PCOS(polycystic-ovary-syndrome)

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lineman3169
lineman3169 Posts: 8
in Introduce Yourself
Hi. I was recently diagnosed with PCOS and would like to hear from woman that have it. What is your approach to handling it?!
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  • Ro5238
    Ro5238 Posts: 144 Member
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    I was recently diagnosed. I skipped the natural approach- which is basically my way of life and decided to try Metformin. I can't handle the symptoms I was having. I'm on 1000m a day. So far I've seen a bit of a change but some say it takes months to take effect. It for sure has not helped with my insane cycle. I'm on cycle day 39/40 right now and AF is no where to be found. It's actually worse now than before I started the metformin. Apparantly around 6 months it will level out. We will see I guess. I told my dr I would give it a year.
  • lineman3169
    lineman3169 Posts: 8
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    thanks for responding! Is your major symptom irregular periods? I just got diagnosed and feel so overwhelmed with so much information. I am 35. Never even heard of this til recently. :s
  • Ro5238
    Ro5238 Posts: 144 Member
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    Irregular cycles, fatigue, weight gain or not loosing even though I'm like spot on with everything I do, I had trouble with conception- miscarriages, not getting pregnant, and severe pain during ovulation and Menstrual cycles...I'm 26 and have 3 kids and many losses.

    I had heard of it while we were TTC. I just never thought I had it. I haven't had the severe pelvic pain anymore which is nice for a change.
  • lineman3169
    lineman3169 Posts: 8
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    I am fatigued; some weight gain with no luck losing weight; for the most part my periods are regular; infertility wasn't an issue; had 2 kids in my early 20's. My testosterone and DHEA levels are high. Insulin is good. So many varaiations from woman to woman. So sad
  • Mech9
    Mech9 Posts: 252 Member
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    soulcyster, I've been on birth control to help manage the symptoms since I was 15. I was also prescribed both spironolactone and Metformin, but the spiro made my hair fall out so I stopped taking it. Metformin is helpful if you have insulin resistance.

    Aside from the physical symptoms like excessive hair/weight gain, I also have major mood swings, severe blood sugar problems, fatigue, am always freezing cold, depression, anxiety, and a lot more but ymmv.

    I'm trying to lose weight so I can get some relief from the symptoms. I have some links to some studies and other things about the diet aspect of PCOS if you want to read more. =]
  • lineman3169
    lineman3169 Posts: 8
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    Hi! Thanks for your response. I was just prescribed spironolactone. I have gorgeous hair and don't want to lose it. What other med did you take to control the testosterone levels? Was it the spironolactone that caused that? I asked my pharmasist about that very concern and she said it did not cAuse hair loss. And where does this fatigue come from? I can't control the sudden onset of fatigue. I knock out and when I wake up; I am in a fog. Can't remember what I was doinf before I fell asleep.
  • Mech9
    Mech9 Posts: 252 Member
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    I was on the same birth control I had always taken, and nothing else other than the spiro. The rapid hair loss stopped when I stopped taking the spiro, but my hair was already noticeably thinner by that time. The pharmacist can only tell you what typical symptoms of it are, but my experience was rapid hair loss. It may be different for you.

    I actually don't know where the fatigue comes from. I wish I could say diet, but even eating plenty of greens, fruits, and protein doesn't even help me. Maybe it's iron deficiency? I'd suggest asking your endocrinologist if it's interfering with your daily life.
  • jerricaferrica
    jerricaferrica Posts: 12
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    I was diagnosed when I was 12, so a while ago. When I first found out, they put me on birth control to regulate my periods and metformin for 3 years. The birth control did a prefect job regulating my periods, but the metformin never really did anything special. My symptoms are weight gain, irregular periods, Irregular Body Hair, and acne, which I have since kicked. Yay! My PCOS also led to Insulin Resistance.

    I find the best way I have lost weight in the past is to just go it the old fashioned way. The fad diets don't really work as well. But healthy food, lifting weights, and cardio always does the trick. I am also Gluten Free, which I have noticed greatly improves my mood and energy, but that it most likely unrelated.

    Feel free to add me :)
  • mandachow
    mandachow Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi! I was diagnosed with pcos 2 years ago. I had horrible stomach issues with metformin until I switched to glumetza, which is the name brand of met. No issues with it and lost about 15 lbs! I'v we read a lot of women on forums say they didn't have weight loss until they went to 1500 of met a day. Anyway I stopped taking it after 12 weeks into my pregnancy and gained 40 lbs during my pregnancy :( I thought I could lose weight by just doing calorie counting and I'm 30 days on mfp and I've not lost anything even thougb I'm doing max30 workouts 5 days a week and staying within my calories. I'm going to start metformin again today because I'm at a lost what to do next.
  • lindsw77
    lindsw77 Posts: 3
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    Hi all

    I have PCOS as well- working hard to manage it naturally right now. I am 25 and have probably been suffering from it since I was 10 (when I first started my period, but wasn't diagnosed until 18). I never had a regular period until I started taking vitex a year ago (increases progesterone) and have suffered from acne most of my life. The only time my skin was clear was on spironlactone which I took on and off between age 18 and 25. It was great for acne, oily skin and male pattern hair but had some sucky side effects when I was on it recently.

    I was already dealing with depression from the lose of my father and my acne was worse so I went back on spironlactone. Bad idea. Spironlactone is a potassium sparing diuretic. So it holds potassium in your body which can mess with your heart. To spare you the details I ended up taking a trip to urgent care and going off spironlactone.

    I was at my wits end and needed a solution. I did hours of research and decided that the root problem was insulin resistance which was throwing all my other hormones off balance and actually causing PCOS. I was willing to do anything to fix it but my usual solution (spironlactone) had just been stripped from me.

    (BTW Spiro doesn't actually deal with the root it just blocks the excess testosterone from affecting your skin. You still have excess insulin in your body that forces your ovaries to produce the male hormone.)

    All of this happened about a month ago. I decided to take drastic matters to manage my PCOS and I have to say.... It's working!!! My skin is 80% clear from what it was a month ago. It's amazing.

    I took the approach from two sides:

    - healing my gut (to stop inflammation)
    - Eating low GI foods (to deal with the insulin resistance and lower free testosterone)

    Here is everything I'm doing:

    Supplements:

    1. Inositol (insulin sensitizer) 2 grams
    2. NAC 1200 mg
    3. Fish oil (reduce inflammation)
    4. Vitamin D3 5,000 IU
    5. Vitex (increase progesterone)
    6. Probiotic

    Diet:

    1. Dairy free
    2. Sugar free
    3. Gluten free
    4. Low glycemic index foods (basically paleo)
    5. Drink homemade bone broth daily (gut and brain health)

    That may seem extreme but I feel amazing. I plan to change it some once I get my skin to where I want it. But it's been a month and I've seen a significant improvement in my PCOS symptoms.

    Hope that helps. Feel free to add me!
  • jlwoodmass
    jlwoodmass Posts: 22 Member
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    Hello. I was diagnosed in December with obese PCOS and started my weight loss journey in January (my doctor gave me Christmas, thank goodness). I've lost about 7 lbs so far which is super exciting as I've always struggled with my weight. I am insulin resistant as well and my doctor recommended Paleo diet or just low carb. She basically told me it didn't matter if it was high fat or high protein, it's the low carb that was important.

    I have not yet tried the Paleo diet, but just watch my carbs and how much sugar I eat. I switched to diet pop in January, and actually barely drink any now, maybe a Friday or Saturday night. I started using Truvia baking blend instead of sugar. And I only eat whole wheat pasta when I do have pasta, brown rice and no white bread. So basically I don't eat any white stuff.

    For me, I am in no rush to lose the weight, but I need to if I want to have kids. I'm only 24 so I have lots of time, but in wanted to get healthy now so I'm not going through this when I am ready. My doctor has put me back on birth control for my irregular periods. My normal was once every 3 months which turned into once every 9 months! That's when I knew it was time to make a change.

    My other symptoms included fatigue, mood swings, excess body hair, and acne. I never really had bad acne until I hit over 200lbs when my problems were getting really bad. Taking out the sugar has helped with the acne though. Still have mood swings and fatigue, but I'm thinking as I lose more weight the fatigue should get better. :)

    Add me if you like. And hope what I've shared may help you.

    Good luck!
  • deagerth
    deagerth Posts: 10
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    Diagnosed years ago but never really did anything about it- MISTAKE! Trying to lose weight and reverse it with low carb keto diet now. Rogue chin hairs SUCK. And so does the struggle to not gain weight. Trying to lose weight on shake programs and cal counting has been very discouraging because I lose soooo slowly. I'm jumping for joy if I see a pound lost in a week or two. My average loss is a fourth to half a pound a week. That's 1-2 lbs A MONTH?!? After several weeks to months of that (I've done this for years- so sometimes I wait and think I'll have a breakthrough, sometimes I give up too quickly :-/ ) I get discouraged and end up gaining it all back in a week or so. I'm really hoping the low carb will help me... I know I've never had enough veggies so I've changed that too. That'll be a permenant change ... Veggies aren't just for dinner anymore lol. My health is more important than my weight at this point- but right now I know they go hand in hand. Know your not alone in your struggle- or your triumphs! Good luck and best wishes!!
  • K8cain
    K8cain Posts: 14 Member
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    For those of you losing with the low carb....how low are you going, what did the doctor recommend?...MFP gives me 193 carbs.....I've been trying to keep it closer to 100-115...wondering if that is low enough for PCOS. Been "very good" the last 2 months and have barely lost 4lbs. With major diet changes and workouts 4x a wk, only seeing 4lb change is frustrating when others in my group are losing so much more. I'm 42 and have had PCOS a long time....metformin really didn't work for me but I originally took it for fertility issues. Fertility is no longer an issue just the weight loss. I have irregular periods but couldn't really care less about that either. I use to have very painful periods and would have cysts rupture which would knock me to the ground with pain....but neither of those in a long time. Guess I am pretty lucky in that sense. Have read a lot lately about low carb for PCOS.....just curious HOW low do I need to go?
  • deagerth
    deagerth Posts: 10
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    Hi k8! I've just started doing the keto low carb diet which is really low to start- 20-25 carbs. I'll gradually add in certain foods that'll raise my carbs- right now I'm getting carbs from veggies and berries so it's been ok. I think I miscalculated (big time lol) today tho and had about 40! I think anything under 100 carbs is considered low carb tho. When I add whole grains back in, I'll probably be around 50-60... There's a blog called -peace love and low carb- it's amazing and has lots of info and recipes etc!
  • lukundo_
    lukundo_ Posts: 18 Member
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    I'm on the ketogenic diet which is a low carb, moderate protein and high fat diet. I stick to less than 20g net carbs a day. net carb = total carb - fiber. i just tweaked my goal settings for mfp on my phone to get the carb goal down to that amount. it really has helped since i started the way of eating in november my periods have been regular, I don't need birth control pills anymore
  • archanajoyce
    archanajoyce Posts: 219 Member
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    I've had PCOS for a while now and was morbidly obese. I’m on a contraceptive pill and Metformin 1000 SR.

    I started loosing weight on from Jan 2014. Started at 264 lbs, currently at 184 lbs and going. It takes time, but it’s possible. The cycle is predictable now because of the pills, but the cramps are not severe. The fatigue spells have almost disappeared. All the reports are encouraging.

    For me personally, weight management has helped. I have a long way to go in terms of reaching my target weight. Hopefully everything will get resolved by then. Please don’t loose heart.
  • RebeccaLockwood78
    RebeccaLockwood78 Posts: 12 Member
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    I was diagnosed 20 years ago and take the low oestrogen contraceptive to regulate.

    I have a vegetarian diet and have for 25 years, and take supplements ( womens multivits, B vits and iron).

    I've never known anything different so I wouldn't freak out hon, its just the way things are with me so its the norm. Always been a bit chubby so I approach it the same way anyone else would, eat well and move more!

  • jlwoodmass
    jlwoodmass Posts: 22 Member
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    K8cain wrote: »
    For those of you losing with the low carb....how low are you going, what did the doctor recommend?...MFP gives me 193 carbs.....I've been trying to keep it closer to 100-115...wondering if that is low enough for PCOS. Been "very good" the last 2 months and have barely lost 4lbs. With major diet changes and workouts 4x a wk, only seeing 4lb change is frustrating when others in my group are losing so much more. I'm 42 and have had PCOS a long time....metformin really didn't work for me but I originally took it for fertility issues. Fertility is no longer an issue just the weight loss. I have irregular periods but couldn't really care less about that either. I use to have very painful periods and would have cysts rupture which would knock me to the ground with pain....but neither of those in a long time. Guess I am pretty lucky in that sense. Have read a lot lately about low carb for PCOS.....just curious HOW low do I need to go?

    Hi K8! When I first started I was looking online to see how low carb I should go. I found that they recommended 30-40% of your daily intake should be carbs when going low carb. And that's only if you don't want to do the EXTREME low carb. I love carbs too much so that's what I did. I just altered my goals on here to 30% carbs and then 35% each for protein and fat. The 30% results in about 100-120g of carbs, but calorie goal is set to 1450. If you're doing a 1200 cal diet then I suspect the amount of carbs would be lower. You just gotta make sure you're eating the right carbs. No white stuff! And no sugar! :smiley:

    You may need to go lower, but that's what has worked for me so far.
  • deagerth
    deagerth Posts: 10
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    archanajoyce wrote: »
    I've had PCOS for a while now and was morbidly obese. I’m on a contraceptive pill and Metformin 1000 SR.

    I started loosing weight on from Jan 2014. Started at 264 lbs, currently at 184 lbs and going. It takes time, but it’s possible. The cycle is predictable now because of the pills, but the cramps are not severe. The fatigue spells have almost disappeared. All the reports are encouraging.

    For me personally, weight management has helped. I have a long way to go in terms of reaching my target weight. Hopefully everything will get resolved by then. Please don’t loose heart.

    Archana that's amazing congrats! Did u do low carb? If so do mind sharing how many u started at? I'm doing keto for a few weeks but will switch to low carb soon. TIA!
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
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    Try the http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis group here on MFP. Lots of ladies who have the same or similar symptoms of PCOS. Lots of info on what diet changes have works, natural and other medications that help. Exercise that helps etc. Read thru the posts there and then ask any questions you might have.

    Some have to do low carb, especially if you have Insulin Resistant PCOS, some dont. Some need meds, some dont. It is a crazy syndrome.

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