Is acne, hair fall, facial hair, and back pain symptoms of PCOS?

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 22-year-old female who weighs about 95 kg. I want to ask you my doubt regarding PCOS. Symptoms like acne, hair fall, facial and breast hairs, sometimes clots in periods, though my periods are regular and with pains. At times I have severe lower back pain before periods and feel dizzy during periods. I never had a constipation problem earlier, but for the past seven to eight months, I am facing this problem as well. Also, I have noticed two to three hard pimples around the labia with no pain. I had done my TSH, and CBT tests were done, which were normal for CBT and had 5% of hypothyroidism. My weight never seems to go down, no matter what I do. I also have vitiligo, which I heard is add on to the problem of weight and thyroid. So, doctor, I want to get my tests done for PCOS to be sure. Please let me know what all tests are required. I heard a transvaginal scan is the best and essential to get clear pictures.

Answered by Dr. Priyadarshini Tripathy

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thanks for reaching out. Let me provide you some information regarding the symptoms related to PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). Not all symptoms occur in all women with PCOS. Some women may experience only one or two of these symptoms.

Irregular or absent periods means infrequent, irregular, or prolonged menstrual cycles are the most common PCOS sign. For example, you might have fewer than nine periods a year, more than 35 days between periods, and abnormally heavy periods.
Difficulty getting pregnant (subfertility or infertility).
Acne.
Excess facial or body hair.
Male pattern balding.
Weight gain.

Investigations to be done:

1. Serum fasting insulin level.
2. Serum total testosterone.
3. RBS (random blood sugar).
4. Lipid profile.
5. Pelvic ultrasound.

Preventive measures:

You should aim to lose weight if you are overweight.
Losing weight helps to reduce the high insulin level that occurs in PCOS.
Losing weight can be difficult. A combination of eating less and exercising more is best. Even a moderate amount of weight loss can help.
The best foods for someone with PCOS to eat are likely to be slowly absorbed, keeping blood sugar levels steady. It means avoiding white bread, pasta, and rice and choosing wholemeal (oats and wheat) alternatives. Potatoes, sugary foods and drinks are also best avoided. Most fruit, vegetables, pulses, and wholegrain foods are both healthy.

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