I am a woman with PCOS/PMOS. Can birth control pills treat it?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

PCOD is best diagnosed by history and never by ultrasound. It will be overdiagnosed.

Polycystic ovarian disease or polycystic ovarian syndrome/polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PCOS/PMOS) is a genetically programmed condition, meaning it can be inherited from your parents. When there is sudden weight gain, excess cholesterol in the body can be converted into estrogen.

For example, you may have noticed that obese men can develop breast tissue, and young obese girls may begin menstruating earlier; both situations are linked to high estrogen levels.

Fat serves as an energy reserve in the body, but when stored in excess, it also acts as a source of estrogen. This extra estrogen disrupts the hormonal balance between FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) released by the brain and the hormones produced by the ovaries.

FSH stimulates the growth of ovarian follicles. Once a follicle grows large enough to ovulate, estrogen from the ovary sends feedback to the brain to suppress further FSH production.

However, when excess estrogen comes from fat instead of the ovary, the brain receives misleading signals. As a result, follicle growth stops prematurely, and the follicles do not rupture to release an egg.

On subsequent scans, these underdeveloped follicles appear as multiple small cysts in the ovaries; this is known as polycystic ovarian syndrome/polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PCOS/PMOS).

This is usually associated with obesity, irregular cycles, no periods for a few months, and later heavy periods with clots and fleshy masses, spotting on and off, thyroid abnormality, and prolactin problem indirectly. You will also notice the following changes -

• You develop that extra pad of fat around the mid-segment of the body, especially the waist, thighs, and breasts, with no fat beyond the elbow and knees.

• You may also have excessive body hair growth, hair fall, a dark shade over the lower half of the face, acne, oily face skin, and black skin over the back of the neck, inner thighs, and under the surface of the breast.

• You may have a family history of diabetes, especially if your father or his family has it.

• This will not allow ovulation to occur at the time, so you cannot get pregnant till treated. It also increases your chances of early pregnancy abortions. But this has a solution.

Your expected weight is 114.6 lb to 125 lbs, so you are just above the standard limit. Once you reduce weight to the normal range, you will not need any medicine to get periods or to get pregnant, and pregnancy will be healthy.

To reduce weight -

1. Say no to fasting, junk food, fast food, and red meat.

2. Reduce eating snacks in between meals.

3. Have low-calorie food and high-protein food.

Regular exercise (especially for the waist and hip area), aerobics, yoga, brisk walking (swing your hands well), and try to reduce five pounds. Do not hurry on weight reduction. It will be difficult to maintain. You will see changes when you lose at least a few pounds.

Birth control pills will correct the hormonal imbalance and stop ovulation for some time, so the cysts (actually unruptured follicles, as I mentioned) will disappear. Have it for four to six cycles. This will regularize your cycles. Metformin is an Insulin sensitizer, so it will improve the ovulation process and help you lose weight.

So, as you see, you are being treated for the symptoms, which you can use, but when you stop, the problem will recur. So, weight and body cholesterol are the underlying cause, which needs correction. Your weight is just above the normal. So very easy to correct. Just have an active life and do not worry about PCOS/PMOS at this young age. I am sure you will do well.

Hope I have clarified your query. Do write back if you have any more queries.

Thank you.