I have been TTC #2 for 8 cycles now. I know this seems like a VERY short TTC to some of you, however I'm looking for answers.

PCOS has crossed my mind as one reason I may not be getting pregnant.

I'm a plus sized woman- (I know that that alone can make TTC more difficult). I have irregular cycles lasting 31-39 days with a very short bleeding period (2-4 days). These 2-4 days are very painful and I experience dizyness and vomiting. For the past 8ish months I have been experiencing awful face and body acne. This past cycle I received positive OPS from day 14 until day 20 (when I ran out of test strips).

I know that those symptoms alone cannot diagnose ne with PCOS but I was wondering if they fit into the "list" of PCOS symptoms.

I had my anual pap a month back and the OB/GYN didn't say one word about PCOS- he simply told me that all of my issues- irregular/painful periods, short bleeding, 8 cycles TTC without getting pregnant, ect.- are all because I'm overweight!!

I guess my major question is if PCOS can be diagnosed with a simple pap- and since my pap came back negetive should I not worry about PCOS? How is it detected? & what are the major symptoms to look for?

Thanks SOOOO much in advance for your time and attention!

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I wish I could help you with that but I certainly hold no truth in "overweight is keeping you from getting pregnant" for myself. I am overweight and I have ALWAYS had regular periods. The older I am getting the shorter they are getting but for me it is normal part of getting older. I have always O'ed, always have EWCM. Now, do I think being overweight played a part in my m/c ? It's possible but I doubt it. I think age played more of a factor than anything.
Voice your concerns to your doctor again and see if he can runs some tests to see if you actually do have PCOS. Good Luck!

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I personally wouldn't say that your cyles are irregular, since they are 31-39 days long, seeing as a normal cycle is anywhere from 26-35 days or so. Usually an irregular cycle is when you either do not have a period for a couple months on your own or you have to take something to induce your period to show. But if your doctor considers you to having irregular periods then disregard what I mentioned.

I normally only have a 3-5 day period. It can last up to 6 days if I spot more than usual, so I wouldn't think that your 2-4 days is unusual.

Adult acne is one of the symptoms of PCOS, but doesn't necessarily mean you have PCOS. Not all women get acne, and not all women with acne have PCOS.

Because you are getting your period on your own (I'm guessing about this since you didn't mention anything about taking anything to bring it on), then I would say that you are ovulating on your own. This alone would make me think that you don't have PCOS or if you do that it is a very mild case of it and that it's probably not the main cause of you not consieving. Now again, this isn't always true, only what I've read and heard from other ladies on here.

As far as I know, you cannot be diagnosed with PCOS from a PAP. Normally you are diagnosed from an ultrasound of your ovaries or from a series of bloodwork. The main thing the doctor will look for in the ultrasound is if you have a string of pearls on your ovaries, again not all women have this but can be diagnosed with PCOS. As for the bloodwork, there are many tests (can't remember which all they are since you go through a series of like 8 different tests). Depending on the ratios of these results the doctor may diagnose you with PCOS.

If you feel you may have PCOS and your doctor does not do any tests, you may want to consult another doctor for a second opinion. Since 10% of the female population has PCOS and I think about 1/2 of them don't know they have it, it's something you may want to look into to see if you have it. There are still a lot of doctors out there that do not know enough about it to diagnose it, but there are many who have spend a lot of time researching it and can help.

The major symptoms of PCOS are the string of pearls on your ovaries, adult acne, high testosterone level, being overweight (although not all are), irregular periods (usually 6 or less a year) and other things. There are some great links on the welcome message WELCOME MESSAGE and GREAT PCOS INFO LINKS! that can help you out with more questions and lots of reading. There are also a lot of books out there regarding PCOS that can help you answer some other questions you may end up having.

Good Luck and let us know if you have more questions.

I usually don't post here but I thought I'd add a few thoughts. Shawn Ann is 100% right about not being able to diagnose pcos with a pap. Also, my old doc never paid much attention to my complaining about af being irregular. It's just when I started ttc my new doctor ran lots of test and diagnosed me with pcos. I really wish it could have been diagnosed earlier. Also, I'm about 15 pounds overweight and it is EXTREMELY hard to lose any weight no matter how hard I try (that's one of the symptoms).

Jessica

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I would try to get in to see another DR if you can't get this one to run tests. I was diagnosed with PCOS through surgery but only b/c they were checking for endometriosis (sp). I have normal periods and the usually last for about 3-4 days and then spot for about 3 more. I don't think a pap will show PCOS. Get a second opinion. Some DR's don't even know what to look for when it comes to PCOS so keep pushing til you get some answers!

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I agree with the other girls. My dr. just recently ran some blood tests to help decide if I could have PCOS. She ran an FSH and LH, and the testing round before that included the FSH, LH, progesterone, Deoxygenated Estrogen ( I think, it's been awhile), and a thyroid panel. I read in a few books that a testosterone would be another good one to test for.
I know for a fact PCOS CAN NOT be diagnosed with a pap. A pap smear is to check the cells of your cevix only.
Good Luck!

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Blood tests: FSH, LH, Estrogen, Testosterone, DHEAS, SHBG, free andrgoen index, prolactin.

Also, having an ultrasound (sonohysterogram) of your ovaries should show whether there are any cysts (note: you dont have to have cysts to have PCOS, but if you dont, the blood tests would still show problems)

I'd see another DR and ask them to investigate.

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Ladies!! Thank you so much for all your answers and support!! I'm currently in search of another ob/gyn. I'm looking for someone that would be willing to let me go for a VBAC if/when I have another baby- not having any luck so far!!

I may wait a while longer until I've been TTC for a year- my current OB/gyn said he doesen't run fertility tests until we have been trying a total of TWO years--- he's a NUT!

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