high androgen levels... pcos

[andie526]

ive cut out all refined sugars and white flour which they say helps, but what are the treatment options my doctor will give me? how do they lower the hormone levels?

 

[ceejie]

Cutting out refined sugars & white carbs is a great first step!! Way to go!

My dr told me to go on a low carb or low GI diet, exercise more (I was already in the gym about 10+ hours a week so I don't think it's possible) and put me on 1500mg of Metformin per day. Also, if you have long/irregular cycles, your doctor may suggest prometrium or provera to induce periods.

I've read a lot of women on here with PCOS take Agnus castus to help regulate cycles, but I haven't tried it personally. I also know some women use a natural progesterone cream. I used to use it myself, but didn't have much success with it.

Good luck! I hope your doctor is able to help you.

 

[andie526]

im curious to see if they will put me on metformin. i exercise a lot too and am a healthy weight and have normal cycles so its kinda weird. i forgot about the cream... i started using that a few days ago just for the heck of it.... at this point ill try anything! thank you for the response ;D

 

[jennijunni]

Metformin. It really is a miracle drug for those of us with PCOS. I hope you get the answers you are looking for. But it is so important to remember, that even if you are not heavy does not mean you do not have an insulin resistance. It is also important to remember that PCOS causes MC, while taking Met throughtout pregnany your chance of mc then drops to the normal statistic. Also second trimester losses, and stillbirth are also higher with those who have PCOS. I know a lot of practitioners do not prescribe it if you are pregnant or tell you to stop, but if you do the research you will find that they are wrong. I have taken met for about 11-12 years, I never stop. I take it while pregnant, while nursing, to no ill effect on my child. I really hope you find what you are looking for, and hugs!!!!

 

[andie526]

thank you so much! im waiting any day now for a call back with my test results from all the blood they took. ive been wondering if its still possible to be IR. and if so... WHY am i not having troubles with my weight? how else is it affecting my body? i do get cranky when i havent eaten in awhile... but i just thought every girl does i am suspecting pcos to be the cause of my miscarriages and i just want to do everything it takes to make sure it doesnt happen again. im anxious to get back to the doc to see what she says. my next question is how many servings of whole grains can i have per day? ive never really eaten much white bread, and i like sweets, but i LOVE wheat bread, barley, brown rice, etc. i know their glycemic index is lower, but im just wondering how much i can really have and still be safe. oh and then one more question... would it be worth it to go get a blood glucose monitor from the drug store like the ones diabetics use? thank you so much for taking the time to help me out!

 

[jennijunni]

thank you so much! im waiting any day now for a call back with my test results from all the blood they took. ive been wondering if its still possible to be IR. and if so... WHY am i not having troubles with my weight? how else is it affecting my body? i do get cranky when i havent eaten in awhile... but i just thought every girl does i am suspecting pcos to be the cause of my miscarriages and i just want to do everything it takes to make sure it doesnt happen again. im anxious to get back to the doc to see what she says. my next question is how many servings of whole grains can i have per day? ive never really eaten much white bread, and i like sweets, but i LOVE wheat bread, barley, brown rice, etc. i know their glycemic index is lower, but im just wondering how much i can really have and still be safe. oh and then one more question... would it be worth it to go get a blood glucose monitor from the drug store like the ones diabetics use? thank you so much for taking the time to help me out!

BAsically you want to reduse your refined sugars, and keep the others in moderation. Your ideal diet will be a lot like a south beach diet, or atkins type diet. TBH I have the hardest time with the diet changes, I waffle back and forth often, but I exercise a lot and I think that has helped. Oh, and I dont think having a monitor is necessary. Before I was on Met I had a lot of hypoglycemic episodes, never once a hyper. Once I started the Met I have never had one again. It really works well. I think you will be happy with your results. Hugs, and GL!!!

 

[ceejie]

Metformin. It really is a miracle drug for those of us with PCOS. I hope you get the answers you are looking for. But it is so important to remember, that even if you are not heavy does not mean you do not have an insulin resistance. It is also important to remember that PCOS causes MC, while taking Met throughtout pregnany your chance of mc then drops to the normal statistic. Also second trimester losses, and stillbirth are also higher with those who have PCOS. I know a lot of practitioners do not prescribe it if you are pregnant or tell you to stop, but if you do the research you will find that they are wrong. I have taken met for about 11-12 years, I never stop. I take it while pregnant, while nursing, to no ill effect on my child. I really hope you find what you are looking for, and hugs!!!!

I had this issue with my FS. I was taking my Metformin up to 6weeks, then my FS told me to stop immediately. Of course I listened. Then, a few weeks later, I found out my baby stopped growing at 7w6d and had no heart beat. I really wish I had stayed on the Metformin. This time around I already had the studies and statistics printed out to bring her to talk about with her.

On the positive side, it took me less than two cycles to conceive on Metformin, so I am hoping to have that luck again.

 

[andie526]

i cant wait to go in and just get my prescription already!! i think i may be pregnant again (little too early to tell) so i want to get on it asap. ive done atkins before and its a cinch for me... but i should also be watching the saturated fats right? i mean i know thats true for health in general but i mean specifically for pcos? ceejie~ so sorry the darn doctor messed everything up =( your miscarriage was on my first baby's due date. that was a rough day for me as well.

 

[ceejie]

i cant wait to go in and just get my prescription already!! i think i may be pregnant again (little too early to tell) so i want to get on it asap. ive done atkins before and its a cinch for me... but i should also be watching the saturated fats right? i mean i know thats true for health in general but i mean specifically for pcos? ceejie~ so sorry the darn doctor messed everything up =( your miscarriage was on my first baby's due date. that was a rough day for me as well.