Do I Have PCOS? My PCOS Symptoms

I may or may not have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). But based on the PCOS symptoms criteria necessary to be diagnosed, I likely have it. The only reason I don't say I have it is simply because I haven't been formally diagnosed by a medical professional. However, I experience irregular periods, painful periods, I have hair thinning (it looks like I have old lady "see through" hair), and an increased amount of facial hair (legit, like I have to shave a beard).

by my mid-twenties ibuprofen became my monthly friend and I was only able to go to work or school without being in debilitating pain after taking the pills.

I can recall severe menstrual cramps as early as my late teens/early twenties. At that time, I could simply take acetaminophen to mask the pain, however, by my mid-twenties ibuprofen became my monthly friend and I was only able to go to work or school without being in debilitating pain after taking the pills. Over time, those cramps became worse and in order to alleviate the pain, the pain meds increased, and there were still months where the pills didn't provide enough relief and I wound up curled up on the ground with nausea trying to make it through the pain, keep things down, and remain conscious. While I learned to power through the cramps with pain meds because I couldn't afford to use the PTO/sick time, more often than not on the first day of my period the only thing I wanted to do was pop the pain pills, lie in bed, and try to sleep through it. This was normal, right?

Not only did I have debilitating cramps, my menstrual cycle and period were irregular. It wasn't uncommon for me to not know when my period was coming and cycles could easily last more than 45 days. In addition to inconsistent cycle starts, I also had a period that lasted 8-9 days. I found it frustrating that I couldn't predict my period start, and because it impacted my life with severe cramps, I didn't know if I would have to change my plans to avoid being in pain while trying to have fun. Irregularities aren't uncommon, yeah?

As if painful and irregular cycles weren't enough for me, there's the hair issues that came with PCOS. I noticed back in 2020 (when I was 25) that my hair was thinning, but didn't know what to do about it and couldn't explain it correctly. I brought it up to my hair dresser who asked a few questions about it, but I wasn't sure how much I really was losing every time I shampooed or brushed my hair and she said the amount of hair that was in her bowl after my wash seemed normal. Six years later, I for sure have lost even more hair, and I know this because of the way I can see my scalp through my hair both in person and in pictures. Additionally, my pony tail circumference drastically decreased. The other hair issue is that the amount of facial hair I have also increased. I always had a bit of a mustache even when I was young and I assumed that was simply a part of having a Hispanic heritage. I am also aware that having some "whiskers" on the chin is common for women, but I literally have to shave my chin, sideburns, and mustache - and not with those little shavers for peach fuzz - with a full blown razor meant for a beard or leg hair. But hey, lots of women have these issues, so it's okay...

the fact that I exhibit at least two of three PCOS symptoms criteria indicates I have PCOS.

Even though I haven't been formally diagnosed, the fact that I exhibit at least two of three PCOS symptoms criteria indicates I have PCOS. Which leaves me with the "fun" part...how do I heal this? And even if for some reason I'm not formally diagnosed when I go to the doctor, I still clearly have some body issues and have to figure out, how do I heal? This is the hard part, but I have to keep my goals of living a long life with optimal health at the forefront of my head when making daily decisions. Healing is hard, but it's worth it.

Here's a little more food for thought around issues with menstruation:

What I've only recently become aware of is that I also experienced relatively intense Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) symptoms, such as moodiness, heightened sensitivity, minor cramps (leading up to the severe cramps that accompanied the start of my period), sore breasts, achy lower back, and general increased fatigue. And while this isn't a part of the criteria of symptoms necessary for PCOS, these are issues related to my menstrual cycle so I find it important to mention since the body and its processes are fully interconnected.

I grew up under the narrative that PMS was common and "normal". It's just how women are and something that we naturally go through. Granted, my Mom's PMS was mild...that should have been a sign to us that something was "off" with me. But hey, we didn't know any better at that time, so we try not to beat our selves up for what we didn't know.

Another recent thing I've learned that can be considered a sign of an imbalance in the body is the fact that I started my period at 12 years old. This should have been a red flag at the beginning that something was "off" in my body. It's only in more recent times that women began their periods before the age of 14, and there's talk about the younger generations beginning even earlier with 9 years old becoming a more common age for girls to start menstruating. While I don't have a lot of knowledge in this area and haven't spent a lot of time researching it, just knowing that the age females first start their period is increasingly becoming earlier is a sign that there's something "off". Again, not something related to PCOS, but PCOS impacts the menstrual cycle and the age we are when we start menstruating and become post-menopausal matter. While these parts of a woman's life are natural and can be seen as beautiful, the way and when these occur is a signal to our conscious brain on how things are going with the body as a whole. If we know what to listen for, we can make changes to heal.