My Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: part two

Hello lovely people! This post is a continuation of my previous post on polycystic ovary syndrome, which you can find here. In this post I will talk about my medication, how my PCOS has effected me and how I keep control of the symptoms. I will add the same disclaimer to this post which I added on my last: please remember that every experience is different and if you have any concerns after reading this, ask your GP. I am not a doctor and I know through my own mistakes to never self-diagnose.

I finished my last post by sharing my moment of diagnosis, so I will continue where I left off and share my medication with you. When prescribing me with the contraceptive pill, the doctors had to be sure that I did not experience/ have a family history of migraines or blood clots, as this would be dangerous on the pill. It is also important to note that smoking does increase the risk of blood clots and other complications on the pill – I am silly enough to continue to do so but I plan on quitting within the next year.

As I am lucky to not have a family history of blood clots or experience regular migraines, I was placed on the 3 week contraceptive pill Rigevidon – which means that I take the pill for 3 weeks and on the fourth I don’t take the pill and I get a period. This is great because my periods have finally regulated – yaaay!!

Now, I know that this pill isn’t for everyone – some people gain a lot of weight, their skin breaks out, they start getting regular migraines [if this happens contact your GP]! Some people get really bad stomach cramps etc. Basically, this pill isn’t for everyone but I have been on it for roughly 3 years now and I’ve had no issues! From what I have gathered, this is the first pill which the doctors will prescribe on diagnosis.

So this pill has been an absolute god send. After the first few months of being on this pill I had to return to the hospital to have another ultrasound to check on the growth of my cysts – and Hurrah! They had significantly reduced in just a few months! Which was obviously a huuuuge relief!

A downside of the pill is that at first they will only release 3 months worth of pills in one appointment for the first year – and only 6 months worth following that. This means that every 6 months I have to go to the doctors to get a new bunch of pills! Although this is annoying, I think it is necessary because they take my blood pressure and my weight and let me know if I am on track and am keeping my lifestyle healthy!

One symptom which the pill hasn’t helped – for me – is the weight gain. One symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome is an increased level of testosterone hormone: which means hair growth and weight gain. Although the pill gives you oestrogen to balance this out, I have found that my weight is still quite difficult to budge – something very common for the contraceptive pill is weight gain.

When you have polycystic ovary syndrome, it is important to maintain a healthy weight [and I do mean a HEALTHY weight – not trying to get yourself as small as possible]. Due to the testosterone, that isn’t always easy [typical]. So when I gain weight, I find it near impossible to get it off! I am a pretty consistent weight at 10 stone, but I do sometimes reach 10 stone 7 and have to work my ass off to get it back down. According to my BMI [something which I don’t agree with because it doesn’t take into consideration muscle mass but that’s a rant for another day] I am only just a healthy weight…

I try to keep on top of my weight and fitness so I don’t spiral out of control – but at the same time I don’t want to give myself eating issues by obsessing over my food or my weight so I try not to lose sleep over it. In an ideal world I would like to be 8 stone 7 or 9 stone in order to be safely within the ‘healthy’ range but it is SO HARD to work it all off I’m telling you. I’ve been 10 stone for as long as I can remember and I can’t imagine it changing any time soon.

In order to stay on top of my weight I try to eat healthy fruit and vegetables as snacks and get in green tea when I can – I also avoid eating too much take away. I try to exercise as much as possible – I really enjoy the gym, yoga, dancing, and I try to enjoy running… It hasn’t been successful yet but hopefully one day!

If you would like to know more facts about PCOS please follow this link for official information from the NHS.

I hope this post has been informative and you have all learned a little something or have been able to relate to some of my experiences. Please spread the word so that others can find the medical help they need!

If you can think of any more tips and suggestions in reference to living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, let me know in the comments! I am no doctor, and knowledge is power!

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to follow me on my other social media accounts. Links are posted in the sidebar.

Jade x