Hello all alongside my hypothyroidism I also have pcos. I had appointment today with fertility doctor who basically informs me im not ovulating my testosterone was high my sex binding hormone as a result was low as was my progesterone levels. He basically sent me away too lose weight which since being hypo I struggle with its a vicious circle I need too exercise but sometimes have very bad fatigue I can't and I also get really hungry in two weeks before menstrual cycle about the time I should be ovulating. Is there anyone here with both pcos/hypo? How do you lose weight? Anyone tried myo insonitol? I don't want metformin again as I have issues with low b12 and iron.
I had blood test yesterday but I'm yet too get results. Feeling pretty sad tonight my lovely little miracle is getting big now and would make such a lovely big sister I waited four years for her and been trying again for 2.5 years I lost my second baby early this year 😢
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nettiboo1982
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I've looked back at some of your previous posts and saw that you have an awful lot of things on your plate - poorly treated hypothyroidism, pcos, B12 deficiency which isn't being treated with injections, very low ferritin that isn't being treated with infusions. Do you have diabetes as well? Why were you given Metformin?
You also mentioned in one of your posts that you were being tested for Cushing's Disease. Were the tests positive or negative?
If your doctors are giving you advice that suggests you need to exercise more with all those health problems going on, it suggests to me that you are being very poorly advised. If your FT3 is low for example, then exercising will reduce it further, your metabolism will slow down even more, and you are going to feel more tired and are likely to gain more weight. I also wonder if you've been advised to keep to a low calorie diet or a low fat diet? Eating too little is going to make your deficiencies even worse, will slow you down even more, will leave you with less energy. You must feel exhausted 24 hours a day.
I had major gynaecological problems including multiple ovarian cysts of two different types - "chocolate" and functional. Any attempt to get rid of them failed and I constantly produced more. I was never told I had pcos though. I went through IVF during the early 90s, got pregnant three times, and lost them all. I was also told by the IVF clinic that my thyroid was "borderline" (whatever that means) but they thought it was unnecessary to treat. I suspect (with lots of hindsight) the untreated thyroid problem had a lot to do with me losing all my pregnancies, and was responsible for the multiple ovarian cysts I had.
I think a lot of your health problems might improve, and you might lose weight, if you improve the things you can. How are your ferritin and B12 levels now? How well is your hypothyroidism treated now? Do you have a full set of results including T3? I can't believe your thyroid treatment is actually doing you any good with such terribly low ferritin and B12 as you posted about in the last few months. How well do you actually feel? Do you eat gluten free? I think until you have improved your nutrients and got your thyroid treated well, that you should forget about your weight and forget about exercising. At the moment you are just punishing yourself by trying to diet and exercise. I didn't start losing weight until I started eating a lower carb and higher fat diet, and started treating myself with T3 only. And even then it was months before the weight started coming off, very slowly, and I still have some way to go.
I can't help you with your sex hormone levels - they are a completely closed book to me.
PCOS can be linked to hypothyroidism. It has been known for PCOS to completely disappear when hypothyroidism is properly treated. It seems to me you need to take control of the hypothyroidism and see whether other things improve too. You could work on your iron and B12 levels with supplements, even if you aren't being treated with injections and infusions.
Post your results when you get them and I'm sure someone will make suggestions for you. I hope things improve for you soon.
Thank you both for your replies I take iron daily and alternate b12 and b complex vitamins I had a blood test Wednesday so hopefully will know results today. My GP is the most unhelpful there is basically if the numbers are right in fine most doctors aren't great take for instance yesterday the gynaecologist I saw said he wouldn't help me as I had fallen pregnant naturally yet the blood tests I just had Wednesday showed I wasn't ovulating my male hormones were too high and sex binding was out so how is that not worthy of help? Either way I argued my point and he is now prepared too see me if I get my bmi too the right zone. I feel better than I have done I think due too b vits but quite obviously something isn't working inside
Hi human bean sorry for late reply I take jarrows b12 5000mcg and Thorne basic b complex I don't take them together because I feel a bit odd when I do I will try them together again too see how I go
Perhaps you could try cutting the B12 in half, and only taking 1/2 a tablet a day - the 5000mcg may be too high a dose for you. I felt a bit odd in the early stages of taking 5000mcg, but it wore off after a while, and I did feel better for taking it eventually. After I'd finished taking the 5000mcg for a couple of months I tried reducing to the 1000mcg. It worked well most of the time but I still take the 5000mcg once or twice a week.
It's worth experimenting with supplements - but in the end we all have to listen to what our own bodies tell us and do what makes us feel most comfortable.
I subscribe to a Newsletter from the States regarding PCOS, one of the most recent covered the link between PCOS and Hypothyroidism. I am unable to post the link as it is a personal email, I will copy and paste the letter, it may duplicate the information you are already aware of, on the other hand it may help you or other readers who have the same issue.
Hi Audrey,
We all know that PCOS is a can of worms -- hard to understand, hard to control.
One of those "worms" is your thyroid gland and the hormones it produces. Optimal thyroid function and hormone levels are required for controlling weight, fertility, metabolism and so much more. There is a strong interaction between your ovaries and your thyroid.
The problem is that women with PCOS also tend to have thyroid problems of one sort or another. One example is autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease), which interferes with thyroid function and seems to be more common in women with PCOS. An autoimmune disease is where the immune system mistakenly attacks organs or tissues in the body, such as the thyroid and ovaries.
There are two thyroid hormones we're concerned about. One is T4, which is converted into a more active hormone T3. So you could have inadequate production of T4, or you could have impaired conversion of T4 into T3.
The optimization of thyroid hormones is a huge topic so let's just touch on 4 aspects today.
1) 20% of T4 to T3 conversion occurs in the intestines and is dependent on healthy gut bacteria. Gut bacteria can be healthy or unhealthy. You can promote healthy bacteria by avoiding processed foods, consuming occasional fermented foods, eating a variety of whole foods with considerable fiber, and taking probiotics (especially if you've taken antibiotics). A healthy population of gut microbes thus helps with thyroid hormone function.
2) 60% of T4 to T3 conversion occurs in the liver and is dependent on healthy liver function. The issue here is that a high percentage of women with PCOS have impaired liver function, also known as NAFLD or fatty liver congestion. It's hard to diagnose this problem but a liver ultrasound might be your best bet.
Improvement in the quality of your diet will help your liver. There are a number of supplements that also help with NAFLD, such as berberine extract and fish oil concentrate.
3) "Estrogen dominance" can lead to excess thyroid-binding proteins, which in turn limit the availability of active thyroid hormones. PCOS women frequently have estrogen dominance. The mirror side of this condition is a progesterone insufficiency. There is some speculation among researchers that high estrogen and low progesterone could alter the immune system and increase autoimmune thyroid disease.
A couple of ideas for estrogen dominance are bioidentical natural progesterone (not found in birth control pills) applied to the skin, and vitex extract (which could assist with production of progesterone). Also, vitamin D is critical for regulating the immune system, so get a vitamin D test and find out where you stand.
4) Low thyroid function can lead to low stomach acid, which impairs absorption of B12 and calcium. Note that taking metformin also reduces B12 absorption. So if you have low thyroid function and are taking metformin, you probably should be evaluated for a possible B12 deficiency.
Berberine, fish oil concentrate and vitex are all available from our online store.
For a discount, use this code at checkout: VITAMIN
Best of health!
Bill Slater, Editor PCOS Health Review
co-author of "The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility"
"We are never so much disposed to quarrel with others as when we are dissatisfied with ourselves." -- William Hazlitt
PCOS Health Review is a newsletter providing natural health information for women with PCOS or ovarian cysts.
Du D et al. The relationship between thyroiditis and polycystic ovary syndrome: a meta-analysis. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2013 Oct 25;6(10):880-9. eCollection 2013.
Hey. I suffer with both PCOS and being hypo. They don't do anything for my PCOS. My thyroid is just begining to settle and I'm starting to feel a bit more normal. I am having symptoms still but my b12 and folate were both low so I'm supplementing them. I'm sorry I don't have any answers for you but I just wanted to send my love. You sound like you are having an awful time.. I'm sure if you manage to get your thyroid under control you may lose some weight which will in tern help your PCOS
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