Model and actress Lori Harvey has opened up about her long battle with health issues, disclosing she has been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. She shared the news in a recent episode of the podcast SHE MD with Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney.
Lori Harvey Sharing Her Symptoms
Harvey said she first sensed something was wrong around age 16, when she began experiencing irregular periods, acne outbreaks, hormonal imbalance and weight fluctuations. She recalled bouts of “excruciating menstrual cramps” and digestive issues that left her debilitated.
“I’ve been so frustrated. I’ve been going to my gynecologist because I’ve just been feeling like something’s off in my body,” Harvey said. She said, “But every time I go to her, she’s like, ‘You’re fine, you’re fine, you’re fine. Nothing’s wrong.’ And I was like, ‘But I don’t feel fine. I feel like something is just off.’”
Her turning point came when she saw Dr. Aliabadi, who identified both PCOS and endometriosis during their first appointment. Harvey said relief came immediately. “She literally changed my life,” she said.
Harvey also described how doctors had minimized her pain. “I used to have the most excruciating periods of my life … I’m taking 800 milligrams of Ibuprofen. Nothing is working,” she said. She added that suggestions like “just take some Tylenol” felt dismissive.
To treat her symptoms, Harvey has begun using Metformin, a medication often prescribed to manage insulin levels and hormonal regulation. She reported that it “completely changed my life,” allowing her hormones to stabilize.
Harvey emphasized that many women endure painful symptoms in silence without adequate medical care. “So many of my friends struggle with PCOS, and it’s something that none of us were educated on,” she said. “We’re just kind of all living with this thing and nobody’s getting treated for it.”
Dr. Aliabadi, cohost of the podcast, said part of her mission is making sure stories like Harvey’s are told. “If you cannot get someone to listen to you and diagnose you correctly, do you think other women have a chance? They don’t,” she said.
Harvey said today she finally feels at home in her own body. “I feel good in my body finally, for once,” she said. “I feel like what I should have been feeling like at 16.”