If there is a better forum section for this, please move mods!
Ok, so I am 33. Had very irregular cycles varying from 40-120+ days apart all my life. PMS was never terrible - mostly "back" related with mild emotional fatigue and had Hot flashes since at least high school. Diagnosed with PCOS at age 28 when trying to get preggers. Went to fertility dr one month, started meds and was pregnant the next month. DS1 was born in Aug 2008. He was exclusively breastfed so I didn't really ever have a cycle, but was pregnant when he was 10 mos old. DS2 was born April 2008 and he too was ebf. My cycles returned when he was about 8 months old....
Since having had my boys, my cycles are now approx 35-40 days apart - consistently. That, for me, is pretty regular. However, I have felt hormonally "whacked out" since my periods have become regular. I have some pretty extreme "PMS" symptoms, but they "FEEL" to me like MORE than "just" pms. For example, my sex drive PLUMMETS (which is SOOOO not normal for me! I've always had a higher than avg sex drive!) a week or two prior to onset of period and with that there is also (sorry, tmi) vaginal dryness / itch (that is NOT an infection) that feels like sandpaper and even toilet paper feels irritating. My mood swings terribly and I get angry/upset for no apparent reason or for something trivial
I also have stomach (not intestinal) pain, headaches (that I NEVER used to get), increased difficulty sleeping, etc.
So, I've been trying to look into the issue and had blood work for labs yesterday. He's going to be checking hormone levels. But, from alot of the stuff I've read there could (likely will) be one of two problems. 1) labs will be normal, but there really is a problem (as the hormone levels can vary drastically even within the same day, apparently) or 2) my labs will look normal, but only due to PCOS hx and now they are "Within normal limits".
I've also looked at / wondered if I am in Perimenopause (when I read about that, I can check of nearly every symptom except the "irregular perioeds"...but only b/c mine are now "regular"). In fact, I just read an article that stated that women with PCOS may be more likely to ovulate more regularly as they enter perimenopause!
I guess my question is: has anyone had any kind of similar experience? what was the diagnosis? What did you do about it?
Ok, so I am 33. Had very irregular cycles varying from 40-120+ days apart all my life. PMS was never terrible - mostly "back" related with mild emotional fatigue and had Hot flashes since at least high school. Diagnosed with PCOS at age 28 when trying to get preggers. Went to fertility dr one month, started meds and was pregnant the next month. DS1 was born in Aug 2008. He was exclusively breastfed so I didn't really ever have a cycle, but was pregnant when he was 10 mos old. DS2 was born April 2008 and he too was ebf. My cycles returned when he was about 8 months old....
Since having had my boys, my cycles are now approx 35-40 days apart - consistently. That, for me, is pretty regular. However, I have felt hormonally "whacked out" since my periods have become regular. I have some pretty extreme "PMS" symptoms, but they "FEEL" to me like MORE than "just" pms. For example, my sex drive PLUMMETS (which is SOOOO not normal for me! I've always had a higher than avg sex drive!) a week or two prior to onset of period and with that there is also (sorry, tmi) vaginal dryness / itch (that is NOT an infection) that feels like sandpaper and even toilet paper feels irritating. My mood swings terribly and I get angry/upset for no apparent reason or for something trivial
I also have stomach (not intestinal) pain, headaches (that I NEVER used to get), increased difficulty sleeping, etc.So, I've been trying to look into the issue and had blood work for labs yesterday. He's going to be checking hormone levels. But, from alot of the stuff I've read there could (likely will) be one of two problems. 1) labs will be normal, but there really is a problem (as the hormone levels can vary drastically even within the same day, apparently) or 2) my labs will look normal, but only due to PCOS hx and now they are "Within normal limits".
I've also looked at / wondered if I am in Perimenopause (when I read about that, I can check of nearly every symptom except the "irregular perioeds"...but only b/c mine are now "regular"). In fact, I just read an article that stated that women with PCOS may be more likely to ovulate more regularly as they enter perimenopause!
I guess my question is: has anyone had any kind of similar experience? what was the diagnosis? What did you do about it?
but I didn't think I was *that* abnormal 
