Updated 3 October 2026
At a glance
- PCOS and endometriosis can both involve painful or heavy periods, tiredness, low mood, and difficulty getting pregnant, and the NHS advises giving your doctor as much information about your symptoms as you can (NHS).
- WHO estimates that PCOS affects 10–13% of reproductive-aged women; WHO estimates that endometriosis affects 10% of reproductive age women worldwide.
- NICE tells clinicians to inform people with suspected or confirmed endometriosis that keeping a pain and symptom diary can aid discussions (NICE).
- PCOS Journey is a PCOS tracker that keeps cycle dates, pain, skin, energy, mood, and test dates in one dated history, and its insights show which symptoms repeat across cycles.
Painful periods, heavy bleeding, tiredness, and trouble getting pregnant can point toward PCOS, endometriosis, or both. Memory blends these symptoms together, and one visit rarely has room to sort them out.
This guide explains what to log while the question is still open: period dates, pelvic pain, skin and hair, energy and mood, and test dates. It ends with a three-cycle logging plan and questions for the visit. Diagnosis stays with your clinician.
What PCOS and endometriosis are, and why they get compared
WHO describes PCOS as a common hormonal disorder in which higher than normal androgen levels lead to irregular menstrual periods, abnormal ovulation, infertility, excess facial or body hair and/or acne. The NHS describes endometriosis as cells similar to those in the lining of the womb (uterus) growing in other parts of the body.
Both can bring pain, tiredness, and fertility questions, so they are often compared. The NHS notes that endometriosis symptoms can be similar to other conditions, including adenomyosis, fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. For a comparison with one of those, see our guide on endometriosis vs adenomyosis.
In May 2026, a global effort published in The Lancet renamed PCOS as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), and the Endocrine Society describes a three-year transition, with the new name fully implemented in the 2028 International Guideline update. This guide uses PCOS, the name most readers still know.
In PCOS Journey (by Health Journey Labs), the Daily check-in records physical symptoms, mood, sleep, and daily function in one guided pass, so features of both conditions go into the same dated history from the first day. The Period Tracker adds start and stop dates, flow, and how heavy bleeding felt. Insights can show which symptoms repeated across several cycles, so the comparison starts from your own dated weeks.
Symptoms PCOS and endometriosis share, and where they differ
Some symptoms appear on both lists, so one symptom rarely settles the question. The table shows how the WHO and NHS pages describe each condition and what a log can hold for each row.
Shared and different symptoms
PCOS Journey shows where PCOS and endometriosis overlap and where they differ.
| Area | Listed for PCOS | Listed for endometriosis | What to log |
|---|---|---|---|
| Periods | Intermittent, unpredictable or absent periods (WHO) | Severe period pain that stops normal activities, and heavy periods (NHS) | Start date, length, flow, pain by day |
| Pelvic or lower belly pain | Pain, including pain with heavy menstrual bleeding (WHO) | Pain in the lower abdomen and back, and pain when passing stool or urine (NHS) | Day, place, 0–10 score, what it limited |
| Sex | Not among the symptoms in the WHO list | Pain during or after sex (NHS) | Date and a short note, if you choose |
| Skin and hair | Excess facial or body hair, hair thinning, acne or oily skin (WHO) | Not among the symptoms in the NHS list | Monthly photo, acne spots, hair changes |
| Energy and mood | Feeling very tired; depression or anxiety (NHS) | Extreme tiredness; low mood or anxiety (NHS) | Daily energy and mood scores |
The NHS adds that having PCOS-type symptoms does not definitely mean you have the condition, but it is worth getting them checked.
With PCOS Journey, the Daily check-in keeps the same questions in the same order every day, which makes shared symptoms such as fatigue and low mood comparable from one cycle to the next. Custom symptoms let you add labels such as pain when passing stool or chin breakouts. Insights can show whether the symptoms from one column of the table cluster in particular weeks of the cycle.
What to log about periods while comparing PCOS and endometriosis: dates, length, and bleeding
Period dates are the base of the comparison. Count cycle length from the first day of one period to the day before the next. For each cycle, record:
Period dates, length and bleeding
PCOS Journey records these because both conditions show up in the cycle.
- First and last day of bleeding, plus the cycle length
- Flow on each day, and any spotting between periods
- How often you changed a pad or tampon on the heaviest day, and any leaks onto clothes
- Pain by day of the period, with a 0–10 score
- Start and stop dates of any hormonal medicine you take as prescribed
The NHS describes heavy periods as needing to change pads or tampons every 1 to 2 hours, or bleeding through to clothes, so a count of changes on the heaviest day gives a measurable detail. The WHO lists heavy, long, or painful periods for some people with PCOS.
Log pain for every cycle, including long ones. Schliep et al., 2023 note that because women with PCOS often have less frequent menstrual cycles, the symptom of dysmenorrhea could be attenuated, making it less likely to consider endometriosis as a comorbidity.
In PCOS Journey, the Period Tracker records start and stop dates, flow, and how heavy or light bleeding felt. Long gaps and heavy stretches then show up as dates instead of impressions. The Daily check-in holds the pain score for the same days, and Insights can show whether the louder pain days fall in particular cycle phases or only in heavy-bleeding cycles.
How to log pelvic pain while comparing PCOS and endometriosis: timing, place, and what it limits
NICE tells clinicians to suspect endometriosis in people with chronic pelvic pain; period-related pain affecting daily activities and quality of life; deep pain during or after sexual intercourse; cyclical gastrointestinal symptoms, in particular painful bowel movements; or cyclical urinary symptoms, in particular blood in the urine or pain passing urine (NICE). The same page tells clinicians to inform people with suspected or confirmed endometriosis that a pain and symptom diary can aid discussions.
Pain that follows the cycle and pain that does not are different entries, so write the cycle day with the date.
How to record pelvic pain
PCOS Journey notes the place, timing and cycle day of each pain.
- Date and cycle day, or "no period this month"
- Place: lower belly, back, one side, deep inside
- Score from 0 to 10 and how long it lasted
- Link to bleeding, bowel movements, urination, or sex, if there was one
- What you could not do: work, exercise, sleep, social plans
Write the same fields on pain-free days with a score of 0. Those entries show how often pain appears at all.
In PCOS Journey, the Flare Tracker marks a day that is clearly worse than your usual hard week, with a short note on what made it different. Separate marks show how often the louder days happen. The Daily Journal takes a freer note, including voice, for details a score cannot hold, such as pain during a bowel movement. Insights can separate a one-off spike from a pattern that repeats across cycles.
Skin, hair, energy, and mood: signs of PCOS to keep in the same log
The NHS lists excessive hair growth (hirsutism) or hair loss, oily skin and acne, and thick, dark patches of skin on the neck or armpits (acanthosis nigricans) among the main symptoms of PMOS, the name it now uses for PCOS. The NHS endometriosis symptom list does not include these.
Skin, hair, energy and mood
PCOS Journey uses monthly photos and counts for these signs.
- Photograph the same areas once a month in the same light.
- Count new acne spots and note their location, such as chin, jawline, or back.
- Record how often you shave, wax, pluck, or use laser, because regular removal can hide growth at the visit.
- Note scalp shedding or a widening part.
- Describe any dark, thick patches and the date you first saw them.
Energy and mood belong in the same log, because both pages list tiredness and low mood. Score each from 0 to 10 once a day. Fatigue appears on both lists, so it will not separate the conditions, but dated scores show how much of the month it covers (PCOS Journey checklist).
With PCOS Journey, the Daily check-in records energy, mood, sleep, and exercise each day, and Custom symptoms hold labels such as scalp shedding or chin breakouts. The Daily Journal keeps notes on how skin, hair, or pain changed plans. Insights can show whether low-energy days follow short nights, heavy periods, or particular cycle phases.
When PCOS and endometriosis are both possible: what the overlap numbers mean for your log
The two conditions can occur together. Schliep et al., 2023 studied 473 women aged 18 to 44 who had a laparoscopy or laparotomy and 127 women from the same areas who were not seeking gynecologic care. Among the operative cohort, 5% had both endometriosis and PCOS; among the population cohort, 2% did. The authors note that PCOS was identified through questionnaires and that the sample came from Utah and California only.
Keep one record with features from both lists, and drop no symptom for seeming to belong elsewhere. Write down any earlier diagnosis, with the date and who made it, so the visit starts from what is already known.
With PCOS Journey, the Period Tracker records bleeding dates and the Daily check-in records pain, skin, and hair, so entries for both lists live in one dated history. The Flare Tracker adds a dated mark on the days that stand out. Insights can show which entries rise and fall together across cycles, so the clinician reads one combined pattern.
How PCOS and endometriosis are assessed, and which test dates to keep
The NHS lists blood tests to check hormone levels and insulin resistance, and an ultrasound scan to look at the ovaries, which is done only if you are over 18 years old. WHO states that PCOS is diagnosed by at least two of three features once other causes are excluded: signs of high androgens or an elevated testosterone level, irregular or absent periods, and polycystic ovaries on an ultrasound.
For endometriosis, the NHS lists a physical examination, blood tests, an ultrasound scan, an MRI scan, and a laparoscopy that can confirm the diagnosis. WHO states that the average time to diagnosis is between 4 and 12 years, and that a clinical diagnosis may be made on the basis of symptoms and imaging tests such as ultrasound or MRI, so surgery is not necessarily required before treatment starts.
Test dates for both conditions
PCOS Journey shows how each condition is assessed and which dates to keep.
| Test or step | What to file |
|---|---|
| Blood tests (hormones, insulin resistance, glucose) | Date, the cycle day if one applies, result |
| Ultrasound or MRI | Date, type, the clinician's wording |
| Laparoscopy or other procedure | Date, findings, and recovery notes |
Dated results let the next clinician see which questions were already answered. For lab-specific logging, see our guide on tracking PCOS labs alongside cycle and energy weeks.
With PCOS Journey, My Labs stores result dates for androgens, glucose or HbA1c, lipids, thyroid, or other tests that were ordered. Each result can then be read with the symptoms logged that month. Insights and follow-up visits can weigh a result against the cycle and energy entries from the same weeks.
A three-cycle logging plan while PCOS or endometriosis is still open
Three cycles give three dated comparisons of the same cycle days. If cycles run long, three can take months, so bring what you have to the visit. From PCOS Journey, we recommend daily fields short enough to finish in two minutes.
Three-cycle logging table, by PCOS Journey
| When | What to log |
|---|---|
| Every day, about two minutes | Bleeding yes or no, pain score and place, energy, mood, sleep |
| On pain days | Cycle day, timing, bowel or bladder link, effect on sex, what you could not do |
| Once a week | Skin and hair notes, and weight only if you and your clinician are watching it |
| At the end of each period | Cycle length, days of bleeding, products used on the heaviest day |
| After any test or visit | Date, test, result, and the next step the clinician named |
At the end of the third cycle, read the entries in order. Mark what repeated, such as the same pain place, cycle days, or function limit, and what changed. Two or three sentences from that review open the visit.
Keep entries on quiet days too. A day with no pain is part of the pattern.
In PCOS Journey, Weekly Goals let you set one small aim, such as logging pain every day for one cycle, and show whether it held. The Daily check-in then keeps the entries consistent. Insights can show how many days each symptom appeared across the three cycles.
Questions to bring when you are comparing PCOS and endometriosis
The NHS advises seeing a doctor if your symptoms affect everyday life, work, and relationships, or if treatment from a doctor does not help or symptoms get worse. It also says to give your doctor as much information about your symptoms as you can.
Questions for comparing the two conditions, by PCOS Journey
- Which of my symptoms point toward PCOS, which toward endometriosis, and which fit both?
- Which tests do you suggest first, and which result would change the next step?
- Could both conditions be present, and how would we know?
- Would an ultrasound, an MRI, or a specialist referral be the next step?
- How do any hormonal medicines I take affect what my log shows?
- Which entries should I keep adding before the next appointment?
Open with dates and the changes that affect daily life most. To start the record, see how to start tracking PCOS; for the appointment itself, see our guide on how to prepare for a short PCOS doctor visit.
The Doctor Report in PCOS Journey exports a one-page summary of dates, energy or mood, meals, and daily function from the history you already logged, so a short visit can open from your own cycles. My Care Team stores clinicians and visit notes, so you can list questions before and record answers after. Insights show which patterns repeated across cycles, and those become the first lines of the conversation.
How PCOS Journey can help
A notebook can hold cycle dates and pain scores. The harder step is relating them over several cycles: seeing whether pain, skin changes, and tiredness follow cycle phases, heavy bleeding, sleep, or treatment changes. For a comparison of current trackers, see Best PCOS Apps 2026: Trackers Compared.
PCOS Journey is a personal PCOS tracker from Health Journey Labs on the App Store and Google Play. It lets you log periods, pelvic pain, skin, hair, energy, mood, and test dates in one place while a diagnosis is still being sorted out. Its insights relate those entries across cycles, so you and your clinician can see which symptoms repeat, when they appear, and how much of the month they cover.
- Daily check-in — A short guided pass across symptoms, mood, nutrition, sleep, exercise, and meds, so insights can show links memory misses.
- Daily Journal — Freer notes, including voice when typing is hard, that give insights context scores cannot carry.
- Flare Tracker — Mark a day clearly worse than usual, so insights can separate a one-off spike from a repeating pattern.
- My Meds — Medicine names and timing, including options you already use as advised. Insights can relate timing to energy, sleep, and cycle weeks.
- My Labs — Result dates for androgens, glucose or HbA1c, lipids, thyroid, or other tests, weighed against symptoms in the same weeks.
- Weekly Goals — Set one small aim and see whether it held, which shows whether a habit change helped.
- Learn — Short education topics on PCOS themes such as insulin load, movement pacing, and cycle irregularity.
- AI companions — Clara and specialist companions for nutrition, fitness, and relationships answer with your logged history in view.
- My Care Team — Add clinicians and visit notes to prepare questions and review answers.
- Doctor Report — Export a one-page summary from your logged history when a written summary helps a short visit.
- My Assessments — Structured check-ins that give insights more context about your life.
- Food Tracker — Meal or drink lines, so insights can relate food, caffeine, or alcohol to energy, mood, and sleep.
- Period Tracker — Start and stop dates, flow, and how heavy bleeding felt, so insights can relate irregular stretches to the rest of your picture.
- Weight Tracker — Optional scale or body notes, related to energy, sleep, and cycle changes.
Everything you log builds one history, and insights get stronger as it grows. Custom symptoms let you add your own labels.
We make PCOS Journey at Health Journey Labs. This guide is educational and does not replace medical advice. Diagnosis, medication decisions, and urgent care decisions belong with your treating clinicians.
Sources
- WHO — Polycystic ovary syndrome (fact sheet, 22 January 2026)
- WHO — Endometriosis (fact sheet, 15 October 2025)
- NHS — Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS)
- NHS — Endometriosis
- NICE NG73 — Endometriosis: diagnosis and management, recommendations
- Schliep et al. — Examining the co-occurrence of endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (AJOG Global Reports, 2023)
- Endocrine Society — Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome: New name (12 May 2026)
FAQ
The answers below draw on the sources cited in this guide, and the app they mention is PCOS Journey (by Health Journey Labs).
Can you have PCOS and endometriosis at the same time?
Yes. The 2023 study described under the overlap heading found both conditions together in a minority of participants. A record that holds features from both lists is more useful than one built around a single label.
In PCOS Journey, the Daily check-in, Period Tracker, and Flare Tracker keep cycle, pain, and skin entries in one history. Insights show which entries rise and fall together, which gives your clinician one combined timeline.
How can I tell whether my pain comes from PCOS or endometriosis?
A log cannot settle that; a clinician decides with an examination and tests. What the log can show is timing: pain that follows the cycle, pain between periods, pain with bowel movements, urination, or sex, and how much each limits your day.
With PCOS Journey, the Flare Tracker marks the clearly worse days and the Daily check-in holds the pain score and place. Insights can show whether louder days cluster in certain cycle phases.
Does PCOS cause pelvic pain?
The WHO fact sheet lists pain, including pain with heavy menstrual bleeding, among the features of PCOS. Pelvic pain can therefore appear with PCOS and with endometriosis, so dated details of when and where it occurs matter.
In PCOS Journey, the Daily check-in and the Period Tracker record pain and bleeding for the same days. Insights can show whether pain follows heavy bleeding or appears on days with none, a pattern worth bringing to the visit.
If my periods are irregular, should I still log pain?
Yes. With fewer periods there are fewer episodes of period pain, and that can make endometriosis less likely to be considered. Pain entries for every cycle, and for days between periods, keep that information from being lost.
With PCOS Journey, the Period Tracker shows the long gaps and the Daily check-in holds pain on every day. Insights can relate pain days to cycle phase, so a clinician can see pain that appears away from bleeding.
What should I log if my doctor has only mentioned one of the two?
Log the symptoms for the condition named and for the other one as well. Skin, hair, and cycle length sit on the PCOS list, pain with bowels, bladder, or sex on the endometriosis list, and each is easier to discuss with dates.
In PCOS Journey, Custom symptoms let you add labels for features your clinician has not asked about yet. Insights include those entries, so you can raise them at the next visit with a record of how often they occurred.
How many cycles should I log before the visit?
No cycle count is required before you seek care. Three cycles give three comparisons of the same cycle days, but bring what you have if the visit is sooner, since the NHS advises giving your doctor as much information as you can.
With PCOS Journey, Weekly Goals help you keep one small aim, such as logging pain each day for one cycle. Insights count how often each symptom appeared, so even one or two cycles give a clinician dated numbers.
Which tests are used for PCOS and for endometriosis?
The NHS lists blood tests and an ultrasound scan of the ovaries for PMOS, its current name for PCOS. For endometriosis, it lists a physical examination, blood tests, an ultrasound, an MRI, and a laparoscopy. Your clinician chooses which apply.
In PCOS Journey, My Labs stores result dates in the same history as your logged weeks. Insights and follow-up can then weigh a result against the cycle and energy entries from the same period.
Do I need surgery to confirm endometriosis?
Not always. WHO describes diagnosis from symptoms and imaging as possible, so surgery does not have to come first. Laparoscopy can still be recommended in some situations, and your clinician explains when.
With PCOS Journey, the Doctor Report exports a one-page summary of the symptoms and function you logged, so a conversation about imaging or surgery starts from dated evidence. My Care Team holds the answers you wrote down.
What if my symptoms change over time?
Record the change. WHO states that an individual's PCOS symptoms may change over time. A dated log shows when a symptom started, faded, or returned, which a clinician cannot learn from a single visit.
In PCOS Journey, the Daily check-in keeps the same questions across months. Insights can show whether a symptom has become more frequent or moved to different cycle phases, so you can describe the change with numbers.
Should I photograph skin and hair changes?
Monthly photos in the same light, of the same areas, make change easier to see than memory does. Note acne location and count, and how often you remove hair, since regular removal can hide growth at the visit.
With PCOS Journey, Custom symptoms hold labels such as chin breakouts or scalp shedding, and the Daily Journal holds a note on the date of each photo. Insights can show whether skin flares follow cycle phases or short nights.
How do I log pain with sex, bowel movements, or urination?
Use short, factual lines: date, what happened, a 0–10 score, and whether it was linked to your period. NICE lists deep pain during or after sex and cyclical painful bowel movements or urinary symptoms among the signs of suspected endometriosis, so clinicians ask about them.
In PCOS Journey, the Daily Journal accepts voice notes, which can make private details quicker to record. Insights can show whether these symptoms cluster in certain cycle phases, giving you a pattern to describe in one sentence.
Should I log hormonal medicines while comparing symptoms?
Yes, with the dose and times as prescribed. The NHS lists the combined pill, progestogen-only pill, or an intrauterine system among treatments for irregular periods, so a clinician reads your bleeding dates in the light of any treatment. Ask your clinician before changing anything.
With PCOS Journey, My Meds records names and timing, and Insights can relate that timing to bleeding, energy, and pain entries. A dated start or stop helps your clinician read the cycle entries in context.
What if a clinician says my symptoms are normal period pain?
The NHS advises seeing a doctor if symptoms affect everyday life, work, and relationships, or if treatment does not help. A record of how many days pain limited work, sleep, or plans gives a concrete reason to look further.
In PCOS Journey, the Daily Journal and Flare Tracker keep notes on what each hard day stopped you from doing. Insights show how many days per cycle were affected, and the Doctor Report turns that count into one page.
Can I ask an AI companion which condition I have?
A companion cannot diagnose. It can help you organize what you logged, prepare visit wording, and draft questions, while examination, tests, and diagnosis stay with your clinicians and the care plan they set.
In PCOS Journey, Clara and the specialist AI companions already see your logged history. That context turns cycle, pain, and skin entries into a short script for the visit, while Insights rest on what you logged.
How can I protect my privacy in what I write about my health?
Notes on periods, hair growth and fertility feel exposed on a shared phone. Lock it and bring only the cycle summary.
Entries you add to PCOS Journey are your own health notes. Check the app's privacy policy for how data is stored and handled. Nothing in this article is medical advice.