Is anyone taking cinnamon supplements to treat PCOS?

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Replies

  • lucyford22
    lucyford22 Posts: 198 Member
    I just wanted to say, Metformin: Yuck!


    Metformin was the worst. I only took it for a few months. Threw up CONSTANTLY. I hated it. I've been taking cinnamon for the last few months and it has helped TREMENDOUSLY. As far as PCOS I was diagnosed with it, but I'm starting to think I was just insulin resistant. Regardless, I literally have no sugar craving any more. I didn't realize how much I was craving and thinking about food until the cravings and thoughts stopped...which after starting cinnamon and chromium they stopped within a day. Also...I was working out like a fiend...literally hours a day and not losing any weight. After starting the cinnamon the weight has started to come off. (I think this is tied into the insulin resistance, which tends to go hand in hand with pcos) Cinnamon to me has been a godsend. I take it in pill form or sprinkle the fresh stuff on my coffee. At my highest (before cinnamon) I was around 250. I've been able to drop about 40 lbs. Still working on another 60 or so.
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
    I have PCOS too. Have you seen an endocrinologist? My GP and OB/GYN both referred me to one for the PCOS.

    I see one every four months and he has me on Glucophage/Metformin. Once you get past learning what you can eat to prevent side effects and your hormone levels blanace out, it's much easier for the weight to come off.

    Hi,
    Forgive my ignorance but what's a Endocrinologist??


    Nevermind. I looked it up ;o) to answer you question: no. Didn't know much about diabetes. But thx!


    No, I d on't take it for diabetes (although they treat that as well). The metformin (althought it can be a diabetic med) is used to help the insulin resistance. Endocrinologists basically specialize in the adrenal system, hormones, metabolism, and glands, all which are affected by the PCOS. They go a bit more in depth than a family practioner or OB/GYN. Mine has all of my hormones balanced out now. Look into it, it has helped me a ton!


    Ahhh, this may explain why I have had little to no success with GYN's and PCOS. I will mos def take your advise and look in to an Endo Doc. Thx so much!

    ...Make me wonder why my GYN never meantioned seeing an Endo Doctor tho..hmmm???


    Not positive, but some just like to try to fix on on their own. My OB/GYN is a fertility specialist so his colleague (the endocrinologist) does all the hormone/gland testing more in depth for him. A few other people I know have gone to one also and it has helped a lot. My endo is the one who also diagnosed a thyroid problem. Good luck!
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
    I just wanted to say, Metformin: Yuck!


    Metformin was the worst. I only took it for a few months. Threw up CONSTANTLY. I hated it. I've been taking cinnamon for the last few months and it has helped TREMENDOUSLY. As far as PCOS I was diagnosed with it, but I'm starting to think I was just insulin resistant. Regardless, I literally have no sugar craving any more. I didn't realize how much I was craving and thinking about food until the cravings and thoughts stopped...which after starting cinnamon and chromium they stopped within a day. Also...I was working out like a fiend...literally hours a day and not losing any weight. After starting the cinnamon the weight has started to come off. (I think this is tied into the insulin resistance, which tends to go hand in hand with pcos) Cinnamon to me has been a godsend. I take it in pill form or sprinkle the fresh stuff on my coffee. At my highest (before cinnamon) I was around 250. I've been able to drop about 40 lbs. Still working on another 60 or so.


    Were you allergic to the Metformin? I don't like the side effects, but I've never thrown up from it. What did help me with the upset tummy though..I am on 1000mg 2x a day, and I asked if I could take both at the same time at night. My doc ok'd it and I take them right before bed. I don't feel the side effects very bad at all now.
  • cbmplank
    cbmplank Posts: 1
    I too have PCOS and have had it for over 15 years but was not diagnosed until 5 years ago. I have tried many off-label drugs with horrible side effects to my liver and kidneys and am back to Metformin 1500mg, I am supposed to take 2000mg but the nausea is hard to fight at 1500mg. I am going to add in the cinnamon and see if that helps to compensate for the extra 500mg I should be taking. Along with this, does anyone have any specific diet restrictions like gluten-free or dairy-free that has helped them? I can't shed the pounds and am losing motivation so I am glad that I found this post because there is so little information surrounding PCOS!
  • Iwillshyne
    Iwillshyne Posts: 245
    I too have PCOS and have had it for over 15 years but was not diagnosed until 5 years ago. I have tried many off-label drugs with horrible side effects to my liver and kidneys and am back to Metformin 1500mg, I am supposed to take 2000mg but the nausea is hard to fight at 1500mg. I am going to add in the cinnamon and see if that helps to compensate for the extra 500mg I should be taking. Along with this, does anyone have any specific diet restrictions like gluten-free or dairy-free that has helped them? I can't shed the pounds and am losing motivation so I am glad that I found this post because there is so little information surrounding PCOS!

    Yes, In my research someone shared their PCOS diet with. I gotta dig around my inbox and post it for you....
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
    I too have PCOS and have had it for over 15 years but was not diagnosed until 5 years ago. I have tried many off-label drugs with horrible side effects to my liver and kidneys and am back to Metformin 1500mg, I am supposed to take 2000mg but the nausea is hard to fight at 1500mg. I am going to add in the cinnamon and see if that helps to compensate for the extra 500mg I should be taking. Along with this, does anyone have any specific diet restrictions like gluten-free or dairy-free that has helped them? I can't shed the pounds and am losing motivation so I am glad that I found this post because there is so little information surrounding PCOS!


    I'm lactose intolerant so I don't eat alot of dairy (besides yogurt and cheese), but with the metformin I can no longer eat iceberg lettuce! I can eat romaine, leaf, spinach etc, but iceberg makes me sick. Of course anything super greasy will have bad effects as well. It kind of teaches you how you are 'supposed' to eat, low fat, high protein. Carbs don't bother me so much, but my sugar levels have never been high or low. I'm a carb craver something fierce, and even on weight watchers that didn't hinder my loss once all of my levels were evened out.

    My endo sends me for bloodwork every 3-4 months and really keeps an eye on everything and adjusts meds as needed based on the hormone and sugar, etc levels.
  • Iwillshyne
    Iwillshyne Posts: 245
    Thx for a the encouragement!!

    For those of you who are looking for a PCOS diet /regiment to follow you may want to read a post by sammybunny711: My PCOS Story. She has successfully lost 40 lbs. In her post she listed a few do's and dont and even a few links that I have found to be very helpful.
    Best wishes to everyone and feel free to add me!! I could use the inspiration!!
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    I believe Cinnamon, just like any herb/spice and natural supplement, is meant to be used over a long period of time to show the biggest effects. :) Sometimes herbs/spices and natural supplements do not show immediate or big results right away, so people think they don't work or aren't worth it. Sometimes it can take up to 6 weeks to experience the effects of taking a natural supplement. :)

    My mom, a type II diabetic, discovered that cinnamon lowered her blood sugar completely on her own, years and years before it was available in capsule form or an internet search would turn up any information on the subject. She noticed that cinnamon apples for dinner made her feel better and always made for an unusually low fasting blood glucose the following morning. So yeah, you may see immediate results. That doesn't necessarily mean you will, though. I take it and it may help with my carb cravings or may not. Hard to tell, but then I don't have any of the medical problems it's supposed to alleviate.

    Adams was her medicinal brand of choice, by the way. She was convinced that it was much stronger than McCormick.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    I too have PCOS and have had it for over 15 years but was not diagnosed until 5 years ago. I have tried many off-label drugs with horrible side effects to my liver and kidneys and am back to Metformin 1500mg, I am supposed to take 2000mg but the nausea is hard to fight at 1500mg. I am going to add in the cinnamon and see if that helps to compensate for the extra 500mg I should be taking. Along with this, does anyone have any specific diet restrictions like gluten-free or dairy-free that has helped them? I can't shed the pounds and am losing motivation so I am glad that I found this post because there is so little information surrounding PCOS!


    I'm lactose intolerant so I don't eat alot of dairy (besides yogurt and cheese), but with the metformin I can no longer eat iceberg lettuce! I can eat romaine, leaf, spinach etc, but iceberg makes me sick. Of course anything super greasy will have bad effects as well. It kind of teaches you how you are 'supposed' to eat, low fat, high protein. Carbs don't bother me so much, but my sugar levels have never been high or low. I'm a carb craver something fierce, and even on weight watchers that didn't hinder my loss once all of my levels were evened out.

    My endo sends me for bloodwork every 3-4 months and really keeps an eye on everything and adjusts meds as needed based on the hormone and sugar, etc levels.

    Craving carbs is a sign of either addiction or intolerance. If you are PCOS, then it is imperative to keep good health to reduce carb intake pretty drastically.

    And with PCOS even if you don't currently have insulin resistance issues, it is recommended to eat high fat, moderate protein and low carb. Fat is not the enemy here.

    Eating fat will level out your hormones as it is imperative to have adequate fat intake so that the hypothalamus and the pituitary will secrete the proper amount of hormones when necessary as the monthly cycle goes through its phases.

    Metformin is not as much of a helper as they claim it to be. My doctor has recently recommended to me Vitex and Black Cohosh to control and reduce symptoms of PCOS.

    If anyone wants more information about Vitex and Black Cohosh - please message me and I will send you the information.
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
    I too have PCOS and have had it for over 15 years but was not diagnosed until 5 years ago. I have tried many off-label drugs with horrible side effects to my liver and kidneys and am back to Metformin 1500mg, I am supposed to take 2000mg but the nausea is hard to fight at 1500mg. I am going to add in the cinnamon and see if that helps to compensate for the extra 500mg I should be taking. Along with this, does anyone have any specific diet restrictions like gluten-free or dairy-free that has helped them? I can't shed the pounds and am losing motivation so I am glad that I found this post because there is so little information surrounding PCOS!


    I'm lactose intolerant so I don't eat alot of dairy (besides yogurt and cheese), but with the metformin I can no longer eat iceberg lettuce! I can eat romaine, leaf, spinach etc, but iceberg makes me sick. Of course anything super greasy will have bad effects as well. It kind of teaches you how you are 'supposed' to eat, low fat, high protein. Carbs don't bother me so much, but my sugar levels have never been high or low. I'm a carb craver something fierce, and even on weight watchers that didn't hinder my loss once all of my levels were evened out.

    My endo sends me for bloodwork every 3-4 months and really keeps an eye on everything and adjusts meds as needed based on the hormone and sugar, etc levels.

    Craving carbs is a sign of either addiction or intolerance. If you are PCOS, then it is imperative to keep good health to reduce carb intake pretty drastically.

    And with PCOS even if you don't currently have insulin resistance issues, it is recommended to eat high fat, moderate protein and low carb. Fat is not the enemy here.

    Eating fat will level out your hormones as it is imperative to have adequate fat intake so that the hypothalamus and the pituitary will secrete the proper amount of hormones when necessary as the monthly cycle goes through its phases.

    Metformin is not as much of a helper as they claim it to be. My doctor has recently recommended to me Vitex and Black Cohosh to control and reduce symptoms of PCOS.

    If anyone wants more information about Vitex and Black Cohosh - please message me and I will send you the information.


    Thank you for the information, but what I've been doing has been working for me. It might not work for anyone else, but it does for me. My doc does keep a strict eye on my blood and levels and definitely alerts me if something seems strange. Metformin does help me.

    I appreciate your concern, but I'm not addicted to carbs, nor am I intolerant.

    Original poster, I hope that you find a doctor that can help you. If you don't mind me asking, what state are you in?
  • Iwillshyne
    Iwillshyne Posts: 245
    I too have PCOS and have had it for over 15 years but was not diagnosed until 5 years ago. I have tried many off-label drugs with horrible side effects to my liver and kidneys and am back to Metformin 1500mg, I am supposed to take 2000mg but the nausea is hard to fight at 1500mg. I am going to add in the cinnamon and see if that helps to compensate for the extra 500mg I should be taking. Along with this, does anyone have any specific diet restrictions like gluten-free or dairy-free that has helped them? I can't shed the pounds and am losing motivation so I am glad that I found this post because there is so little information surrounding PCOS!


    I'm lactose intolerant so I don't eat alot of dairy (besides yogurt and cheese), but with the metformin I can no longer eat iceberg lettuce! I can eat romaine, leaf, spinach etc, but iceberg makes me sick. Of course anything super greasy will have bad effects as well. It kind of teaches you how you are 'supposed' to eat, low fat, high protein. Carbs don't bother me so much, but my sugar levels have never been high or low. I'm a carb craver something fierce, and even on weight watchers that didn't hinder my loss once all of my levels were evened out.

    My endo sends me for bloodwork every 3-4 months and really keeps an eye on everything and adjusts meds as needed based on the hormone and sugar, etc levels.

    Craving carbs is a sign of either addiction or intolerance. If you are PCOS, then it is imperative to keep good health to reduce carb intake pretty drastically.

    And with PCOS even if you don't currently have insulin resistance issues, it is recommended to eat high fat, moderate protein and low carb. Fat is not the enemy here.

    Eating fat will level out your hormones as it is imperative to have adequate fat intake so that the hypothalamus and the pituitary will secrete the proper amount of hormones when necessary as the monthly cycle goes through its phases.

    Metformin is not as much of a helper as they claim it to be. My doctor has recently recommended to me Vitex and Black Cohosh to control and reduce symptoms of PCOS.

    If anyone wants more information about Vitex and Black Cohosh - please message me and I will send you the information.


    Thank you for the information, but what I've been doing has been working for me. It might not work for anyone else, but it does for me. My doc does keep a strict eye on my blood and levels and definitely alerts me if something seems strange. Metformin does help me.

    I appreciate your concern, but I'm not addicted to carbs, nor am I intolerant.

    Original poster, I hope that you find a doctor that can help you. If you don't mind me asking, what state are you in?

    Forida--you know it's that state where all the bad doctors come to get rich. Ha! jkjkjk
  • Iwillshyne
    Iwillshyne Posts: 245
    I too have PCOS and have had it for over 15 years but was not diagnosed until 5 years ago. I have tried many off-label drugs with horrible side effects to my liver and kidneys and am back to Metformin 1500mg, I am supposed to take 2000mg but the nausea is hard to fight at 1500mg. I am going to add in the cinnamon and see if that helps to compensate for the extra 500mg I should be taking. Along with this, does anyone have any specific diet restrictions like gluten-free or dairy-free that has helped them? I can't shed the pounds and am losing motivation so I am glad that I found this post because there is so little information surrounding PCOS!


    I'm lactose intolerant so I don't eat alot of dairy (besides yogurt and cheese), but with the metformin I can no longer eat iceberg lettuce! I can eat romaine, leaf, spinach etc, but iceberg makes me sick. Of course anything super greasy will have bad effects as well. It kind of teaches you how you are 'supposed' to eat, low fat, high protein. Carbs don't bother me so much, but my sugar levels have never been high or low. I'm a carb craver something fierce, and even on weight watchers that didn't hinder my loss once all of my levels were evened out.

    My endo sends me for bloodwork every 3-4 months and really keeps an eye on everything and adjusts meds as needed based on the hormone and sugar, etc levels.

    Craving carbs is a sign of either addiction or intolerance. If you are PCOS, then it is imperative to keep good health to reduce carb intake pretty drastically.

    And with PCOS even if you don't currently have insulin resistance issues, it is recommended to eat high fat, moderate protein and low carb. Fat is not the enemy here.

    Eating fat will level out your hormones as it is imperative to have adequate fat intake so that the hypothalamus and the pituitary will secrete the proper amount of hormones when necessary as the monthly cycle goes through its phases.

    Metformin is not as much of a helper as they claim it to be. My doctor has recently recommended to me Vitex and Black Cohosh to control and reduce symptoms of PCOS.

    If anyone wants more information about Vitex and Black Cohosh - please message me and I will send you the information.


    Thank you for the information, but what I've been doing has been working for me. It might not work for anyone else, but it does for me. My doc does keep a strict eye on my blood and levels and definitely alerts me if something seems strange. Metformin does help me.

    I appreciate your concern, but I'm not addicted to carbs, nor am I intolerant.

    Original poster, I hope that you find a doctor that can help you. If you don't mind me asking, what state are you in?

    Florida--you know it's that state where all the bad doctors come to get rich. Ha! jkjkjk
  • ladydod
    ladydod Posts: 1
    I was on Metformin in the states for a year and it didn't do anything for me so the dr took me off and I just stayed on the birth control pill which seemed to actually help me regulate my periods and hormones. Therefore I actually felt like exercising. Then I moved to the UK where the medical care is socialized and so horrible. The doctor wouldn't listen to me about my care in the states and put me back on Metformin. As it was socialized care the waiting lists to see the dr were 6 months long and everytime I went back to him he would keep telling me, nope you haven't lost weight see me in 6 months. This went on for nearly 6 years with him only ever prescribing me Meformin. I finally took myself off it becuase it clearly wasn't working and I was sick of having diarrhea all the time! I've back to the dr after 2 years of not doing anything and he tells me to go back on Meformin. I argued with him and he won't listen! He tells me at 37 I am too old for the birth control. I asked him for help in the increased weight gain as I have tried the low carb and exercising but he just says go back on Meformin. oh, I wish I could see a specialist but he won't refer me! I've decided to just grow old, fat, hairy and join the circus!
  • hollywood8782
    hollywood8782 Posts: 10 Member
    I don't know if you found anything to work but I will say that I take half a teaspoon everyday (spice) and I take a mutli-vitamin (every other day because they are pre-natal and I'm not pregnant). I found that when I did use cinnamon (to help regulate my insulin) after a extremely sugary meal plus combined with the multi-vitamins for the day, I came on my period! I also followed the Glycemic Index Food Chart with the South Beach Diet in mind (they give you the list on whats high on the G.I. and the ratings). And remember when you want carbs, be sure to combine it with a protein/fat because it slows down the sugar intake. I found great success with it! I recently started back doing it since I got lost and comfortable along the way once I started to come on on my own. I eventually stopped and so did my period, so now I'm starting all over again and it seems to be promising. Hope you are finding light at the end of your tunnel.
  • hollywood8782
    hollywood8782 Posts: 10 Member
    Ok I'm sorry but I did laugh at your post (the last line). Be sure to check out my post right below yours. Stay prayerful and do your own research plus find a new doctor. My doc told me that people are diagnosed as having PCOS when all other things have been ruled out (kind of like a I don't know whats going on and so here it is type of deal) plus she said exercising helps it alot. Try the things I suggested above and be diligent. Hope to hear good things from your update and exercise, exercise,exercise (cardio galore)
  • hollywood8782
    hollywood8782 Posts: 10 Member
    I forgot one other thing, be sure to eat very small meals and snack in between. It helps also that you don't overload yourself with carbs and sugary foods in one setting but instead spread it out through the day. I try to eat every 2 to 3 hours even if it's something super simple like a nut or something.
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