My PCOS journey began a short time after the birth of my son, quite suddenly my menstrual cycle became errative and my hair began to fall out. While I wasn't so alarmed about my monthly cycle (because I thought that could obviously take a little time to regulate after giving birth), my hairloss made me frantic.

So I contacted my GP and he assured me that temporary hairloss is a common thing after childbirth and I shouldn't worry as it would sort itself out and my hairfall would return to normal. So as upsetting as it was, I continually told myself "this is a common thing, in a few months my hair will be restored". However, time went on and my hair continued to fall out, my once normal parting became so wide (I mean what was once the width of a stream became the width of the Atlantic ocean!), and as mammoth a task as this sounds, I actually counted the hairs falling from my head every day. And every time I washed my hair (as hair is weakest when wet) it just came out in bunches, i'd have to dry my hair just using a diffuser attachment on the hairdryer because brushing it was just unbearable. The dark, healthy looking hairs and follicles that filled my brush made me so angry, sad and feeling so hopeless because I just didn't know why this was continuing to happen.

At the same time my menstrual cycle had gotten worse, I'd sometimes have two periods a month and sometimes nothing at all for two or three months, and on top of all this my skin had become so oily and my scalp too (I don't exaggerate when I say you could have fried eggs on my forehead, and the oil was actually visible, it came out of the individual pores in little dots). So I went back to my GP who suggested I try taking an oral contraceptive pill (I can't actually even remember the name of this first pill prescribed for me because I was very naive back then regarding my condition and really thought there had to be a simple solution), however after several months of taking this pill, I was worse off than before. My hair was still falling out and was so thin at the sides and front that it was see-through. My skin was still very oily and I was developing acne all around the jawline and chin area (typically associated with PCOS) and while I was for the most part having a monthly period, I was also experiencing a lot of breakthrough bleeding at other times of the month. On top of this I had began to retain fluid (though I wasn't overweight, I've never been overweight, one symptom I was spared!), I became lethargic and depressed, I really felt these extra symptoms were being caused by the contraceptive pill, although obviously I was very down because of the hairloss, acne, etc. I really feel the pill exaggerated my depression (one thing I've learned with this disorder is never to dismiss your gut instincts, they're usually right because you know yourself and your body better than anyone).

I went back to my GP and again stated my case ( at this time I'd seen another GP at the surgery, who was more helpful and at least willing to listen to me, not dismiss me as a mad girl. He's still my GP now. This is another thing that is really important: find a doctor willing to listen to you and willing to explore avenues of treatment and give the necessary refferals, this is paramount because we need their help to explore treatments etc.). This new GP reffered me to a womens hospital gaenycological department. My first appointment was six weeks later (and I can tell you I never thought I'd see myself running in through hospital doors so willingly!). Again I stated my case, the doctor carried out internal examination and sent me to the laboratory to have bloodsamples taken. He told me to make an appointment at the desk for the following month. When I returned for my next appointment, I was told my bloodwork had shown I had above normal androgene levels which were associated with a disorder called polycystic ovarian syndrome. I was then transferred to the endocrine clinic in the same hospital and get an appointment for 1 week later. When I went to this appointment I was at least a little informed about PCOS, as I'd searched for any information available (but I found nothing at the library and very little in bookstores, and what I did find had me baffled. When first diagnosed it is a lot to take in and sounds so very complicated, which it is, however don't feel scared because with time and knowledge you will find your way through the minefield, trust me, you will). Again I told my story and symptoms and was at last told they were all related to and all symptoms of the disorder PCOS! (Hoorah!!)

I felt so completely relieved and thought "OK, now I'm getting somewhere". At this point my hairloss was really bad, my skin like a beacon, it was so shiny and inflamed acne all along my jawline. The first medication I was prescribed was called dexamethasone. I was also given an appointment to have a pelvic ultrasound scan. The scan showed my ovaries to be very polycystic (I still have the photographs, me being me and wanting to compare them to photos of other polycystic ovaries, I ran from the hospital and had them photocopied before returning them to my file!). I was prescribed dexamethasone for a three month period and then was to return to the hospital for the next appointment. However the dexamethasone had absolutely no effect at all, my symptoms remained exactly the same. I was then prescribed an oral contraceptive pill called Dianette, this i was told, had quite a good success rate in treating PCOS symptoms. Again I was given a three month prescription and another appointment.

During the first three months I definitely noticed my acne clearing up and my skin became less oily, but my hairloss remained as bad as ever and again I began to feel bloated, lethargic and had black moods. When I went back to the hospital I asked if I could continue taking Dianette for another three months as I thought perhaps three months wasn't an adequate timespan taking Dianette in order to reduce my hairloss. I'd had promising results regarding my skin, so I decided to put up with the side effects if there was a possibility of getting my hair back. However during the next three months, although my acne had cleared up quite well to just the odd spot and my skin looked less oily, my hairloss remained the same. I also became lethargic and very depressed (the type of depression you can't find a reason for) and I suffered from moodswings too. My menstrual cycle had improved, but there still was breakthrough bleeding. I went back to my next hospital appointment feeling defeated and just so down. I looked around the endocrine clinic waiting area and see other women with PCOS and all the signs of the various symptoms, some overweight with acne but thick heads of hair, some overweight with thinning hair but glazing skin, some slim but with very noticable hirsutism, some there with their partners talking about infertility treatments. It just all seemed so sad (and I don't mean to sound funny) that the workings of such small things as ovaries and their system could be the cause of so much misery. This time I was prescribed a drug called spironalactone, to take 50 mg every day at this point.

While I'd sat in that waiting room, I'd already decided with dogged determination to embark on my own course of action: to research the disorder from start to finish, to break down my symptoms and see what I could do, find or take in order to help my individual problems, being hairloss, acne, oily skin and my menstrual cycle. I spent hours on the internet reading everything I could find. I searched for natural products that could help, different cultural symptoms of PCOS sufferings: things that were used in the diets of different cultures that were possibly suppressing certain symptoms, and cosmetic products. I still took the prescribed drugs but continued putting my information together. I had some success regarding my skin (but not as good as with Dianette), but there were no side effects. However as before my hair continued to fall out. At my next hospital appointment, my daily dosage of spironalactone was increased from 50 mg to 100 mg.

By this stage I had started to change my diet, cutting down white and sugary carbs, replacing them with wholegrains etc. I started to take the herb Saw Palmetto (inhibits conversion of testosterone into DHT, see Treatments for info) and also Chaste Tree (for irregular menstruation, see Treatments for info). I continued to trawl every source for natural products and ways of doing things which could possibly help. Although I did see some improvement in my skins oil production when taking 100 mg spironalactone, my hairloss continued. I was also determined that I didn't want to be taking prescription medication longterm, because I really think nobody really knows what harm these chemicals can do to your body with longterm use. I always prefer when possible to work with nature rather than bombarding the body with synthetic products. However, I do know when somebody is first diagnosed with PCOS it all sounds so complicated, it's foreign territory and there's so much to take in that all we really can do is place ourselves in the hands of western medicine, this was also my reaction as I was clueless about the syndrome when first diagnosed. But I do urge that once you begin to understand your condition a little better, that you then begin to look at what you can do for yourself. And there's a lot you can do!

In my research I came accross a natural product called Nourkrin (for hairloss and hairgrowth, see Helpful Hints for info). I began to take this and later on a sister product called Nourella (for the skin, see Helpful Hints for info). I truly found these products amazing. At my next hospital appointment I asked could I bring my dosage of spironalactone back down to 50 mg and they said I could. I continued, and still continue to, eating healthily which included adding soya food products to my diet (as I'd found in my research that oriental women suffering from PCOS seemed to have very few symptoms and this was put down to the amount of soya in their diets). I continued to take the natural products already mentioned and with doctors permission I cut down on my use of spironalactone to 50 mg every other day, and eventually stopped taking it. I now have a full head of hair and my hairloss has stopped, my skin is acne-free and a whole lot less oily (back to it's original condition, my skin is naturally slightly oily). I no longer suffer from carb cravings and my menstrual cycle is almost natural, although on occasion it can go a bit off, but nothing as bad as in the past.

While I still go for hospital check-ups etc. and I know I'm not cured of PCOS, as this isn't possible, what I have done is learned to manage my symptoms and control them by using natural products and natural methods. The journey to here definitely wasn't easy, the amount of research etc. was very time consuming and at some points made me so weary. I now hope this site and my story proves helpful to other women suffering from PCOS and if I can be of any further help or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

Gerri