Monthly (or whenever) cycles and massive temp weight gain

ravenstar25

It's hard for me to record weight on mfp because of massive, an I mean incredible, off the chart weight gain I go through right before I'm about to have my cycle. I don't have anything like a regular cycle anymore between perimenopause and PCOS - so I know I am about to have one by the fact that I will gain 7-10 pounds in a matter of days (REALLY) without changing a thing about how I am eating. Needless to say this leaves me feeling really ill and is also very demotivating.
- Does anyone else gain that much? It's always such a shocker. This is in spite of being on a prescription diuretic, having quite drinking soda, eating mostly homemade foods so low sodium, etc. Crazy!

ravenstar25

To clarify - It comes off again during/after (oh god)

KnitOrMiss

I'd hazard a guess that it is a hormonal based retention rather than external substance. Are your hormones pretty level? If not, that general area is where I would start looking...

Dragonwolf

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

I'd hazard a guess that it is a hormonal based retention rather than external substance. Are your hormones pretty level? If not, that general area is where I would start looking...

This, most likely. Yeah, it's pretty normal, even in women with PCOS, but you can talk to your doctor about getting your hormones tested throughout your cycle to see if you'd benefit from something that helps regulate things better.

Hell, I used to see 10lb weight fluctuations on a day-to-day basis, before I went low carb (low carb = smaller glycogen stores = less substrate for water retention = less weight fluctuation).

A_Dabauer

Even low carb I can see close to that much of a weight fluctuation. As Dragonwolf says low carb helps mitigate that a bit but I can surly bet on a gain at least the week before, and sometimes two weeks before my cycle.

KnitOrMiss

Goodness, I never knew how blessed I've been my whole life. I've never really had cycle related water retention/bloating. I've no idea why. I don't remember my clothes getting tight or anything. Now I wasn't on a scale regularly until recently, so I don't have much of any data, and what I do have data wise now doesn't really represent this either, as I'm on continuous birth control for other medical reasons. I do still get mood swings as a really pale version of my previous PMS, but nothing like before.

That tells me, personally, that all that is likely hormonally driven. Now, my blood pressure is higher due to the meds, but the risk of pregnancy complications (POP, age/38), plus not wanting more kids, plus the complications on my prolapse (POP) because of cycles is harmful, so taking a mild med for my blood pressure is worth it for me so far...

Good luck figuring things out! Even with menopause on the horizon, I think we PCOS ladies get the short end of the stick times two with all our struggles!

ravenstar25

Eh, I don't know how you all find such good doctors, I have such terrible luck with mine - once I had one who sent me to physical therapy for ovarian cyst pain because she didn't believe me (!!!!) Well at least I am not alone...

KnitOrMiss

You should be able to do a 5-15 minute FREE consult on the phone to find out if you are compatible. Specialists in particular usually do this. I hope you find a good doctor. Mine was a referral, but kind of luck of the draw. I'm also kind of brutally honest, and I've asked all sorts of uncomfortable questions straight out, so perhaps the docs find me more approachable as far as options???

MeepleMuppet

Oh heck yah! For me it feels like one salty meal + a maybe cycle = 5 to 10 pound swing easy. I never sweat it, like you said, it comes off pretty easily. Though once you stop retaining the water, peeing every five seconds for a day or two doesn't feel "easy".