Naturopathic PCOS Treatment ~ Insinase
A_Dabauer
Posts: 212 Member
This group is amazing and I know there are some really knowledgeable resources around here, so thanks before I start!
I've been diagnosed with PCOS about15 years ago already. Until recently I've only attempted to control it with diet and exercise. Starting in September I started seeing a Naturopathic Doctor who put me on Inositol (a common naturopathic treatment) as well as Testoquench for Women to assist with my excess androgens.
After two months and 25lbs pounds lost (I was floored how much weight I had lost so quickly) I went back to my ND and we stopped the Testoquench as my Estrogen dominance was getting very bad, and we started an estrogen reducer with Vitex. I feel much better, but my weight loss has slowed. I only lost 10lbs in the following 2 months.
I just had my 3rd appointment which we discussed the fact that my weight loss had slowed, discussed how much more weight I wanted to lose (some where between 15-35lbs) and she gave me the following recommendations:
From what I read, and was told my ND Insinase isn't a PCOS treatment as much as it's for regulating insulin. It's used for anyone who has Metabolic Syndrome which for the most part goes hand in hand with PCOS.
Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated!
I've been diagnosed with PCOS about15 years ago already. Until recently I've only attempted to control it with diet and exercise. Starting in September I started seeing a Naturopathic Doctor who put me on Inositol (a common naturopathic treatment) as well as Testoquench for Women to assist with my excess androgens.
After two months and 25lbs pounds lost (I was floored how much weight I had lost so quickly) I went back to my ND and we stopped the Testoquench as my Estrogen dominance was getting very bad, and we started an estrogen reducer with Vitex. I feel much better, but my weight loss has slowed. I only lost 10lbs in the following 2 months.
I just had my 3rd appointment which we discussed the fact that my weight loss had slowed, discussed how much more weight I wanted to lose (some where between 15-35lbs) and she gave me the following recommendations:
- Continue with the estrogen reduction herbal
- Up my Inositol from 8grams a day to 12 grams
- Add the supplement Insinase
From what I read, and was told my ND Insinase isn't a PCOS treatment as much as it's for regulating insulin. It's used for anyone who has Metabolic Syndrome which for the most part goes hand in hand with PCOS.
Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated!
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I am curious about the naturopathic way of things. What is inositol? where can I get some of these things? That sort of thing0
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RebeccaMaunder wrote: »I am curious about the naturopathic way of things. What is inositol? where can I get some of these things? That sort of thing
Inositol is a pseudo-vitamin that used to be considered B8 (it was reduced from vitamin status when it was found that we usually produce sufficient amounts of it on our own). Like the other B-vitamins, it helps with nervous system function and supplementing it helps improve the "communication channels" between the different organs. At lower doses, it's been shown to help reduce insulin resistance (in anyone with metabolic syndrome or diabetes) and help women with PCOS to ovulate and cycle correctly (and improve egg quality). At higher doses, it's proven effective in treating neurological issues such as depression, bipolar, and anxiety. It has no known negative side effects, even at high doses. It does interact with lithium, though, and augments lithium's benefits while mitigating its side effects. If you're on lithium, make sure to talk with your doctor, because you may need/be able to lower your dose.
Vitex is an herb, also known as chasteberry. It has been shown to improve hormonal balance overall, and can specifically help bring Estrogen and Testosterone down in women with PCOS. Vitex has been known to exacerbate depression, so be cautious of that. It may also interfere with dopamine antagonists, and reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills (because of each's action on hormones). It shouldn't be taken while pregnant. More details on side effects can be found here. (Simply put, it screws with hormones, and so has similar side effects to anything else that does so.)
Both are available over the counter in either capsule form (in the supplements section of stores if they stock them), or in bulk form (in the case of Vitex, the bulk form is often found in the herb/spice section if the store stocks it). You can also get them online. I use Inositol, and get mine from Amazon for about $10-15 for a month's supply (at a usage rate of about 25-30g/day for three people). Finding either in stores is hit or miss. Your best bet is probably online.
I don't know about Insinase, as I'm not familiar with it. If it's available over the counter (which I assume it is, most herb/supplement based things are in North America), then you should be able to find it online.0 -
I'm interested to hear more about in anyone using this Insinase... I have a diabetic friend who cannot use Metformin any longer. She had to stop it a few years back for some reason, then when she went to start it up again, she had massively horrible side effects. I've been on the lookout for anything that works similarly in helping control insulin for her to ask her doctor about, so I'm very interested to see if anyone else has taken this!0
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OP, can I ask what dosage of inositol you are on? I started it a few weeks ago (due to own research) but am still unsure how much I should take... I've been guesstimating about 1/4 of a teaspoon (I don't have access to scales right now..) but would like to put it up, just not sure what is recommended for PCOS.0
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I think Dragonwolf has said in other places that 4 g-12 g is normal for PCOS...dunno how that translates. I take far less because taking a super small dose helps wakefulness. Larger doses for me work like a sedative...0
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8 grams is about a tablespoon I started on 8 grams a day currently taking 12 grams
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The powder I currently use is one teaspoon is ~3g. I am changing to try the powder Dragonwolf linked so I dont know the weight on that brand.0
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The powder I currently use is one teaspoon is ~3g. I am changing to try the powder Dragonwolf linked so I dont know the weight on that brand.
It should be about the same. We do 4 tsp for ~12g, so a quarter of that would be 1 tsp at ~3g.KnitOrMiss wrote: »I think Dragonwolf has said in other places that 4 g-12 g is normal for PCOS...dunno how that translates. I take far less because taking a super small dose helps wakefulness. Larger doses for me work like a sedative...
Yep, the studies use 4g, though the researches acknowledge that some women may see results on lower doses, but they haven't tested that yet (I have no idea why they started with 4g). If you want to try the "start low and go up" method, you can probably try around 1-2g to start and see how it works for you. At the 4g dose, I saw changes starting in a week's time, and I think the studies mention at least some women seeing changes within about 3 weeks, with nearly all seeing effects by week 6 (weight loss, consistent periods, etc). So don't be afraid to increase the dose if you're not seeing anything after about a month.
12g+ is for neurological benefit (help with depression, anxiety, etc). And yeah, it's common for Inositol to have a slightly sedative effect, especially at the higher doses (and especially if you're taking it all at once).0
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