PCOS can affect much more than your periods.
Irregular cycles, difficulty getting pregnant, acne, unwanted facial hair, hair fall, weight changes and other hormonal symptoms can all be part of the picture. But not every woman with PCOS experiences the same problems.
That is why I do not believe PCOS should be treated simply by looking at the diagnosis.
At Welling Homeopathy, our experts take time to understand how PCOS is affecting you, what symptoms you are experiencing, what treatment you have already tried and what you want to achieve from treatment.
If you have PCOS and would like to discuss your case with our experts, call +91 80 80 850 950 to book a consultation at Welling Homeopathy.
What is PCOS?
PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
It is a common hormonal and metabolic condition that can affect women during their reproductive years. It can be associated with irregular ovulation, higher androgen levels and changes in the appearance of the ovaries.
But there is an important point that is sometimes missed.
PCOS does not look the same in every woman.
One woman may mainly have irregular periods.
Another may have acne and excess facial hair.
Another may be struggling to become pregnant because she is not ovulating regularly.
Some women may have several of these symptoms together.
And some women with PCOS may not have the typical appearance of polycystic ovaries on an ultrasound.
So when someone tells me, “I have PCOS,” that is the beginning of the conversation, not the end of it.
What symptoms can PCOS cause?
PCOS can affect different parts of a woman’s health.
Common symptoms and concerns include:
- Irregular or delayed periods
- Periods that are absent for long periods
- Difficulty predicting ovulation
- Difficulty getting pregnant
- Acne
- Excess facial or body hair
- Hair thinning or hair fall
- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Darkened, thickened skin in some areas
- Mood and emotional difficulties in some women
Not every woman will have all of these symptoms.
This is why treatment needs to be individualised.
Why do periods become irregular in PCOS?
For many women, the first sign that something is not right is their menstrual cycle.
Perhaps the period comes every 45 or 60 days.
Perhaps it disappears for several months.
Or perhaps the cycle was regular earlier and gradually became irregular.
One reason this happens is that ovulation may not occur regularly.
And this is important if you are trying to conceive.
Having a period does not necessarily mean that you are ovulating regularly.
If pregnancy is your goal, understanding ovulation becomes much more important than simply making the period appear on a particular date.
PCOS and difficulty getting pregnant
PCOS is one of the common causes of difficulty conceiving because irregular ovulation can reduce the number of opportunities for conception.
But I want women with PCOS to know something very clearly.
Having PCOS does not mean that you cannot become pregnant.
Many women with PCOS do become pregnant naturally. Others may need help with ovulation or fertility treatment.
The right approach depends on your age, menstrual cycle, ovulation, duration of trying to conceive and whether there are other factors affecting fertility.
This is why I would not look at PCOS in isolation when a couple is having difficulty conceiving.
The woman needs to be assessed, but so does the overall fertility picture of the couple.
Can homeopathy help PCOS?
This is naturally one of the first questions women ask us.
At Welling Homeopathy, our approach is based on understanding the individual case rather than giving every woman with PCOS the same medicine.
During a consultation, our experts look at the menstrual history, symptoms, previous treatment, investigations and the broader health picture.
We then discuss whether a personalised homeopathic approach is appropriate for that particular patient.
I would also like to make one thing clear.
Homeopathy should not be presented as a guaranteed cure for PCOS.
PCOS is a long-term condition, and there is no single treatment that permanently removes it in every woman.
There are established medical treatments for PCOS, including treatments for irregular periods, metabolic problems, excess androgen symptoms and infertility.
If you are already taking prescribed medication, do not stop it on your own because you are starting homeopathy.
Discuss any change in treatment with the doctor managing your care.
Why we don’t treat every PCOS patient in the same way
Suppose two women come to us with PCOS.
Both have irregular periods.
But one has severe acne and increased facial hair. The other has difficulty conceiving and has very long gaps between periods.
Their diagnosis may be the same.
Their cases are not.
This is where detailed case-taking becomes important.
We want to understand things such as:
When did the periods become irregular?
Were they always irregular?
How long is the cycle?
Do you sometimes miss several periods?
Have you had difficulty conceiving?
Have you been pregnant before?
What medicines have you taken?
Have you undergone fertility treatment?
What do your ultrasound and blood reports show?
Are there thyroid or other hormonal concerns?
What changes have you noticed in your weight, skin or hair?
These details help us understand the individual picture.
What tests may be important in PCOS?
If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, your doctor may recommend different investigations depending on your symptoms and circumstances.
These may include blood tests, hormone evaluation, metabolic screening and an ultrasound when appropriate.
If you are trying to conceive, the fertility assessment may need to go further.
For example, ovulation needs to be assessed. Depending on the situation, evaluation of the fallopian tubes and a semen analysis for the male partner may also be appropriate.
This is an important point because PCOS should not automatically be assumed to be the only reason a couple is not conceiving.
If another fertility factor is present, it needs to be identified.
What about PCOS and weight gain?
Weight is often discussed when PCOS is discussed.
There is a genuine connection between PCOS, metabolic health and body weight in many women. Lifestyle changes can be an important part of managing PCOS.
But I would not tell every woman with PCOS that her problem is simply because she is overweight.
That is not accurate.
Women who are not overweight can also have PCOS.
And losing weight is not a guarantee of pregnancy.
If weight management is relevant to your health, the aim should be to make sensible, sustainable changes in diet, activity, sleep and other lifestyle factors rather than following extreme diets.
What about acne, facial hair and hair fall?
PCOS can affect the skin and hair because of changes in androgen activity.
Some women develop persistent acne after adolescence.
Some notice increased facial or body hair.
Others experience thinning of the scalp hair.
These symptoms can be particularly distressing because they are visible and can affect confidence.
But they should not be looked at separately from the rest of the case.
When a woman comes to us with PCOS and hair fall, for example, we want to understand whether the hair fall is related to the hormonal picture or whether another factor could also be contributing.
The same principle applies to acne and unwanted hair growth.
PCOS treatment when pregnancy is the goal
The treatment plan changes depending on what you want to achieve.
If you are not trying to become pregnant, treatment may focus on menstrual regulation, acne, excess hair, metabolic health and other symptoms.
If you are trying to conceive, the priorities are different.
We need to know whether you are ovulating and whether there are other factors affecting fertility.
Evidence-based fertility treatment can include ovulation-inducing medicines and, when appropriate, assisted reproductive techniques.
Current international guidelines recommend letrozole as the first-line pharmacological option for ovulation induction in women with PCOS-related anovulatory infertility when there are no other infertility factors. Depending on the individual case, other treatments may also be considered.
If you are exploring homeopathy, we believe you should be able to do that without being asked to ignore appropriate fertility care.
Our experts can review your history and discuss whether homeopathic care is suitable for your situation.
Can PCOS be cured permanently?
This is probably the question we hear most often.
I would be cautious about anyone who promises a guaranteed permanent cure for PCOS.
PCOS is a chronic condition and its symptoms can change over time.
The goal of treatment should be practical.
Can your periods become more predictable?
Is ovulation occurring?
Are your symptoms improving?
Is your metabolic health being looked after?
If you are trying to conceive, are the factors affecting fertility being properly assessed?
These are much more meaningful questions than simply asking whether an ultrasound will become “normal.”
How long does PCOS treatment take?
There is no honest way to give every woman the same treatment duration.
PCOS is different from an infection where a fixed course of treatment may be enough.
The time required depends on the symptoms, how long you have had the condition, your reproductive goals, previous treatment and how your body responds.
At Welling Homeopathy, follow-up is therefore important.
We look at what has actually changed rather than assuming that the treatment is working simply because a certain amount of time has passed.
For women trying to conceive, the menstrual cycle and ovulation become particularly important parts of follow-up.
What happens during a Welling Homeopathy consultation?
The first consultation is a detailed conversation.
We want to understand the history of your PCOS and not just look at a recent report.
Bring your previous investigations if you have them.
This can include:
- Ultrasound reports
- Hormone tests
- Thyroid reports
- Blood sugar or metabolic investigations
- Previous fertility investigations
- Previous prescriptions
- Reports from fertility specialists
- Details of previous pregnancies or fertility treatment
Our experts review the information along with your symptoms and medical history.
The treatment approach is then individualised.
You will also be told if there are investigations or medical assessments that should be pursued alongside the consultation.
Can I take homeopathy along with my existing treatment?
This needs to be discussed individually.
If you are taking hormonal medicines, fertility medicines, thyroid medicines, metformin or any other prescribed medication, tell your doctor.
Do not stop prescribed medicines on your own.
If you are undergoing fertility treatment, including IUI or IVF, your fertility specialist should also know about any complementary treatment you are taking.
Our approach is to work with the complete picture rather than asking a patient to hide one treatment from another doctor.
Can I consult for PCOS online?
Yes.
You do not necessarily need to travel to Mumbai for a consultation.
Welling Homeopathy provides online consultations, and the case-taking is conducted in the same detailed manner as an in-clinic consultation.
You can share your previous reports and investigations with the doctor.
This can be particularly useful for women who are living outside Mumbai, elsewhere in India or outside India.
Why patients choose Welling Homeopathy for PCOS
PCOS is one of the women’s health conditions we regularly consult for.
Our approach is built around a simple idea.
The diagnosis tells us what the condition is called. The case history tells us how it is affecting you.
That difference matters.
A woman with PCOS who is trying to conceive has different priorities from a woman whose main concern is acne or irregular periods.
The same diagnosis can require a very different conversation.
At Welling Homeopathy, our experts take time to understand those differences before deciding whether homeopathic treatment is appropriate.
When should you seek help for PCOS?
Do not ignore very irregular or absent periods for long periods of time.
You should consider seeing a doctor if:
- Your periods are repeatedly very irregular
- You go several months without a period
- You are trying to conceive and are not becoming pregnant
- You have significant acne or unwanted facial hair
- You are experiencing unexplained hair thinning
- You have concerns about weight or metabolic health
- You have been diagnosed with PCOS but have not had a proper evaluation
- Your symptoms have changed significantly
If you have gone more than three months without a period without an explanation, medical evaluation is important.
Our approach to PCOS at Welling Homeopathy
We do not want a woman to come to Welling simply because she has read that homeopathy can “cure PCOS.”
We want her to come because she wants her case properly understood.
Our experts look at the menstrual pattern, hormonal symptoms, fertility history, previous treatment, investigations and the wider health picture.
From there, we can discuss whether personalised homeopathic care is appropriate.
If it is not the right approach for your particular situation, we would rather tell you that honestly than promise something we cannot justify.
That is how we believe healthcare should work.
Frequently asked questions
Is homeopathy good for PCOS?
Homeopathy is explored by some women as a personalised approach to PCOS. However, there is not sufficient high-quality evidence to claim that homeopathy cures PCOS. At Welling Homeopathy, the decision to use homeopathic treatment is based on an individual consultation.
Can homeopathy help PCOS-related infertility?
PCOS can cause irregular ovulation and therefore difficulty conceiving. If you are trying to become pregnant, fertility should be properly assessed. Our experts can review your case and discuss whether homeopathic care is appropriate, but we do not promise pregnancy or recommend delaying necessary fertility treatment.
Can PCOS be cured permanently?
PCOS is generally considered a chronic condition. Symptoms can be managed and may change over time, but there is no universally accepted permanent cure.
Can PCOS cause infertility?
PCOS is a common cause of infertility because ovulation may be irregular or absent. However, many women with PCOS do become pregnant, either naturally or with fertility treatment.
Do I need an ultrasound if I have PCOS?
An ultrasound may be useful, but PCOS is not diagnosed from an ultrasound alone. The diagnosis is based on the overall clinical picture and appropriate criteria.
Can I consult Welling Homeopathy online for PCOS?
Yes. Welling Homeopathy offers online consultations. You can share your medical history and previous reports with our experts before or during the consultation.
Speak to our experts about your PCOS
If you have been told that you have PCOS, you do not have to spend years trying different treatments without understanding what is happening.
Bring your reports.
Bring your previous treatment history.
And tell us what you are actually trying to achieve, whether that is more regular periods, managing PCOS symptoms or trying to conceive.
Our experts at Welling Homeopathy will review your case and tell you whether personalised homeopathic care may be appropriate for you.
Call +91 80 80 850 950 to book a consultation and meet our experts.
Welling Homeopathy. Mumbai clinics and online consultations.
