Im 20 years old, and i have never had regular periods. i have been on alot of diffrent birth controls for the past 7 years. My Dr. told me that i have pcos last year. she didnt give me any meds or tell me anything that i didnt already know. I am so sick of the symptoms! it makes me feel disgusting and depressed. My fiance and i have been together for 4 years. he doesnt know much about my symptoms, because im deathly afraid he would think im gross if he knew. he knows that when we try to have kids. its not going to be easy, but we both really want a family.
basicaly im really upset that this had to happen to me, but what do ya do? i would just like to feel like im not alone in this.
I am a big believer that the body can heal itself if given the right tools, however it usually comes down to this, our American diet sucks-it is delicious, but it is bad for us. Here are some great health tips from a blog I came across on PCOS and it worked several times over for the author:
Treating PCOS, Au Naturel
In my experience and based on the studies that I have done, there are 3 main things that can really make a difference for those with PCOS:
1. Break the vicious cycle of SUGAR!
Sugar is an incredibly addictive substance, and this is the cycle that it perpetuates: crave sugar, eat something sugary, feel great while on a sugar high, begin to crash as blood sugar levels drop, feel like garbage, crave sugar, eat something sugary, and on and on, ad nauseum.
This is a particularly big problem for the woman with PCOS and here’s why: Hormones are intricately related to blood sugar balance and insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone and all of our hormones work together in a very delicate little dance. When one oversteps its boundaries, the others fall out of line.
Additionally, sugar contributes greatly to weight gain and obesity. Being overweight contributes to hormonal imbalance, as fat stores are directly related to levels of some hormones. Many women with PCOS find that as soon as they are able to lose a bit of weight, their cycle begins to regulate itself.
2. Eat real food.
Those who knew me back in the day would get a good chuckle out of seeing the crunchy, granola-loving, health nut that I’ve become. My four food groups used to consist of coffee, things that are white (sugar, flour, potatoes, cheese, pasta), a few non-vegetable vegetables (like iceberg lettuce, baby corn and canned tomato sauce), and chocolate. Well-rounded, no?
What I learned as I began to study the way that my body worked and what it needed is this– my body was craving nutrients that it could not get from the processed foods I was eating. I needed to ditch the industrial convenience and comfort foods, and learn to eat whole, real foods full of nutrients that would nourish my body and ensure that it had what it needed to function well.
Here’s my basic philosophy of eating: Eat only foods that were created to be food (no chemicals, dyes, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, modified ingredients, GMO, etc.) and eat them whole, complete and as close to the way that they were created as possible.
Also, be sure to consume a variety of good, old-fashioned fats. For me, these include extra virgin olive oil, organic coconut oil, grass-fed butter, lots of wild fish, avocados, nuts and seeds and more. Healthy fats are a crucial component to hormone balance.
3. Get your body moving.
Nothing helps to break the cycle of insulin resistance, which often leads to Type II diabetes down the road, like getting active and fit.
For many of the women that I’ve known who also have PCOS, regular exercise is a necessary ingredient for weight loss and maintenance, and to bring some regularity to their cycle.
It doesn’t have to be time-consuming or elaborate to be effective. Taking walks or jogs in the evening, doing a 20 minute exercise video a few mornings a week, or playing a game of soccer at the park with your kids. It all helps and it’s that consistent physical activity that does the most to balance things out.
:: Additionally, there are many natural treatments that can help as well, including detoxification, herbs, vitamin and mineral supplementation, homeopathics, to name a few. I have used many of these to add to what I am already doing and have often found them to be useful and effective.
It still needs to be said, though, that there is no magic pill, no one supplement or miracle food that will do the job. Living healthfully with PCOS requires a lifestyle change, but it is worth it every step of the way.
(simplehomemade.net)
So glad you found the site!
Hugs-
CK
Ive lost weight, gained it, lost it agian, then gained it all back, but having to wax my mustache has not changed...
I to have been up and down with weight. I guess working out would help but i dont know
I am new to pcos and i am 29. I was mad when i found out about my problem. The sideaffects of metforman do suck. I take mine aftet dinnet and may only have to get up once in the night to use the bathroom or have heart burn. I feel for you and know your pain.
Hey there, I can definitely relate...I'm 21 and was just diagnosed last year..I've never had a normal period, was made fun of a couple times in high school for excess hair and being overweight and in a way it was almost a relief to know that there really was a reason why..It sucks trying to get pregnant, I'm not on any medication..but all I can do is take it as it comes...You'll get pregnant one day, if your boyfriend truly cares he won't (or at least won't say) it bothers him..It's frustrating and depressing, but maybe if you do tell him, his support will help..I know my boyfriends support really helped me!
I'm 28 and was diagnosed with PCOS 4 years ago. The symptoms are indeed annoying. I'm sure that a healthy diet and exercise would help -- and I'm working on that. I've been on metformin since I was diagnosed, and it has helped. Stick with it, because the side effects don't last more than a couple weeks. Now I have no side effects at all. And, it helps decrease the chances of becoming hyperglycemic, which is a complication of PCOS. Even my OB-GYN said not to be concerned with the diagnosis, and to come back when I'm pregnant! Haha. Hopefully it's that easy.... If you guys have more metformin questions, just let me know...
I was diagnosed just over a month ago now. I am having a very hard time dealing with it currently also. They put me on Zovia ( low dose birth control) and just started me on metformin a week ago. starting with 1 pill a day for the first week and increasing to 2 next week and on,. the birth control is almost up for this month, and it has me so overly emotional ( i have been crying for over a day now, ) and has made my face break out. so i feel your pain. it sucks for sure.
I dont know about ya'll but i take 1500 mg of glumetza and i still have missed periods late or early. I was told the meds would regulate me but my body still wants to do what ever it wants. I too hate PCOS! Its confusing as heck.
I think BPA and "enriched flours" have alot to do with it.
I have posted this to someone else, but I believe it is worth re-stating: I performed an experiment on myself. For 3 weeks I cut out canned foods (cans contain BPA often), didn't use tupperware or plastics (also BPA, even ones that say BPA free have chemicals so similar to BPA that they are thought to disrupt the endocrine system just the same), and I also cut out foods that are processed that say "enriched flour" in the ingredients. I lost a few lbs. After that 3 weeks, I stayed on a 45g carb per meal diet as I was doing, still exercised the same amount, but began eating foods from cans, eating pita chips(contains enriched flours) and using tupperware again. I gained 6 pounds in 3 weeks.
Now as a scientist I know correlation does not always equal causation, but one of my areas of research is how "enriched flours" and BPA affect hormone regulations. Again, in my experiment on myself I found a correlation, because obviously some factors were slightly different (i.e. time of the month). But, in my actual research in the lab and in other scientists' papers, the facts don't lie.
I only tell these things because I hope that they can benefit all of us when it comes to the struggles with PCOS with weight, inconsistent periods, etc., because it is all HORMONE problems, and things like BPA are endocrine (hormone) disruptors, while enriched flours contain B vitamins (associated with weight issues when consumed in too large amounts).
I too hate pcos. I don't know how to treat it without insurance