Love Beauty >> Love Beauty >  >> FAQ >> Beauty and Health >> Womens Health >> Birth Control

Irregular Periods & Excessive Hair Growth: Understanding the Causes


Question
QUESTION: I am 21 yrs old height 5'9 and weight 78kg. I have been having irregular periods since 6-7 years that i.e 2 years after puberty. I have had taken all tests right from testosterone level,dhea,insulin,thyroid,sonography of ovaries and uterus. All results are normal. But my body hair,hair on face every where grew since last 2-3 years. Its annoying to me that how come so much hair can come when i didnt have any before. Yes,i have been on and off taking Diane 35. I took it continously for around 1yr that too 3years back. Then,If i dont get my period i take deviry and followed by diane for a month and then my periods get regular for around 6 months. Like i took diane in may this year and i had normal periods after it till october. Now again i took deviry since i didnt get my period in november(21). Now my question is is it safe taking diane-35 like this? And what should i do about my hair growth? And also i have acne problem and hair fall(due to dandruff).And since i have all symptoms of Pcos why dont my test results show abnormality? And i have noticed that when i do walk regulary for an hour daily, dat month i get my periods. Why is it so?And i feel pathetic because of all these problems hair,pimples,irregular periods and stretch marks. My life is all mess.

ANSWER: I think you do have PCOS.  It's really a diagnosis made by symptoms, not by lab studies.  I would recommend staying on the pill until you want to get pregnant.  That's the best way to control the hair growth and acne.  You have too much androgen (male hormone) from your ovaries, in spite of the normal lab tests.  The pill puts your ovaries to rest, so they're not making all that androgen.  You won't see any difference for many months, because that's how long hair follicles are growing, but you won't develop new hair growth as long as you keep taking the pill.  The hair that's already there can be treated by shaving, plucking, electrolysis, and other methods.  The other good thing you can do is keep walking every day, and lose weight.  Sometimes weight loss alone will cure PCOS, and it always helps it.  It's probably the reason that you sometimes have regular periods because you're not too much overweight.  It's a long process, but over time, the pill plus exercise and weight loss can get you to be normal.  Best wishes.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for ur answer.But doctor,is diane35 safe to use for long time? How long should i be on diane 35? And at what day of my period should i take? Coz,my doctor told me to take on 5thday of my period, but on net i have seen people take it on first day.  

Answer
Diane is safe to use for many years, and is probably safer than what your ovaries are doing without it, because your hormones are more normal.  As I said, I would take the Diane until you want to become pregnant, unless you get your weight normal.  If you're not overweight, you could stop the Diane to see if your periods are normal.  When you first start the pill, you can start on the 1st day, the 5th day, or the first Sunday, in other words, anytime during your period.  Once you're on the pill, there should be 7 days between active pills.  In other words, take the placebo pills or nothing for 7 days, then start a new pack, regardless where you are in your period.