PCOS-ers who've lost weight

Options
nz_deevaa
nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Did it have a positive effect on your symptoms?

And by that I mean, did your cycles become more regular, or did the weird hair growth/loss become less, or did it have a positive impact on your fertility?
«134

Replies

  • elanaknt
    elanaknt Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    bump

    my doc just recently said that it looks like i may have pcos and I am wondering some of these things myself...
  • Lynxie83
    Lynxie83 Posts: 246
    Options
    I would be interested to hear this too. I don't know if I have it or not, one Dr said I did, but based that on only some of the symptoms.

    I am hoping that the weight loss will help with fertility anyway :bigsmile:
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    Options
    My weight loss has helped with fertility, but not the secondary infertility that I'm also 'blessed' with. (Secondary infertility is when you don't have issues getting pregnant, but don't stay pregnant well).
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    Options
    I have PCOS. I had lost weight in the past, and it NEVER helped with my symptoms. I still never ovulated and still never had a period that wasn't induced with medication. That, however, is NOT the norm. I'm just special LOL. Nothing worked on my cycles. Nothing except...wait for it....getting OLD LOL. There is a great book called "PCOS the Hidden Epidemic". One of the things it talks about is that sometimes, as you age, your body makes a last ditch effort to get pregnant and may start cycling again, despite the hormone disaster that's going on. For me, that happened around age 35. At first it was a cycle every 60 days, then for quite a while, around 35 days. For almost 2 years like that. Then, once I've lost weight, I'm now right around 28 to 30 days.

    And can I just say...being "normal" SUCKS. Can I go back to no periods? LOL.

    All joking aside, more than 90% of women with PCOS will have some relief of symptoms from weight loss. A few, like me, do not. I have never been pregnant, even with lots of interventions, including 3 rounds of IVF. Again, I'm NOT the norm. Most women with PCOS will be able to get pregnant with assisted reproductive technologies of some sort.

    As for the miscarriages, when I was doing IF treatments (and this was 9+ years ago) there was some new research about Natural Killer cells that theorized someone with elevated NKa would have trouble maintaining a pregnancy because the immune system views the embryo as a foreign invader. Now, this was very new research, so I don't know if it's held up to further scrutiny. But the "treatment" back then was IViG infusions (expensive, but safe). I had them several times, and while it did help my psoriasis, it didn't help me get pregnant.

    But check out the 3 cuties in my profile pic. SO HAPPY I WAS NEVER ABLE TO GET PREGNANT. I couldn't have gotten better kids.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    Options
    They are pretty cute kids. :)

    We've just had our 4th miscarriage, so we have decided that's it for us. I'm not doing it any more.

    I was more interested in the other symptoms, like the flappin' hair on my chin.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    Options
    I've never had a big issue with the hair. I'm 'hairy' for someone in my family (aka the hairless wonders) but compared to the average person, I'm normal. I have noticed the hair on my arms seems lessened. The two whiskers I have on my face are still there though LOL.
  • Firephoenix013
    Firephoenix013 Posts: 214
    Options
    Omg I know the hair is a bear. My mom had PCOS when she was super skinny. She eventually had to have a uterine ablation and her tubes tied. I'm only 27 and have had the same thing done when I was 25. I was tired of bleeding every day, they said the chances of me having a child were slim to none and I would just pass this one, so I said I'm done. Having Aunt Flo visit every day since I was 13 was a bear. I was glad to be done! But honestly I know doctors preach lose weight with this, but I seriously think its more of a dna thing.
  • pinkpolkadots25
    pinkpolkadots25 Posts: 101 Member
    Options
    Yes! I am still taking Metformin but my symptoms have gotten sooo much better. I've lost about 104 pounds (260 to 156.) it took about a year, and I'm 5'6. I don't have crippling pelvic pain anymore, which is awesome. I'm going to try to lose another 20.
  • kacinace
    kacinace Posts: 70 Member
    Options
    I lost 50 pounds in the past (currently up 20 from there) and it did help with my symptoms. Not the excessive hair growth, but my cycles became more regular and I became pregnant after 6 months of trying (not charting or anything - just not preventing).
  • munkey418
    munkey418 Posts: 139
    Options
    keep in mind ive only lost 26lbs but..... since i started eating healthier and working out i have had 0 period, my cycle was 60-70 days w no ovulation and im currently on day 135 since my last one in Feb. I was on metformin/clomid and all that other jazz and it never did anything for me but make me depressed. :/ hoping with more weight loss itll change but not getting my hopes up :(
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Options
    I'm sosorry about the miscarriages.

    It took about 20kg for me to start ovulating again. Currently on a 34 day cycle. It's kinda weird having periods every month!

    Hair is slightly less but not sure if that's from losing weight or the waxing. I wax every two weeks (though I'm about to go to every 3 weeks!) My mum and grandma have the same issues so I've decided to accept this is a lifelong problem for me.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    Options
    *sigh*

    I seem to be ovulating much more regularly now too, which is both good and bad. (LOL).

    I must admit though I'd hoped that the hair would lessen.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    Options
    Did it have a positive effect on your symptoms?

    And by that I mean, did your cycles become more regular, or did the weird hair growth/loss become less, or did it have a positive impact on your fertility?

    Yes although I still don't get it monthly but I now have lighter & short duration periods & less cramps whereas before it take more than a month for me. As for hair growth, I still have those facial hairs but I think it is because of our above average testosterone levels for a woman.
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
    Options
    Yes since I have lost some weight, my cycles are now regulated (every 28-29 days) and periods are shorter and a lot less painful. I used to be on BC to have regular periods because I would literally go months on end with no period. And then when I finally did have one, it was the period from hell. I no longer need the BC to regulate. I also noticed that the dark patches of skin I had on my inner thighs have gone away! And i haven't had any more skin tags.

    However, it has done nothing for the excessive hair growth :angry: At least not yet. I'm a 33 year old woman. I shouldn't have to worry about shaving my chin hair and mustache!!! gaaaaah. I hate it. Anybody have suggestions for that??
  • kazzsjourney
    kazzsjourney Posts: 674 Member
    Options
    ive got PCOS m lost 184 pounds.....it has made my cycle very regular (every 28-32 days) but it hasnt really helped with other symptoms :)
  • Bexyf
    Bexyf Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    I have gone (so far) from 207 to 161.8 and i went from having NO cycle at all to having an abnormal cycle (71, 41, 42, 39,31,69, and now on about cd120!) I don't know which one is harder but Ihave every belief between continued weight loss and metformin I WILL be a lot healthier xx
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    Options
    83kgs lost? What an amazing accomplishment!

    From these responses, my guess is other than more regular periods (which I've already achieved), I'm not going to get any joy with the other symptoms.

    ive got PCOS m lost 184 pounds.....it has made my cycle very regular (every 28-32 days) but it hasnt really helped with other symptoms :)
  • threeohtwo
    threeohtwo Posts: 153 Member
    Options
    I'm kind of a PCOS guru. Lol. Ok, so I originally had lost close to 50 pounds before I gained 30 back during my divorce but I do consider myself successful at weight loss. I noticed a huge reduction in unwanted hair growth. I also noticed much more energy and a big improvement in my mood. My anxiety also decreased. Many PCOSers hold weight around the middle and I lost a lot of weight around my middle.

    Please let me know if you have any other questions.
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    Options
    There is an Aussie blogger who I have been following for ages who went from overweight and PCOS, to competing in fitness modelling. She's pretty inspirational, her blog is here http://mevsthebulge.com/my-story/ but she mostly uses facebook now which is http://mevsthebulge.com/my-story/...
  • threeohtwo
    threeohtwo Posts: 153 Member
    Options
    My weight loss has helped with fertility, but not the secondary infertility that I'm also 'blessed' with. (Secondary infertility is when you don't have issues getting pregnant, but don't stay pregnant well).

    Be careful using the wordage "secondary infertility". Secondary infertility actually refers to women who have a child and cannot get pregnant or experience infertility on the second go round.

    I went through a lot of fertility treatment and weight loss +femara are what eventually got me pregnant.

Categories