Dieting with PCOS post hysterectomy
edurham79
Posts: 21
I am a long time sufferer of PCOS, I was diagnosed with PCOS at 26 I am now 35. Unfortunately none of my doctors completely explained the disease to me. This past summer, when my pain was at it's worst, my gyn recommended a full hysterectomy, thinking it would cure me of this awful disease I agreed, two months later we moved and I had to get a new dr. When I was talking to him about hormone replacement therapy and my weight gain he began to explain that I was still suffering from pcos??????? How??? I don't have ovaries???? He explained that cystic ovaries are caused by the bodies response to insulin resistance, a metabolic syndrome, and that I did get rid of some of the side effects of pcos, but that I was still insulin resistant and must cut carbs in order to lose weight and avoid diabetes.....sure wished my first dr had explained all of this....
I started a ketogenic/low carb diet of 20 grams or less of carbs per day. I have lost 8 lbs in 10 days but have experienced several bouts of severely low blood sugar (45) and have had to eat glucose tablets to get it up. How can I avoid low blood sugar while on a keto diet?
I started a ketogenic/low carb diet of 20 grams or less of carbs per day. I have lost 8 lbs in 10 days but have experienced several bouts of severely low blood sugar (45) and have had to eat glucose tablets to get it up. How can I avoid low blood sugar while on a keto diet?
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While I don't have an answer to the blood sugar/keto diet question specifically, I can tell you that by majorly upping my fats, I haven't had any spikes or drops myself, but I don't know if any of that is related to the fact I'm already taking metformin and several supplements. I can tell you that this was a major issue for me before. It actually caused me to pass out without warning after eating (I jokingly dubbed it food narcolepsy because it helped me to cope - I would never joke about serious health conditions for others)...sometimes for a few seconds, other times for minutes at a time. I have not had A SINGLE EPISODE of this in the now 6 days since I started this. But I'm also not restricting my carbs as much as you are. I'm more in the 50-75 grams range. Others also mentioned stepping down levels (like cutting 20% carbs with each phase or something) to avoid major lows. I also had to up my salts and minerals (keto dumps salt, magnesium, and potassium, I've learned), so a cup a broth a day has helped LOADS... And supplements...those are SOLID GOLD too since I haven't gotten my leafy greens up to par yet.
You tell us your carbs, but not your protein and fat ranges. That might help others more knowledgeable than me answer for you.
All of that being said, I am so sorry that your first doctor was ill informed. I almost did a similar thing for a lesser related issue (POP), and I got a second opinion. I'm glad I did. Subsequently, I started treatments with my endocrinologist to address my overwhelming thyroid issues and PCOS, which my PCP had considered barely a blip on her radar enough that she never even told me it was officially added to my chart as a diagnosis... I wish you nothing but healing and hope going forward. (HUGS)0 -
Thank you so much for your response. I am definately going to try a cup of broth a day to help replace electrolytes and I started vitamins today! I understand that low blood sugar is sort of the goal, and with keto you want the body to have to use stored fat for energy, I just felt that 45 was dangerously low and I felt weak dizzy and nauseous. This whole process is really difficult for me, I never understood why I had PCOS anyway, the internet research I did said the "typical" PCOS patient, studies show "overweight or obese diabetics" I was always underweight,even after having kids, until about a year ago, then I drastically gained 45 lbs in 9 months. For no reason, all in my abdomen. My thighs got a little bigger,but my legs, face, chest, arms, didn't show significant change, yet I appeared to be 7 months pregnant. I tried exercise, cutting calories, hydroxycut, sensa, green coffee bean extract, liposene etc. nothing worked at all, the scale just kept going up. In December is when I finally got a Dr to explain that I would not lose weight AT ALL unless I cut carbs, reducing sugar, keeping blood sugars down. He recommended I lose 15-20 lbs. I tried teduced carb around Christmas with no luck, After the new year is when I decided to try keto.0
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From what I understand, PCOS is a composite set of symptoms. You may have one, all, some, etc. From the sounds of it, your doctor seems to have told you that you are borderline diabetic and insulin resistant. Without test results, I would be hard pressed to know. Others here have more specific data on that, but I can tell you that me personally, I've been heavy since early puberty. I've heard of many others thin, I've heard of others who gained only to look pregnant, so I promise you that you aren't alone in your particular set of problems. There is another group on here that has helped me about 1,000,000% as far as low carbs/keto.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
I'm not personally going for keto right now, but I am low carb, high fat, moderate protein (as recommended by my endocrinologist). Mostly with measuring I'm at 15-25% carbs, around 60% fats, and the balance in protein, but my protein level is high than carbs, so if they both are up the fats are a little down. There is a wealth of information there about doing it right. Other than some mild headaches on day 3 quickly solved with broth, I've avoided the so-called "carb flu." I attribute it mainly to that ballpark 60% fat and broth!! Adding all that fat has almost nullified my sweets cravings completely. And let me totally honest here - I was a sweets junkie. Like I ate a 17 oz box of chocolates by myself in the three days immediately before starting this program. I ate all kinds of cookies and breads and cakes and such over the holidays and break. And I've had no whiplash. I'm expecting some at a week, 2 weeks, a month - the stages it normally comes in I've been told...
And personally, I recommend getting a good endocrinologist. A traditional doctor is not likely to have the specified knowledge, and tried and tested advice that an endocrinologist will have. After all, PCOS is a hormonally related disease, and hormones and an endo's specialty. Also, if you had been pressing and pressing your body by eating moderately decent, but heavy on the carbs, essentially you could have just burned your system out, which explains the "all of the sudden" gains. Many times that is how hypoglycemics become diabetics, etc. The body just "flips" after being overworked for too long...
There is a lot of information here in the recent posts, as well as on the other group! I look forward to hearing of your progress.
Oh, and I don't think low blood sugar is a goal - just moderate... And with all of this eating, you are training your body to burn fat for fuel rather than carbs. Hence all the system shock and reboot.
Feel free to friend me if you can handle home truths and tough love, because I don't sugar coat anything because I'm not Willy Wonka (lol) plus LCHF!! That, and I don't pull punches because I care. So if you can handle reality even when all we want to do sometimes is hide from it, feel free to shoot me a request. (P.S. This invite is open to any fellow PCOS-ers...) 0 -
I am a long time sufferer of PCOS, I was diagnosed with PCOS at 26 I am now 35. Unfortunately none of my doctors completely explained the disease to me. This past summer, when my pain was at it's worst, my gyn recommended a full hysterectomy, thinking it would cure me of this awful disease I agreed, two months later we moved and I had to get a new dr. When I was talking to him about hormone replacement therapy and my weight gain he began to explain that I was still suffering from pcos??????? How??? I don't have ovaries???? He explained that cystic ovaries are caused by the bodies response to insulin resistance, a metabolic syndrome, and that I did get rid of some of the side effects of pcos, but that I was still insulin resistant and must cut carbs in order to lose weight and avoid diabetes.....sure wished my first dr had explained all of this....
I started a ketogenic/low carb diet of 20 grams or less of carbs per day. I have lost 8 lbs in 10 days but have experienced several bouts of severely low blood sugar (45) and have had to eat glucose tablets to get it up. How can I avoid low blood sugar while on a keto diet?
Are you sure your ovaries were removed? To my knowledge, a hysterectomy doesn't usually remove the ovaries, unless the need warrants it. If the ovaries are still intact, then they still function and you can still have the hormonal issues from them.
Without seeing your diary or knowing at all what you're eating, it's hard telling why your blood sugar is dipping so low. My guess, though, is that either your protein is too high and your fat isn't high enough, or you're not eating enough in general. When your fat and calories are sufficient, the body uses it for fuel and doesn't have to create glucose from protein. If you don't eat enough fat, the body tries to make glucose from protein, which can raise blood sugar (and possibly crash it as insulin tries to compensate).
But yes, PCOS is a syndrome, which means it's diagnosed based on the symptoms. As a result, you could theoretically not even need ovaries to have PCOS (though usually, the ovaries contribute a large part of the issue). Yes, it's dumb. Thank humans for that.
Other than that, make sure you eat at regular intervals (some places suggest 3-4 hours) and try not to go too long without eating, at least for the first month or so. Make sure you get plenty of fat, and don't skimp on the food in general. For the first couple of weeks, don't restrict calories. Just eat and track what you're eating to ensure you're getting enough food, enough fat, and not too many carbs.0 -
yes I am positive my ovaries were removed, I saw my pathology report.
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