PCOS

Hello everyone i just signed up to calorie count, and am hoping it helps with my weight. I was diagnosed last week with pcos and it was hard for me. I am 20 years old and know i understand why i am overweight and why i have facial hair. My doctor prescrobed metformin and she also started me on the nuva ring. She said this should help with my absent periods and metformin should help with my weight. Are any of you on metformin?? does it really help with your weight and facial hair?

Wanted to wish you the best of luck with the treatment.   I also wanted to pass on a recommendation of a book which I know has helped a lot of people in exactly your situation both control their PCOS symptoms and control their weight at the same time.   It's called 'The Low GI Guide To Managing PCOS' by Jennie Brand-Miller...   And it explains very simply how some minor tweaks to your dietary choices can have a significant impact on the severity of your symptoms.  In conjunction with prescribed medication it can make a bigger difference than medication alone.

Best of luck

I was just diagnosed with PCOS last week too! I'm not overweight though, nor do I have facial hair.

gi-jane thanks alot for the recomendation do you know if i can find the book in borders, or any other book store??

It's on both the Amazon and Borders websites fairly cheap because it's been in print quite a long time. http://www.borders.co.uk/book/the-low-gi-guid e-to-managing-pcos/266891/   Like I say, I know people that have found it to be a real eye-opener, have made a few dietary changes and seen some benefits.  Dietary changes helping PCOS sufferers were also featured on a BBC Radio 4 programme called 'Check Up' back in January last year.   Really interesting listening with some good links on their website  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/checkup_2 0080110.shtml

Hi. I have PCOS too.  I was diagnosed about 8 years ago, and have been on Metformin since.  About 2 weeks after starting the metformin, I had my first period in about a year!  My carb/sugar/chocolate cravings also decreased pretty much instantly.  It gave me the will power to go from 262 lbs to 172 lbs. After reaching 172, I adjust my metformin dose based on what is needed to keep my periods regular, we figure that is a good indicator of have normal hormonal balance.  At 262 lbs, that was 2000mg/day.  At 172 lbs, I only need 500mg/day to keep my periods regular.  My weight has crept up over the last year to 190, and my periods are getting irregular (but still coming), which indicates that I need to get in to my doctor and adjust my dose up a bit.

You might want to cosider the South Beach diet.  It is designed to address the problem of insulin resistance.  Insulin resistance is the root cause of PCOS.  In my opinion, it is the best way to lose weight for anyone with PCOS.  And the metformin can help you to be even more successful!

Metformin worked for me...and still does.  When i was diagnosed, I had been trying to get pregnant but only had 1-2 periods a year.  Within 2 months of starting Metformin, I got my first and one again a couple of months later, after that my periods were regular (32 day cycle for me, not 28) and I was pregnant within a year.  Incidently within 6 months of starting Metformin I lost a noticable amount of weight without changing my eating or activity habits.

I am now at an even lower weight, 2 babies later, and I still take Metformin becuase I know I have insulin resistance issues.  I don't plan to have more kids, and frankly I am a bit scared that if I stop Metformin I will gain my weight back.  I told my doc that I feel I have a bit of a psychological dependency on it, but he said that the drug is not harmful and I am taking only what is prescribed, so he is willing to prescribe it until I want to stop or I drop below a normal weight (hahahaha...that'll never happen - I'm still obese at 180 pounds and 5'3''.)

Hey!  Im 20 and im insulin resistant and have pcos.  ive lost 33 lbs so far using metformin, exercising, watching calories, and basically eating lowish carb/low glycemic stuff.  ive still got a ways to go and the weight is coming off very very slowly, but its coming off though.   good luck!