Help with PCOS? Please read.

Did you get my response? I posted it on the other thread.

One thing that I wish I knew when I was diagnosed with PCOS is that it can be a pre-cursor to type II diabetes. Maybe I wouldn't have done anything different, but maybe I would have gotten on top of my exercise and diet back then and not developed diabetes. I definitely have to say that if I could go back and tell my younger self something, it would be to do the diet and exercise thing early.

I've heard that losing weight is harder with PCOS, but I don't know that for sure. I've never really tried to lose weight in a non-PCOS state, so I have nothing to compare to. But, I do follow the calorie recommendations on this site and eat my exercise calories. So, you can lose weight with PCOS.

I had a lot of trouble with birth control pills. Increased blood pressure, moodiness, lowered libido, etc. So, in whatever your doctor recommends, just remember that ultimately, you know your body the best and the doctor is a "consultant" and not the decision-maker.

I have PCOS, and losing weight with it isnt any different I dont think. With the metformin I hated taking it because it is a blood sugar pill used on diabetics to decrease their sugars. So when I would take my pills in the morning I would get soooooo sick from my sugars dropping so low I had to be hospitalized. With PCOS if you lose weight most of the symptoms will go away and you wont get as many cysts on the ovaries. Good luck.

PCOS is becoming more and more common, and the good news is that it's easy to manage. I have PCOS and I don't take metformin and I don't have any blood sugar issues. Mine is controlled with birth control pills. I have had a weight problem all of my life, and yes it has been hard for me to lose weight. But through joining MFP I learned that diet and exercise really does work if you put your mind to it. Let's face it: losing weight is hard for everybody whether or not they have PCOS. Just eat right and exercise and the weight will come off. It may take awhile, but you will get there.

i'm a carb fan as much as it's not recommended for me! but i think the main issue with PCOS and carbs is that the body metabolizes carbs into sugar if you aren't using it all right away (as in immediately!) and well sugar is bad with metformin, it causes the body to reduce the amount of insulin created by the system so that the body stops storing the excess insulin as fat around the mid section (easiest area to pull from when it's needed)
but seriously i think with that it's something that you need to trial and error a little for yourself like anyone else on here does, what works for some won't work for others and of course that's true of the treatment your specialist will set out for you, PCOS has many faces and effects everyone a little different.

I'm 24 and have had PCOS for 5 years. My testosterone and insulin levels used to be really high. Through diet and exercise (and Yasmin) all of my blood levels continue to come back normal. I go to my endocrinologist every 6 months to do lab work. She prescribed me Metformin to begin with, but I am AWFUL with swallowing pills and I was supposed to take 4 per day, so I never took it. Still, my insulin levels are perfect. I do still take my Yasmin (birth control) to slow the hair growth on my chin and chest (TMI? lol) and to regulate my period. Before taking birth control, I could go a year without having one! Anyway, eating right, exercising, and taking a multivitamin has put everything in the normal range for me. I have lost almost 70 lbs now, so it is possible to lose weight with PCOS.

I was diagnosed with PCOS 25 years ago, plus endometriosis, and super irregular. I was on BC pills for 30 years except for the time I was trying to get pregnant. It took 5 years of fertility treatments , clomid, HCG shots, and hormone suppositories, BUT I have my 21 year old healthy son as proof to the naesayers. I was morbidly obese, had high BP, and prediabetic. Losing the weight had a huge impact. after I dropped the first 40 lbs I was no longer prediabetic and no longer take meds for high BP. Last year I went off of the BC pills and now I am fairly regular and hoping for menopause ASAP.I do eat high protein, mainly because I run 5-7 miles a day and it keeps the sugars down and I have a gluten allergy.

Oh, and as for the metformin side effects, I take the ER version... Big difference! However, I'm hoping my next A1c (blood sugar test) is low enough to get off it. Then, we'll have to figure out if I'll need anything to regulate my periods or not... Personally, I wouldn't mind going to something where I only had them once every 3 months.

And, having children was never a desire for me, so I'm clueless as to the fertility issues, other than knowing that I probably would have had them if I would have wanted to get pregnant.

Yes, definitely have an ultrasound for cysts if you can! I've got PCOS, & have lost the weight without being on a super low-carb diet--I just balanced everything like I would normally dieting. I definitely stayed away from sugar as much as I can, limiting my intake to about 20g per day--a little more on cheat days.

I actually got off of Metformin because my sugar was getting so low due to my new lifestyle...but my weight loss slowed up, too! Not sure if it's a direct correlation to getting off the Met or just me hitting a plateau.

Uhm...what else...fertility...my periods are normal, though they weren't in the beginning--since I lost some of the weight, they sorta started fixing their own. I haven't tried having any babies yet...so I can't answer fully on that note, I suppose!

Good luck with your journey.

Don't freak out. It's quite common (estimated to be 10% of all women), and can be quite manageable.

Treatment: there are pretty much two drug treatment options for PCOS (afaik, anyway... others may have used other medications)
* Metformin to treat insulin resistance (and often is enough to generate a regular monthly cycle)
* Birth control to regulate menstrual cycle.

Weight loss is a bit harder for a woman with PCOS, but it's not impossible. I'm getting results with working out and avoiding pure crappy carbs (white breads, candies, etc.) and trying to keep my carbs low. But not Atkins low.

IIRC (it's been a few years since I was diagnosed), a transvaginal ultrasound to look for the "string of pearls" cysts around the ovaries is a standard part of the diagnostic process.

Fertility issues can be overcome. For example, I was not always overweight (and am now officially no longer overweight). I had no problems getting pregnant when my BMI was underweight or at the very low end of normal. After I was overweight (slightly, but never more than 10-15 pounds), I was able to have two beautiful children. My second child was conceived with the help of Metformin, and my third was conceived with the help of Metformin and Clomid.

And avoid Depo Provera like the plague. I never had weight or fertility issues until I took that stuff. The OB/Gyn who confirmed the PCOS diagnosis suspected by my GP said that it's not uncommon in women to develop PCOS issues after taking it.

Oh, and I work out. I started working out again seven weeks after my daughter was born via c-section. At first, I went like mad because I knew that I'd eventually slow down. So by working out like crazy, my slowing down has slowed me down to more of a reasonable level of activity.

Hope this helps! Feel free to friend.

Ill PM you haha

I was diagnosed at age 19. As a teenager I did every kind of diet including starvation. I exercised like crazy an nothing happened. I was hairy and embarrassed I was always getting prodded and poked at the Dr to find out what was wrong. 5 yrs later I went to a new Dr. In town and she diagnosed me with PCOS. I started bcps and lost 50 lbs fast. I gained some back over the years (now I am 34) but I just lost control of my eating habits. It isn't easy losing weight and you have to work harder but it can be done. I have been on met and yaz for the past 8 yrs. It is working pretty good. I went back to the Dr. Recently and I have fewer cysts on one side than the last time. I haven't even started the family but already know if I can't get pregnant there are options out there. Good luck with your journey. It is nice to have others who understand.