r/PCOS

I (23NB) went to an endocrinologist for the first time (for my PCOS) and described to her my debilitating chronic fatigue. My quality of life has been steadily declining for the last six years and the past three have been just awful: I don’t have a social life outside of my partner and best friend, I go to sleep/nap right after my 9-5, and weekends are spent physically recovering from the work week, most of the time sleeping on and off all day. Chores and home life are becoming nearly impossible.

My doctor said that, contrary to my research and what my PCP and OB/GYN have said, chronic fatigue is NOT a PCOS symptom. I’ve had an at home sleep test and it came back clean. My endocrinologist ran some blood tests and told me to start taking a daily multivitamin. My tests showed a lack of Vitamin D and she directed me to take 2000 IUs daily. She thinks this is the reason for the fatigue.

I haven’t noticed a difference in the first week. I’m just wondering if maybe I should get a second opinion? Do any of you experience fatigue like this? Any advice appreciated.

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The internet throws 50 contradictory rules at newly diagnosed women at once like fasted HIIT, 1,200 calories, cutting every comfort food. Most people waste months on advice that only worsens fatigue and cravings.

Nutritionist here🙋‍♀️ who help 200+ women with pcos/pcod and here are 3 massive traps that backfire constantly, and what actually works instead

1. Fasted High-Intensity Cardio (HIIT) 5 Days a Week

What happened: Punishing yourself on an empty stomach spikes cortisol, wrecks recovery, causes puffiness, and makes afternoon sugar cravings 10x worse.

What works instead: 3 days of basic strength training + a slow 10–15 minute walk right after meals to help your muscles soak up glucose stress-free.

2. A "Light, Clean" Breakfast (or Skipping It for Caffeine)

What happened: Running on black coffee or "naked carbs" (plain oats, fruit, poha) will increase your GI, leading to a 3 PM and late-night crash

What works instead: having your first meal with 15–20g of savory protein within an hour of waking up. (Like low fat paneer wrap, chia yogurt pudding)

3. Banning Rice, Roti, Dairy, and Gluten on Day 1

What happened: Cutting every comfort food at once is miserable, socially exhausting, and almost always ends in starving and over eating loop

What works instead: Keep your normal home-cooked carbs, but eat your fiber (salad/sabzi) first then proteins (lentils, beans, non veg) with roti or rice and lastly some curd or butter milk to naturally blunt insulin spikes.

Let's build a bookmark-worthy thread!

If you’ve been through the trial-and-error phase, drop yours below:

-What you tried that failed / wasn't worth it:

-How your body reacted:

-What finally moved the needle instead:

I just saw an article about how apparently, there was a structure behind the ovary that was erased from anatomy textbooks. Its called, the “rete ovari” and now theres some speculation that it may be linked to PCOS and menopausal symptoms

I swear, if PCOS was a man’s disease, there would be so much research and it would have been cured by now. Its not fair. How much longer will we have to deal with this insufferable ass condition??

We have to work so much harder to achieve basic things and this facial hair and fat retention is going to be the death of me. Im thankful that theres been some recognition of the disorder in recent times but, I can’t take the weight gain, fatigue and facial hair anymore.

The worst part of all of this? The ONLY thing that’s worked for me thus far, the glp1’s, arent covered by my insurance! So its between 300-700 dollars a month depending on which glp1 i get.

Its a sick, sick joke and even though im only 20, it feels like ive aged 30 extra years. I’ve broken down over this stuff in the past because, unless youre rich, youre forced to live life on hard mode. So much money goes just to doctors appointments and pharmacy copays. I just watch as girls my age have things come so easily for them, no hirsutism, fat retention, or fatigue. It’s not fair.

Im glad theres atleast spaces like these with ladies who get what im going through but, man does this shit suck!

My gynecologist got me off of all sorts of tabs as I started working out, swimming and started getting my periods.

But my other symptoms stay. Hairloss, hirsutism, brain fog irritability, etc.

She gave me metformin initially when I insisted I wanted something for weight control. I already told her I don't want any bc as I've already tried it for 3 years and it didn't do much about my body.

I know even if I go now, not just her, any other obgyn, they'll ask if I'm married and planning for a baby? I'd say no, then they'll just brush me off.

So before I insist about NAC to them, I wanna know how it helped you girls?

With female pattern hair loss, hirsutism, weight loss?

Meanwhile I'll dig this sub for more info.

Hi everyone,

I’m (F28) at my breaking point with the hirsutism and could really use some honest advice (and real experiences).

My chin and body hair has gotten way worse over the past 3-4 years and is now completely unmanageable. In the last two years I’ve basically grown a full beard, and I even have hair on my butt now. I’m blonde with extremely sensitive skin, so my options for hair removal are already limited.

I’m currently doing electrolysis, but I’m starting to feel like it’s pointless if the underlying hormone issues are still this aggressive. The hair just keeps coming back stronger.

I’ve never been on birth control and I’m seriously considering it now just to manage the symptoms, but it scares the hell out of me. I’m worried about:

•  Weight gain

•  Hair loss (which is already happening but I’m scared it gets worse)

•  Increased cancer risk

•  Just trading one set of symptoms for a whole new set

Things I’ve already tried that didn’t help:

•  Myo-inositol

•  NAC

•  Magnesium

•  Ashwagandha

•  Spearmint tea

•  Losing 20 kg

•  berberine

•  metformine

Nothing has made a real difference. At this point birth control feels like the only option left, but the fear of side effects is holding me back.

I’d especially love to hear from women who have used birth control specifically to fight PCOS symptoms (especially hirsutism).

What pill did you take? Did it actually help with the facial/body hair? How bad were the side effects? Did the benefits outweigh the risks for you? Any regrets or things you wish you’d known beforehand?

PCOS has been a constant battle and it’s honestly wearing me down. Any advice or personal experiences would mean a lot.

I feel like things are just getting worse and worse, and I can’t find a solution. I feel like it will soon affect my relationship as I even started experiencing vaginal dryness since this summer and the hair on my bottom is making me even more self conscious… Thank you so much for any advice !!

Hi! I started taking metformin in May due to insulin resistance and elevated AMH levels.

Before taking metformin, my menstrual cycle was regular. Since starting it, I’ve been getting my period only once every two months.

Does anyone have any idea why this might be happening? My other hormone levels are normal (LH, FSH, estradiol, progesterone, and thyroid hormones).

Thank you!

Mid 30s. 17 months postpartum. Finally got my period back after finally weaning my son. Since then I have been having the worst anxiety and the joints in my fingers have been bothering me so much. I feel like I have arthritis or something.

Anyone else have experience with joint pain/discomfort/inflammation during their periods?

Hey all 🩷 been reading a bit from Dr. Lara Briden’s body of work and I’m curious about cyclic progesterone therapy for insulin resistant PCOS. Has anyone here tried it? Did it work for you? Any side effects? Were you able to get it covered by insurance (US)? Would love to know more about your experience.

I’m 33 and was diagnosed around age 21. It’s been a rollercoaster over the years! I came off the Mirena IUD in 2021 which was masking many of my symptoms to try a more holistic approach to treating my PCOS. Unfortunately this resulted in a 40 lb weight gain despite following common wisdom (movement, whole foods, appropriate supplements, going to therapy and acupuncture). Last year I took the leap and started Tirzepatide. It has worked beautifully for me and I’ve shed almost all the weight, but the cost is really burning a hole in my pocket and unfortunately I’m unable to get it covered by my insurance here in the US. I’m trying to get creative and explore other options.

i put off going for five years. hair thinning, belly fat i couldnt shift, irregular periods, tired all the time, mood swings. i just decided i was lazy and a bit dramatic, because thats what i kept hearing

finally went and found out i have PCOS (now called PMOS apparently) plus insulin resistance and high cortisol

i didnt cry or anything. i just sat in the car feeling weirdly relieved. like oh. it wasnt me. my body had been asking for help for years and i kept telling it to stop being dramatic

if youre where i was, still telling yourself its nothing, what finally got you to book the appointment

One thing I genuinely thought would help me was being stricter with myself around food I kept telling myself I needed to cut out sugar, reduce carbs, and make better choices at first I would feel motivated and convinced that this time I was finally going to get everything under control

But after a while it started getting exhausting

I would feel hungry and think about food constantly If I ended up eating something sweet I would feel guilty afterward I kept telling myself I just needed more discipline and better self control The hardest part was that I treated one difficult day like I had ruined everything I would promise myself I would start fresh on monday and try to do everything perfectly again

Eventually I started questioning whether being so strict was actually helping me

I realized I was spending so much energy thinking about what I wasnt allowed to eat that I wasn t paying enough attention to whether my meals were satisfying me in the first place I started focusing more on balanced meals with protein fiber and enough food to keep me satisfied i also tried to stop treating every sweet snack like a failure that needed to be made up for the next day

Nothing changed overnight, and I still have difficult days. But I started feeling less guilty around food and stopped looking at one imperfect day as a reason to give up. I think the biggest lesson for me was that taking care of myself doesn't have to mean being at war with myself all the time

I wish I had understood that sooner.

Is awful, good lord. Having more than two drinks at 27 gives me a bad hangover, and it's hard to believe that I used to be a tank just five years ago. I only drink a few times a year, but after this weekend's hangover I think I'm going to cut that down to 1-2 times a year.

For records sake, I had five drinks within a nine hour period. One beer, four carbliss. Have any of you guys experienced anything like this? I was diagnosed at 17 and have managed to keep my weight healthy since then, but the hirsutism and other symptoms are getting worse with age; along with inability to tolerate alcohol and dairy.

I never wanted to be miss America but I wanted some men to at least find me attractive enough to ask on dates, maybe one day get married, want to have children with me. I’m hurting so bad right now and very frustrated that it doesn’t seem to matter what I do- I can’t change how I look. Sure I can remove my facial hair. Sure I can wear a wig or a hat. But that won’t make my beer belly go away. It won’t make my face less swollen or look more feminine. Even when I was very thin, I still was never pretty or feminine enough for a guy to want much to do with me- not my like my peers who have feminine hips or bodies. I just feel like dirt today*

*I know male attention and romantic relationships are not everything. And I have done restrictive diets, exercise (used to be a dancer), spirolactone, birth control, Ovasitol, and others I can’t think of right now. I just want to vent about how worn down I am

Hi! I'm starting metformin today as I have insulin resistance. My 2h glucose test showed my glucose rising to 202, staying at 160 at a 2h mark and dropping to 42 when I got home. It's an extended release version and 500 mg for now. How should I take it to minimize side effects? It says take with the largest meal. My appetite hasn't been great lately, I haven't been eating much tbh. My biggest meal is probably breakfast but I already taje strattera, inositol and prenatal with breakfast ans then zoloft and second dose of inositol before bed. Should I take it with dinner to minimize side effects? Can I take it together with inositol? Hoping for some personal experience.

Does anyone else get severe back pain before their period? I know I'm about to have a cycle when my stomach is bloated beyond belief and my lower back pain kicks in....

I’m so humiliated. I have irritating facial hair, shave every day, currently getting laser treatment. I was finally kissed by a guy I was really into and he said “that felt like kissing a guy haha” I blocked him but I’m still so crushed and embarrassed. I hate having PCOS and I feel like my love life is screwed. Can someone please tell me to not obsess over his comment?

Any chance Fatty Liver causes PCOS? Anyone who treated their liver first instead of PCOS and got their cycles back?

I am specially looking into Milk thistle supplements. I am wondering if milk thistle will help my liver work better that would somehow regulate my cycles on it's own.

Wanna know if somebody took milk thistle for pcos alone, and saw improvements. If yes, what improvements did you see, and for how long.

Hi, I have never been active in Reddit but I am getting legitimately desperate. This might be a tad long but it’s been years of stuff building up. I (22F) got diagnosed with a very bad case of PCOS at 14 and I have had all the symptoms (high cortisol, hirtuism, hair loss, apron belly, abnormal periods, insulin resistance, horribly low libido etc.) It got bad enough that about two years ago I had to have an ovary taken out as it was fully engulfed by my cysts and was decaying. I have tried everything to get the weight off. I’m right at 6 ft tall and around 315lbs. I will note I have a very large amount of muscle mass as I have always had very labor intensive jobs. My weight has started to affect me again like crazy I have tried every medication and nothing has worked. I have done high protein keto carnivore intermittent fasting every supplement on the shelf water fasting and I have had the best results with cutting out everything processed but that one is almost impossible to maintain. I have lost interest in everything thanks to this. I don’t want to workout anymore after seeing no health related results I have no libido I don’t want to dress up I don’t want to do anything as I am admittedly just disgusted with myself. I’m looking for any help. Diet ideas, supplements, mindset tips, life practices, higher ing my libido etc. I will note I have never taken a GLP-1 and I would really like to avoid it but I guess you gotta do what you’ve gotta do. I have some money in an HSA and my insurance won’t cover it so if anyone has any experience there too I would love some insight. Thank you for listening and I appreciate all of you guys!!

I gain 2 kgs evry month. I have gained over 30 kgs since 2021. Boob size has increased from 30 to 34 also cup size. Developed back hump. Lump over chin and neck. Massive arm strechmarks. Irregular periods. Front hair balding.