I have PCOS would love some support

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  • dorisdecker
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    Hey there!!
    I have PCOS!! diagnosed at 15 and I am 28 now with 1 kiddo! We have tried to conceive again but with no luck this time! I have decided that I would lose some extra weight and we would try again. We tried for 3 yrs for our son! Currently to lose weight I am taking phentermine 30mg x1 daily and in the last 9 days I have lost 5lbs! Im kinda bummed about that as I thought it would be more as I have replaced 2 meals a day with shakes and am trying to walk 3 miles at least 3 times a week!!
  • Amy1527
    Amy1527 Posts: 18
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    Stick with it Doris, you'll get there!!! Good luck!!
  • iluvj0hn
    iluvj0hn Posts: 4
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    I've had PCOS for over 10 yrs. Also had Breast Cancer, I believe, due to my wacky hormones. Ever since I went off birth control pills to try to conceive, my body went haywire.
    I've since lost over 24lbs and took myself off of metformin and my blood work has been coming back great. Prolactin levels normal and other hormones pretty much back to normal. I hated metformin.
    I don't understand why you have to Lose weight before they put you on something. Metformin may help you lose weight, have more energy etc. I no longer have insulin resistance.
    Please msg me if you have any questions/concerns.
    I food a LifePlan that works for me..finally!!! I'm losing about 5 lbs a week and don't feel hungry all the time. And I have energy!! I am totally a sugar/bad carb addict. But I broke my addiction ans no longer crave processed foods/junk/fast foods. I eat clean and healthy, nature intended food.
  • MrsGilligan12
    MrsGilligan12 Posts: 21 Member
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    I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2012, after suspecting I had it since 2005. I had surgery in 2009 for a cyst that was just a bit larger then a softball. The cyst was so heavy, that it twisted my fallopian tube and they had to remove it. I've been on Metformin for a little over a year now. I was TTC with the hubby for 2 years and gave up summer of 2013, then I got pregnant. It did result in a miscarriage but now I KNOW it can happen, so I'm on Clomid. My BMI is over 40, so my Dr is making me lose weight but I'm able to take the Clomid. If anyone would like to add me, they can. :) I also have Multiple Sclerosis.
    Edit: I'll be 30 in August.
  • Elly1021
    Elly1021 Posts: 16 Member
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    I have PCOS as well. I was diagnosed about 10 years ago. Weight loss w/ PCOS is a major pain, & I think it is hard for people who don't have the disorder to understand.

    I'm always looking to make more friends on here who have PCOS. Sent you a FR, and anyone please feel free to add me!!
  • mrsguidi2008
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    I was diagnosed with PCIS in 2009 after trying to start a family. I have to say that finding the right Dr. is key to anyone with PCOS - I had a specialist who didn't want to take the time to find out why the things he was prescribing his other patients wasn't working for me. I finally found a good Dr. who told me that Metformin will only work for weight loss for those who are insulin resistant - I am not. It took four long years of struggling before my family Dr.put me on the G.I. Diet - which worked wonderfully and I got pregnant with my son who will be turning 2 this year. However, after he was born and I went back on the diet - it seems to be doing nothing for me now, I would like to have another baby so am going to the Dr. to see what can be done. Glad that there is an outlet for those with PCOS - nobody understands it in the same way as someone who was/is going through it.
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
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    Hey dude! I have polycystic ovaries, but not the endocrine disorder PCOS. Regardless, weight loss has helped my condition tons! They diagnosed me w/ PCOS first because I was overweight, but it turned out that I actually have endometriosis.

    First of all, did they do any fasting glucose tests to find out if you were insulin resistant? If not, make sure they do. If it turns out you do have blood sugar issues, try to get them to put you on Metformin ER (extended release.) Some people will say it made them sick, but if you stick with it, it will help you lose weight if you have glucose issues. Beyond stabilizing your blood sugar, Metformin also can also help you to get less cysts, but my doctor cannot explain to me why. When I lost weight and my blood sugar was good again, I got off Metformin since my doctor and independent research couldn't turn up any good info as to why I should stay on it longer, but if you truly have PCOS, it will help long-term. Regardless, that's where you want to start. If you want to stabilize your blood sugar solely through nutrition, that can be done too, just limit simple carbs and excess sugar and make sure you get an hour of exercise in most days of the week.

    Good luck!

    I have both endometriosis and PCOS, and to the best of my knowledge, endo has nothing to do with weight gain, and PCOS has everything to do with it.

    Of course, I have PCOS without ovarian cysts, which you apparently have without PCOS. It's very confusing. I kind of think that PCOS with cysts and PCOS without cysts might actually be two completely different disorders that are so similar that doctors have not realized that they need to be classified as separate diseases.

    Either way, I am not aware of how endo can cause weight gain. Can you explain that for me please?

    No, endo does not cause weight gain. I simply gained weight because I consumed more calories than my body was burning on a daily basis (novel concept, I know.) However, the excess estrogen your body creates from your excess fat basically feeds the endometriosis adhesions, often causing them to enlarge and/or spread. It's nuts you have PCOS and endometriosis without any cysts, all the cysts on my ovaries are created by endometriosis. I don't have any of the metabolic type symptoms of PCOS, which is what lead doctors to recant their original diagnosis, however my ovaries are polycystic- it's not exceptionally difficult for me to lose weight (or any more difficult than it is for everyone else that struggles with their weight), I don't have excess body hair, my skin is fairly clear, and I don't skin patches or discoloration; along with the surgical confirmation that my cysts were all 'chocolate' cysts containing endometrial cells. I think the confusion really stems from doctors too readily diagnosing women (especially overweight women) with PCOS, I think a lot of people like myself are told they have it when they really don't. Overweight women are more likely to develop ovarian cysts, but it does not mean the have 'PCOS.'
  • Brummiebird021975
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    Hey all I'm Beckie...I'm 39 and Mom to 4 lovely children and 2 angel babies...I also have PCOS and with the help of Metformin and Clomid over the last 21 years I have had my wonderful bunch...Dianette eased my symptoms, especially the damn acne that has plagued me since puberty, unfortunatly the blubber is still very much an issue for me, hence using MFP...fingers crossed I can finally lose the weight!!
    If any of you want to add me then please do so, it would be great to have friends who understand the battle with PCOS for support on our journeys x
  • nancytyc
    nancytyc Posts: 119 Member
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    Hi,
    Severe PCOS, was able to have one child at age 19. Diagnosed at age 25. 49 years old now. Fertility treatments all failed, even shots. Severe hormonal imbalances because of the PCOS......BUT NO TROUBLE LOSING WEIGHT ON A LCHF (LOW CARB HIGH FAT) DIET.....which the doctors don't tell you about because they got this whole "low fat" industry driven way of making you fail and come back for doctor visit after doctor visit.

    Wasn't until I found an endocrinologist a few years back, that I was finally told how to relieve the symptoms and lose the weight on the LCHF diet. Lost 101 pounds in 7 months, then had accident that put me in wheelchair for years and gained weight back (hemiplegic and could not move much). Got pregnant a second time without fertility drugs or even trying, but miscarried. So, there is some proof (in my mind, at least) that this endo doctor hit it square on the head for me, and probably many others.

    Doctors will tell you that LCHF will clog your arteries, well, 70% of my calories are from fat sources and my lab work is excellent. I eat a lot of butter, olive oil, and even saturated fats from meats. I do not have high cholesterol or triglycerides. I was on 10mcg Byetta and 2000mg Metformin on May 1, of this year. About two weeks ago, my meds were reduced to 5mcg Byetta and 1000mg Metformin (50% reduction in diabetes meds in two weeks on the LCHF diet). BG levels run between 84 to 103 on finger prick test.

    Now, one thing you do have to know....LCHF IS NOT A MEAT FEST!! You need to get enough protein, but it is not a license to gorge on meat (first mistake most make). SECOND....it is not a "diet" as much as a lifestyle if you have PCOS and you absolutely have to exercise.....and I don't mean a 30 minute walk three times a day.....I mean intense interval workouts about 6 days per week (I try to burn at least 1000 calories a day in exercise with cycling my exercise choice).

    If your young with PCOS, this will help immensely with the infertility (if you follow the plan correctly and do your research and find a good endo doctor to work with). If you have the pain from the monthlies, you will find it greatly reduced and your periods will get lighter and shorter (mine used to last about 14 days on average....at one time my PCOS was so severe, I had 60 to 90 day long periods). My periods are normal now, 28-31 days and last 4 - 5 days, as long as I stay on this diet.

    I am never hungry, because I am not starving. The cravings are gone. I have no problem saying "no" to foods I can't have. I love that I can start my day with 2 strips bacon and two eggs cooked in the bacon fat with 2 TBSP heavy cream in my coffee in the morning. This diet does limit you to three packets or less of sugar substitutes (so, no drink mixes and stuff that is "sugar free") I am 29 days into re-starting the LCHF diet (after recovering from accident) and I am already down 22 pounds.

    No PCOS symptoms. Hope this reaches someone and helps. If done correctly, you can succeed on the weight loss....and I love that I have Ketostix to pee on every day to know that I am on track, even when the scale does not move for a few days. I eat about 1600 - 1800 calories a day and with my exercise, I usually have about a 1000 - 3000 calorie deficit each day (I ride a lot and fast, so one workout for me can burn about 2500 calories). There are sacrifices, but if you want something bad enough.....you will do it.

    Remember that on LCHF, ANY SUGAR is going to take you out of fat burning (even licking the batter from the cake mix). After a while on the diet, you can have some strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Then a little later, some melons. That is the only source of sugar you can ingest while in active weight loss. If you can't say no to all other sugar, then don't do this diet. It takes about three days to get back in Ketosis, for every time you cheat, even a little tiny bit. And, if you cheat a lot, then the sugar you eat will bind with insulin and just take all the fat you have been eating and pack it firmly on your body.
  • MelissaR7531
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    Hello All,

    I am also suffering from PCOS and trying to get pregnant. I could really use some support!!! I am starting a new fertility medication this cycle and its my last shot with the meds before my Dr wants to recommend IVF.

    So here I am tying to do everything I can to try to help, my first big victory was getting my BMI under 30 just last week :):love:

    I am working on doing a low carb, high (healthy) fat diet, 1200 cals, and doing my best to work out daily.

    Please add me if your in a similar situation or have been through one, I could really use a friend that understands this condition and all of it's frustrations!
  • silveropes
    silveropes Posts: 36 Member
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    I was diagnosed May 23, 2014 so i'd be good for some support as well. Going Low Carb and actually finding it difficut i'm hungry all the time
  • dooniez
    dooniez Posts: 48
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    Hey ya ladies. PCOSer here too. I've had it since I was 14. Never treated for it. Never had a doctor who thought it was an issue. I have 1 biological child and he was a miracle you could say. Tried about 6 years ago with fertility drugs and IUI and had several miscarriages so I gave up. But I'm ok. Now my problem is my weight. I have the belly bulge and it simply will not go away. I've lost only 5 pounds in 2 months of cutting calories and working out daily. Going to my new doc Wednesday to get tested again (been 10 years) for insulin resistance and hypothyroid. Hopefully with his help and the endocrinologist and a nutritionist I will finally get somewhere. Feel free to add me. I've lived with this basically all my life.
  • Diamond1014
    Diamond1014 Posts: 20 Member
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    So I was diagnosed with Endometriosis with possible PCOS (not yet officially diagnosed) I've been on birth control for 11 years due to very painful periods and a lot of abdominal pain. Finally at 25 I was diagnosed with Endo, and due to having many (im sure not as many as some!) cysts on my ovaries diagnosed with ultrasound, possibly PCOS.

    I find its hard to loose weight but with a steady and nutritional diet and for now light exercise, it has helped. I also have IBS so thats just a joy :/ I feel your pain girl!

    ETA: I've been on the pill (witch my Dr. Told me is a way to prevent cysts.. haha!) for 11 years.. still get them!
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
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    Me, too. Feel free to add me, anybody reading this. I haven't used MFP in quite a while but I've gained a bit of weight in the last few weeks and look 5 months pregnant again (ugh, I was looking 3 months for a while there) so I'm going to try getting back into MFP to help me. I'm hoping to specifically find some PCOS friends to help. It's depressing to see how great results other people are getting when, for them, it's much easier to lose weight. I enjoy having people who understand the extra battle that PCOS provides.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    Me, too. Feel free to add me
  • christsinstrument
    christsinstrument Posts: 19 Member
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    PCOS-er here too. ;-) Friend me if you like - no special words, just compassion and understanding.
  • christsinstrument
    christsinstrument Posts: 19 Member
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  • HisJellyBean
    HisJellyBean Posts: 112
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    Feel free to add me PCOS Cysters :)
    Also Check out this blog http://fightlikeagirlpcos.blogspot.com/