I thought I could share my story here:

I am currently 25 years old. I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 17. I had periods that came and went sometime my body missed them .. sometimes up to 3 mths missed.

About a year and a half ago I came across a book by Suzanne Sommers "The Sexy Years". It was about bioidentical hormones and how hormone imbalance in your body contributes greatly to weight gain, depression, cravings etc etc.

I went to my doctor and asked him about bioidentical hormones. He had no idea what those were and why should a 25 year old be asking him about hormone therapy??

I didnt give up there. I went to a pharmacy after pharmacy until someone knew something about bioidentical hormones. Turns out, there was one doctor in my city and 2 pharmacies that actually prescribe and fill prescriptions!!!

To make a really long story short, I was put onto progestrone cream between days 7-25 of my "cycle", its been one year later and I am completely symptom free, and have lost 45 lbs in the process (I started low carbing at the same time, atkins).

So if you are interested I completely recommend reading "The Sexy Years" by Suzanne Sommers.

I was diagnosed with PCOS at age 15 when my mother took me to see a doctor due to not having menstrual cycles. I have all the terrible symptoms, including infertility, no ovulation and no menstrual cycles unless on birth control pills or Provera. I have depression as well and that may be due to the symptoms and the fact that I am now 26 and have had no luck with pregnancy. I have seen an infertility specialist and have tried daily hormonal injections twice and didn't work either time. I have been taking Provera for 3 months now and it does induce my period, but I wonder if I'll ever get pregnant. I am starting to lose hope and don't know how I will cope with the fact that it may never happen. Does anyone have any words of hope or advice for me?

Hey,
Dont worry.Although it looks like it is never going to get better trust me it will.
i am 26 now and I want children one day I have never tried but having this disease I know it isnt going to be easy.

Best bet at fighting depression is doing something you like for divertion. It is easier said than done but it helps. Also commit to low carb and excercise like your life depends on it. Give this sucker disease a big big punch it cant handle. Read up everything you can and try everything you can. For me most of the depression was from self pity. I always pitied myself for not being thin enough, not having the best hair, or having hair at wrong places the list goes on.

But the point is GOD gave us something called will power. Now I am not refering to the will power which can control food intake or something like that. Brain signals are too complicated. But I am talking about the will to live which is hidden in every organism in this planet.Nurture that will and that will give you strength. Look around you an make a note of all the things that made you happy or still does that is exactly the essence of life not something you dont have.but the the things that make you happy.

Thank you for your advice. I hope it does get easier. I will try to start looking at the things in my life that do make me happy. Although, at times, it seems as if noone or nothing makes me happy! If it's not one problem, it's another. However, one day, GOD first and willing, we will all have our miracles.

There is a site called Soulcysters that is all about PCOS. I remember several women on that site who started using Progesterone Cream and became pregnant after trying everything under the sun... It can be purchased at your local Health Food Store or on the net. Make sure that you get a pharmaceutical grade brand..

I use it and it helps a great deal with my symptoms...anxiety, major depression, panic attacks, etc.

I have PCOS-- which I'm managing with metformin and the diet. But I can tell you this, when my sugar isn't under control for awhile, I get all kinds of emotional. You're not alone.

I know the original poster posted this some years ago but since it's still active I thought I'd share a bit as well. My husband and I have been together 6yrs, and no children yet. At first we were being careful NOT to so we just thought we were doing a good job, lol.

But honestly I knew something wasn't right with my body as far back as 15 years ago and the symptoms would just get worse. I was told to take the pill too and that made me a psycho until I got off it...crying jags, irrational mood swings...it was awful. And within a week of getting off the pill I felt like myself again. Unfortunately that was 7 years ago and my pcos symptoms just got worse and worse...one facial hair went from two until now I am tweezing endlessly every day to no avail.

And funny how doctors love to take one look at overweight people and immediately dismiss them with "oh your just fat". Despite the fact that every time I gained most of my weight it was 45-50 pounds in extremely short periods of time.

Well after missing my period for 9 months and gaining 50 pounds in 2 months I found a good gyn and she sent me to an endocrinologist, who incidently also has insulin resistance an p.c.o.s. So she gets it...it's great. And in case anyone wondered she very much said the mood swings are because of it. With my blood sugar out of wack and my hormones as well from it, it would have been more a surprise if I hadn't been depressed, anxious and moody.

So at this point I'm still learning about it, learning to control it right now with eating low carb and making sure I don't eat on the run and cut corners. Hopefully once my weight has dropped down my body will "reset" itself like I have heard has happened for so many others.

The mood swings are because of 'IT'?

Did the endo mean the mood swings are provoked by the insulin resistance?

Or did she mean that the mood swings were induced by hormone imbalance?

OR both?

I am really curious, because there are simply so many women who obviously have severe mood swings and the majority of people who are severely depressed are female -- I wonder how many of them may have PCOS, and not have any idea, and go to doctors who are similarly clueless?