Help for those suffering from PCOS x.

[mjml]

I went to my doctor today and found out that the route cause of my PCO was due to my pancreas creating insulin (blood sugar) at  a normal rate but my body using it too fast causing cysts to grow on my overies but somehow just by changing my diet (unaware this would help at the time) and my lifestyle last year i rid myself of cysts and actually had 3/4 periods on time until i became pregnant. it was only cause i couldn't eat properly with morning sickness &keep up my exercise because i was so ill that a cyst grew on my womb while i was pregnant and caused my miscarriage! He gave me a website to look this all up on and i've spent all morning reading it and am amazed that something is finally being done to start a cure on this painful illness. website is http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/index.php please let me know if you find any success in controlling PCOS I have and I didn't even know i was doing it lol finally something to smile about x

[amandar]

Wow, you have really educated me. I had no idea that once a person got preg the cysts could cause a m/c. I have only became preg twice, both ended in a m/c. The dr put me on clomid with no results of ovulating, it is so frustrating and heart breaking at the same time. Thanks for posting and I really thank you for the link, I am about to look it up. What type of diet were you on? I don't have a period at all unless the dr puts me on birth control or provera.

[lou677]

it sounds like im same as you . i also dont av a peroid unless i take provera i have pcos they say i have no other symptons apart from irregular or lack of peroids which means i dont ovualate i tried clomid which did nothing for my follicles ive just finished injections which worked but im still not pregnant i suffered cysts and as far as i no still av a cyst from the drug my next step is ovarian drilling or move straight to ivf ..

[amandar]

Have you tried metformin and clomid together? I am on met right but but still no af. I will give it a little while long though. I have only been on it for about 3 weeks. I heard a lot of success stories about the two drugs combined.

[melissa_c]

I also have to take provera every single month in order to get a period.  I am going back to the doctor again to request a referral to a specialist again this month because a previous gyno told me that I do have PCOS but the GP tells me I don't....even though she prescribed me a never ending supply of Provera...I have been taking it every month for about a year and half now.  She told me it would help bring my period back on its own...but each time I skipped a month there would be no period.  I recently...I would say about 2 or 2 and half weeks ago cut out most carbs from my diet.  I try to only allow carbs in vegetables and stay away from all others.  Since doing this, I have lost about 8 lbs...and on CD11 CD12 & CD13 I had extemely light spotting.   It then went away.  Then yesterday CD21 I had  more spotting...this time a little more than the three days and it actually made me think AF was coming early on its own but then it stopped completely the same day and today there has been nothing.  It is really confusing...I'm not sure if it is my body trying to start AF on its own again or not. This is the first time in at least a year though that I have even had spotting without Provera...oh and with exercising 6 days a week and eating healthy I could never lose a pound..but with no carbs I have lost 8.

[amandar]

Congrats on the weight loss!! I heard (but I don't know how true it is) that provera just causes induced bleeding so it's not a 'true' period, therefore you won't ovulate. I don't know how true that is but it kinda makes since. It sounds like your AF is trying to come on. I've read on the internet that the most effective solution to PCOS is weight loss. It sounds like you have proven that. Keep up the good work and keep us posted. That's so exciting to hear success stories. Good luck to you.

[melissa_c]

Thank you!  Next to nothing carbs is hard...especially since I am not a meat person at all. lol.  Yeah the provera does not help you ovulate...my doctor told me that but she said that taking the provera should make my body remember that it should do it on its own.  That has never worked but I do think that the weight loss and lack of carbs...sugar has helped too.
How is the metformin working out for you?  I have read that the metformin has great results for helping with weight loss because it helps with the insulin resistance.  I hope it is working for you!

[amandar]

Hi. To be honest, I can't really tell if the metformin is working or not. It seems that I am hungrier more now then I was before taking it. I heard a decreased appetite is a side effect but I haven't read anything about an increased appetite. I have been taking it for about a month now. I haven't started AF yet. Although, about a week ago I was having some cramping but they have went away since then. I am considering going off the metformin and just diet and exercise like I should to get my AF back to normal. I'll give the met a few more weeks but if I don't notice anything by then then I will go off of it.

[melissa_c]

Your doctor didn't give you something else to induce AF?  From what I have read the only way that the metformin helps to get AF back to normal is through it helping with insulin resistance and therefore weight loss.  I haven't taken it but from reading about it I believe most doctors prescribe something else to induce AF if it has been a while since you have had one.  Are you also starting clomid when AF comes?  Good Luck though, I hope it does start working for you.  

[amandar]

Hi. No my dr. didn't give me anything else. Just the met. BC pills always worked for me but since I want to become preg. it wasn't an option this time. I tried provera and clomid a few cycles but according to my bbt temps in the am I wasn't ovulating with clomid. Although I only did 2 or 3 cycles with clomid. As the dosage increased the hot flashes and mood swings were almost unbearable. I think my main prob. is my weight. There is nothing wrong with my insulin. All my lab work has came back fine, except my cholesterol was slightly high (212). But I expected that with my weight. DH and I want a baby so bad and we have been trying for about 3 yrs with no luck (1 miscarriage about 3 yrs ago). I think it's time for me to get on the ball and get this diet and exercise thing under control and try to be healthier before I even consider pregnancy at the moment. Thanks for all your help and concerns. It really helps knowing people care :)

[melissa_c]

Past docs of mine have wanted to put me on BC pills to regulate my cycle but I was on the Depo shot for a year and that is when I gained weight and started having all of my problems and therefore I refuse any BC.  My current doc doesn't think that anything is wrong with me but the fact that I have to take provera every month to have AF I think is an issue.  This month has been really strange though.  It has been a really long time since I had any AF whatsoever without the provera and this month on CD 11, 12, & 13 I had some light spotting.  That then went away and on CD 21 I had just a little bit of blood when I wiped just once a little more light spotting that day and that too went away.  On CD 24 I was due to take my monthly dose of provera and even though I have never had a BFP I still took a HPT first.  It was negative like always so I took my pill.  That would make AF start yesterday.  Yesterday I did have spotting almost all day but then a couple hours before I went to bed it just stopped and so far today there has been no more spotting and it never progressed to regular AF.  I have a dr. apt finally tomorrow which I planned on having CD 3 bloodwork done but I guess that won't go exactly as planned.  
I hope the metformin has started working for you and that you will get your BFP soon.

[red808]

That is great that you cured yourself of PCOS.  But not everyone can just cahnge their diet  and tada be cured.  I don't think that PCOS is curable (and will never come back.)  

[Mishy_88]

i was diagnosed over a month ago and am currently on metformin and my appetite has actually decreased, i can barely finish anything i eat so i eat smaller portions now and i've only been on it for over a month now. wen i first started i took one pill a day for two weeks and now i take two a day. i see that some of u don't see a period, i actually have never missed a period, it came twice a month, heavily for over a year once but its been been back to once a month for over two years now. i really find all ur input very helpful, i have a doctors appointment next friday and my doc said he will be putting me on fertility meds even though the metformin increases fertility.

[amandar]

That is very strange. It almost seems like AF is trying to come on its own... I wonder if that could actually be implantation bleeding?? If so, then I think it would of been too early to see a BFP. Maybe your doctor will schedule a beta. I am pretty new to all this so I might not be in any position to give advice..lol. I hope everything goes well for you tomorrow.

[amandar]

I am so glad the met has been working for you. How many mgs are you on? I just recently stopped it. I was on 1000mg/day. I know deep down that I should have probably kept taking it since it does some times take a few months to regulate AF. I don't know if it was due to the met or what but I just stayed hungry all the time. I heard that it will decrease your appetite but I never heard about increasing it. I haven't taken it in a about a week, still no period, but not as hungry any more. Maybe it was just psychological but even so, it was very aggravating to know that I am trying to loose weight but constantly being hungry. I have heard of doctors using other methods along with metformin. It does increase your chances of conceiving by regulating your cycle, but it won't (if I'm not mistaking) induce ovulation like Clomid or other fertility meds. I wish you the best of luck in this frustrating journey of TTC..

[Mishy_88]

i am on the same dosage u r on. wat i do notice is that if u miss pills u start felling hungry all the time again. my doc said that the metformin can actually make u ovulate spontaneously but u have to keep in mind that even though i have PCOS i have a regular period and i have never missed one.  

[amandar]

I had no idea that it made you ovulate spontaneously!! A friend of mine who is on 1000 mg of met told me today that when she first started taking the pill she felt hungry all the time but once it got in her system her appetite started to decrease. I guess I didn't give it long enough to start working. I think I am going to sit the next few cycles out and try to focus on loosing weight before I get back on this fertility kick again. My doctor told me that if you are overweight and are TTC then some times all it takes is loosing a few pounds. I need to anyway, even if it doesn't help with my fertility it will still help with my health. That's good that you have reg. AF, at least you wont have to rely on pills to get that started too.

[nurseaudrea]

I have a success story to share. I was diagnosed with PCOS many years ago. My dr told me I would have to use metformin and clomid to help get pregnant. I wanted it so bad. I had been trying for 5 years not understanding why nothing was happening. We were trying almost every night and taking so many readings. all coming back negative.
So now that I know I have PCOS it seemed almost impossible to get preg and have a baby. I never had my periods, or mabey twice a year. I finally decided to lose some weight using the Atkins protocol. It worked great. Once I was down to my goal weight, my periods started coming on more frequently. Still not every month but at least 4-6 times a year. I was still told I would have to take metformin to help with the preg. Well, at that time I figured it is what it is and if God wants to bless me with a child then I will just wait and see what happens. We went about our usual business and did not use protection, because we were told I could not get preg without help. Well, it happened, I got pregnant. I was in such shock and did not believe it. I took 6 more tests just to be sure. I guess since I lost all that weight it really helped making my hormones act the way they were supposed to. I carried my baby to full term and had a healthy little girl. She is now 3 yr old. I have noticed if you keep your weight below a certain level it gets  mush better. I still get cysts on my ovaries but they don't grow to be that big and they don't cause any pains/ it's like I don't even know they are there.    
I also have a sister in law who can't get pregnant because of this. She is a good 50 pounds overweight. If she lost the weight I am thinking things would turn around for her as well. It is harder for her to lose weight for some reason.  

Audrea

[amandar]

Hey. It's always nice to hear a success story. Thank you for sharing. I was on met and clomid but not at the same time. I felt I should, like you, try to lose weight and see what happens from there. My goal weight loss is about 80lbs. I read online that a weight loss of even as little as 10% of your current weight can some times control PCOS. How much weight did you loose? I don't have AF unless I have taken something to jump start it. I think losing weight will help it come on its own. Fingers crossed. Are the cysts painful? I don't have any pain. When AF is here I really don't have any pain either. Just a heavy flow. Provera does make my stomach hurt like crazy but I fig. it was just due to the meds.