ILiveInFlipFlops Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Long story short, it has been suggested that my oldest may have PCOS, so we'd like to follow up on that. Is it best to go to a GYN or an endocrinologist for this? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martha in GA Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 My dd20 started with blood work at her regular doctor (military), who then referred her to a GYN. They are trying low estrogen bc pills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 The gyn is usually the best place to start nowadays. They can do all of the preliminary blood tests and discuss basic meds and lifestyle/diet changes. Only if nothing seems to be helping and it is interfering with fertility will they move to an endocrinologist. Everybody seems to have something different that helped them, so don't be afraid to try things that you normally wouldn't! What helped the most for me (after met off and on forever) was a low-estrogen pill with an androgen blocking property. I loathe chemical birth control, but I grudgingly took it and was happy. I'll go back on it one day if I ever stop nursing :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 (edited) Several of my daughters had PCOS diagnosed by a gynecologists. They have always had their treatment planned by the gyns. None of them have needed an endo. I think you would be fine to start with a gynecologist and move on to an edno if needed. But, in my experience, Endocrinologists are much harder to see. Of course, that depends on your area but it might make it easier to start. Edited March 8, 2017 by Tammi K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 My dd's endocrinologist is the better choice for her pcos. The gyn looked at her labs and said pcos. Only option discussed was putting her on the pill and to make an appointment with an endocrinologist. The endocrinologist added additional blood tests to rule out an other issues and started my daughter on metformin to control her insulin resistance. Showed me the line on the back of her neck that is indicative of insulin resistance. Explained all of her lab work to us. Wants to get insulin under control before adding the pill to control the testosterone levels if we want to go that route. I am not sure the pill is the way to go so I am looking at what is out there. Diet and exercise is the biggest help for controlling symptoms. Low carb diet. Supposedly gluten free and dairy free even better. I have not convinced dd to do this yet. As a family we have reduced carbs and dairy and I use a lot of turmeric and ginger in my cooking. Hopefully, you get the answers you need soon. As a side note, not all pediatric endocrinologists (or adult ones) are created equal. You may have to kiss a few frogs. I am still livid at the one I took my dd to see when she was 13. After I explained my family history of thyroid disease and the symptoms I had observed he looked at me and said "I am not in the business of giving out pills to make people skinny. If it will make you feel better you can do an ultrasound of her thyroid." I gritted my teeth and repeated myself so he would write the scrips for the blood work and the ultrasound. I wish I had just walked out but it takes forever to get an appointment and I wanted the tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Experience with gyn was similar to kewb except they didn't even recommend an endo. They just said 'oh you have cysts here have some bcp'. Pcp was actually more interested in treatment, pushed for metformin, apologized for referring me to gyno, basically said 'If I'd realized that was ALL they were going to do I'd have done it myself, I thought they'd actually help you.' She'd kind of like me to see an endo but it takes absolutely forever around here. Exercise was absolutely key for me in controlling it. Diet might have worked but I absolutely could not get the carb cravings under control -- if I walked past potato chips I was buying them -- and if I missed eating even for a short time I'd get shaky and dizzy. After getting a lot fitter and doing a lot of vigorous training (martial arts) I started my first diet and found I actually *could* cut back without feeling shaky from hunger. Got into the normal range for the first time in my adult life. This was unmedicated btw, I didn't have even bcp for years because I had terrible insurance and bcp was $40/mo at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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