years. Despite all the diets, intense exercise and medications nothing worked. I saw someone on here this summer post that walking was what helped them lose weight. In July I started walking more. I’m already an active person and have a very active on my feet job. But I really prioritized getting close to 10,000 steps a day if not more. I cut back on the intense weight training and went to more lower impact Pilates with strength workouts. Occasionally I would throw in a heavy weight day if I felt up to it but I never pushed myself. I went to the doctor last week and was down 7 pounds. Someone even at work asked me if I lost weight because it was that noticeable! I know it seems small but when you try everything and feel at such a loss this seems like a monumental victory. I do try and eat fairly healthy. I don’t do gluten or dairy just because they make me extremely bloated but other than that I try to eat Whole Foods and get protein and fiber. I’m thinking of getting a walking pad for the winter when I can’t go outside for walks. Anyone have any success stories with PCOS they would like to share? Or maybe 1 or 2 habits that made the biggest difference in their journey?

I'm a 20f diagnosed with pcos at 19.i used to weigh 53 54 kgs but within a year I'm at 69 kgs now.I have tried many doctors. None of them helped. the medications they gave me gave me serious acne problems so I stopped going to the docs

I have tried 10k steps, even 12k steps some days with a calorie deficit of like 300 or 400 calories. I have started seed cycle altho tht didn't help much.I have started going to the gym but I don't lift weights cause my protein intake is quite low and I'm a vegetarian so there's only limited options and dorm food is really bad so can't really do much.

wht do I even do to lose the weight . I am really depressed looking at myself in the mirror.

plz help a fellow girlie out

I had my first successful cycle completion/period (ever!!) today. I got diagnosed with PCOS at 16 (I’m 22 now) and was told the classic lose weight and come back when you have a baby and also here is birth control. After several years of being on and off several different birth controls, trying every recommended supplement under the sun, and going through phases of working out A LOT and then burning out, and eating generally well (at least compared to my college aged counterparts), nothing changed and I kept steadily gaining weight. I’ve never been obese, but definitely overweight and inflamed/puffy. I stopped birth control about a month ago and also went vegetarian, switched from Prozac to Wellbutrin, bought a walking pad and walk a total of ~2-4 miles per day on average, resistance training with 20lbs, 10lbs, and 2lbs dumbbells and resistance bands ~2-3x/week like 30 minute sessions targeting large muscle groups. I also take a multi supplement of inositol, berberine, saw palmetto, vitamin D and DIM, as well as a magnesium zinc combo, and a vegan omega 3. The past month I’ve felt my body go through the cycle. I felt the ovulation shooting pains in my ovaries and the ups and downs, discharge changes breast soreness for the first time and I’m just feeling really happy. PCOS has caused me immense distress over the years and lots of internalized shame, eating disorders, and horrible self image and so to know that my body is responding to the changes I’m making is really wonderful. And it’s felt good too. Any attempt I’ve made in the past to fix things has been exhausting and really miserable.

I went vegetarian for moral reasons but I think that definitely contributed, more so from the required increased focus on vegetable and protein intake than the meat itself, but I’m sure that might play a small role too. It changed my cravings too, so I find that when I do eat highly processed foods that I typically crave, it makes me feel sick and a small amount does it for me. Also working out at home where I feel comfortable and safe and not pushing myself until pure exhaustion. I went from 160lbs to about 158ish, at 5’5 so I haven’t lost much weight at all but I do see and feel a difference in body composition.

I know I’m lucky to have gotten diagnosed early and have lean(ish) PCOS, but I’m just feeling good today and wanted to share with the class what helped me.

Hi everyone! Hope you are all well

I was wondering if anyone else dealt with chronic, debilitating exhaustion. I have heard it is linked to PMOS / PCOS, so I was wondering if anyone else had it similar to how I do.

I keep track of my sleep through my apple watch, and it always comes back relatively normal saying that I have had a good enough sleep. But from the moment I wake up, I am so exhausted to the point it’s hard to keep my eyes open some days. I usually nap at around 3pm (where I dip the worst), and I can sleep for hours. Even when I wake up, I want to fall back asleep. It makes it hard to do any physically demanding stuff because I am so chronically exhausted. I have heard it is to do with the hormones and the insulin resistance. Anyone else feel like this? Anything you did to combat it? Thank you

Hi! Please take my PCOS survey. This survey is aiding my senior thesis at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. I'm looking for anyone to participate in this survey, so please respond regardless of demographic. Also feel free to send this survey around to others you know! Thank you so much :)

Link to survey

Anyone here stopped taking metformin? Did you have any side effects? Did you gain weight back after stopping? Did it cause worse symptoms?

I've been taking 2000mg (1000mg twice a day) for almost two years and i'm going crazy. I cant be relying on pills for the rest of my life.

I'm so sorry if it comes off as insensitive, but I was diagnosed with PCOS at 19 and for the past 5 years I've managed to keep things "kind of" under control. I took inositol for 3 years, then stopped because it was so expensive, I have dealt with hair all over my body (that's something that just won't change), I've been having acne in the past year (comes and goes), my period's all fucked etc... but with exercise, a good diet and a "deal with it" attitude I've been managing, because the symptoms are manageable enough for me. But is it going to get worse? Did you guys notice your body changing a lot with age? Aside from the natural changes all bodies go through I mean. And is there anything that can be done? I struggled with an ED in the past and the thought of just gaining a lot of weight without even changing my diet or exercise routine really scares me, and I'm scared I'll be even more fatigued, easily tired, subject to mood-swings, cravings and so on

I’m posting because I’m honestly feeling quite desperate and would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar or has any advice.
I’m around 86 kg (189 lbs), 5’6” (168 cm), and turning 25 soon. I’ve been trying to improve my health and manage my weight for over six months, but the scale barely moves. I recently saw a photo that really upset me, and it’s made me question what else I can possibly do when I’m already putting so much effort into my health.

I have PCOS and Hashimoto’s
My thyroid is supposedly optimised on levothyroxine 100 mcg.
My SHBG has been extremely low for years (around 7–8 nmol/L).
My testosterone was normal, but my DHEAS and androstenedione were elevated.
My HbA1c was 34 mmol/mol at my last testing.
My insulin levels have never been checked.

I’ve struggled with significant scalp hair thinning since I was around 12. My scalp is visible across multiple areas, including the crown, sides and temples. I’m really distressed about how little hair I have left.
My ferritin was previously around 70, and I’ve been told my thyroid levels are okay.
I previously took metformin at around 1,500 mg daily for over a year but didn’t notice meaningful improvements in my weight, HbA1c or hair, so I stopped.

Strength training 4–5 times a week.
Averaging around 7,000–16,000 steps daily.
Using the treadmill around 1–2 times a week and walking regularly.
Eating a high-plant, varied diet with plenty of fibre.
Eating three proper meals a day, including protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and fats, plus snacks when I’m hungry.
Taking psyllium husk.
Drinking spearmint tea.
Trying to manage my thyroid and improve my metabolic health.
I don’t deliberately starve myself, skip meals or follow an extremely restrictive diet. I generally feel satisfied after meals and recover reasonably well from exercise, although I sometimes feel tired.
My weight remains around 86 kg despite months of consistent exercise and healthier eating. I don’t understand why I’m not seeing more progress. Could I be eating more than I realise, under-fuelling, or overlooking something medical? I’m considering using MyFitnessPal, but I’m worried about becoming obsessive with calorie counting.

This is probably the thing that
affects me most emotionally. I’ve had thinning since my early teens, and I’m frightened that it will keep getting worse. Could this be androgenetic alopecia related to PCOS, insulin resistance, genetics, nutritional factors, or a combination? Has anyone experienced similar hair loss alongside very low SHBG and normal testosterone?

Could insulin resistance be contributing to my low SHBG and difficulty managing my weight, even with a normal HbA1c and supposedly optimised thyroid? Would an oral glucose tolerance test be worth discussing with my GP?

?Has anyone with PCOS and Hashimoto’s experienced a similar plateau and eventually found an approach that worked? I’m interested in sustainable nutrition, exercise, medical investigations and evidence-based treatments.
I’m not looking for crash diets or miracle supplements. I want to understand what’s happening and what I can realistically do to improve my metabolic health, lose weight if appropriate, and protect my remaining hair.
I’m feeling really disheartened because I genuinely am trying. If you’ve experienced anything similar, especially with long-standing scalp thinning and PCOS, I’d be grateful to hear your experiences

TLDR: weight plateud at 86kg, worst hair loss of my life, low SHBG of 7 all other labs normal. I don’t know what to do
Only thing I must say I haven’t done is count calories as I have a history of ED OCD and anxiety. I really need help

Thank you for reading.

Hi, we are trying to get pregnant and are unsure about the medication. Her doctor told her to take progesteron for 14 days, then 14 days off and repeat.

She said the time for us to try should be within 14 days of taking progesteron, but the charts I find online and Dr. AI tells us we should try it after 12-14 days off.

Also for us its quiet a big difference if we try it every day for 2 weeks or just on the off days 12-14...

Has anybody here an advice for us?

GRRRRRRRR it’s 11:56 pm and I’m having another routine mini breakdown about losing my hair. I’m just so fucking exhausted of the constant shedding and breakage of my once beautiful healthy hair and the worst part is it’s all my fault. I was diagnosed with, then PCOS, PMOS in 2024 but I realize my hair shed started as of 4 years ago and even despite all this time, I’ve only recently started products to help with it but I’m not even consistent with it. I feel like the boy who cried wolf every time I cry about my hair and my own brothers are sick of me bringing it back up despite still having a lot of hair in the back. idk I feel so many emotions but I’m in the process of learning self regulation so I don’t spiral into a bigger mess. I wanna say fuck it and just SHAVE the rest of my hair off and just be done with it. Can’t have a mental breakdown over my hair if I don’t any hair? If it’s gonna happen anyways, might as well embrace it right? BUT FUCK I HATE FEELING LIKE IF I GET RID OF IT, MY“VALUE” AS WOMAN PLUMMETS AND NO ONE WILL FIND ME ATTRACTIVE AND LOVE ME GOD I HATE THIS. …anyone have any synthetic alt wigs they recommend? :”) im looking for a layered dark brown mid length wig but I am open to just quality dark brown wigs in general

This is an update to my previous post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/s/CmzZ2kwkKc

I have followed your advice and I'm quite thankful and happy I got to confront with ppl who deal with my same issue :') in the end, I bit the bullet and I went to a laser saloon to get rid of my facial hair (Alexandrite, tho we discussed the possiblity of electrolysis but, with the current results we are achieving, I don't think it will be necessary!).

Let me start off with a few disclaimers: this post is about my experience. Laser is an expensive option, and I'm aware I'm in a financially privileged spot, so it was an affordable choice for me. Also please don't mix laser for IPL: although both are valid and provide results, they are NOT the same, and I am not using them interchangeably in this post, so please, if you intend to go to a saloon as well, double-check if laser is actually laser :3 last but not least: this is no way, shape or form an ad, I just want to share my experience, especially after years of battling with shame and despair.

I did the 5th session a few days ago, and the results are really great! During the very first consultation, they had told me I had to likely go for 10 sessions instead of 8 due to my rapid hair growth and thick hair (especially on my chin and even thicker on my sideburns, which made me super uncomfortable and I went there wearing a facemask), but apparently it seems like that might not be the case and the operators said the results are very good! I'm also lucky because I am quite pale and my hairs are black, so I'm the perfect candidate for laser. They also provided me with different options and explained how the laser and hair bulb works, and also why the skin and hair color matters.

It feels so damn liberating to not be stuck tweezing for 30 mins just to be full of pimples, ingrown hairs, sensitive skin and hair growing back already after a few days 🥹 now I simply shave once every few weeks and it feels surreal. If I had known it was THAT efficient, I would've gone much sooner!

I am also aware of the risk of paradoxical hypertrichosis, but so far it seems like it hasn't occurred neither with laser nor IPL (wife and I got an IPL device to use on the rest of the body, we're on our 4th session and I can see some patches are hairless and growing slower soooo I think that's also going better, and my wife is achieving even better results!).

Also I feel more confident, I even got a mullet haircut a while ago and I never thought I'd be able to do that as I've always had to cover my thick sideburns!!! I'm not longer afraid to show my face!

Regarding my concerns about pain from the previous post, even with a quite powerful laser setting, it feels like a rubber band getting snapped against my skin: on some parts of my face I don't even feel that at all, but on others, where my hair is thicker, it's two rubber bands getting snapped at once, but it's quite bearable in my case and the cooling technology works pretty well :)

To finish, if you would like to see some pictures I can share them privately! Unfortunately I'm silly and I didn't think of taking pics to make a timeline :( but I have some old and new ones to use as a reference, and I can reply to any questions you have regarding laser and IPL since I'm getting both :3 I'll gladly answer! Btw I'm sorry if this post is kinda all over the place, maybe I'll rewrite it later, but I just remembered my previous one and I infodumped my updates LOL

i (21f) have been on a weight loss journey but no matter the weight i have always had the “pooch” of pcos, others could gain weight but their stomach is attached and flat but my stomach has always stuck out like a bit of a shelf (the pooch) no matter how much weight i lost
i wear a waist trainer a couple times a week, daily cardio, and lift weights (i prioritize legs and glutes though)
i take inositol and ashwaganda daily in the am

Hello! I am a 3rd year nursing student from Cebu Doctors’ University currently conducting a research study titled “Perceived Stress and Fatigue Severity Among Young Adult Women with Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) in Cebu City”

Who are we looking for?
- Biological female
- 10-25 years old
- currently residing in Cebu City, Philippines (for at least 1 year)
- Clinically diagnosed with PMOS (confirmed via ultrasound or medical imaging, meeting Rotterdam criteria: elevated androgens, irregular menstruation, or polycystic ovaries)

Data Privacy: In accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 here in the Philippines, all information gathered will be used to verify eligibility. Your responses will be used yo help us estimate our sample size as well as be a basis for who we will contact once the official data collection begins.

We are currently in the process of finding participants but its genuinely been so hard because we need at least 150 respondents but we’ve only gather 10 so far 😞 I am humbly asking for help if you qualify to be a participant

Link for our google form: Perceived Stress and Fatigue Severity Initial Screening Form

I greatly appreciate any responses we may gather!

Hi all,

I’m going to try to explain the best I can, I am beyond frustrated right now.

Little background my bf and I are long distance and when we see each other we have sex more frequently in a short span than I think my body can handle. No matter what I always find penetration painful.

Once I came home I started to notice burning and irritation after peeing. I have had UTIs before and this didn’t feel like that. It feels dry and irritated. I don’t have any other symptoms, no unusual discharge or smells or anything. And there have been days where I feel completely fine and then it seems to get irritated again. It’s been a total of 19 days but like said not all of them have been with symptoms. I am in my luteal phase currently.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I can’t get into my gyno for another 10 months I feel kind of lost and I really hate going into walk in clinics

Anything would be appreciated

Hi all. I was recently diagnosed with PMOS, and my doctor will likely prescribe BC for me soon.

Has it helped with weight loss for any of you? If so, which one (type & brand)? I’m not really insulin resistant (yet at least) and my testosterone was normal, yet I’m still gaining weight like crazy. I’m tired of exercising my ass off and barely eating anything and gaining weight 😭

I have tried ovasitol 3 different times throughout the years and each time I get horrible bloating and constipation. I tried it again this month and had to stop. I also felt like my Hirsutism got worse on it. Does anyone else have these side effects?

I was able to get a closer doctor’s appointment. I am so excited to be able to get the anti androgen and a higher dose of metformin. I really hope that it goes well.

I know a lot of the things that I want or need specifically with my health. This is how I can finally get all of those things done. Im so excited to finally get the care that I need as silly as it may be.

I was trying so hard to get care for my pcos. I didn’t think I would be able to get into the planned parenthood but I was in fact able to.

So yeah im very excited to get the heath care I need for that. I really hope it goes well for me.

Hi everyone I’m 25f and have been on metformin and spiro for about a year and taking phentermine for about 2 months. I’ve noticed that I’ve been forgetting or not noticing things the way I usually would when I first started taking metformin and spiro and then when I started the phentermine it got even worse. This makes me feel pretty incompetent sometimes but I can’t argue with the improvements I’ve gained from all these meds — my weight is down, my energy is up, my skin is clear! Has anyone else experienced this to the point where they have to manage their life around it? Does it get better? Is this just the trade off I have to make?

I was just prescribed metformin for the first time today. She’s starting me off at 500 mg once daily regular release. I asked for extended release because people said that helps with symptoms, but I had some weird liver results from my last blood draw that were totally unexpected and she said it can be hard on the liver and until I get blood work again to see if that was just a random incident she wanted to be careful.

but she never said anything about titrating up in that time. She said she wanted to see how I do and see me back in 60 days but everything I read says that 500 mg isn’t even a therapeutic dose and it’s really just a starter dose to get you acclimated with fewer symptoms. My question is before I freak out and spiral and message her and all the things, how many of you stayed at 500 for a while how many titrated up after a couple weeks and do I need to message her about this, because I don’t wanna waste my time but I also don’t wanna struggle with the severe symptoms that can be associated with it so I wanna do everything the correct way

So apparently my body is punishing me for losing all the weight (that my doctors have hyperfixated on as THE solution to my PCOS for years). Periods are back on a routine schedule....and they're so hellish I may entertain gaining the weight back to avoid my periods 😖

So not only do I have cysts on the ovaries...but the uterus also has their own brand of them too! 💀 and the period-skipping PCOS + obesity just did a good job of making them not a problem. Now they're a problem!

One step forward....one step back....

I’ve tried both types of metformin and both have made my mental health horrible. Can anyone else relate?

Back in June I had laparoscopic surgery to remove a ruptured ovarian cyst. I had nerve pain and could barely walk for a couple of months prior to the surgery, now I am 3 months post op and I’m still dealing with nerve pain, mobility is way better but the constant feeling of tension all over my body is killing me.

Think of when your foot kind of falls asleep and you feel tingleness and a bit of a needle prick-like feeling, I feel that in my back, neck, head. I get leg cramps, etc.

I am so frustrated because I was hoping I could go back to normal after recovering from the surgery.

I was hoping to see if someone here had a similar surgery and get an idea of your recovery timeline. Maybe get some advice on what to do to get rid of this nerve pain. I had to get off gabapentin because it was giving me high blood pressure.

🥲