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I was diagnosed today with polycystic ovarian syndrome. I had made an appointment to discuss my symptoms (fatigue, unexplained weight gain, sudden/rapid hair loss, menstrual problems etc.) thinking perhaps it was a thyroid issue. I learned today that my bloodwork showed abnormal female and male hormone levels and it also showed a pretty severe vitamin D deficiency. I will be taking a once weekly prescription vitamin D supplement but she also mentioned wanting to put me on Metformin. I'm going in on Friday to discuss the PCOS diagnosis & Metformin medication in more detail. Anyway, I don't really know anything about this condition other than that I've heard it causes infertility. Thankfully, our family is complete so I am not concerned about that aspect of this. I would just love to hear any information from those of you who have this or know about it. How do you manage symptoms, what medications/supplements do you take, does it affect your life in any way? Should I also be discussing this with my OB/Gyn doctor or an endocrinologist? (I was diagnosed by my primary doctor.) I haven't felt like myself in a long time, so I'm glad to have an answer - I just wish I knew more about it. Any and all advice/information is welcome & appreciated - thank you!
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I was recently diagnosed with PCOS as well, so I'll be watching your responses carefully! My OB put me on birth control until we're ready to ttc #2. I've found a good website that matches your symptoms to the best bc pill, and it's helped me understand PCOS better. Best of luck!
http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm
I have PCOS and tried all of the usual methods with no relief. I began taking 500 mg of magnesium daily and I barely have any symptoms now. I cannot even begin to describe how much it has helped me. Please feel free to contact me via PM if you would like to discuss any details. I highly recommend that you try the magnesium. Prescriptions aren't always best for your body. I am not against conservative medicine, but if you can do it naturally and reap the benefits, why not? It won't hurt to try it for awhile, so you really have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain. Good luck:)
I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 30's and am not 41. I'm at work so I can't type the whole story, but if you have any questions please ask. I like to help. BTW we have twin girls that are about to turn 3!
Edit: yes I have diabetes, but also thyroid disease. I think it is from not being diagnosed with the PCOS for so long.
I've had the Vit D deficiency. I took 60,000 IUs 1/x per week for 6 weeks, then moved to 1000 IU/day (when I remember!) for maintenance. This is really important as lack of Vit D will put you at much higher risk for osteoporosis later in life. I think you will find that you feel "better" after this change -- hard to explain, but happier, more relaxed, more energy, but in a natural, not weird or extreme way. Re: the PCOS, this goes along with high blood sugar and diabetes. You can control/reduce/eliminate the PCOS by changing your diet and losing weight. The first changes will be hard, but I recommend trying to eliminate sugar from your diet to see how you feel. Also, if you can get a little exercise, that helps so much! Try a walk for 30 min every night after dinner. You will lower your blood sugar, gain energy, and maybe even lose some weight (everyone wants this, right?) The PCOS messes up all of your internal hormones, so you can either take the medicine to interrupt this, or you can do it on your own. On your own is harder, but worth it since it isn't medicinal and at the end it is healthier. Depends really on how high your blood sugar is already and how extreme the PCOS is. Also, doctors want to Rx meds, so they will be biased in favor of the Metformin (which is really a diabetes treatment.) You don't need it though. Cut out the sugar, reduce the overall carbs, take your vitamins, and you don't need the metformin. I had gestational diabetes in 3 pregnancies so I know alot about carb control. I also recommend taking alpha lipoic acid and chromium. GNC has something called Chromium GTC (glucose tolerance factor) which is the best. These two things help your body's cells use blood sugar more effectively (reduces insulin insensitivity.) I would suggest reading the Atkins book, and maybe something about diabetes and PCOS -- I'm sure you can get these at the library for free. Best of luck. I know this is hard now, but you will feel much better soon.
I'm glad that they were able to diagnose the hormone irregularities as well as the Vitamin D deficiency. I'm concerned that the doc only has you on a once weekly prescription for that. Not sure how low you were but even if you were at a "0", you need to have a minimum of 5000IU of Vitamin D to begin to be in the range of 50-90 for normal. Please check with your physician on this. Best of luck!
Ask your ob to consider prescribing you anti-androgenic oral contraceptives. This sounds scary but it isn't. It is simply selecting oral contraceptives that do not encourage/increase the secretion of testosterone in your body and may actually suppress it (thereby reducing some, but not all of your symptoms.
My daughter has this also. A woman with polycystic ovary symdrom has a greater chance of diabetes and heart failure. Google it and get some more complete info.
