Help with PCOS? Please read.

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Beleren
Beleren Posts: 142
in Motivation and Support
I'm 20, just got the call that I was diagnosed with PCOS. So, now what? I'd really like some advice. I'm going back to the doctor next week to talk to her about it.

Is losing weight different with PCOS? What about anything else? How has it effected you?

I'm kind of freaking out a little. Ugh. :(
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Replies

  • PatasDeGallina
    PatasDeGallina Posts: 155 Member
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    Did you get my response? I posted it on the other thread.
  • lmbw126
    lmbw126 Posts: 24
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    Losing weight will help your PCOS symptoms. Your MD will probably prescribe Metformin and OCP ( birth conrtol pills) to help manage the symptoms as well. Metformin has aided in weight loss for some people and it is also used with Type II DM patients. The main worry with PCOS is fertility due to anovulation (irregular or missed periods) and unwanted hair growth. There is a newer medication Vaniqa that helps reduce the amount and rate fo hair growth. Your MD probably checked your thyriod and blood sugar to confrim your diagnosis. Again losing weight will help with th management for PCOS. Good luck and don't worry.
  • azwildcatfan94
    azwildcatfan94 Posts: 314 Member
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    One thing that I wish I knew when I was diagnosed with PCOS is that it can be a pre-cursor to type II diabetes. Maybe I wouldn't have done anything different, but maybe I would have gotten on top of my exercise and diet back then and not developed diabetes. I definitely have to say that if I could go back and tell my younger self something, it would be to do the diet and exercise thing early.

    I've heard that losing weight is harder with PCOS, but I don't know that for sure. I've never really tried to lose weight in a non-PCOS state, so I have nothing to compare to. But, I do follow the calorie recommendations on this site and eat my exercise calories. So, you can lose weight with PCOS.

    I had a lot of trouble with birth control pills. Increased blood pressure, moodiness, lowered libido, etc. So, in whatever your doctor recommends, just remember that ultimately, you know your body the best and the doctor is a "consultant" and not the decision-maker.
  • netchik
    netchik Posts: 587 Member
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    Hey don't freak out about it, it's all about education so get learning about your body and what PCOS means to you :happy:

    at 20 its a great age to make positive changes and fix things before you start worrying about a family. There's a great support network of us here on MFP too.

    Welcome, and don't let it become your focus.
  • starzluv94
    starzluv94 Posts: 45 Member
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    I have PCOS, and losing weight with it isnt any different I dont think. With the metformin I hated taking it because it is a blood sugar pill used on diabetics to decrease their sugars. So when I would take my pills in the morning I would get soooooo sick from my sugars dropping so low I had to be hospitalized. With PCOS if you lose weight most of the symptoms will go away and you wont get as many cysts on the ovaries. Good luck.
  • natesangel
    natesangel Posts: 210 Member
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    ditto above, i haven't had the hair growth issue, my testosterone is fine (one thing affected that causes this) instead i have thyroid issues along with the insulin retention (what the metformin is primarily for) over the years undiagnosed the weight loss was almost impossible but with the meds now and knowing that i need to work a little harder to get the normal results it's coming off. sweat is your friend, tons of cardio (jillian is currently kicking my butt!) as for fertility, a specialist may be needed to assess the specific problem but my 2 yr old is proof that it is not out of reach (ps the preg was perfect, it only took one round of clomid, 5 days, to boost the ovulation, cysts make it hard for the egg to get out). nothing to fret over this is becoming more and more commonly diagnosed and easier to deal with all the time!

    oh ps
    i found that with the met, high sugar intake = bad runs, i still get it with normal sugar, so watch that, blueberries and higher protein than what mfp suggests is helping BIG TIME!
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    thanks for the responses. after reading up a little, it doesn't seem as bad.
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    Have any of you lost weight without being super low carb? I'm usually between 100-170 carbs daily. I'm not sure if I will have to adjust.
  • ReneeJ814
    ReneeJ814 Posts: 72 Member
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    PCOS is becoming more and more common, and the good news is that it's easy to manage. I have PCOS and I don't take metformin and I don't have any blood sugar issues. Mine is controlled with birth control pills. I have had a weight problem all of my life, and yes it has been hard for me to lose weight. But through joining MFP I learned that diet and exercise really does work if you put your mind to it. Let's face it: losing weight is hard for everybody whether or not they have PCOS. Just eat right and exercise and the weight will come off. It may take awhile, but you will get there.
  • nas24
    nas24 Posts: 880 Member
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    Posting on here so that i can come back to it later. Years ago the doc thought i had PCOS and BC seemed to help keep things at bay for a while. Well since my husband is on deployment, im not on BC and i feel like its coming back. Hope not. It can be very painful.
  • natesangel
    natesangel Posts: 210 Member
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    i'm a carb fan as much as it's not recommended for me! but i think the main issue with PCOS and carbs is that the body metabolizes carbs into sugar if you aren't using it all right away (as in immediately!) and well sugar is bad with metformin, it causes the body to reduce the amount of insulin created by the system so that the body stops storing the excess insulin as fat around the mid section (easiest area to pull from when it's needed)
    but seriously i think with that it's something that you need to trial and error a little for yourself like anyone else on here does, what works for some won't work for others and of course that's true of the treatment your specialist will set out for you, PCOS has many faces and effects everyone a little different.
  • geminitwin1979
    geminitwin1979 Posts: 62
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    I have PCOS and have managed to loose weight easily and once the weight was lowered most symptons have faded ! A majority of my weight was lost through just watching calories and its only since last stone i am watching my carbs more. Don't worry too much especially if you keep your weight down ...as for fertility it differs i have managed to have 3 children without any need for fertility treatment. There are some good books on the market too which help with foods and symptons ..have a nosey at amazon x
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    i'm a carb fan as much as it's not recommended for me! but i think the main issue with PCOS and carbs is that the body metabolizes carbs into sugar if you aren't using it all right away (as in immediately!) and well sugar is bad with metformin, it causes the body to reduce the amount of insulin created by the system so that the body stops storing the excess insulin as fat around the mid section (easiest area to pull from when it's needed)
    but seriously i think with that it's something that you need to trial and error a little for yourself like anyone else on here does, what works for some won't work for others and of course that's true of the treatment your specialist will set out for you, PCOS has many faces and effects everyone a little different.

    thank you :) I will have to ask about it
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    I have PCOS and have managed to loose weight easily and once the weight was lowered most symptons have faded ! A majority of my weight was lost through just watching calories and its only since last stone i am watching my carbs more. Don't worry too much especially if you keep your weight down ...as for fertility it differs i have managed to have 3 children without any need for fertility treatment. There are some good books on the market too which help with foods and symptons ..have a nosey at amazon x

    thanks!
  • willot0722
    willot0722 Posts: 51 Member
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    I'm 24 and have had PCOS for 5 years. My testosterone and insulin levels used to be really high. Through diet and exercise (and Yasmin) all of my blood levels continue to come back normal. I go to my endocrinologist every 6 months to do lab work. She prescribed me Metformin to begin with, but I am AWFUL with swallowing pills and I was supposed to take 4 per day, so I never took it. Still, my insulin levels are perfect. I do still take my Yasmin (birth control) to slow the hair growth on my chin and chest (TMI? lol) and to regulate my period. Before taking birth control, I could go a year without having one! Anyway, eating right, exercising, and taking a multivitamin has put everything in the normal range for me. I have lost almost 70 lbs now, so it is possible to lose weight with PCOS.
  • Dayna154
    Dayna154 Posts: 910 Member
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    I have PCOS as well, I wasn’t diagnosed til later in life 45 yr old. I had gained weight and just kept gaining no matter what I did. Not huge amounts just a little here and there til I got to my top weight.
    I take Metformin 1000mg once daily and other meds, I had most every symptom there is to have. I had it for so long I had been pushed into insulin resistance a precursor to diabetes. I do see a few women here who are taking 1500 to 2000mg of metformin daily. Not sure what the determining factor is in the amount tho.
    I do low carb, take my meds and do cardio along with just recently adding strength training.
    I lost 35 pounds the first 5 months and just the last few over the last 3 months.. I am due to go back to the doc and plan to talk to her about what else I can do. I want to beat this and take my life back.
    I had some other issues that weren’t PCOS related but all together I had no life. Within days I had my old energy back.

    There are several support PCOS groups here on MFP, join one or multiple ones. They are full of information.
  • quill16
    quill16 Posts: 373 Member
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    I was diagnosed with PCOS 25 years ago, plus endometriosis, and super irregular. I was on BC pills for 30 years except for the time I was trying to get pregnant. It took 5 years of fertility treatments , clomid, HCG shots, and hormone suppositories, BUT I have my 21 year old healthy son as proof to the naesayers. I was morbidly obese, had high BP, and prediabetic. Losing the weight had a huge impact. after I dropped the first 40 lbs I was no longer prediabetic and no longer take meds for high BP. Last year I went off of the BC pills and now I am fairly regular and hoping for menopause ASAP.I do eat high protein, mainly because I run 5-7 miles a day and it keeps the sugars down and I have a gluten allergy.
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    thanks for the support everyone
  • azwildcatfan94
    azwildcatfan94 Posts: 314 Member
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    Oh, and as for the metformin side effects, I take the ER version... Big difference! However, I'm hoping my next A1c (blood sugar test) is low enough to get off it. Then, we'll have to figure out if I'll need anything to regulate my periods or not... Personally, I wouldn't mind going to something where I only had them once every 3 months.

    And, having children was never a desire for me, so I'm clueless as to the fertility issues, other than knowing that I probably would have had them if I would have wanted to get pregnant.
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    The doctor pretty much called me up, told me, and set an appointment for next week. All I had done was a blood test.

    Do you guys think I should ask for an ultrasound to check for cysts? Is a blood test alone accurate enough to say I have it?

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