PCOS advice? I am lost

[KCG1016]

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16, I’m now 25, and I just feel like I wasn’t really given any advice on it at all. I had initially went to the doctors as I had really bad acne and excess body hair, I was referred to a gynaecologist and diagnosed with PCOS. I was put on the pill to try and help the acne clear up, this lead to me then putting on quite a bit of weight - which I am STILL struggling to lose. It feels like I only ever lose a couple of pounds here and there and then put them back on. It’s very frustrating and I’ve been on anti depressants a couple of times now as my confidence and overall mood has just hit rock bottom due to my struggle to lose weight, the excess hair, struggle to find a healthy relationship with food, my irregular periods and a more recent worry that I may struggle to have children. When I initially went to the doctor and got my diagnosis I was given very little information on the condition itself, how to handle it in general and just felt I wasn’t given any advice at all. The only thing I was told was to try and maintain a healthy weight (the pill didn’t really help there) and the GP said he was “sure it would be fine” in regards to me being able to have children. I’m now at a bit of a loss with what to do as I almost feel embarrassed to go back to the GP because I have no idea what to say or if I should be asking to be referred back to a gynaecologist or elsewhere. It would’ve been nice to have been advised on if there is any way to manage the excess hair (without me spending a ton on hair removal products), if there’s certain foods or supplements that can help with the condition or ones I should stay away from (I’ve googled it but I feel like I can’t find a definitive answer) and if there was an option to freeze my eggs or make sure my egg reserve is normal...just anything other than nothing. Sorry for the long post, but if anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated!

[Lou1408]

Hey, I had the same experience as you. I am 29 gonna be 30 this August.

I was diagnosed when I was 17 and was told pretty much the same thing, took the pill put on weight and have suffered bouts of depression and anxiety.

It seems that there's more information online now then there used to be and food definitely plays a major role in managing our symptoms, only like you I still struggle to keep on top of this as the moods make me comfort eat - which really doesn't help.

My only comfort to you is there is help out there when you want to have kids. I have two girls aged 4 and 2. Fortunately I had them both without aid but I will say I firmly believe my habits at the time helped majorly.

At the time I was actively exercising and eating well. I was also condlsidering taking metformin as I had read it helps (please don't jump on this straight away as I found out when you start taking this is a commitment for life practically)

I have recently been through a lot mentally so my diet and exercise regime is terrible. Looking back over this time diet and exercise definitely helped ease the symptoms, even though I've always struggled to lose weight, my symptoms of PCOS were much lower and more manageable.

Carbs really aggravate the symptoms as does sugar and lowering the dairy helps too.

Our bodies seem to need more healthy fats, protein and complex carbs and exercise to function.

I am going to look into herbal remedies too to add to this. If you want somehow we can try communicate about it then if I find anything else I can let you know.

[Carly93]

Concerning your egg health , you should make sure your having a period and bleed every month , whilst also making sure your ovulating . In order to know your ovulating there are signs to look for. the length of your menstrual cycle – ovulation usually occurs around 10 to 16 days before your period starts, so you may be able to work out when you're likely to ovulate if you have a regular cycleyour cervical mucus – you may notice wetter, clearer and more slippery mucus around the time of ovulation

your body temperature – there's a small rise in body temperature after ovulation takes place, which you may be able to detect with a thermometer

ovulation predictor kits – hormone levels increase around the time of ovulation and this can be detected using ovulation predictor kits that measure the level of hormones in your pee

Using a combination of these methods is likely to be most accurate.

Your mood , period and acne can be improved by doing slow weight and hit workouts out for 30 minutes 3-5 days a week. Your mood periods and acne can be improved by taking a Myo- and d-chiro inositol supplement 40:1 the brand Freak Athletics is great ,make sure it is 40:1 to create balance and have the most benefit. Take this in still hot or cold drinks with each meal 2-3 times a day this supplement increases insulin sensitivity which reduces the sugar in your blood. Most pcos women suffer with some level of insulin resistance which messes up your skin , periods , moods , weight gain, cravings , hunger, increased urination , decrease in eye sight , dry mouth and stomach issues.

Make sure you are also eating the right diet including good fats , clean unprocessed protein , veg , one fruit a day and complicated carbohydrates. No added sugars and clean out all sugary treats for 3 to 4 weeks to detox your body from sugar. You can add in occasional sugary treats if you are following the diet and exercise .

Hair loss is a symptom of high androgens , insulin resistance can be a big driver of high androgens so treating your insulin resistance could really help.

Taking Spearmint tea twice a day has been shown to also decrease hair loss.

Please also follow pcos dieticians and nutritionists on social media .