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PCOS Without the Pill

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was about 14 years old. I was given the birth control pill as treatment. For about 13 years old, I took Yasmin nonstop. About 5 1/2 weeks ago I stopped taking the pill. I was so afraid that I would immediately break out with acne (like I had as a young teenager) and start growing unsightly facial hair (which I also has a touch of before the pill). I was pleased when a couple of weeks went by and I noticed minor changes, but not drastic ones. In fact, I even lost a few pounds, which may have been a result of discontinuing the pill.

Now, it has been close to 6 weeks, and I am starting to notice more changes. Oily skin, some acne (although not unsightly at this point) and some increase in facial hair. It is disappointing, but I do feel better equipped to deal with these issues as an adult. I am no longer in high school, thank goodness.

These changes do make me think that getting pregnant sooner rather than later might make me happy. I wouldn't mind having a hormonal shift that would help keep these side effects of PCOS at bay.

Here is the other interesting part of the story. About 1 year ago, I was diagnosed with vulvodynia. This is a medical condition I wouldn't wish on anyone. Essentially, something happened to cause the nerves in my vagina to freak out, causing things like sex and using a tampon to be extremely painful. I tried medications, which I could not tolerate, and I have been in physical therapy for months. When I told my physical therapist I was going off the pill, she said, "Interesting. I don't know why, but it seems a lot of women that go off the pill see improvement with their vulvodynia". Sure enough, within a few weeks, I noticed a huge improvement. Basically, the problem is a non-factor when I have sex now, which is amazing compared to what the last year has been like! It's almost a miracle.

So, (assuming that I get pregnant and have a baby) when I am no longer breast feeding, I will need to figure out what our birth control method will be. Will I need to be on the pill to control my PCOS or will I be able to figure out another solution? Now that I'm off the pill and know that I can have enjoyable sex, I don't think I want to start taking the pill again. But, do I want to deal with acne and other problems that are a result of my elevated testosterone levels?

One thing I do know is that losing a few pounds and working towards a healthy lifestyle certainly couldn't help. It seems that every discussion leads me back to this solution. Let's see if I can finally do it.

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