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I promised to keep some of you up to date on my zit/facial hair struggle.
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I decided to make a new post in reference to this thread. That way we don't confuse the issue with my original question about a zit vaccum. Just FYI some of the tests I had to do were gross so if you're one of those uptight, easily offended by medical stuff types, go to Cuteoverload.com instead.
For those whom don't know I'm a 33 year old female with adult acne and stubborn facial hair on my chin and upper lip that did not respond to laser removal. My dermatologist sent me to a gynocologist for a hormone level check. The gynocologist then turned around and sent me to an endocronologist.
I've been playing Doctor Pinball, and I'm the ball! LOL
Okay, so the dermatologist has been treating my ance with a combonation of facial wash, antibiotics (Mondox), microderm, and I had a course of 4 blue light treatments. It helps. However I decided to not do the blue light anymore. As a migraine sufferer I really hated it. Despite them filling the goggles with cotton to block out the majority of the light, I still left every treatment with a headache. I'd rather have the zits then trigger a migraine.
My hormone levels turned out to be okay.
So onto the endoconolgist. He had me do three different types of tests to check my thyroid, cortisol, and testosterone levels. One was a 24 hour urine test. Which pretty much is what it sounds like. You have to keep going into the same container for 24 hours. Something you should do when you have no plans on leaving the house. Especially since it needs to be refrigerated. (No perservitive.) Gross. I also had to do a midnight salvia test. At 12 am I had to soak a hard piece of cotton in my own spit. Finally I had to have fasting blood work while I was menstrating - has to be done within 5 days of starting my period.
Got the results back. I am, as always, prediabetic. I knew that. Thyroid is okay. Now my cortisol is somewhat out of wack. Normal is 50 or lower. Mine is 51. He hadn't gotten the results of the salvia test yet. (That was a trip and a half. The test people had never heard of it, kept forgetting to get the kit in, and when I went to check on the status of them getting it - on my 33rd birthday no less - the woman I talked to RIGHT AWAY started to SCREAM and YELL at me. She was a right witch. Even her coworkers were shocked and a bit afraid of her.)
He's going to put me on metformin. It's a diabetic drug however it's also effective in treating acne and facial hair. The only other option is a medicine where you absolutely, possitively HAVE to be on birth control to take. Unfortuantly that's out as I cannot take birth control. I turn into a wild, raging beast on birth control. Plus it makes my blood pressure, which, despite my weight, is actually very good, spike up super high. There just doesn't seem to be a pill I can take. So no birth control for me. Which leaves the metformin as my only option. Unless they find a way to remove hair fociles completely they way they do excess sweat glads.
He also said that if some of my levels didn't straighten out in 3 months he'd put me on a blood pressure medicine. Apparently it's good if you have too much protien in your urine. Even though my blood pressure is pretty normal.
So there, I promised to keep you all up to date and I did.
And for those grossed out - beauty ain't always pretty. -
Thanks for the update. I know it's frustrating to passed from one doctor to another. But I'm glad they could do all the testing to get a better idea. Have you been tested for PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)? I know that most of your symptoms are common with PCOS (weight problems, acne, facial hair). And strangely enough, Metformin is usually the medication they give to people with PCOS. Either way, what Metformin does is regulate you sugar levels, it's prescribed for insulin-resisitance. It might also be helpful to adjust your diet to be low-gi. Anything that makes your sugar levels spike will cause problems (obviously candy, sugar, etc. and potatoes are even show to cause more of a spike than refined sugar). Refined grains such as white bread and white rice can also cause the sugar spike.
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That actually is suppose to be one of the tests. I think it had to do with the salvia test if I remember correctly. Or maybe part of the blood work. I found one thing interesting - you don't actually have to have cysts to have PCOS.
And out of this I got a great gynocologist. All my others before were horrible. The first one didn't even believe I was a virgin (I was 18), the others never really spoke with me, and the one before this one was so incredibly rough that I never wanted to go for an exam again. This one I got actually took time to listen to me. It made the exam so much better. -
Let us know, my bet is that you have PCOS. I'm not a doctor, but you seem to have ALL of the symptoms. I hope they can properly diagnose you so that you can find some relief from your ailments.
I'm glad to hear that you found a good gyno. They're hard to come by, most of them feel rushed all the time so they have zero time to listen. I've found that using my gyno's nurse practitioner is usually better because she has more time to listen and answer questions. -
I'll keep you up to date as I hear things.
I think she took time to listen cause I started to cry during my exam. I've done that with others but they never reacted the way she did. I have reasons for my crying, most of which is tied up with my medical history as a child. I had a lot of bladder and kidney procedures and therefore someone was always hurting me. I'd get into heavier detail if I thought it would help someone here psychologically but I know most people would get super offended and freak out. -
Well, it's officially. I do have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. *sighs*
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Didn't your doctor put you on metfornin last summer? Has it helped?
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He put me on it before he knew for sure that's what I have cause I'm also insulin resistant. It's helped a little. Some of the hairs are thinner when they grow in. But there's still a LOT of them and a LOT ingrown.
Hardest part though actually is hearing that because of this I might be infertile. Somehow, even though I have no intention of getting married or having kids - thinking I could have them if I really wanted to was comforting. I think it's because deep down, I really do want a family, it's just never getting asked out got to me. But now that it looks like it would be difficult if not impossible - I found myself crying a lot last night.
And trying to explain to my mom that there is no cure for this. Only treatments. She keeps asking me how long I have to be on the metformin and I have to keep saying "The rest of my life. The only other treatment is birth control and you know I can't take that stuff." Ten minutes pass. "So, how long do you have to stay on the metformin?"
"What did I just say, mom?"
"I asked you nicely!"
"Yeah, TEN TIMES!"
*talk about something else for 15 minutes, then out of the blue* "So how long do you have to be on the metformin for this?"
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Good ol' facepalm. Good ol' Star Trek.
I'm sorry to hear about all of this, but at least you have a diagnosis. Bittersweet as it is, sometimes it's nice to know exactly what's wrong. And who knows, maybe in a few years they'll make a birthcontrol that will actually work for you. They've been coming out with a few different types over the last few years, so there may be some hope on that front. I don't really know anything about metfornin, so I don't know if there are crappy side effects. If not, well, being on a pill the rest of your life isn't the worst thing ever. (too optimistic? I just ate a bunch of chocolate, so I'm sorry if I'm being too "glass half-full"). -
Metformin can make you sick to your stomach but that was only for the first week. Once I got use to it I was fine.
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If I could hug you, I would. You're a nurturing, talented (yes, I peeked at your website, sorry if that's creepy) person and it's horrid that life has spilled something like this in your lap. On the other hand, at least you've gotten the diagnosis out of the way and can focus on treatment.
Out of curiosity, if you do want to start a family someday, would you consider adoption?
P.S. My best friend just found out she's prediabetic, so I'm adapting all of my holiday cookie and pastry recipes for her. If any are especially good, I'd be happy to pass them along. -
It's not creepy at all. How else can I get gigs if people don't look? LOL (What's creepy is the guy who told me he played my version of Ave Maria 3,000 times in ONE DAY! That one I quickly took down.)
I always thought about adoption - if I found a guy who was willing. I know it's a bit old fashion but I really think that a kid needs a father in his or her life. If not with the mom, at least always involved with the kid. I've known too many kids, both boys and girls, who had no father in their life and they always talked about how much they wish their dad was around. (It was always the case where the father had left or the mother dumped the father. So the father was still alive somewhere, just never saw their kids.) -
Growing up, I had two friends, a brother and sister, who were raised by a lesbian couple; one mom was their biological mother whose husband had died about a decade before. Even though both parents were female, one still took on what would be considered the "fatherly" role. I agree that father figures are extremely important. It would be especially hard knowing that one of your parents is out there but doesn't want to participate in your life. One of my grandfathers did that to my grandma and her kids, and even though he eventually came back, my dad and his brothers still have issues decades later.
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Yeah, I'm watching that happen with a 16 year old right now. His dad left before he was two and the kid is always saying about how he wants to see his dad. He writes poems about wondering if he and his dad look alike. Even though he has brothers and a Big Brother, he always wishes his dad was part of his life. In elementry school one of my friends also didn't have her father in her life and she would always cry in secret. Later when she got older she was always getting into trouble. Even got kicked out of college.
So even though I have three older brothers I just can't see raising a kid without a man in my life to teach them about love and give them a sense of security. Besides, it's easier to adopt when you're part of a couple.
But since the last time I had a boyfriend I was 18 and I haven't been on a date since - well, I can see my future now as the Crazy Dog Lady. -
JamiSings, in case you didn't know...
There's a drug you can take called spironolactone. It's an anti-androgen, and I started taking it after reading about it on the website of a doctor who is trying to educate women with PCOS. It's one of the most underdiagnosed conditions women can have. The spironolactone acts as an androgen blocker, and that actually helps reduce the facial hair growth. I have far fewer hairs, and they are -much lighter. No longer dark black and thick. They're blond and thin. They still grow, but not as rapidly, and I control it with shaving very handily. I'm taking 100 mgs of it twice a day (this is a fairly high dose, but it is the therapeutic level recommended for androgen blocking). Spironolactone is also a drug used for other things, but I only use it for the androgen blocking properties. I've been VERY pleased with it. -
Is that one of the ones you have to take birth control with? Because that's why I'm on metformin. I can't take birth control.
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Nope, it's got nothing to do with birth control. It stands on its own. You really should do some research on PCOS. I'll see what I can find for links, I have a few handy ones.
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I'm back on the forums after some time away (I was there for the zit vacuum thread). Hate to be an armchair doctor again (I have no medical credential) but was the endocrinologist concerned about your cortisol level or was it pretty much considered close enough to normal not to be a concern? Part of the reason I was wondering is that one of the drugs I had heard of where you absolutely have to be on birth control is one that is used to treat a condition that causes elevated cortisol (which can cause diabetes and symptoms similar to PCOS). Presumably your saliva was normal or you would have heard otherwise, but you could ask your gyne about it just in case you weren't given any further feedback about the cortisol issue. I'm glad you're getting some help with all this.
Sarah -
I think he said the cortisol was normal.
Man, that test was an adventure. The place that does my blood/urine work never heard of a midnight salvia test before. So they said they'd send for the kit and call me when they got it. After a couple of weeks go by with no word, I go in to see if they got it. The lady behind the desk instantly started to yell at me. Telling me they don't do those kinds of tests. She never heard anything about it. Then she takes the clip board for people to sign up on and starts SHOVING it in my stomach and said "WILL YOU MOVE?!" She even yelled at her coworkers about how they don't do tests like that.
The others, including the guy in charge, assured me they'd get me my kit. A week later I finally got it. Go in to get it. The same lady is there and wouldn't even look at me. I sat while I waited for someone else to retrieve the kit. The rude lady from last time starts in on another woman. Telling her very nastily to go sit down. Then she is as sweet as pie to a young man.
Besides the gender difference - the big difference between that man and the woman and I - he was physically fit. The woman and I were both over 200 pounds. Rude lady has a problem with fat people. Why, I don't know, as rude lady was fat herself!
Anyway, I put in a big complaint about her and the last few times I went rude lady hasn't been there. -
You were right to complain. She sounds like she shouldn't be working there. Yelling at people is NEVER appropriate--even if you'd been out of line (which I'm guessing you weren't) it wouldn't be appropriate. At any rate, it's good they did put you through all that to test your cortisol (though it doesn't sound like much fun, especially the part where that lady at the lab comes in), because I gather there's a condition that can cause elevated cortisol and be mistaken for PCOS. I did some reading after I posted last night, and apparently it's not uncommon for people to diagnose PCOS without ruling out some of the other causes of your symptoms--so sounds like you are in good hands.
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Yeah, he's put me through all sorts of tests.
Oh, he put me on the spironolactone but it made me violently ill. I was throwing up viciously so I stopped taking it. -
did you ladies know that cortisol levels are the same in a normal functioning adrenal glands and in fatigued ones at some point? it's because the cortisol level spikes but then it drops and keep on falling for the rest of the time, and since I have been researching this topic - many source said, that doctors don't recognise the stages you adrenal glads are in, they just measure the levels and leave you to it.
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