Hey there! I'd recommend googling PCOS. There is a ton of information out there (and I think I posted a few links here in a different thread).

Also, check out this: PCOSupport™

In short, they are really not 100% sure what causes PCOS. There seem to be a collection of symptoms that they call PCOS, and there is no one definitive standard for diagnosing PCOS. It can present in different ways, and to different degrees. Some women have all the symptoms, some have a few of the symptoms. For me, my bloodwork is mostly pretty good except I have slightly elevated (but still in the "normal" range) resting insulin levels. I also present with PCOS-looking ovaries on a follicle scan. I'm not sure if my good bloodwork is because I've been on metformin for so many years, or if it is because I have such a mild case of PCOS. On metformin, I seem to get my period almost every month - I really don't know if I would off the metformin (I haven't been totally off medicine since I was 12 years old). At that time, I just bled for months on end.

One of the leading theories about PCOS is that there is something unbalanced in the pituitary. Another leading theory has to do with insulin resistance. Apparently, the ovaries take in insulin and it helps the ovaries signal the pituitary about the different hormones to release. If the ovaries don't take in the right amounts of insulin, or are resistant to insulin or if there is too much insulin, it can set everything out of whack. Depending on how off your ovaries/pituitary are, it may explain why there is such variance in symptoms.

Elevated insulin levels over time can result in diabetes. Being on metformin supposedly lowers that risk. High levels of certain hormones affects weight, and can also affect the heart, so that is possibly why there is a greater risk for heart disease.

PCOS is often easily controlled with medication. Some women will get pregnant on metformin alone. Others need Clomid, and still others need a bit stronger meds. I really believe the Clomid would have worked for us if we weren't also dealing with MFI.

GL! I would say try not to panic about it. I think I'm more laid back about the diagnosis because I've had it almost my whole life, so it was kind of never a big deal to me. And none of my doctors (even 20+ years ago) thought it would prevent me from getting pregnant.

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