PCOS. I need help!

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misstanyamarie
misstanyamarie Posts: 26 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 31, with PCOS. Losing weight is so hard, especially when you are so busy. I would like to try to increase my fertility and reverse my PCOS. Any suggestions? What supplements is everyone taking? I am supposed to take 1500mg of Metformin a day, but on most days I only take 500mg.

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  • weallhaveastory
    weallhaveastory Posts: 54
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    Bump
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    Try cutting back on carbs. I have PCOS as well and hit a plateau at 29lbs lost. Cutting back on carbs was the only way out of it for me! I've lost another 7lbs since then and feel GREAT! Losing weight with PCOS is possible and the more you lose, the better you will feel!
  • Michelle9939
    Michelle9939 Posts: 291
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    I have PCOS but I am not taking anything but birth control pills. I am done having kids. When I was trying to get pregnant though at first I took Vitex. I got it at GNC. After I went to the dr I started taking Metformin and Provera to regulate my cycles. Now I am just working out 5-6 days a week and eating better.
  • jonesal45
    jonesal45 Posts: 3 Member
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    Hi,

    I have heard that evening primrose oil supplements and 4000 mg of fish oil per day can help. I don't know the dosage on the primrose oil. Good luck.:smile:
  • mizzdivat
    mizzdivat Posts: 67 Member
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    I also have PCOS and I've lost 32lbs so far with MFP. I used to be on Metformin and now i'm not because i've lost enough weight. I try to stick to a low glycemic index diet and watch the carbs and sugar :) Good luck on your journey to a healthier you :)
  • Mommyof332
    Mommyof332 Posts: 1
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    I can tell you what my doctor told me about my PCOS. There is no cure except menopause, the only treatment before that glorious day is to be on BC pills (which obviously won't help you get pregnant), and that the best way to get pregnant with PCOS is the very month you go off your BC pills "make like bunnies" (politest way I could think to say that). The rule for waiting a month or two after stopping your pill doesn't apply to PCOS patients. We're the opposite. Our best chance is inside that first month. It worked for me, so I'm a believer. With my daughter I had to go on Clomid, because we didn't know I had it & I was having a heck of a time conceiving. With my son I'd been diagnosed and tried in the first month and we got pregnant right away. Hope this helps!
  • Kelly_Wilson1990
    Kelly_Wilson1990 Posts: 3,245 Member
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    My daughter has it. Her doctor put her on Metformin, Spironolactone, Vitamin D and B-12 injection. It has really helped her. She is walking everyday and eating basically a diabetic diet, and is finally able to lose weight. It has taken about 6 months of being on this combination but it is working.
  • sandy2006
    sandy2006 Posts: 483 Member
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    I have PCOS and was on Met 2000 mg XR. When I had enough of being sick on the meds, I stopped taking it, Started exercising doing strength training and cardio, and cutting out rerfined sugar, I take omega3 (fish oil and a multi vit and vitB. I feel great!
  • lwoodroff
    lwoodroff Posts: 1,431 Member
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    Do take your metformin as prescribed! Avoid fatty foods... A year on it helped conceive my second child. it is a bit out of favour nowbut pcos covers such a spectrum of symptoms hard to know. I have high testosterone so the met helped regulate my hormoes so they were more normal. The last couple of months of trying I tracked my temp which really helped. The website verity may be helpful?
  • sandy2006
    sandy2006 Posts: 483 Member
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    I can tell you what my doctor told me about my PCOS. There is no cure except menopause, the only treatment before that glorious day is to be on BC pills (which obviously won't help you get pregnant), and that the best way to get pregnant with PCOS is the very month you go off your BC pills "make like bunnies" (politest way I could think to say that). The rule for waiting a month or two after stopping your pill doesn't apply to PCOS patients. We're the opposite. Our best chance is inside that first month. It worked for me, so I'm a believer. With my daughter I had to go on Clomid, because we didn't know I had it & I was having a heck of a time conceiving. With my son I'd been diagnosed and tried in the first month and we got pregnant right away. Hope this helps!
    OMG I thought I was the only one that did that! I got preggo 3 times the month after I came off BC pills. I only carried 1 to term but hey it worked for me and not meds!
  • randomgyrl
    randomgyrl Posts: 111 Member
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    I have pcos and am currently undergoing fertility treatment. As the previous posts have said, as far as diets go, low carb is best for us. In addition to all the fertility drugs (which I won't go into, if you are curious you can send me a msg) I take 2,000mg of Metformin and vitamin D supplements, as well as prenatal vitamins (they can't hurt and if you are even slightly thinking about getting pregnant they are a good idea to go ahead and take), and fish oil. As far other meds some people take Vitex to help promote ovulation, I never took and can't speak for it. I saw another poster mentioned Spironolactone, while it can be good for PCOS, you absolutely DO NOT want to take that if you are trying to get pregnant.
  • kissandxmakeup
    kissandxmakeup Posts: 40
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    I'm PCOSer, too! You should DEFINITELY be taking all of your Metformin. It will work WONDERS for your weight loss. I've been reading so many books on PCOS, and they all say the same. Watch your sugar and carbohydrates. I limit myself to 100/110 carbs everyday. I eat as clean and organic as possible, and I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS eat protein before I have any sort of sugar or carb. If I'm eating fruit, I eat a handful of nuts first. If I have a sweet potato, I eat my chicken breast first. Protein takes so much longer for our body to break down, so it will help to regulate the blood sugar spike and over production of insulin we usually get from eating carbs and sugars. I've been doing it for a month now, and it's worked wonders. I've also learned what types of sugar my body can and cannot handle. (No more orange juice for me.) I have switched to all whole grains, whole wheat, or flourless everything. I now eat Ezekiel bread religiously. (I recommend their cinnamon raisin bread. SO good with turkey and cheese!) I've also switched to Stevia in the Raw as a sugar substitute because it's all natural and even Splenda can increase the carb and sugar cravings in women with PCOS. A lot of people on here will argue that it's not the amount of carbs but the type of carbs, but that's sometimes not true in women with PCOS. Our bodies need to be retrained on how to process carbohydrates. I've limited myself to specific fruits and whole grains. Please feel free to check out my diary! As far as supplements, I too am TTC, so I've been taking a prenatal (you should be taking a prenatal for at least 6 months to a year before conception to build up extra vitamins), Vitex/Chasteberry, and Saw Palmetto. I hope this helps and good luck to you on your journey! It's a tough one, but it's so worth it!
  • NaomiLyn15
    NaomiLyn15 Posts: 388 Member
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    I also have PCOS. I was diagnosed last year, and my OB said that the best way to control the symptoms was to lose weight. She suggested removing processed carbs from my diet. I did this last year, and lost 30 lbs. Then I decided to try out metformin because I had plateaued. I was on it for about 6 months, but really didn't enjoy it. So, I went back to eating really clean, and have lost almost 11 pounds in the last few months. It is definitely possible to lose the weight, but you have to make smart choices on the foods that you eat. With PCOS your body doesn't know how to process carbs correctly. So, when you eat them, they end up just turning to fat. If you eat a more complex carb, then your body can handle it, and will burn them correctly. I found that I feel like a million bucks when I don't eat processed foods, and stick to natural foods. But, it is not an easy switch to make. On the bright side, many of the foods that you can eat can be made in bulk and eaten throughout the week.
    Friend me if you would like. I can help you out if you decide you want to change your lifestyle.
  • NaomiLyn15
    NaomiLyn15 Posts: 388 Member
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    I have PCOS and was on Met 2000 mg XR. When I had enough of being sick on the meds, I stopped taking it, Started exercising doing strength training and cardio, and cutting out rerfined sugar, I take omega3 (fish oil and a multi vit and vitB. I feel great!

    Agreed! I hated the metformin. Decided to take my life into my own hands. Work out regularly, cut out processed sugars/carbs, and lost 41 lbs total so far. Most of my symptoms are gone, or are very diminished, and I am regular again. Hard changes, but way easier to take than feeling sick all the time on the meds!
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
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    Metformin did nothing for me.

    I take Oil of Evening Primrose to balance hormones, which has helped a lot, especially with acne.

    I also take fish oil.

    Weight loss is hard. I have to be really strict and consistent. But it comes off if you stick with it.

    Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • misstanyamarie
    misstanyamarie Posts: 26 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your responses! I've been in an almost 12 year relationship....never been pregnant.
    I'm 5'0" and my weight has been fluctuating between 204-210 lately.
    I was on BCP from 2000-2006 and never had any periods after.
    I did experience light periods last year on attempting to take 500 mg of metformin a day.
    Since March of this year, I have been getting a period, which lasts about 2 weeks! UGH!
  • lwoodroff
    lwoodroff Posts: 1,431 Member
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    Oil of eve primrose is a no no if trying to get preg I think but do check. I believe cinnamon helps control blood sugar so worth sprinkling on cereal etc...
  • Bearpie
    Bearpie Posts: 12
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    I take metformin 500mg a day.

    It has been hard losing weight with PCOS. I notice I lose more and faster if I limit my carbohydrates. :)
  • kleavitt1992
    kleavitt1992 Posts: 592 Member
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    take all the metformin its what helped make me reg. it helps you lose weight it also helps control your appeitttie because the higher your insulin levels the more you want to eat to compensate for it
  • jrlenig
    jrlenig Posts: 364 Member
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    I was never on metaformin, I did take Provea 2 times to start my cycle, but when ttc we went off of everything ( we were broke!), I changed my lifestyle, and was taking Centrim Silver...I know silver but I read somewhere about the vitamins that helps a woman in meopause are also good for those who are trying to regulate their hormones, we conceived 2 times..the 2nd time we didn't have any problems cause after having my son I added physical activity and my cycle became somewhat regular I was ovulating once every 34-36 days..good luck.

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