PCOS Buddies?

Hey anyone care to be a pcos buddy ?like someone going through similiar pcos problems and struggles, and not just for me, for other pple too  :)

Hello,

I am so glad you posted this YES I need and want a PCOS buddy. I am struggling with weight loss do you take meds to control it? I was prescribed birth control and metformin but metformin makes me sick even on the lowest dose and I do not take my BCP nice to meet you. How much weight do you want to lose? I want to lose 60 more I have lost 15 so far. nice to meet you

Lisa

hello  lisa  im Julie.  Im taking bc and metformin for my PCOS . I just started the metformin, my doc has me on half a pill(from 500mg) so its 250 mg , once a day for the forst week  and keep adding half a pill each meal time every week till it comes up to 3 500 mg pills a day, so far im  on the 2nd week, and i  been doing good with it no stomach problems though i did feel lightheaded from the sugar drop the first few days but not stomach probs etc well not yet(crosses fingers). try eating it with food,as in a meal, but like watch what you eat with it like a hearty chicken salad. and i also heard the extended release was supposed to be better side effect wise. Right now i weigh 165 and i want to go down to 125, i went to 145 but my pcos caused me to gain like 20lbs in a month  :(

I've been looking into PCOS cause i have a suspicion that i have some sign of it. 

Weight loss is impossible for me.  And the hair :'( gosh i just wanna take my dads razor to my face.   good thing its blonde lol... anyways..

If you dont mind, can you tell me your symptoms that you've had.  I literally have all of them cept 1.  Cause i do have a regular period.

weight gain,hair loss on the scalp,weight loss too difficult...too too difficult,body hair, irregular period,like i get no period. there is something that mimics pcos but im not sure what its called. ur next checkup ask the doc to check ur hormones,and let him know whats goingon,or you can do it sooner. im having surgery soon to fix it hopefully :(

Hi, I was diagnosed with PCOS just a years ago, I am 27 now. I was on the BCP for 8 years, and when I decided to have a break, I didn't get any periods for 5 months, went to see a doctor who diagnosed PCOS after some tests. I am back on a pill now, and I am also taking 2 Metformin a day, it does make me feel sick, but I feel even worse with out it  Recently started to lose A LOT of hair, which is really scary!

I am really glad I found this forum, as I don't know anybody with PCOS, and my GP is just not very helpful...

 

Hello I too also have pcos and I Hate IT!! My doc put me on metformin but it made me so sick I stopped taking it. My husband and I are trying to have a baby, so doc put me on clomid to induce ovulation. no luck so far, but it has regulated my period to the day!!! Before I would have a period for 5 months (yes horrible) and the no period for three mos. So I guess clomid was a good thing. Weight is impossible to lose- does anyone have any diet suggestions? I have gained fifteen lbs in the past month and can't seem to lose anything.

Hey all I was diagnosed with PCOS when i was 18 but did not see an endocrinologist until i was 22.  I am on birth control and a  MIRACLE drug called spironolactone.  I used to shave twice a day and had pubic hair almost to my knees!  I now shave maybe once a week and my skin is gorgeous.  I do have trouble losing weight still, but it's important to stay on a low glycemic index diet.  PCOS causes insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes, but it also makes our bodies inefficient at digesting carbohydrates (the ones in bread, not the ones in fruits and veggies).  I've read that diets like the Zone diet are best for us PCOSers.  I have never been on metformin, but it sounds terrible!  If you are not seeing an endocrinologist, you MUST.  OB/Gyns and general practitioners for the most part are NOT up on the research in PCOS.  If you live near Chicago, I can recommend my doc.  There is also a PCOS study at Northwestern University that I think will put you on a PCOS-geared diet with a nutritionist.  I can give you more info, and I don't think you need to live near Chicago for it. 

Anyway, I have just started eating FAR less bready carbs and replacing with fruits and veggies and gluten free breads and pastas (like sprouted wheated breads and pastas).  I lost 1 lb in the last two days.  I'll be happy to keep you updated if it's working, but I have a tendency to 'cave'.  Anyway, I'd love to keep chatting, it's always good to have friends with PCOS!

Michelle

P.S. - I have been trying to apply for individual health insurance and was denied TWICE because of PCOS!

Hi All, I tried the Low Gi for about a month this summer, it was hard to begin with, but I lost 6lb. The problem was that when I went on holiday and couldn't eat only Low Gi, weight came back   I am trying the diet again, but it so hard as I love pasta and other carbs! 

By the way does anybody have any suggestions about what should I do to stop the hair loss? 

Elen

 

metformin blocks the absorbtion of some vitamin,minerals or proteins,i think its protein,not 100% sure ill find out today n message you,,i know it causes hair loss bc it blocks it,but if your not taking a multivitamin/mineral then u def should.

Original Post by mishid07:

Hey all I was diagnosed with PCOS when i was 18 but did not see an  until i was 22.  I am on birth control and a  MIRACLE drug called spironolactone.  I used to shave twice a day and had pubic hair almost to my knees!  I now shave maybe once a week and my skin is gorgeous.  I do have trouble losing weight still, but it's important to stay on a low glycemic index diet.  PCOS causes insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes, but it also makes our bodies inefficient at digesting carbohydrates (the ones in bread, not the ones in fruits and veggies).  I've read that diets like the Zone diet are best for us PCOSers.  I have never been on metformin, but it sounds terrible!  If you are not seeing an endocrinologist, you MUST.  OB/Gyns and general practitioners for the most part are NOT up on the research in PCOS.  If you live near Chicago, I can recommend my doc.  There is also a PCOS study at Northwestern University that I think will put you on a PCOS-geared diet with a nutritionist.  I can give you more info, and I don't think you need to live near Chicago for it. 

Anyway, I have just started eating FAR less bready carbs and replacing with fruits and veggies and gluten free breads and pastas (like sprouted wheated breads and pastas).  I lost 1 lb in the last two days.  I'll be happy to keep you updated if it's working, but I have a tendency to 'cave'.  Anyway, I'd love to keep chatting, it's always good to have friends with PCOS!

Michelle

P.S. - I have been trying to apply for individual health insurance and was denied TWICE because of PCOS!

 

 

 

 

 

as for the endocrinologist vs ob/gyn i say  it all depends bc yes ive been to 2 ob gyns(the 1st one was just horrible) but my newone is amazing!! he actually specializes in these types of disorders of the female reproductive system,and ive just cmoe to find out that one of my h.s friends  also had pcos,had the same doctor as me and had the surgery to remove the cyst and correct her ovulation and what not and it worked,shes been regular for over  a year. Yes surgery should be the last result and trust me ive tried every damn medication,diet so im going for surgery this month and hopefully all goes well. itll be wedge resection/drilling of cysts,all done laprascopic,with harmonic scalpel. ill keep everyone updated,as for metformin,i have not gotten sick on it,maybe bcmy doc started me on a VERY low dose then worked it up. Pple got to really look around for an amazing gyn or endocrinologist 

 

Hi all,

Great to see some more people PCOS! I also have started trying the GI diet - have heard really good things about it - esp for weigth loss, fertility and all those other yuk symptoms us poor girls have to put up with!

I am finding it hard though - I do love my carbs  - esp potatoes and bread.

What are everyones current wieghts and goals?. Maybe we can all try and do it together. A bit of extra support goes a long way!

I am 27, 5'6"  -currently 184ish want to be 150s (or lower if at all possible!)

Hello again.  I totally with you guys on the carbs thing.  I feel like i absolutely CRAVE bread, more than anyone I know!

Lenulka - the male pattern baldness is a common symptom of PCOS and it is due to the excess testosterone.  The medication I am on (spironolactone) reduces androgen levels, including testosterone so it is really helpful with both excess body hair AND with male pattern baldness.  I'd ask your doc about it if the baldness is causing the issue.

 

I have not heard very  much about the surgery, only that women have it to correct the infertility problems with PCOS. I have not tried to have children yet, so I'm not sure where I stand in that department.  Do you know any statistics on whether or not the cysts come back?  I have had laparoscopic surgery (gall bladder) before and the recovery is pretty quick.  Good luck!

Thank you all, I will go to see my GP next week. Do you know if spironolactone has any side effects?

At the moment I am 5'3" and 153, last year I was 120, so it was devastating to see that all of my summer cloths are about 3 sizes too small... no bikini holiday this year. But I am trying Low Gi again, as it did help me to loose weight last time, but you have to be very strict and limit your calory intake, at the moment it's I am on less then 1400 calories a day.

I have not had any side-effects from spironolactone.  It is a potassium-sparing diuretic which basically means you don't want to eat 15 bananas in one day while you're on it.  Same thing with yasmin if you're on that bcp.  I know it was originally a blood-pressure medication, but is now used as an anti-androgen to treat hirsutism and male-pattern baldness.  The only major problem with it is that you should NOT use it if you are planning to become pregnant.  Because it is an anti-androgen, it can prevent a male fetus from developing his male reproductive organs properly, so your doctor will not prescribe if you are planning to become pregnant.  The good thing is that if you want to be pregnant in the future, you just need to stop taking it before you do... in otherwords, no longterm effects.  If your GP doesn't know much about it, I'd ask if he/she can refer you to an endocrinologist who specifically specializes in PCOS.

I am similar to you, 5'2 and currently 136, I'm trying to get back down to 127, and then hopefully 123 which is where I was 3 years ago.  I only went up one size which I am thankful for.  I mostly gain in my breasts.

Also, this website is really informative if you are curious about PCOS and treatments/remedies:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/polycystic-o vary-syndrome/DS00423

 

Michelle

he said there is like a 10-15%  they might come back.without any meds afterwards , and that the fertility rates afterwards are high which is a good thing, so ill be staying on bc  for ahwile afterwards, which i dont mind much bc it never gave me any probs and im not looking to get  the surgery to get preggers but to help correct the problem overall which seems to work on the women that ive known that gotten it done/ read about.thnx for the good luck...seems like i need alot of that lately. 

Hi I was diagnosed with PCOS about twenty years ago.  I did infertility to get my first son.  It was really hard but once I lost the weight, the symptoms really diminish!  Although it is a hard cycle... it's hard to control weight because of the PCOS and it's hard to control the PCOS because of the weight. 

But I have managed to control the weight threw exercise and life style changes in my eating.  By keeping the weight down I was able to decease the excess hirsutism, increased hair on my head, got my periods back (which enabled me to get pregnant without infertility treatments), and I feel so much better.

But when I get a little laxed... and start putting the weight back on the symptoms does start to come back.

I don't know what the new medicines are that you are taking for PCOS.  Back when I was diagnosed I was put on glucaphage (this is a diabetes medication, and since PCOS directly parallels diabetes symptoms it was thought t).  I didn't find much relief from it so I chose to manage it without medication.

Good news to those wanting to get pregnant...You will be the most fertile during periods of rapid weight loss because you are releasing hormones from your fat cells making you more fertile.

Hi ChattyNoel,

How much excerising were you doing to lose your weight? And what food did you cut out? I am going to the gym three times a week and eating reasonably well, but I am stuck on a plateau and need to lose at least 30lbs. :-(

 

How much weight did you lose when you started seeing relief from symptoms?  When I went on medication I was in a size 2 petite.  Now I'm in a six, I was hoping to get back to the 2, but I don' t know how much further I could go...but I really would like to be able to have children without IVF.

At first, I lost doing just Weight Watchers and walks.  The more I lost, the easier it got to exercise so I just would start walking more, next the bike and later transitioned to Elliptical,then added classes from the gym (step classes, Pilates, and Yoga), then lastly I added weights.

There are a lot of Infertility options before IVF.  I got as far as IUI, which expense wise wasn't too bad.  It was about 350.00 a month in 1998.  I found out that I couldn't hold a pregnancy without progestrone so who knows how many time I could have been pregnant but lost it.  I took Clomid, provera, HCG shots, plus the IUI.  My husband also had a sperm wash.

In terms of what I ate.  I did Weight Watchers.  I really liked the Flex plan but have switched to the YOU on a Diet: A guide to Waist Management because I love it more (although they are very similiar). 

I  kept my diet higher in lean proteins and fruits & veggies.  My favorite thing was beans (in soups, on salads, in Whole wheat tortillas, etc.)  I did all whole wheat (bread, pasta, cereals, etc.)  I also did fat free or reduced fat for everything...yogurt, sour cream, milk, dairy, baked crackers and chips, olive oil, butter spray, 94% ff popcorn, veggie chili, instead of ground hamburger I used ground chicken/turkey, nuts, etc. 

I have gone from 274 down to 135 (at my lowest but I am currently 140).  My progress has been long.  It has been over the coarse of 8 years.  It took me about a year and a half to lose 100 pounds, had a baby but actually only gained baby weight with a help of a nutritionist, then have lost and maintained about 10 pounds a year since the pregnancy.

During the time I started exercising more and was having rapid weight loss I got pregnant with my second child.  I heard this is very common...but I had also just started taking bcp to regulate period so that I could get back on infertility meds, got to the middle of the cycle, got the flu for three days, threw up bcp, had slept with husband night before getting flu... and ended up pregnant and never taking any of the infertility meds.  But I don't take bcp and there hasn't been a baby since and he is 6.

Sorry for the book.

hi chattynoel,

 

That's great - thank you for that update.

Am trying hard and excerising 3/4 times a week but not much happenign yet. Really, I need to watch what i'm eating more closely.