Story sharing

I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2009. 4 years after I asked the doctors to test me for it. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome runs in my family although my mum and and my nan both had it they went on to have children.

Since finding out I had PCOS I never really had any information about it from the doctors so I researched it all myself. Finding out that Metformin, the drug is used for people with diabetes. Although it hasn't been approved Metformin is a well known drug which helps PCOS sufferers and their symptoms. Metformin affects the way insulin controls blood glucose (sugar) and lowers testosterone production. It slows down the growth of abnormal hair and, after a few months of usage, may help ovulation to return. Research has also proven that it helps with weight loss and improved cholesterol levels. Also finding out that tiny cysts develop in your ovaries, the balance of hormones you make in the ovaries are altered, In particular your ovaries make more testosterone than normal, hence the abnormal hair growth.

Basically you do not ovulate every month, some women don't ovulate at all. In PCOS, although the ovaries usually have many follicles, they do not fully develop and so ovulation often doesn't occur. These follicles are cysts. Instead of your eggs been released they develop into follicles (tiny cysts) Some may have as many as 12 or some may not have many at all or even more. Some women with PCOS don't have cysts at all. That was me at first.

Ask your doctor to test you insulin levels as this plays an important part. A high amount of insulin in your blood may stimulate the ovaries to produce too much testosterone, a hormone classed as an androgen (male hormone) since men produce 10 times as much of it as women. Many women with PCOS have slightly higher than normal leels of testosterone may interfere with the develpment of the follicles in the ovaries.