Diagnosed with PCOS at Age 16

by shannon
(england)

I'm Shannon and I'm 16, I started my periods when I was 11. After this they came every 3-4 months. I thought they would soon settle down and become a regular cycle. By the time I was 13 they had not settled down and were still coming every 3-4 months.

I went to my GP, they told me this was normal and that my periods would soon become more normal. I went back to my GP a few more times that year but I always got the same answers, that soon they would become more frequent.

When I was a bout 14 and a half I knew something more serious had to be done,

I had excessive hair growth which was very hard to deal with and made me very depressed seeing other girls my age who did not have this problem,

I was also bullied for a while about this which was extremely hard and embarrassing for me. I was also having huge migraines and mood swings.

My mum then paid for me to go to a specialist. They did some blood tests. Results came back and it showed I had very high testosterone levels and quite a few other hormone imbalances. They then gave me an ultra sound, and had a long talk with me about my symptoms.

She told me it was very likely I had PCOS, but did not want to diagnose me until I was 16.

Now I am 16 I have been diagnosed.

Obviously no success story yet as I have not been dealing with it for long.

I would mainly like to know if there is anything that can be done for excessive hair growth.

I'm also worried about the fact that when I am older and want children this won't be possible.

I think this website is great for other woman with PCOS because you know others are going through the same things as you. Thank you!

Bless

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Editor's comments: PCOS in the teenage years is very troubling, especially when you don't know what's going on or what to do about it.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is something that got started well before age 16. The basic problem will last for a long time into the future.

Besides taking birth control pills or other pharmaceuticals, there's a great deal you personally can do to improve your situation.

PCOS can be effectively managed if you take a very comprehensive approach.

1) Educate yourself as to what causes PCOS so that you can make intelligent decisions for dealing with it. Read books, visit websites, talk to others who are dealing with issues similar to yours. Get second opinions from other doctors. Become knowledgeable about the various conventional and natural treatment options that are available.

2) A healthy diet plays an absolutely crucial role in managing the symptoms of PCOS, including infertility, acne, weight, hair loss, male-pattern hair growth, and depression. A healthy diet will also greatly reduce your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

A good place to get diet advice is from The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility.

3) Regular exercise is vital, especially if you have a weight issue. Daily exercise, when combined with the correct diet, can be as effective as metformin (Glucophage), but without its side effects.

4) Selected nutritional supplements such as vitex or d-pinitol may be useful in helping you to normalize your hormones.

There are a number of other nutritional supplements that have been shown to be helpful for reducing symptoms related to polycystic ovary syndrome.

One of your primary concerns is embarrassing excessive hair growth. Click here to learn more about what hirsutism is and what you can do about it.

You also mentioned that you're worried about your ability to start a family later on. You can improve your chances of future fertility if you improve your health practices now rather than waiting until you already have trouble conceiving.

By knowing what to do, you empower yourself and gain a sense of control over this disorder. Research indicates that a healthy lifestyle will give you some relief. So you will want to eat foods that are healthier than what your friends eat. You'll want to exercise more than they do. In essence, you'll be more attentive to healthy habits than those who are around you. This could be difficult, but if you're persistent, you should eventually see some positive results.

Most people are very ignorant about PCOS. They have no idea how difficult it is to control how you look. Stay away from anyone who says you are a freak or ridicules or bullies you in any way. Those people are not your friends.

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pcos-my story
by: Anonymous

I'm also 16 now but i was diagnosed with pcos at the age of 13 i never will have periods in my life but i still get the cramps and pain and mood swings when i was dignosed with pcos i was also dignosed with sexual disorder which if you ladies dont know what i mean it is the difficulty to have pleasure or desire. In my life time it is very hard to get through this pain because i will never be able to get pregnant which is 100% bad for me because when i was younger i always dreamed of having my own children and now..... i cant i can never have that so please if u can get pregnant enjoy it bc not able to sucks and, i after i found out what pcos was i got into depression and i still am what should i do to try and over come this pain inside me???????

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Jaggery
by: PCOS Editor

Thanks GG, for those helpful suggestions.

The only item I might differ with you about is jaggery.

While it has all kinds of of polyphenols, antioxidants, and other healthy plant compounds, I believe it also has some amount of sugar. Sugar is something that should be strictly avoided by most women who have polycystic ovary syndrome because it causes an upward spike in insulin, which in turn disturbs the body's entire hormone balance.

There's a similar problem with molasses and honey. While all these foods contain highly beneficial micronutrients, they also contain rapidly assimilated sugar and thus should be avoided or minimized.

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Try These PCOS remedies
by: G G

Hi! My menarche began at the age of 11. I had irregularities at first but did not take it seriously. Later on when the irregularity continued, I underwent an USG which concluded that I had PCOS.

But the medicine that they gave was nothing but contraceptive pills, which cured the symptoms but not the underlying cause of the disease.

So realizing that, I stopped consuming those medicines. :)

I am currently a medical student, and all I would like to share is that PCOS could be due to uneventful metabolic pathways related to homocysteine.

At present, there is no non-invasive cure for PCOS. But trust me, some of the remedies listed below would bring your hormonal imbalance into normal levels:

1. Drink water boiled with sesame seed.
2. Jaggery water (Jaggery is made a coarse dark brown sugar made in India by evaporation of the sap of palm trees).
3. Amla fruit (gooseberry).
4. Avoid white rice and preferably stick on to a veggie diet, preferably leafy plant material.
5. Avoid sugar and fruits with high sugar content.
6. Supplement your diet with B complex vitamins and fish liver oil capsules.
7. NEVER FORGET: Plenty of water and wholesome Exercise. It's a must!

And remember not to stop these remedies even after getting your menstrual cycles regular. There's nothing wrong in continuing the above mentioned for a long span of time since they are all NATURAL!

-- Try it out yourself.
-- Share your results with the world.
-- Thank Mother Nature for her natural remedies!

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You aren't alone
by: Mrs. Jennifer Soto

I was 16 when my periods became irregular too, but the doctors weren't that helpful with me and I had and still do have the same symptoms at your age.

I was 24 when I got diagnosed with PCOS. And now I'm 29 and having trouble conceiving. You are so fortunate to find out now rather than later and do not let PCOS bring you down. I know what it's like to get the mood swings.

But just do your research, get second or third opinions. Research a good doctor. Zocdoc is good. Try holistic methods too.

Metformin does help with me getting my period and Shatavari, which is an asparagus root; it's in the form of tea and or capsules, helped shorten my cycles and balance my hormones.

Just find what's right for you and stick to it. You will have a family one day. You have a bright future ahead of you and don't let PCOS take that from you. Fight it.

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Tests are your friend
by: PCOS Editor

The tests your doctor will order may depend on his/her medical specialty, experience with PCOS, diagnostic expertise, and your specific health history.

Click here for some lab tests that might be ordered.

There's nothing to be afraid of regarding additional testing. The purpose of testing is to provide data that will guide you and the doctor to the most appropriate treatment plan.

Your doctor may (or not) decide to order an ultrasound of your ovaries.

In our view, it is very important to get a complete thyroid profile, and a vitamin D test. Read more about the thyroid and vitamin D. Both must be optimized for PCOS control.

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Tests
by: Anonymous

What kind of tests did you have to go through before the doctor said for sure? So far, I've only did blood tests and I am currently waiting for the results. But I am so afraid of what other tests they will make me do. Can you give me any heads up with what you had to do? Thank you. x

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There's nothing to be afraid of
by: PCOS Editor

Well, first of all, don't panic! You probably had PCOS for a long time but didn't know it. This is not a death sentence. It's nothing more than a signal to you to pay closer attention to healthier diet and lifestyle practices.

Thousands of women with this disorder live happy, effective lives and have families.

Gradually, the shock of the diagnosis will wear off and you will begin to explore and educate yourself on how to manage this condition. You will need to manage this disorder for many years to come. So figure out how to minimize its effects. There is a ton of information on this website that can help you to understand what polycystic ovary syndrome is and what you can do to minimize it.

Be patient and persistent with good health practices.

For example, you could start eating 5 servings of vegetables every day. Vegetables are loaded with the nutrition you need to control the disorder. Do you think you can do this? Give it a good try and stick with it.

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PCOS - I'm scared
by: Anonymous

So today I have been to the doctors to get the results I got from the hospital from having a scan on my belly and kidneys. It came back as PCOS.

I don't know what to do as I am 16 and only just found out a couple of hours ago and I have read about it but I still don't understand and is scaring me to death with what I have seen!

I just don't want to gain weight and not be able to have kids as I have it in both ovaries. I need help!

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Hair Loss
by: PCOS Editor

Sudden and large shift in hormones can result in hair loss. Could have this been caused by a change in medication? I don't know, but possibly so.

In any case, you'll have to be very patient. It takes a long time -- sometimes a very long time -- for hair to grow back. There is no quick way or any pill that will make your hair grow back. Prepare yourself for the possibility that some of your hair may never grow back.

At your young age, I can imagine you haven't a clue as to what is going on. Unfortunately, ignorance is not bliss. PCOS will be around for a long time, so you'll need to learn how to manage and control it.

Secondly, your doctor may know very little about PCOS. So he or she is prescribing birth control pills because he or she does not know what else to do. The real burden of gaining the upper hand over polycystic ovary syndrome is mostly on you.

The CAUSES of your problem need to be identified and corrected. Birth control pills are helpful but only provide symptomatic relief and don't get at the root of the problem.

Ask your doctor whether the drug "metformin" would be helpful.

In general, PCOS is best managed by diet, exercise, stress management, adequate sleep, and other lifestyle modifications. This needs to be your focus for the next few decades at least. Read all of this discussion thread to learn more. Or, you could purchase the Natural Solutions for Female Hair Loss e-book for a plan of action.

If you still live at home, get your mum involved and get her to support you in learning how to create a healthier lifestyle.

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PCOD at 17
by: Anonymous

Hi I'm 17 and have PCOD.

But my main problem is hair fall.

Like In the past 3 months my hair has reduced to half of what it used to be its just so scarrrryyyyy.

I took pills for this for 6 months after I was diagnosed with pcod and I was fine back then. Now my doctor has changed the pills and I've been taking these for the past 4 months. I didn't get my periods for 3 months and now when I did it wasn't blood that came out but some weird brown discharge. My hair is also falling off like crazy. I'm so tensed.

Please hellllp!

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You can minimize PCOS
by: PCOS Editor

PCOS is a disease that you can minimize. But you have to keep working at it. Eat a healthy diet, get plenty of exercise, get a vitamin D test, and do all the other things we've been talking about in this discussion thread.

It is necessary that you learn and implement good health practices for the rest of your life. Not only is polycystic ovary syndrome a problem right now, it represents an increased risk for getting serious diseases later in life.

With persistent good health practices, you should see your symptoms gradually diminish and you should stop gaining weight.

You can do it. It just takes pigheaded discipline and determination.

For example, never consume any food containing gluten grains for the rest of your life. Can you do that? Of course you can. It's tough, but you can do it.

Never consume any food containing added sweeteners, especially fructose and high fructose corn syrup for the rest of your life. Can you do that? Of course you can. Just do it! And keep on doing it.

Can you eat at least five servings of vegetables every day? I'll bet you could if you had to. Well, you have to, if you intend to control PCOS.

Life isn't easy. Life isn't fair. It is what it is. You have a major health disorder so you will have to work harder than other folks at taking good care of yourself.

Have a look at Emily's story. It has some good info.

You can definitely control PCOS. Good luck! Other women have succeeded in managing this disease and so can you.

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PCOS Problems
by: Nicki

Hey, I'm Nicki. I'm 17 and going through polycystic ovarian disease since 2 years. I've had irregular periods.

I gotta take pills and then my period happens for 4 days and stops for 5 months or it takes years.

I've consulted the doctors about it and they say it's PCOS.

I always gain weight even though I'm on my strict diet and excess amount of hair which I have to go through.

Can it get resolved soon? I'm so done in with it but I never give up.

I do exercises and all that stuff which I have to do to get on the right track.

My only question is can it get resolved with all of this all hard work?

Help!!!

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5 Quick Tips
by: PCOS Editor

1) Eat more vegetables, at least five servings per day.

2) Minimize consumption of all grains. Do not consume any products containing wheat.

3) Exercise every day.

4) Get a vitamin D test from your doctor. If your vitamin D level is below 50, take a vitamin D3 supplement.

5) Take cod liver oil every day, or eat more fish.

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I Need Help
by: Zainab

Hi, my name is Zainab; am sixteen and I am from Nigeria.

Well, I started my period at the age of 13 and it was regular for a year and stopped. It goes for about six to seven months and comes only once in a year. After overcoming meningitis (a sickness that causes headache and stiffness of the neck, from which I almost lost my sight), I decided to meet our family doctor.

According to the test he conducted, he said my right ovary is big and that am not ovulating and he also said there is nothing he could do, and that I should just go and read about PCOS and lose weight and come back in the next three months to see if it will regulate.

I'm really scared because due to my research it has no cure, and I have a probability of developing cancer.

Currently my weight is 85. Please help me.

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Hormone disorder -- what to do
by: PCOS Editor

It sounds like you have some hormones out of balance.

Here are a few things you can do:

1) Can you talk to your mother about this? Is she aware of your concerns? You may need her assistance.

2) You could consult with a doctor. The doctor will probably prescribe birth control pills. Although this is not a solution, they do help to manage symptoms.

3) If you see a doctor, get a vitamin D test. If the test is below 40, I would suggest you take supplemental vitamin D until your test shows your level is at 40 or higher. Vitamin D acts like a hormone in the body. It is important.

4) Here's a hard one. Change your diet! What you eat has a major effect on your hormones and symptoms, and is the primary way to manage PCOS and other chronic health issues.

a) Have some coconut oil and cod liver oil daily.
b) No soft drinks or energy drinks.
c) Have at least 3 servings of vegetables every day. Five servings is even better.
d) Drastically reduce consumption of refined grain products such as bread.

I know it's incredibly difficult to do this. Do your best.

5) Here's another hard one. Get more exercise. Are you physically active every day? Or are you mostly sedentary? Physical activity and exercise are critical for controlling and normalizing your hormones.

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o_o
by: Anonymous

I'm not sure if I have it yet. I'm scared to ask about it. Since I was little I have had excess hair over my upper lip, arms and lower back. I am now 16 years old. I don't have a weight problem or cramps. I do have a bit of acne and my period comes every 1-2 months but it's EXTREMELY light, like it's not even there. What do I do????

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diagnosed with PCOS at 16 too
by: Anonymous

I had a similar story. My periods started when i was about 13. After that they where either very heavy, for long periods of time or barely there. They were always very irregular and sometimes i had to stay out of school due to craps.The worst was that i developed acne at 13 :( and was bullied and made fun of eve since... when i turned 14 i had excessive hair growth as well. i began then comparing myself to to other girls, and saw myself as less pretty and attractive.

The GP told me to wait till im 16 before seeing a specialist. When i turned 16 i saw the specialist and was diagnosed with PCOS. I started gaining wheigh a few weeks before the diagnoses, and the doctor told me that if i left it for 6 months more i would have already been severely overweight. That was scary to say the least! I was put on the contraceptive pill imediately (which was a bit embarrising). I have been on the pill for about a year now. The acne is much better and i can actually wake up feeling normal. the hair growth has also been minimized.. but still a problem. My periods are very light now and practically painless.Im still uneasy and anxious about the fact that i might be infertile, but hoping for the best. I hope that i will soon be able to fully control my PCOS throught a better lifestyle... even though im healthier now, i still feel like the ugly girl with acne and hair everywhere...

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