Metformin for PCOS????

FletcherChic
FletcherChic Posts: 158
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
i was just diagnosed with PCOS and after struggling to come to grips with unexplainable weight gain over the last 2 years (despite SUPER healthy eating and major working out), i am hoping the PCOS was the cause and not some other issue...anyhow - my doctor prescribed Metformin and i am wondering if anybody else on this site is on it....did the medication help with the weight gain or inability to lose weight???? i know there is no such thing as a magic pill, but i feel like i have been spinning my wheels for the last 2 years by eating right, being in a healthy calorie deficit, working out and GAINING weight...i am praying this medication will help!!!!!!!!!

Replies

  • LeanLioness
    LeanLioness Posts: 1,091 Member
    i was just diagnosed with PCOS and after struggling to come to grips with unexplainable weight gain over the last 2 years (despite SUPER healthy eating and major working out), i am hoping the PCOS was the cause and not some other issue...anyhow - my doctor prescribed Metformin and i am wondering if anybody else on this site is on it....did the medication help with the weight gain or inability to lose weight???? i know there is no such thing as a magic pill, but i feel like i have been spinning my wheels for the last 2 years by eating right, being in a healthy calorie deficit, working out and GAINING weight...i am praying this medication will help!!!!!!!!!

    I was on it for both diabetes and PCOS................and adhering to a low carb diet. Your OB/GYN or endocrinologist should have told you that also, a low carb plan is the only way to get the weight off and keep it off as PCOS leads to insulin resistence and diabetes..........

    I have ditched all mainstream medication and I am now doing low carb and seeing a naturopathic doctor that has me on all natural supplements and vitamins............
  • LeanLioness
    LeanLioness Posts: 1,091 Member
    i was just diagnosed with PCOS and after struggling to come to grips with unexplainable weight gain over the last 2 years (despite SUPER healthy eating and major working out), i am hoping the PCOS was the cause and not some other issue...anyhow - my doctor prescribed Metformin and i am wondering if anybody else on this site is on it....did the medication help with the weight gain or inability to lose weight???? i know there is no such thing as a magic pill, but i feel like i have been spinning my wheels for the last 2 years by eating right, being in a healthy calorie deficit, working out and GAINING weight...i am praying this medication will help!!!!!!!!!

    I, myself, do Atkins because of adding foods back in 1 at a time, I can see if I have any food allergies as I am adding them back in.............right now, I have to stay away from peanuts and peanut butter, but I am enjoying other nut butters like almond butter........

    If you are following a low fat / low calorie plan - it is not going to work with someone with PCOS.......

    Here is some information to back up what I am saying.............

    http://www.rtfm.com/lowcarb/lc-pcos.html

    http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/pcos-amp-low-carb-diets.html

    http://www.lowcarb.ca/articles/article135.html

    http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/diet-news8.html
  • VballLeash
    VballLeash Posts: 2,456 Member
    Girl what took you so long to go to the doctor!? :happy: I don't know anything about it but I just wanted to say good luck and kudos on sticking with the healthy eating and exercising, I know it must have been frustrating and don't give up! :happy: :happy:

    ~Leash :heart:
  • FletcherChic
    FletcherChic Posts: 158
    lean lioness - thank you for the response....what percentage of your cals come from carbs???? i am on a low carb diet, i have a super fast metabolism so i take in anywhere (depending on my workouts) from 1900-2700 calories a day - and that is including a 500 calorie deficit in order to be able to lose a pound a week!)...15-20% of my diet is carbs (40% fat, 40% protein) and i only get my carbs from veggies, beans, sometimes a small portion of potato or brown rice (because one can only eat so many veggies!)....i don't eat any grains, cereals, breads, or pastas....no junk food, no sugar, no alcohol, not even fruit at this time (i am doing a candida cleanse so those are off limits for now)....and still no movement on the scale....i mean it is REALLY hard to explain to people that i have actually gained weight eating lean proteins and veggies AND that i have this amazing metabolism that seems to be getting me nowhere! aghhh!) - nobody believes me and it is VERY frustrating because it would seems that if i am going to gain the weight then i might as well enjoy it and gain it by eating junk!...i have been seeing a nutritionist who works with a naturopath doc and she is wonderful - i am very happy to eat the way i do and it has become a part of my life so there's no chance i'll ever go back to eating poorly - just the thought of a greasy burger makes me want to gag) but i am just frustrated with the results (or lack of) and i guess i am just hopng that if the PCOS gets under control then things will fall into place...

    leash - thanks for the support....i actually didn't wait long at all....i have brought the issue up several times to doctors and nurse practitioners and do you know what they said.....eat less and go workout more....i was seriously on the verge of an eating disorder a year ago because i was eating nothing and i lived at the gym....i was in tears trying to get somebody to help me figure out my issues! my nutritionist is awesome she was the one who tested my metabolism and was like "holy *kitten* girl! you NEED to eat!!!!" :drinker:
  • LeanLioness
    LeanLioness Posts: 1,091 Member
    lean lioness - thank you for the response....what percentage of your cals come from carbs???? i am on a low carb diet...15-20% of my diet is carbs and i only get my carbs from veggies, beans, sometimes a small portion of potato or brown rice (because one can only eat so many veggies!)....i don't eat any grains, cereals, breads, or pastas....no junk food, no sugar, no alcohol, not even fruit at this time (i am doing a candida cleanse so those are off limits for now)....and still no movement on the scale....i mean it is REALLY hard to explain to people that i have actually gained weight eating lean proteins and veggies - nobody believes me and it is VERY frustrating because it would seems that if i am going to gain the weight then i might as well enjoy it and gain it by eating junk!...i have been seeing a nutritionist who works with a naturopath doc and she is wonderful - i am very happy to eat the way i do but i am just frustrated with the results (or lack of) and i guess i am just hopng that if the PCOS gets under control then things will fall into place...

    You should also get your thyroid checked..............I have been having some of the same issues. But, I lose 26 pounds and then won't lose anymore.............

    It was my thyroid, I am treating naturally though with a naturopath also...........

    Ask the naturopath about thyroid testing, not just the TSH either.........they need to check your T3 and T4 levels..........
  • LeanLioness
    LeanLioness Posts: 1,091 Member
    I have been there and done that with the Dr's telling me to low fat and low calorie diet and exercise......

    And I gained more weight................

    I ended up bulimic and still fight the urge to purge sometimes, but low carbing seems to help with that too.
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    I take Metformin and it's helped me quite a bit. I noticed weight loss starting pretty immediately once I started eating 'normally' again. I had gone down to eating next to nothing because no matter what I did, I kept gaining weight. Frustrating!!!

    I'd say give it a try- remember to take it with food! It made me feel a little woozy for a day or two but that went away pretty quickly. My IR numbers are looking better too.
  • FletcherChic
    FletcherChic Posts: 158
    Gemiwing - i know exactly what you mean about eating next to nothing...i did that for about 8 month and gained so much weight...then my nutritionist checked my metabolism and found that i had a very high metabolism so we thought once i started to feed my body the right amt of cals the weight would come off....no such luck...i continue to gain and gain and gain - it sucks so i want, so badly, to hope that the Metformin will be the answer for me....what are the IR numbers??? also i have a question about the diagnosis of PCOS....based on my symptoms she called it PCOS but i haven't had my labs done yet...what if they come back completely normal???? this is the first time in my life that i have actually prayed for abnormal labs!!!!!

    LeanLioness - i am so sorry to hear that you ended up having an eating disorder....i know exactly how you came to be in the position because i was ridiculously close to becoming anorexic (without looking like an anorexic)...thank you so much for those links - i looked at all of them and they were very helpful! i saw my nutritionist tonight and she begged me not to take the metformin - that she has some natural remedies that she and the naturopath use of PCOS but i am so hesitant...what are your thoughts? any reason why you went from the metfromin to a natural route?????
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    I did the same thing- just ate nothing. Boy did that backfire! lol The brain fog was horrible.

    There is a great website for pcos called soul cysters. Tons of info on symptoms, tests and natural as well as medicinal treatments. Great website.

    If your labs come back normal it'd be a good thing. Better the devil you know! If it's not PCOS then the tests will free you to look at other options.

    My Insulin Resistance numbers were in the high range of 'normal' but with my weight they are worried about me developing diabetes. Yay. :grumble: So now I'm stuffing my face (well I'm not but it sure feels like it compared to before!) and trying to move more every day.

    If your nutritionist wants you to look at natural options- then go ahead and give them a try. Just research them like you would any medical regimen. There are side-effects from Metformin and the natural way might work better for you- never know till you try :)
  • azwildcatfan94
    azwildcatfan94 Posts: 314 Member
    When you decide natural v. medicinal, consider this, in many cases, medicinal is covered by insurance where natural is not. Therefore, medicinal may be less expensive. Medicinal, while imperfect, is at least regulated by the FDA. Natural, while imperfect, is not regulated.

    I have taken the extended release version of Metformin for several years. It is my understanding that it has both a appetite lowering quality as well as changes the way foods are metabolized (i think primarily sugar). When I was originally put on it, I didn't lose weight, but stopped gaining weight. When I started diet and exercise, I started losing weight.
  • FletcherChic
    FletcherChic Posts: 158
    gemiwing - last year when i had my labs drawn i had high cholesterol and was "pre-diabetic"...the only person who seemed to be concerned about those numbers was my nutritionist!!!!....so i have a feeling they won't be normal and that gives me a bit of hope that THIS could finally be the answer to my issues that have been keeping me from making any progress....as anybody on here knows - trying so hard and putting all of your energy into eating right and exercising isn't easy - and to see OPPOSITE results is completely deflating!
    az94 - my husband voiced the same thing you did about the cost of the treatments...as it is, we spend SOOOO much money on supplements and buying all organic groceries (it takes a lot of money to eat healthy!)...it would be nice to not have to shell out the extra money for natural treatments

    i am still trying to understand how the Metformin works but i am making even more dietary adjustments (i thought i was low carb before but now i'm going to be REALLY low carb and force the body to work off of fat instead)....

    THANK YOU ALL SOOO MUCH FOR YOUR RESPONSES - I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR INFO!!!:flowerforyou:
  • azwildcatfan94
    azwildcatfan94 Posts: 314 Member
    Oh, and I just want to throw out there that I am not against going the natural/homeopathic route. It definitely has its place in a healthy lifestyle. I do know there are OTC supplements you can take that mirror the effects of Metformin. I did take them for a while, but they also had the same unfortunate gastric side effects of "regular" Metformin. I now take an extended release version of Metformin that minimizes those side effects. And for me, the copay for the Metformin is less than the cost of the OTC "supplement."

    Although I was originally diagnosed with PCOS, no one explained the connection to Diabetes to me until after I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. If they had, maybe I would have got my act together sooner. But, maybe not. Please, take advantage of your "pre-diabetes" status and do the work to reverse course now. Good luck.
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    Fletcher- I can't tell you how nice it is to know that I'm not the only one who struggled with weight loss under these circumstances!

    As far as how metformin works, it's my understanding that it caps the amount of insulin your body produces. The idea is that it'll keep your body from wearing down and going into diabetes in the future. Of course exercising with metformin is the best bet for that, as well as life changes.

    AZ- You have a really really good point about the copay. My Metformin is five bucks for a month's supply. Can't find that in a supplement. The natural treatments have the same 'belly by products' as the metformin? That's a shame.
  • azwildcatfan94
    azwildcatfan94 Posts: 314 Member
    The natural treatments have the same 'belly by products' as the metformin? That's a shame.

    For me, yeah, I remember thinking, "well no wonder you're supposed to lose weight, everything goes through you like a bolt of lightning..." Painful too. Thank goodness for the extended release...

    My co-pay at both walmart and target pharmacies is only $4.
  • adopt4
    adopt4 Posts: 970 Member
    Just remember, any time you start changing your diet, or exercise level, or take a new medication or supplement - you're going to have some fluctuations in your weight as your body adjust to the new "reality". Don't be upset if you don't see loss for the first six weeks of taking the pills... and drink your water!!

    Also watch your sodium levels, you could be retaining water.

    It's also possible - if nothing shows up as wrong - that you can work out too much and either plateau or gain weight. I just went thru that, it was a bummer. Started taking my days off from the gym and boom! weight loss. Of course I don't have PCOS but just to throw it out there as you're trying to find an answer.
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    I'm going to ask for the extended release. It doesn't happen often for me, but when it does... *shudder* I'd rather not ever have to deal with that lol
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