[romegirl]

Thanks to Anthony for adding this section...

I have PCOS, Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, which effects only women, and is a large cause of infertility in women. I began this low-carb lifestyle to address not only type 2 diabetes but also PCOS, in the hope that my PCOS symptoms will be addressed, as has been the case for many other cysters.

I've already lost 14 lbs, and plan to continue losing, but have not yet noticed any effect on my PCOS.

I'd love to hear from anyone else on this...

Amanda
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Amanda
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[Catkayne98]

Just was told I had PCOS after a Vaginal ultrasound on Monday.
Never considered this, as I never had trouble conceiving. I had a hysterectomy 3 years ago - Partial - still have those pesky ovaries which are covered in cysts).
Doc started me on Metformin - 500 mg a day - next week 1000 and the week after that 1500. My appetite is low and I spend alot of time in the potty, but I am doing ok other than that.

Cathy
215/165/120

[Dingie_Dinah]

(((((((((((((((((((((Cathy))))))))))))))))))))))))
Never had this problem. My heart goes out to you. It must be he## living with this. Take care of yourself.
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Dingie Dinah
Stella Style since 5/2003

May you always have
Love to Share,
Health to Spare,
And Friends Who Care

"Nothing Tastes as Good as Thin and Healthy Feels"

'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'

[wiredfoxterror]

My sister has PKD, and her bladder and uterus also have cysts. I wonder if this WOE is good for PKD too?

She had a kidney transplant a few years ago, but they do not remove the bad kidneys! So she still gets the cyst pains even tho the kidneys do not function.

I have to look into this. ty
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Foxye
Started Somersizing 01/03 - 230/165/165
A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.


My Blog http://wiredfoxterror.blogspot.com/
SAVE THE EARTH IT'S THE ONLY PLANET WITH CHOCOLATE!

[crazywoman]

My daughter has PCOS, and tho I had no problem conceiving, I've wondered if I had a light case. Really don't know. Maybe not.
She went on low carb about a week & a half after I did in 2003, and she lost probably 50 some odd pounds. She had tried all kinds of other diets & exercise to no avail. Almost starved herself, and the doc said too much exercise, but no pounds lost. She just kept gaining. But low carb worked great for her. But alas, she moved in with friends who don't do low carb, and had to eat what they eat. She has gained all or most of it back.

[romegirl]

Spending lots of time on the potty is typical of new metformin therapy. It happens even when you change dosage, but I found that after a few days to a week everything balances out.

I didn't have appetite suppression, but if you don't take met on a full stomach or during your meal, you could have some stomach pain. I find it helpful to take my met during dinner--the food sort of 'cushions' the meds.

My research seems to indicate that it's really important for PCOSers to stay the low-carb WOE for life.
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Amanda
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[low_carb_skinny_chick]

I was diagnosed with PCOS in Oct/Nov of 2003 via blood hormone levels. My FSH to LH ratio was almost 4:1. I was obese, covered in acne, had hair growing where is shouldn't have been, had excessively oily skin, excessive perspiration, dandruff, and I was losing my hair on the top of my head, and had a very bad case of depression. I also had a miscarriage. I started low carbing immediately before even seeing my endocrinologist. I had lost about 20 pounds by the time I saw my endocrinologist who ran more blood and ordered a 5 hour GTT. I am not insulin resistant, so she decided not to put me on Met. She told me to continue doing what I was doing - eating lower/smarter carb and exercise.

I became pregnant again in April of 2004 after losing around 20 more pounds, but unfortunately ended up with a Partial Hydatiform Mole Pregnancy (PMP). I was doctor enforced to stop trying to conceive for 1 year after the PMP, so I was able to just focus on getting healthy. I had got down to 128 pounds in July of 2005, but I was too skinny. I feel more comfortable around 135 pounds. I have been fluctuating between 130 and 140 pounds for about 9 months now, but had a slip up that started on Mothers Day and was up to 150 pounds . I got addicted to sugar again and had to go through withdrawal.

I haven't had any issues with my PCOS symptoms in about a year and a half now. I believe that my PCOS is currently in remission. My last blood check in May of 2005 had my ratio down to 2:1. My hypoglycemia hasn't bothered me in about 3 months. My endocrinologist said that it would go away if I continued with my low/smarter carb way of life. If I go back to the bad eating, my hypoglycemia will return and the PCOS symptoms will return, and I will more than likely end up with diabetes.

I hope that my story can help you out. Let me know if you have any questions.
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My Fitday

[frannyq]

Hi! I just wanted to post my story and offer some encouragement to my fellow cysters! I have two beautiful children, 8 and 2. Both times I conceived I was on a low-carb regimen (1st time Zone Diet and 2nd time Atkins). Reducing carbs is the only way I've been able to lose weight at all. Currently I'm at my heaviest ever, because I keep wanting to eat "normal" foods and am constantly tempted by all the high-carb offerings in our society. I am thrilled to have found some good sugar (whey low) and flour (low carb diet chef's lite white blend) alternatives so that I can make some good food at home. Having the Stella Style recipes is making all the difference! My dh loves to eat out, and that is my downfall. Now I hope to be able to cook him some satisfying meals at home that won't trip me up! I've learned that eating carbs, for me, is a "slippery slope" that just leads to piling on the pounds. I'm looking forward to making good use of the support and resources available on this website! Thanks for sharing your tips and recipes!!
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[ccheaath]

Hi to all you PCOS. I was diagnosed over a year and half ago. By my general practictioner & OB/GYN. I had vaginal ultrasound and an endrometrial biopsy. Let me first just tell anyone who has not had the biopsy make them give you something for the pain. All I can say is OUCH!!!!! Both my Drs. wanted to put me on birth control pills to try and control my hormones. I'll admit I did what they told me for like the first 3mons. But every single kind of pills made me sick to my stomach. At the time I was smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day and sleeping if I was lucky 4 hours a night. Suffering from major migraines 3 to 4 times a month. One night I was helping one of the other nurses sign the nightly drug order in. I noticed the drug alerts and started reading them. It was discussing birth control pills, migraines and smoking on the risk of stroke. I can't quite remember the stats exactly but it was something like this women on birth control who smoke are 3times more likely to suffer a stroke. Women who smoke , are one birth control pills and suffer from migraines are 8 times more likely to suffer a stroke. Now mind you I was about to turn 35 my hubby had had a stroke 4yrs ago. And we have a 7 yr old daughter. So I went home from work that day and threw away the pills. Yeah I know what you must be thinking the pills, why not the BUTTS. I was addicted. Please notice I said was, I have since quit. Smoking that is. That was 9 months ago. I haven't seen either Dr. or taken any pills. I still have a lot of my sypmtoms. I wanted have a complete hysterectomy when I was first diagnosised, but NO. The Drs said no. Mind you I also had my tubes tied over 6 years ago. They have no idea what it is like to have hair growing where it shouldn't , to have hotflashes and pelvic wall and abnominal pains that would knock a horse over. Never mind the period every 2 weeks. OH you heard me right. The only good thing is since is started LCing it, feeling a little better. Maybe I should go back to the doctors.

Sorry for the ramble, but I figured if anyone could understand my gripes you all could. Thanks for listening

Cherie

[frannyq]

Cherie,

Congrats on quitting smoking! I can't say I understand what it's like to quit, but I've been told it's one of the hardest things to do - ever. My dad took 40 years to quit smoking! I'm not a medical professional and can't advise you about the pills, but I can only speak from experience. Going LC helped me to have normal periods; there are things you can do for the hair growth, and there are meds to help with the insulin resistance. I would suggest finding a doctor you can talk to about all your concerns, who will listen! Not always easy, but so worth the search. A great web resource is www.pcosupport.org. That's where I got started about 10 years ago! They have a lot of helpful info. and supportive "cysters" to help you through this awful disease. Something that makes you fat, hairy, and pimply is sure not easy to live with, I know!
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[ccheaath]

Franny, thanks for the advice. I will check out that website. I have a doctor who I can talk to, he just doesn't always listen to me. Like when I wanted to have my tubes tied. I was only 28 with one child. At my 6 week checkup I was like I want my tubes tied. He was like lets wait a year and see how you feel about that. You may change your mind and decide to have more kids. Well needless to say every appointment with him for me or my daughter I would broach the subject with the same response. So a year later I had them tied. But the problems with my ovaries started alomst 2 years ago. But maybe I can find an OB/GYN who will do what I want. I personally am sick of having my period every 2 weeks. Believe it or not the hair growth and pimples bother me a whole lot less than this part of my symptoms. Kind of hard to marital relations like that. Again thanks for the support.

Cherie

[mellaf]

I was diagnosed a few years ago with PCOS and make it one of my life goals to know what I'm dealing with. My Doc loves it cause I go to him armed with some of the recent studies/treatment options and talk with him about it.

At the moment, I'm about to start low-carb again, taking metformin 2000mg/day, a prenatal vitamin (when we were TTC, now I just take them because they'll still give me the nutrients I need and I have a years' prescription for it). I'm also taking Spironolactone for the hair problem.

It was definitely an eye opener when I was diagnosed. I hate not knowing about what's going on with my body, so I am always trolling the websites for new information.

My Doc and I had a frank discussion at my yearly physical about my weight. He told me that if Low-Carb makes me feel good, then definitely keep going with it. My insulin level dropped in the past year due to low-carbing and watching what I ate. He was very pleased with the progress with the insulin level. I was never in the range for actually being diabetic, but it was very close. We also talked about other options for weight loss--pills, exercise, and the surgery. I told him I'd consider the surgery, but that I wanted to do it on my own terms more. Especially seeing Stella Style I know I can do it on my own if I try hard enough.

Anyways, I always love to talk PCOS with people who know what I'm going through, so toss me a line sometime if anyone wants to talk about it.
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Best Fortune Cookie Message Ever: "May you have a healthy appetite"

[ccheaath]

Melinda, thanks for the information. I have to admit you taught me quite a bit. Very soon my GP and I are going to have a serious conversation. I appreciate to thoughts.

Cherie

[mellaf]

I'm glad I could help!

PCOS was first brought up by a Doc who didn't really know much about it. She sent me for an ultrasound and when my ovaries did not show any cysts, she told me I didn't have it and never pursued it further. I listened to her and just let things go and thought it was just my bad eating habits causing the weight problem.

The actual diagnosis was not until about 2 years later, when I switched from an oral birth control pill to the Patch and as scary as it was, I'm glad that I ended up in the Emergency Room (if you want to know exactly why, E-Mail me for the details...It's not exactly diet-related... melinda.lafleur@comcast.net) I saw another doctor after being released from the hospital and the new Doc said he knew right away I had it by my body shape and medical history. He sent me to a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) and from that point on, I read everything I could about the syndrome.

The best thing to know is what is happening with your body.

I brought up a recent preliminary study about using Xenical versus Metformin that was in one of the medical journals. Instead of just brushing off the study's findings, he flat out told me that he personally had not prescribed it to any of his patients but knew of it and pulled out the drug information. We talked about it and he told me if I wanted to try it, that was my choice and my body. We decided against it because of some of the side effects were worse than the benefits. I had never had a Doctor talk to me the way this one does. He confessed to me he wished more of his patients were as proactive in treatment as I was.

It's the best advice I could give anyone about any medical condition. Only you know how you feel and how the medicines make you feel.
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Best Fortune Cookie Message Ever: "May you have a healthy appetite"

[ccheaath]

Since posting here the other day, I have done some serious internet searches and got myself armed with some really good info, so my next appointment my doctor will either listen to me, Or I am finding another md. I hate to even think about it because he has been my doc since I left the pediatric center as a teenager. He knows me well and we are both comfertable with each other. I wouldn't say he doesn't listen as much want me to see things his way, if they don't agree with my way of viewing things. All in all he is a good doctor.

Cherie