Bebe Rexha is bringing awareness to PCOS and the painful symptoms associated with the condition.
“Two weeks ago, I was in urgent care. I was in so much pain,” Rexha, 34, said in a video posted via TikTok on Wednesday, May 29, in which she responded to a fan asking her about her PCOS symptoms.
“My doctor thought it was appendicitis because it was so bad, but it was actually a cyst that had burst,” she continued. “Tylenol didn’t work, Advil didn’t work. I was sick to my stomach, the pain was so bad. The only thing that helped me – and I think you should try this if you have cysts – [is] a heating pad.”
According to Cleveland Clinic, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is a “hormonal imbalance that occurs when your ovaries create excess hormones,” including “unusually high levels of hormones called androgens,” which “causes your reproductive hormones to become imbalanced.” The hormonal imbalance can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, irregular periods, acne, excessive hair growth and more.
“First symptom: irregular periods,” Rexha explained earlier in the clip. “February was 28 days, I had my period for 20 days. I had 10 days on my period, a week off, and then another 10 days. Some months, I won’t get my period. Super, super irregular.”
She also noted that she has been taking Metformin – a diabetes drug that helps lower blood sugar levels and insulin resistance – which has helped regulate her periods a bit more.
@beberexha Replying to @jackie.zzz012 Did you know that up to 35 percent of women with Pcos have eating disorders?
The singer also touched on gaining “a lot of weight in, like, four years,” despite weighing her food, eating about 1400 calories and burning off around 700 while exercising daily.
She added, “My doctor once told me that a woman with PCOS can eat a bowl of blueberries and it would be [the] equivalent to a normal person eating a whole pie of pizza.”
Fans of Rexha were quick to support her in the comment section of her TikTok video, and some even shared their own experiences.
“PCOS warriors unite! Your story resonates, and the struggle is real. Keep sharing, it’s empowering!” wrote one social media user, while another added, “I have PCOS, I have excess hair growth, weight gain (easy to gain, impossible to lose), excruciating periods, fatigue. I’ve had enough, it’s no fun.”
Rexha has long been open about living with PCOS and the struggles that come along with it ever since she was diagnosed in 2022.
“I went to the doctor last year and a lot of women actually have this and they don’t know about it,” she said during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show in 2023. “They diagnosed me with PCOS, which is polycystic ovary syndrome.”
“I literally jumped like 30 pounds so quickly, maybe a little bit more,” she continued before addressing the comments she’s received on social media over gaining weight. “We’re in 2023, we should not be talking about people’s weight. We gotta just be positive and just show people love.”
