So I have PCOS and within the past two years my symptoms have ramped up. I could probably grow a decent chin beard [emoji83] lol if I didn't wax/pluck constantly. Its so embarrassing. I hate PCOS not only is it making me gain weight it's leaving me hairy too. It was causing bad acne too, but I feel that is getting decently better now that I don't have so many stressors in my life. I am 260 with a BMI of 40 and other then just weight loss I was wondering if having the surgery help either get rid of the facial hair or substantially slow down the growth of it?

FOR ANYONE IN THE FUTURE THAT MIGHT STUMBLE UPON THIS AND WANT TO KNOW... I will also update after my WLS.


Can Weight Loss Surgery Help Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine system disorder in women. About 10% of all women of reproductive age have signs of PCOS, which is a hormone imbalance that can cause weight gain, acne, extra hair, irregular periods, and other problems. Perhaps the most significant problems experienced by women who suffer from PCOS are hyperandrogenism (the presence of excess of male sex hormones), and anovulation, which causes a woman to stop ovulating, rendering her infertile.

Many women who suffer from PCOS are also obese. Recent studies have indicated that women who are significantly overweight may achieve improvement with PCOS through the significant weight loss that bariatric surgery can bring. Below we discuss the role of weight loss surgery as a potential tool to assist patients with PCOS.

The Connection Between PCOS and Excess Weight

Almost 60% of women with PCOS are obese. Many women with PCOS are also insulin resistant and/or have a reduced glucose tolerance. When someone is insulin resistant, their body does not use its insulin effectively to store glucose in the body as fuel. Too much glucose is the system slows the breakdown of fat in the body and creates new fat cells. This is why someone who is insulin resistant tends to gain weight. The problem worsens when the insulant resistant person’s body makes more insulin, trying to compensate for the inefficiency. This increase in supply only makes the body more insulin resistant.

It is estimated that over half of women with PCOS are resistant to insulin and eventually will develop metabolic syndrome, a cluster of serious metabolic conditions (high blood sugar, high HDL cholesterol, high triglyceride levels, abdominal obesity, and high blood pressure) that increase risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.

Since bariatric surgery treats weight gain and obesity, it can have a positive effect on the metabolic processes – including how the body metabolizes insulin. This in turn may be able to treat the symptoms of PCOS that relate to problems processing sugar, such as weight gain. This relationship may explain why weight loss surgery seems to affect PCOS symptoms.

Studies Show Bariatric Surgery Can Help PCOS

Research has shown that weight loss surgery can reverse the conditions associated with metabolic syndrome (such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, etc.) or prevent them from occurring. Additionally, scientific studies have shown a positive connection between bariatric surgeries and relief from PCOS symptoms. The basis of these assertions is the relationship between PCOS and obesity.

One study of 33 women with PCOS who underwent weight loss surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation found that bariatric surgery resolved many key characteristics of PCOS, including enlarged ovaries and excess androgen. The study concluded that women should consider weight loss surgery as an extreme remedy for PCOS. Still, the women with PCOS who did undergo bariatric surgery did report positive effects on their symptoms.

Realize this is an old thread, but my PCOS seems to be better (I'm actually getting my period again - good for my overall health, but super annoying. Plus, my period is SUPER unpredictable). But my acne is worse. Its starting to even out (at about 8 months), but was terribly for the first 5-6 or so months.

Realize this is an old thread, but my PCOS seems to be better (I'm actually getting my period again - good for my overall health, but super annoying. Plus, my period is SUPER unpredictable). But my acne is worse. Its starting to even out (at about 8 months), but was terribly for the first 5-6 or so months.

Do you feel you've lost weight as much as others or was your weightloss slow? I know PCOS gives us a metabolic disorder so I was wondering about others losing weight rate because of it.

Just now, MeowAMR said:

Do you feel you've lost weight as much as others or was your weightloss slow? I know PCOS gives us a metabolic disorder so I was wondering about others losing weight rate because of it.

Hard to know, and my doc doesn't set expectation/compare you to any baseline. But I've lost around 80% of my excess weight in around 8 months. Considering the average total weight loss is 60% (granted - that's at 5 years, I think, so includes some folks having some regain), I feel pretty good about it. BUT, I've also been incredibly sick every time I eat since around February (so, starting around month 3-4) and am eating a LOT less than other people. I've just started to feel better and eat more, but most folks with my surgeon are eating 100-1200 cal by now and I'm lucky to get in 800. I would not recommend going that route. I'm in a monster plateau for about the last 4-5 weeks, but I'm OK with that. Heck, i'm ok if this is where I stop.

I'll also add that my experience is why you shouldn't compare yourself to other people - you don't know if they're so sick they can't eat, or if they'll stop losing at 6 months and you'll continue for 18, or any number of factors. Just live your journey.

I wasnt meaning to compare myself to others journey per say. I was just curious in the comparison to weight loss from people who have PCOS which gives you a metabolic disorders to the average person who doesn't have a disorder. That's why I asked did you lose the same or was it slower. I wonder if the metabolic disorders from PCOS would hold us back in anyway.

Coming across this thread now. I actually have just been given the PCOS diagnosis and I am a year and 4 months out from surgery.....go figure!

MeowAMR - I have PCOS & I was obsessed pre-op worried this wouldn’t work & trying to find examples & comparisons. I’m fifty-ish days post op & down 30 pounds. My weight loss has felt slow compared to many I’ve seen. I never had one great week with a huge loss. I think my highest week was 6 pounds maybe??? Some are 4. Some are 1.5. But it’s all adding up & im feeling very hopeful!

Having PCOS, Late onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and endometriosis (amongst other things) they were my reasons for pursuing RNY Gastric bypass surgery. I don’t honestly expect my pcos to get better but perhaps just because my situation is a bit different.

Long story short I rapidly gained a lot of weight before being diagnosed pcos. When I hit over 215lbs I desperately fought back. I did a combination low carb calorie counting. It did work slow but steady. I was actually down to 124lbs but being chronically ill and disabled. It was hard keeping it down. Even adding healthy foods like vegetables. It kept sliding up. I fell off low carb for a bit, got back on to get my weight back down.

Fast forward to not that long ago (my memory can’t say when) my weight did a drastic jump with no change in diet and I frantically tried to get help. My abdomen was swollen as well. And I was careening back to 200 + despite my efforts.

Id swear I’ve got the metabolism of a sloth. And can’t exercise to burn calories. I was totally lost and started investigating bariatric surgery. I wasn’t sure it could even happen.

So when finally a endocrinologist referred me to Cleveland Clinic. I knew it was all in on RNY or ... give up. I just wanted a chance at getting my weight under control because my body couldn’t Carry the burden of being over 200lbs at 5’ and with many medical conditions.

my rate of loss? I keep my calories fairly low. I have stalls that last a few days. But I’m always worried that it won’t keep going down. Or that I’ll never be able to eat normal food or calories. Of course to me normal would be even 800 calories. Which I did before the surgery. It is frustrating. Plus I’m still struggling with a swollen abdomen.

I probably didn’t answer anything. For some people just losing weight can help pcos a lot.

Having PCOS, Late onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and endometriosis (amongst other things) they were my reasons for pursuing RNY Gastric bypass surgery. I don’t honestly expect my pcos to get better but perhaps just because my situation is a bit different.
Long story short I rapidly gained a lot of weight before being diagnosed pcos. When I hit over 215lbs I desperately fought back. I did a combination low carb calorie counting. It did work slow but steady. I was actually down to 124lbs but being chronically ill and disabled. It was hard keeping it down. Even adding healthy foods like vegetables. It kept sliding up. I fell off low carb for a bit, got back on to get my weight back down.
Fast forward to not that long ago (my memory can’t say when) my weight did a drastic jump with no change in diet and I frantically tried to get help. My abdomen was swollen as well. And I was careening back to 200 + despite my efforts.
Id swear I’ve got the metabolism of a sloth. And can’t exercise to burn calories. I was totally lost and started investigating bariatric surgery. I wasn’t sure it could even happen.
So when finally a endocrinologist referred me to Cleveland Clinic. I knew it was all in on RNY or ... give up. I just wanted a chance at getting my weight under control because my body couldn’t Carry the burden of being over 200lbs at 5’ and with many medical conditions.
my rate of loss? I keep my calories fairly low. I have stalls that last a few days. But I’m always worried that it won’t keep going down. Or that I’ll never be able to eat normal food or calories. Of course to me normal would be even 800 calories. Which I did before the surgery. It is frustrating. Plus I’m still struggling with a swollen abdomen.
I probably didn’t answer anything. For some people just losing weight can help pcos a lot.

I was the same way. Just gaining with no change to diet and I wasn't eating terribly. I just didn't understand why I was gaining until my endocrinologist told me it was the PCOS. That's why I am going the bariatric route too. Mostly because of the other symptoms other then the weight gain. Facial hair drives me nuts! I just want that to go away!

5 hours ago, MeowAMR said:

I was the same way. Just gaining with no change to diet and I wasn't eating terribly. I just didn't understand why I was gaining until my endocrinologist told me it was the PCOS. That's why I am going the bariatric route too. Mostly because of the other symptoms other then the weight gain. Facial hair drives me nuts! I just want that to go away!

I was eating healthier and still gaining. I calculated my calories based on pcos and that still wasn’t working. It is frustrating. I can’t take suggested pcos medication because it makes endometriosis worse. It was so hard to get any of my doctors to listen and understand that I was fighting hard and needed help. But I kept pushing. I’m still having issues with my abdomen swelling.

Id like to say the facial hair will go away. It hasn’t. I think once the hair is there unless you can get laser hair removal it won’t go away. It’s possible that new growth might stop. I’m tired of checking for hair every morning. I’ve been getting breakouts. I’m hoping that will get better. I use tamanu oil.

I needed surgery as a tool to help first with weight loss. My boy can’t take the burden of so much weight. Im not sure exactly the impact of the surgery on hormones. I don’t even think the doctors know that. But getting rid of excess fat is probably part of what helps pcos, so if you can exercise, try to work on building muscle since muscle burns fat.

You guys have any update? I am especially interested to find out if hair, acne and dark patches have significantly improved post your weight loss?!

You guys have any update? I am especially interested to find out if hair, acne and dark Patches have significantly improved post your weight loss?!

I never had dark patches so I cant update about that. But acne definitely improved. Facial hair growth has not. For me it seems to have ramped up... sadly. I was thinking about laser hair removal, but got scared because I seen videos and read about it making hair growth come back worse in PCOS women. I already have it so bad that I don't want to risk making it even worse. My periods have been coming every month and a half instead of every 4 months like that were before.