All PCOS ladies out there
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Hi I got told ten years ago, I have had 4 pregnancies and have 3 children, getting pregnant is not impossible. (note I lost 7 or more pounds the month I got pregnant. Which of course then halted diet attempts.)
If your not attempting to got pregnant and want to lose weight, the first thing I was given was spirolactone it reduces water levels which we are disadvantaged to. Also my gyni said watch my sugar levels be cause my insulin turns to testosterone. (excess hair) So having the doc and gyni check me out first was important. I have lost 4 stone (56lb over the last 4 years (got pregnant in between)
Does this help you any.0 -
Thank you all for sharing your stories, I figured I would share mine as well.
I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16 years old, I am now 27. I did not have regular periods ever, was started on metformin and that did nothing for me, I didn't lose any weight, it just made me extremely nauseous. I went on birth control to regulate my periods and I ended up with two blood clots in my right lung. I was taken off of everything and my doctor decided to let nature run it's course.
My husband and I have been married 3 years but have been together 10 years and we haven't been successful in getting pregnant. In January I weighed my heaviest at 244... and decided to go the route of having gastric bypass surgery. I am down to 171 now and I have had cramps and some spotting, but nothing that is a full blown period. I am praying that this surgery will help kickstart my body into knowing it is time to be able to have a baby.
Feel free to add me on here!0 -
BUMP0
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I'm 25 and was just diagnosed with PCOS this last year and it has explained A LOT of issues I've had in my life. My doctors told me I probably wouldn't be able to get pregnant and would have a high rate for miscarriage if I did. I had an IUD put in to help with all the bleeding after several other things (I had been bleeding for six months straight, this was what lead me to being diagnosed as I had to see a specialist and she finally put a name to all my issues). At the moment I am trying to naturally treat it as I've heard quite a bit of complaints about the meds they prescribe to treat it. After some looking around I found Insulite, haven't been taking it long but will see if I get any results.
I have found losing weight to be a real struggle, I can eat healthy, be under in calories, and exercise regular and still gain or not really lose anything. Some days it's a huge emotional drain. In the book that I'm reading about it, it says PCOS has to do with hormone imbalances that create insulin resistance and such . It's really informative, it's called The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility.
Here's the site I found for the supplements: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/
Don't know if this would help others or not...0 -
I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2010. I've always had irregular menstrual cycles since I was a teenager so I didn't really think much about it when I wouldn't get my period for 2-3 months. But in 2010, I ballooned up to 160lbs (I'm only a bit under 5'2'') and I didn't get my period for 6 months+. I went to the doctor for a check up and they found two things: One, I had two lumps in my right breast and two, my right ovary 'didn't look right'. After several blood test and scan, scan, scan, and a surgery to take the lumps out, doctor confirmed that I have PCOS and that I would have a lot of difficulty conceiving. She said 3% but even that was optimistic. I never really thought about having children so while the news shocked me, I wasn't 'that' upset. I was upset by the fact that I have no say in it and I don't have a choice whether to have kids or not, I was just told it wasn't my choice.
Before the doctor put me on meds, she wanted me to lose weight first and go from there. So I did. Started in Dec 31 2010, I started working out and logging and being quite active on MFP. I worked out really hard and ate very sensibly. I didn't cut out any food, I just ate less and ate as clean as I could with a treat meal once a week. By June 2011, I've lost 25lbs. Doesn't sound like a lot but with my height, it looked like a lot. I was getting my menstrual cycle back on track and I felt amazing.
I started to have trouble losing weight by end of June and was craving a lot of food that I don't normally go for. Never once did I ever think I could be pregnant. Mid July just on a whim I bought the cheapest pregnancy test in the store and after 2 positives, I still didn't believe it. I then bought the most expensive pregnancy test, you know, the one that actually says, 'pregnant/not pregnant' so I don't need to decipher the stupid lines...and there it was, pregnant.
I gave birth 5 months old to a baby girl and I'm still in shock. I'm now back on MFP to get my weight back down and it's definitely harder this time around. I know she is a miracle to me and my husband and even though I never really thought about having kids, she makes me smile and love like I've never done before.
I owe all of goodness to MFP, Jillian Michaels and my husband.
Congrats on Bubs and your weight loss.
Thank you!0 -
I see quite a few people here who haven't had luck with metformin. That's a shame. I have had AMAZING results with it. I lost 30 lbs relatively quickly (w/ reduced carbs), but even when I stopped tracking and fell off the wagon, the meds helped me maintain.
I noticed that at least one person on the board takes her meds at bedtime and gets a stomachache from it. I've noticed that if I don't take the met with food I get a stomach ache. Those of you that have reactions to it- does taking it during a meal help?0 -
I've been on metformin for a couple months now, and am finding it's working with my PCOS. I've lost 13.4 lbs so far (been at it for just over a month) and I'm more motivated now than I've ever been. The metformin does upset my tummy sometimes, but if I make sure I take it with food it's okay. I've noticed that I've had to cut out dairy all of a sudden, so I don't know if that's the metformin or just hormones going out of whack (I'm almost 39 and am also on medication to induce menopause because I had PCOS, endometriosis, and fibrocystic breasts, so my hormones are out of control!!). I'd love to add you all as friends, but you're only allowed 5 friend requests every 10 minutes or something, so if anyone wants to add me, I'd love to help encourage you!0
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I have PCOS and I'm currently taking metformin and. (obviously) trying to lose weight. If anyone has had sucess with this medication please speak up. @ this point it's either this or birth control to regulate my period...my periods are all out of whack....I'll be off for like 6 months then on FOREVER like my body is trying to make up for the loss....imma need PCOS to fck off
I have been on Metformin for about a year now...but I also take birth control right along side it with my PCOS.
I just went and talked with a dietician (i'm newly diabetic on top of all this) and they told me that Metformin is also used to help women get pregnant. I'm not sure if this is accurate, but i would assume so coming from a professional.
When i started metformin, it wasn't enough to regulate anything...so that's why they put me on birth control. I have the constant pain and cramping all month long... but my periods are normal and I have it down to the day (most months) as to when it's going to start.
Inbox me with any questions! : )
Good luck to EVERYONE!0 -
I've also noticed with my metformin that it upsets my stomach... and as long as i take it with food, and don't eat dairy, i'm okay as well.0
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Hello all! I have PCOS, endometriosis, fibrocystic breasts, and severe anxiety disorder, so I'm listening to everyone's stories and nodding my head! I hate the idea of taking meds, but I've been on Prozac for the anxiety, visanne for hormones, and metformin for PCOS, and I tell you, I've never felt better! I'm motivated, happy, I can sleep, and I'm losing weight. It's definitely difficult, but worth every ounce of effort. I was on holidays the past 2 weeks, and during the first week I went to Toronto and tried on a pair of 14 hole Doc Martins that I've wanted since I was 13!! They are now my reward for reaching my goal weight (150 lbs), so when I'm working out and feeling low, I just picture my boots and my butt is officially kicked!! Thank you everyone for sharing your stories, and for being so encouraging. I look forward to reading more about your journeys!0
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who has to eliminate dairy all of a sudden! Let's just keep on keepin' on!0
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I have PCOS but no interest in having children so that isn't an issue.
My doc prescribed me metaformin but I didn't think it really did anything so I gave it up. Birth control pills helped with my initial weight loss but I've been having trouble in the past few years. I gained weight scary fast this past year when I had a tailbone injury.0 -
Hi I have 2 kids and was diagnosed with PCOS four years ago I'm having trouble losing weight it seems to be harder since my diagnosis women can get pregnant with pcos. I'm Living proof. With weight gain with pcos I haven't been able to get pregnant. I'm hoping if I lose weight I will become more fertile so I can. Have another baby. With pcos Woman who lose weight get pregnant easier In some cases. Good luck to all women with pcos.
One doctor told me that for women with PCOS we have to work twice as hard as what a normal person would have to do to lose the weight. Not sure how much truth there is to that, but I believe it.
I was told this too! DO NOT BELIEVE IT!!! I have lost 65# since January. I believed it for about 5 years and kept telling myself that weight loss didn't matter because it would be so hard. Don't let that discourage you!! If you want it bad enough, it will happen!! :flowerforyou:
I have been told the same0 -
Thank you all for sharing your stories, I figured I would share mine as well.
I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16 years old, I am now 27. I did not have regular periods ever, was started on metformin and that did nothing for me, I didn't lose any weight, it just made me extremely nauseous. I went on birth control to regulate my periods and I ended up with two blood clots in my right lung. I was taken off of everything and my doctor decided to let nature run it's course.
My husband and I have been married 3 years but have been together 10 years and we haven't been successful in getting pregnant. In January I weighed my heaviest at 244... and decided to go the route of having gastric bypass surgery. I am down to 171 now and I have had cramps and some spotting, but nothing that is a full blown period. I am praying that this surgery will help kickstart my body into knowing it is time to be able to have a baby.
Feel free to add me on here!
Hope all goes well for you0 -
I was diagnosed with PCOS about 3 years ago, but my symptoms were not severe. At that time, I was severely overweight at my highest weight of 163 lbs. on a 4'11" frame. My husband and I were TTC and were having difficulty due to my irregular periods as a result of my tremendous weight gain over the course of 1 year (I had healthy, regular periods before that). My doctor ran some tests and determined that I also had PCOS, most likely brought on by weight gain. For those of you who said it's genetic, I'm not so sure because no one in my family has ever had it nor had any problems with conceiving or experienced difficulties with their pregnancies. I attributed my PCOS to my depression and stress that led to fluctuations of rapid weight loss and weight gain during my college years. My periods only became irregular after I had graduated college, so I'm certain that it was during all those years of hormonal irregularities and fluctuations that caused me to develop PCOS. However, being that my symptoms were minimal, with a controlled carb insulin resistance meal plan prescribed by my doctor and nutritionist -- no medicine whatsoever -- I was able to lose 30 lbs. during that time period without any exercise..I did just the meal plan alone and able to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy 1 year after my PCOS diagnosis.
I have since gained back some weight, but working on losing it again. I've read that PCOS is reversible. I don't want my PCOS symptoms to return thus one reason I am working so hard to lose weight again. Also, we are TCC again. I will not let PCOS make me wait another 3 years to conceive just because I am overweight.0 -
Ii am! but its the carbohydrated sugar ive been advised to watch mostly on a 1500cal controlled diet. its not easy but to hear peoples stories on here is comforting! we're not alone
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I can't even remember when it was that I was diagnosed with PCOS, but since having it, I know about as much about it as does my doctor :-P
I've read everything you can imagine, asking several doctors tons of questions as well as my grandma and good friend who are nurses.
So let me start by saying I have read each story here, and my heart goes out to each of you. PCOS is HARD.
It makes us have the eternal hormones of a 15 year old girl, it makes us embarrassed to have people get to close for fear they will see our unwanted facial hair, and it makes it hard for us to lose weight and feel 'right.'
I do want to say that PCOS is not brought on by being overweight. Some doctors aren't well informed about PCOS as it is relatively new. Some women with PCOS are not and have never been overweight. It being 'genetic' doesn't mean that its passed in the family line (that's hereditary), it means that its just in you, and there is nothing that you did to prompt it. And unfortunately, PCOS isn't something that you can 'get cured of.' The symptoms can get better with proper care, but its always there.
So here's my boring little story:
My weight has fluctuated up and down since about 18 (always on the heavy side though), and when my (ex) husband and i wanted to have a baby, I was determined to lose weight. I had zero sugar and was very conscious of everything that I'd put into my body. i lost about 20# pretty quickly, and took Metformin, Prometrium and the lowest dose of Clomid. The Dr. told me not to expect to get pregnant the first go around because it was the lowest dosage, and was just getting my body ready to take the real dosage. Well I took a HPT before calling the doctor for a new RX of Clomid (as instructed) and didn't even look at it.. just went and called because I knew what the outcome was. But as the nurse answered the phone, I told her that I needed my RX called into the pharmacy, and she confirmed with me that I took an HPT, and I looked down at it, and saw a faint little + sign. She was as baffled as I was and was super excited for me (it was a small community and the nurses were friends to all the patients there). This is when we learned how well I responded to medicine. For the next month, I treated my body as a temple, and even though I was getting crazy morning sickness, I only ate good healthy foods. Unfortunately I miscarried at that point. It was a very rough and traumatic miscarriage that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, but since then, I've never taken clomid again.
That doctor has told me that I have the worse case of PCOS that he's ever seen (and he only deals with PCOS patients).I've been sexually active for about 10 years now, and have never used any kind of condoms or BCP, so... yea... He (along with other doctors) have said that I will never ovulate on my own, even when I have a period on my own. I know several people, even some much larger than me, that have PCOS but have conceived without clomid or shots, but I truely believe it will never happen for me without Clomid.0 -
is there anyone else out there that wants to share their story0
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I have it. My periods were always irregular ever since I started. Then all of the sudden I started gaining weight rapidly. I went to the doctor and they somehow missed it all. Then a few years later a specialist confirmed I have it and that it really messed with my metabolism. Go figure. They gave me metformin and I took it for a little while, but stopped. I hate taking pills so now I'm on birth control to regulate and that's it. I was told once I start trying to have children I might need help (or may not be able to have any) though I won't know until I actually am ready to try, which is not right now.0
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I was diagnosed 'officially' with PCOS nearly 10 years ago. I was a chubby kid but I gained most of my weight during puberty. I reached 300 lbs at the age of 14. My mother dragged me to multiple doctors and nutritionists but no one could really figure what was wrong with me. I tried to stay active and eat fairly healthy although I won't say I was 'perfect' but something seemed off that I couldn't lose weight. I became less active in college and gained nearly 70 lbs over 5-6 year, 30 of those pounds came after college when I got my first car and stopped walking as much.
Anyway, in my mid/late 20s, I saw a OBGYN who when I talked to her about my issues, she talked to me about my symptoms and she told me I definitely had PCOS. I was put on my first birth control pill. A year later, I decided to try losing weight again (this had been a lifelong struggle and I had given up). I found that losing weight wasn't as hard as it was before. It seemed strange that a BC pill did that to me but it seems it did. I ended up losing 160 lbs at my lowest but the 140 lb loss was what I maintained for 5 years. I then had a couple injuries and a death in my immediate family and gained nearly 70 lbs back in 2 years.
I won't say losing weight is easy and yes I cut out processed carbs/added sugars but eat a higher carb with an emphasis on whole foods. I know I can lose the weight again and I think I can get to the 200 lb loss mark and that is my goal.0 -
I'm obviously not a woman, so forgive my intrusion, but I do have a PCOS story to share with you. My wife has PCOS or I should say HAD PCOS for many years. In late August 2009 her bleeding became so bad that there was nothing she could do to stop it. We went to the doctor who explained our options after numerous exams and tests. Because she had PCOS for so many years and because her body did not regularly have a period she developed endometrial cancer. We went to see an OBGYN Oncologist who gave us two options. A complete hysterectomy or, we could choose treatment. My wife really wants to have kids one day and so after a lot of prayer we chose treatment. After the treatment ended my wife underwent a D&C and was found to be cancer free.
We went to see a fertility specialists who put my wife on a medication to ensure she has a period every month, however, it is NOT birth control as she is able to get pregnant.
If you are not pleased with what doctors tell you keep searching for answers. We went to one of the top rated OBGYN Oncologists in the country and now my wife is not only PCOS symptom free, but cancer free as well. There is always hope.
^^Oh my gosh this is really touching. Thank you for sharing.
My story is quite tame in comparison. I was diagnosed in Jan of this year and the consultant at the hospital suggested I reduce my weight and that if i did this my symptoms would improve. Needless to say I promptly got right on that and now I have lost quite a bit of weight. My symptoms have changed, though i wouldn't say this is necessarily "better" but i'm keeping up with it in the hope it will improve. (I'll spare you the gory details lol)
Any of you, feel free to add me.
Jx0 -
I have PCOS and I'm currently taking metformin and. (obviously) trying to lose weight. If anyone has had sucess with this medication please speak up. @ this point it's either this or birth control to regulate my period...my periods are all out of whack....I'll be off for like 6 months then on FOREVER like my body is trying to make up for the loss....imma need PCOS to fck off
I was on Metformin all it did was make me sick when I took it, then after a month of being sick I was ok but I never noticed any changes, then when I went off of it I was super sick again. I have also been on all sorts of birth control, from the shot, to the pills, to the 3 month pills, etc, etc. Nothing worked. I know every body is different. I know my mom had to go through the same thing I did with the ablation. And it took her FOREVER to have me. So yeah PCOS is a you know what. I did find though that seasonal/seasonique/whatever it is called now, tried to keep my periods to a dull roar while the rest did nadda.
Jesus Christ ! And yes it makes me sick too! I couldn't go into work today because of the intestinal problems....If its not helping after 2 months I'll have to let it go....this just makes me so upset & emotional
Let me start with - I'm not a doctor - but I too had some issues with the Metformin. Fortunately, my endocrinologist worked closely with me in tweaking my pills until my body stopped rejecting them. I was diagnosed 3 years ago and she prescribed 2000 mg (I THINK - I can't remember that far back) of Metformin a day. She told me to start taking one, 500 mg pill a day for a month. If no intestinal issues, bump it up to 2 500 mg pills a day for another month and increase it gradually until I'm at 4 pills a day. Every time I tried to advance from 2 to 3 pills, I would have horrible cramping and terrible intestinal issues. From what she told me, this is something you should introduce to your body gradually. I never was able to get up to 4 pills a day, in fact, I never advanced past 2 a day, but my weight had changed over time causing me to not require 2000 mg anymore anyway. Last September, she cut my prescription all the way down to 1 a day, and this past April, I have completely stopped taking the Metformin. Being a medication for diabetics, I was having some other problems that indicated some blood sugar issues and my doctor thought the Metformin was causing my sugar to drop so low that I would feel like I was passing out, she wanted me to stop taking it and get an appointment with my endocrinologist (turned out to be severe anemia) but I'm still waiting to get in with my endocrinologist again (have an appointment in October) to get everything retested and see if I need to get back on Metformin and at what dosage.
So work with your doctor - and see if slowly increasing your dosage helps any.0 -
I was recently diagnosed with PCOS, my head is still spinning and I'm in the search for a different doctor. I was given 500 mg metformin once a day since I'm hoping to get pregnant. My goal is to lose 5-7% of my weight sooner than later.0
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Hi ladies! Ive had PCOS for 11 years, and i have definitely found something that works for me and after much research on this holistic point of view, i truly believe it is a curable illness even though normal dr.'s say it is not. They treat the symptoms, but not the actual root of the problem! I originally watched the documentary called food matters, and it completely opened my eyes to the holistic way of living and nutrition and made me realize i was doing it all wrong. The main culprit of PCOS is a hormonal problem, which includes our metabolism, which is our hormones combined, not something different, that is why it affects our metabolism and we lose slower. When i was first diagnosed i was told to go low carb, and atkins was the big craze at the time, and like alot of people took that as high fat no carb, as did i. What i didnt realize was that there was really no nutrition in my diet for years cuz i mostly ate meat, cheese, and anything that had no carbs, so your nutrient was protein, not much else. My body was so malnourished, no wonder i wasnt losing! I felt like crap, didnt have great energy, and after knowing how i feel now, never realized how miserable i was. You do not have to eat no carbs or low carb, u need to eat the right carbs. I am having steady weight loss and i eat carbs. My suggestion to you all, eat a clean diet!! No processed foods, lots of veggies, moderate fruit and whole grains. Our bodies are lacking so many nutrients that it can not function properly to fix the things we have wrong. Our bodies are an amazing powerful being and we can heal ourselves. What we eat has to have a purpose, when we eat artificial processed garbage, there is no nutritional value and your body doesnt know what to do w it. When we feed it the vitamins and nutrients we get in fresh produce and healthy eating, our bodies put it to use and start fixing the things that are broken. I also believe vitamins are a great thing and much needed. Not in place of the fresh stuff but along with. Fruits and veggies start losing their nutrients once they are picked, and with the way our country mass produces, our soil is lacking in vitamins and minerals, which in turn makes the plants lacking.
I know i may sound crazy to some, but everything ive learned from researching about this has been so eye opening and just wanted to share w women going through the same things as myself. I will admit, i felt the best i have ever felt when i went no meat no dairy for awhile, but it is definitely hard to stick to, especially if your a meat lover! I was one who though i could never give up meat, and i was surprised at how easy it was. And i do actually try and incorporate some veggie dishes into my weekly menu too. If ur up for it, give it a try and you will see how great it feels, its very interesting:)
If what you are doing is working well for you keep it up
but if you are struggling, look into this and give it a try. I feel wonderful now, my hair has gotten thicker, my skin is better, i have energy and overall just feel good and have never been this successful in my weight loss and ive been heavy all my life. I truly believe its all about nutrition. Hope my view point helps some out there good luck to all you wonderful ladies, it definitely is a journey, but an opportunity for a wealth of knowledge into making u healthy, not just thinner 0
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