Help with PCOS? Please read.

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  • HerBravado
    HerBravado Posts: 392 Member
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    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. :D
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
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    I have PCOS. I have read a ton of stuff on MFP and this is what has helped me the most

    *Birth control helps with regulating your period and your weight

    *Metformin is a key medication that will help your hormones level out. I guess its common for people with pcos to have hormone issues that can screw your your metabolism and ability to process sugar and carbs.

    * Cut down on the carbs and sugar. We crave it like crazy from our hormones but you can do it!

    * Exercise likes there is no tomorrow. Its going to be harder to lose weight then other people so working your butt off is essential.
  • enyo123
    enyo123 Posts: 172 Member
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    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.
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
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    The doctor pretty much called me up, told me, and set an appointment for next week. All I had done was a blood test.

    Do you guys think I should ask for an ultrasound to check for cysts? Is a blood test alone accurate enough to say I have it?

    Yes. It is going to be a "woman" type of ultrasound though. It is very important to make sure none of them are cancerous. Dont worry though, most times they arnt.
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    thanks guys!
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    The doctor pretty much called me up, told me, and set an appointment for next week. All I had done was a blood test.

    Do you guys think I should ask for an ultrasound to check for cysts? Is a blood test alone accurate enough to say I have it?

    Yes. It is going to be a "woman" type of ultrasound though. It is very important to make sure none of them are cancerous. Dont worry though, most times they arnt.

    What exactly do you mean? If you mean transvaginal or whatever it is, I've never had one. Do they hurt? :(
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
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    Ill PM you haha
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    Ill PM you haha

    Thanks :X
  • jenscott1977
    jenscott1977 Posts: 2
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    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.
  • lbloverbug
    lbloverbug Posts: 1
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    An ultrasound is not necessary for diagnosis. Many women have PCOS but have no cysts present. The doctor did a blood test to check androgen levels (testosterone, etc) to see if they were elevated. You are likely already missing periods.

    If you have cysts, or if you don't, the treatment is the same. Since PCOS is a syndrome, you must meet two of the three criterion below:

    1. Increased androgen levels (visually- hirsutism; bloodwork can also show this);
    2. Menstrual irregularities or missed periods;
    3. Cysts in the ovaries.

    Hope that helps!
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    An ultrasound is not necessary for diagnosis. Many women have PCOS but have no cysts present. The doctor did a blood test to check androgen levels (testosterone, etc) to see if they were elevated. You are likely already missing periods.

    If you have cysts, or if you don't, the treatment is the same. Since PCOS is a syndrome, you must meet two of the three criterion below:

    1. Increased androgen levels (visually- hirsutism; bloodwork can also show this);
    2. Menstrual irregularities or missed periods;
    3. Cysts in the ovaries.

    Hope that helps!

    Thanks! I have the missed periods, and the blood test. I guess they will check for cysts soon.
    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.

    What is BCPS? I thought maybe you meant birth control pills but I might be wrong
  • photochick85
    photochick85 Posts: 6
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    I've had PCOS since I was 15, now 27 and I feel that exercise and diet are key roles into controlling our stupid ovaries!! LOL...I work in a busy doctors office so by the time I get home I don't want to do anything else. So for me exercising is hard to get in the habbit. I try to eat right but that too is a struggle with so many fast food restaurants it's just easy to grab something on the go.
    I have learned that if I don't exercise and eat right that my gut will hurt later, I had to knock out sugars for a long time(which helped alot with losing wt). But I've slowly got back to old eating habbits....I gotta get back on the wagon with taking care of myself, if I don't I may not be able to have kids. With PCOS it is harder to have kids but not impossible.

    Its a lifestyle change, but you can do it!!!
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
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    thank you :)
  • 135momma
    135momma Posts: 11
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    I didn't read thorough all the posts but I started showing signs of PCOS at the same age but I wasn't diagnosed until around 23 or 24. Since then I have had 2 children without infertility drugs. I did take metformin for a bit but I felt terrible on it so now I don't take anything. I have had MAJOR success with doing low carb, low sugar foods. Basically I would only eat fruits, veggies, and meat. I lost about 10 pounds in 2 weeks but I gained it all back when I quit watching what I ate. I'm overweight but not obese...I'd like to loose 20 pounds to feel comfortable. In general I'm not a fan of Rx medication...in my experience PCOS can be managed just as easily through diet. This may not be the case for everyone but it certainly is for me. I've had most all of the symptoms that go with PCOS but at my heavier weights they are much worse.

    *Also as a personal choice I no longer believe in female birth control...in fact I never had any signs of PCOS until going on birth control.
  • Kitten2629
    Kitten2629 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    Have any of you lost weight without being super low carb? I'm usually between 100-170 carbs daily. I'm not sure if I will have to adjust.

    I have lost 35 lbs so far. I have never done low carb. Though I am on Metformin since I am insulin resistant due to the PCOS. So I'm sure it is a contributing factor. 1 week off my pills and I will gain 5 lbs. I will pretty much have to stay on that indefinitely. With my personally losing weight has not decreased the cyst on my ovaries. I still have about 10 on each one. It stinks, but since I'm done with having kids. Not a major concern for me anymore other than the pain when one bursts. Only thing different right now is I now take a lower dosage and the longer lasting one.
  • emrys1976
    emrys1976 Posts: 213 Member
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    I was diagnosed with PCOS about 10 years ago. Weight loss came very difficult to me for a long time because I had to do a lot of trial and error to figure out how my body worked (and I'm still trying to figure it all out, honestly!). I definitely have all the typical stuff - too much hair, excess sweating, amenorrhea, subfertility, insulin resistance, even some cardiac problems associated with PCOS. I had progressed to diabetes for a brief time but have reversed that with diet. I'm currently trying to get a doctor to help me get pregnant (I'm a lesbian so I need a doc's help). It's not an easy road, but it's manageable - especially when realizing how many other people have it! There's a group here for PCOSers.

    btw, ultrasounds are unnecessary for diagnosis - it's predominately an endocrine/metabolic disorder that symptoms and blood work can identify. But no, transvaginal ultrasounds are not really painful. pressure sometimes, but not pain. good luck to you!
  • raitch
    raitch Posts: 62 Member
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    So many women have PCOS, and it seems like we all deal with different versions of the disease. For me it's super irregular periods, difficulty losing weight, infertility. For others it may be too much body or facial hair or too little hair where it's actually supposed to be, serious blood sugar problems, etc. What I'm saying is... it seems to be different for each of us, so please take all of our stories with a grain of salt :)

    For me, I was on BCPs until I started trying to have children. Most of my PCOS issues were centered around infertility. I have taken Metformin on and off in the past but haven't tried it again in years. Other than having wacky irregular periods, if I'm not trying to get pregnant the PCOS doesn't bother me all that much. Like someone else said, yes it's hard to lose weight for me- but I'm the only person I've ever been so it's not like I have anything to compare it to ;) I do notice that my body seems to react much more strongly to carbs than other people's. A small amount sends me into a spiral of wanting more and more and more, to the point where I certainly had days where my diet was maybe 75% carbs, 20% fat, 5% protein.
  • freedski1
    freedski1 Posts: 65 Member
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    For those of you with a diagnosis of PCOS, did any of you have regular periods?
  • Athena98501
    Athena98501 Posts: 716 Member
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    For those of you with a diagnosis of PCOS, did any of you have regular periods?

    Mine are regular (and I do have PCOS), but when I'm not on BC, they tend to run every 35 days instead of 28.
  • Jezebel9
    Jezebel9 Posts: 396 Member
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    PCOS is becoming more and more common,

    yes... that seems to be the case... but I wonder why...

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