I have not had a proper period since May. I am not pregnant and don't have symptoms of PCOS. What kind of conversation do I need to have with my doctor?

I agree with EmpressCallipygos except for one thing: the diagnosis of PCOS is not made by your physical symptoms, it's made by blood work (hormone levels) and ultrasound. You do not have to have 'typical' PCOS symptoms to have PCOS. I should know, not only am I a doctor who never thought that I had any symptoms of PCOS (except irregular periods) - I have PCOS! I was completely surprised by the diagnosis. I am not even overweight, I have what's called "lean PCOS". I went to an OB/GYN first and he missed the diagnosis despite working me up with some of the proper tests. It took me 6 months to decide to see a reproductive endocrinologist who figured out what was wrong with me, and I got proper treatment and am now 5 months pregnant. Please see your OB/GYN and don't discount the possibility of PCOS based on googling. And if your OB/GYN doesn't give you answers that satisfy you, ask for a referral to a reproductive endocrinologist. You didn't say if you are actively trying to get pregnant, but I would suggest 1 year of trying maximum without seeing an RE if you are <35, and more like 6 months if you are 35 or over (this is because of the irregular periods, not for 'normal cycle' people). Don't let your most fertile years pass you by and don't let any doctor tell you that is acceptable. MeMail me if you have other questions.

Hypothyroidism can cause long, irregular, or absent cycles as well.

Just a data point: my mom had a long cycle when she was younger, and apparently had some difficulty getting pregnant because of it. Her doctor (this was back in the 80s, mind you), put her on an HBC pill for a few months to get her more regular, and once she went off things got more "normal". And I'm here, so I guess it worked. If I were you, I would just go to your gynecologist and explain all of your symptoms, straight up. Don't worry about losing weight beforehand, don't worry about prediagnosing yourself. Tell him what you've been experiencing, tell him what you're concerned about, and then let him do the actual diagnosing. Good luck!

If you are actively trying to lose the weight by restricting calories, that alone could cause missed periods, and stress on top of that and your normal long cycle could be contributing too. But I agree this is a question for your gynecologist, as much to put your mind at ease as anything.

Ask for a blood workup and an internal ultrasound (your dr should order these regardless, but ask if she doesn't). I have classic PCOS according to the clinical tests (hormone levels, many tiny cysts) but my only symptom is irregular/ difficult periods. I've been on the pill to control it since age 11 (off and on, mostly on) and became pregnant without too much difficulty. However, If you're under a lot of stress at the moment it might well be that.

I haven't gotten my period in years. I am not pregnant. There are some totally normal and a few worrisome (but manageable) things that can cause this. Going to a doctor is a good idea since the likelihood is that you have something normal that is causing this. I agree with EC, just say "I haven't had a proper period since May. I've taken a home pregnancy test and that came back negative. Can you tell me what's happening?" It's true that stress alone can cause this. It's unlikely that being overweight can cause this, so don't worry about that. In my case the nice-but-bruque doctor I had was like "Oh looks like you may have a brain tumor..." which got me losing my shit until I read some more and realized that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pituitary_adenoma are not that unusual and can often be controlled with medicine (if you want to conceive, I didn't) or can be just left alone and monitored. So let the doctor know what you are concerned about and explain that you are looking to conceive. There is nothing in and of itself wrong with not having a period except that it often points to other medical issues that need attention so it's worth explaining why exactly this is a problem for you. I wish you luck getting to the bottom of it.

Write down all of your symptoms, even those that don't seem to relate to your reproductive bits. Do you have headaches? Feel dizzy? Drink a lot of water? Have dry skin? If it stands out to you, write it down. Then discuss it with your doctor. You should not feel rushed, you should feel heard and if possible, perhaps someone can go with you as a scribe, as you might be overwhelmed to properly process all that you are told.

I'm writing this as a fellow non-textbook-menstruating female. I want to give you some things to think about and maybe investigate before you go to the doctor. First, if you have been trying, it may be worth taking another pregnancy test. They can be wrong and you may want to confirm the results with another test. If you have not yet looked into basal body temperature charting, I would highly suggest it. It sounds like you're into tracking how you feel, which is great evidence to have. Coupled with your basal temperatures upon waking and some other clues, you can get a picture of if you are actually ovulating. Lots of women use basal body temp tracking to find their most fertile days, to avoid their most fertile days and also to see if they're ovulating at all. Look it up--there's tons of info on the web--and try it to see what you can find out about your cycle. Taking Charge of Your Fertility is the landmark book on this, but other resources are available. You don't say how old you are. Keep in mind that periods can change with age. Mine have gotten lighter with age. I went from really, really heavy as a teen, to now, at 34, much lighter flow with fewer cramps. Weight loss and gain can affect periods, too. If you and/or your gynecologist suspect you have PCOS, please see an endocrinologist. It's been my experience that gynecologists are either not equipped or not interested in treating the systemic parts of the condition (it has cardiovascular implications) and there may be other issues present (such as hypothyroid/Hashimoto's disease) that you really need an endocrinologist for. Best of luck. I hope you can get some relief and answers. Feel free to me-mail me if you want to get into any specifics about anything.

(I should have included strenuous exercise as a possible cause along with the calorie restriction, too.)