What Lori Harvey Wants Every Woman to Know About PCOS 

When Lori Harvey sat down on SHE MD with hosts Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney, she didn’t shy away from the tough stuff. The model and actress got real about living with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and endometriosis—two conditions that impact millions of women yet still go undiagnosed or dismissed by doctors far too often.

For Harvey, it was a long road of painful periods, weight fluctuations, acne, and frustration before finally getting answers from Dr. Aliabadi herself. What she shared was more than her personal story—it was a guide for any woman who’s ever felt unheard in the doctor’s office.

Don’t dismiss your symptoms

If your body is waving a red flag, believe it. Harvey describes going to her gynecologist repeatedly and being told, “You’re fine, you’re fine, you’re fine. Nothing’s wrong.” But she knew better, that she felt “just off.” That mismatch—between what you’re told and what you feel—was the signal to keep pushing. When she finally saw Dr. Aliabadi, the answer was immediate. “Oh, honey, let me tell you, there’s quite a few things going on here,” Harvey recalls Dr. Aliabadi saying. That’s when she learned she had PCOS and endometriosis.

Harvey’s story captures the emotional toll of medical dismissal. “It’s almost like you’re getting gaslit…then you start to normalize all of these feelings,” she says. Pain that floors you, periods that are “debilitating,” weight that “fluctuated like crazy,” acne, facial hair—none of that is something you just have to “deal with.” If a provider keeps brushing you off, that’s your cue to get a second opinion (or a third).

Quick gut checks to advocate for yourself

• If you hear “everything’s normal,” but your day-to-day isn’t, say so again—or find someone else who will listen.
• Ask for actionable next steps: labs, ultrasound, referrals. Harvey notes “my other gynecologist was not doing that on me,” while Dr. Aliabadi did—and that changed everything.
• Bring a symptom log. Consistency helps you cut through the noise when you’re in the exam room.
• If needed, switch providers. You’re not “difficult”—you’re thorough. As Harvey says, “My body’s…trying to tell me something.”

Why early signs matter

PCOS doesn’t usually show up overnight. For many women, the signs start in their teens—exactly when you’re trying to figure out your body and build confidence. Harvey shares that her symptoms went back to around age 16. “I used to have the most excruciating periods of my life…just like crazy cramps. I’m taking like 800 mg ibuprofen, nothing is working,” she reveals. On top of that came skin issues, acne, and “one little long hair that would grow out of my chin” that left her wondering what was happening.

Weight changes were another red flag. Harvey explains how she could work out twice a day, eat clean for weeks, and still gain it all back after a short break. “I did all this work and then immediately blow back up,” she says. The tricky part is how often these symptoms get brushed off. Pain is labeled “normal,” acne is written off as teen hormones, and weight shifts are blamed on lifestyle. But as Dr. Aliabadi points out, those patterns are actually classic PCOS indicators. 

The silent epidemic 

One of the hardest truths Harvey and Dr. Aliabadi bring up on SHE MD is how often PCOS gets tied to disordered eating. When your body feels unpredictable, it’s easy to blame yourself. Dr. Aliabadi puts it plainly: “When dismissed, PCOS patients start having disordered eating. Why would you have to starve yourself and don’t eat carbs when you’re 14? That’s not fair.”

Harvey’s experience mirrors this pattern. She shares how she restricted food, over-exercised, and still felt like nothing worked. “I would diet for weeks and weeks and weeks, working out twice a day…and then I go on vacation for a week, eat a little bit of whatever I want and I blow up like crazy,” she remembers. That frustration made her question her body, but the reality was hormonal imbalance—not a lack of willpower.

Treatment options for PCOS

Once Harvey finally had a name for what was happening in her body, she was able to start treatment that worked. One of the biggest game-changers? Metformin. “Once I met Dr. A and she got me diagnosed…she was like, okay, cool, we’re going to get you on metformin, which completely changed my life.”

Metformin works by addressing insulin resistance, a core issue for many people with PCOS. Instead of storing sugar as fat and driving up testosterone (which causes symptoms like acne, hair growth, and irregular periods), metformin helps the body process carbohydrates normally. “It just regulated my blood sugar and literally got my body to normal… I feel good in my body finally for once,” Harvey says.

But treatment doesn’t stop with one prescription. Dr. Aliabadi emphasizes the importance of a whole-person approach—regulating hormones with birth control if needed, supporting the gut microbiome, reducing inflammation, and maintaining balanced nutrition and movement. For Harvey, that meant shifting to lower-impact workouts like Pilates, leaning into anti-inflammatory foods, and making lymphatic drainage part of her wellness routine. Make sure you consult your own healthcare provider before introducing any new products or medications into your routine.

Fertility and PCOS

Fertility is one of the biggest long-term concerns tied to PCOS and endometriosis, and Harvey didn’t shy away from that part of the conversation. She shares that egg freezing will be part of her journey within the next year—something Dr. Aliabadi calls a proactive step, not a panic move.

PCOS often means that while you have plenty of eggs, their quality might not be optimal. Endometriosis, which Harvey also struggles with, can damage eggs over time. Dr. Aliabadi explained that freezing eggs when you’re younger is like buying an insurance policy. The tough part? Accessibility. Egg freezing can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 depending on where you live, which makes it out of reach for many.

Still, Harvey’s story is a reminder to advocate for yourself, ask the hard questions, and trust what your body is telling you.

Tune into the full SHE MD episode for even more insights on PCOS and women’s health.

Read More

• Hormones 101: Arielle Lorre and Dr. Erika Schwartz Clear the Confusion Around Women’s Health
• Is Your Menstrual Period Trying to Tell You Something?
• 7 Lab Tests Every Woman in Her 30s Should Know, According to Dr. Sara Szal