Megesterol Acetate (Megace ES) is a synthetic form of progesterone used to stimulate the hypothalamus and make someone get hungry.All my symptoms began when I took it. My dr prescribed it to me because I was naturally thin and he didn't like my weight. When I took it, I didn't get hungry----I just..... started a period. I was having a period every other week and no one told me it was from the MegaceES until 6 months and 3 oral contraceptives later.
Then my periods stopped completely for 6 months, came back with a venegance, and now I'm going on 4 months with no period again. All this occured from the time I was 20 until now, I'm almost 22. My endo insists the Megace had nothing to do with the onset of my condition, though I beg to differ.
I had my testosterone checked via saliva test, which came back normal....much to my surprise. This is why my RE wants me to have a DHEAs/Teststosterone levels checked via blood.
Everyone believes that symptoms of PCOS are directly caused by the ovaries producing excess androgens, much like the adrenals do in Adrenal Hyperplasia.
But to answer your question more clearly---In PCOS, we don't usually ovulate. What happens in a normal ovulating woman, is she will produce a cyst on her ovary which will burst at the time of ovulation and thus an egg is shed and the cyst disappears. When an egg is shed, progesterone levels begin to rise, preparing for a pregnancy. If the egg isn't fertilized, the egg is expelled via menstruation about 14 days after ovulation. But with PCOS, the cyst fails to burst, and just stays there; no egg is shed and thus no menstruation occurs. Estrogen levels continue to rise because without an egg, the body has no use for progesterone; this causes estrogen dominance. Then you skip a period. So a month later, the whole process begins again. Another cyst emerges, but fails to burst and no egg is shed once again....... and so on. What's important about this factor is that since the cysts remain on the ovaries, they begin to produce excess hormones, usually excess androgens.
Some may think a contraceptive would change all that. In my experience and from the research I've done, Oral contraceptives usually either mask PCOS, cause PCOS, or make PCOS worse. Every experience I have had with oral contractpives, including Megace ES (not a contraceptive but still a synthetic hormone) have resulted in both onset AND worsening of my symptoms.
There are a few ladies on the PCOS message boards who have LOCAH alongside PCOS. My RE said this is rare, but I don't much believe him. The message boards are located at www.soulcysters.com.
My doctors never say anything about the low electrolytes. It bugs me.
