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  #1   ^
Old Tue, Jan-23-01, 13:49
Gracia_30 Gracia_30 is offline
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Posts: 253
 
Plan: CAD/CALP
Stats: 184/181/150
BF:
Progress: 9%
Location: Ottawa, Canada
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Anyone here with PCOS? I'd like to chat with you about it, and see how Low Carbing is going for you and how it's affecting your PCOS.

Thanks,

Jos
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  #2   ^
Old Wed, Jan-24-01, 00:21
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Karen Karen is offline
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Posts: 12,775
 
Plan: Ketogenic
Stats: -/-/- Female 5 feet 4 inches
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: Vancouver
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Hi Jos,

I don't know if anyone here has PCOS, but these are two great sites to check if you haven't seen them yet.

http://www.pcosupport.org

This one has a message board:

http://www.soulcysters.com


Karen
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  #3   ^
Old Wed, Jan-24-01, 08:39
Gracia_30 Gracia_30 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 253
 
Plan: CAD/CALP
Stats: 184/181/150
BF:
Progress: 9%
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Smile YUP YUP YUP

Hi Karen,

Thanks for your reply. Yes I know of both, and am a member of Soulcysters.com it's a WONDERFUL site! And they also promote low carbing since most of us are either diabetic or Insulin Resistant (which I am). Even if a PCOS'er doesn't have either, their insulin plays a major factor in their weight and also various other symptoms. Therefore, low carbing becomes the answer for all of us.

You guys should speak to Kat Carney, and become affiliates... I'm sure you'd gain many many new members that way. Of course this is just a suggestion.

Josee
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  #4   ^
Old Mon, Jan-29-01, 18:21
Shoog76 Shoog76 is offline
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Location: Vancouver,BC,Canada
Cool Hi Jos

Hi Jos,
I just found this website today and saw your post. I have PCOS and am on a strict low carb and no sugar diet (Sugarbusters). I've lost 20 lbs since End of October. I am also on Metformin 1500mg/day. I'm 24 and I live in Vancouver, BC. My email is: formyii~hotmail.com
Bye for now!
-Brenda
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  #5   ^
Old Mon, Jan-29-01, 20:30
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
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Posts: 37,199
 
Plan: LC paleo/ancestral
Stats: 241/188/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 52%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
Smile hi Shoog

Welcome to our forum! Nice to meet another nurse. I'm an RN, there's a couple other nurses here too. Sorry to hear you have PCOS, but I'm happy for you that the lowcarb is helping. Good for you on the lbs. lost too! ...

Just a question about the Metformin, to help Josee and others. The blood level peaks at 2-3 hrs after the dose, with a half-life of 4 hrs. So, when is the ideal time to take it?? Most of the pharmacology websites say simply to take it with food. The Drs. Eades, in "Protein Power Lifeplan" suggest for all their patients with insulin resistance, should be taken as a single dose at hs. Not specific for PCOS though. My thought is only logical, that it should be taken ac meals. What do you think, or know about this?? I will continue to scour the internet, see what I can find out.

Look forward to hearing more from you, and continued success with lowcarbing!

Doreen
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, Jan-29-01, 23:10
Shoog76 Shoog76 is offline
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Cool Hi Doreen

Hi thanks for the welcome!
I take the metformin after a couple bites of food at each meal. It's important to have a bit of food in your stomach to cut down on the side effects (nausea and diarrhea). Metformin also gives you a bit of a full feeling so it makes me eat less too. It's suggested to take it immediately following your last bite of food but I try to eat it during as I said above. Hope that helps! -Brenda
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  #7   ^
Old Tue, Jan-30-01, 06:51
Gracia_30 Gracia_30 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 253
 
Plan: CAD/CALP
Stats: 184/181/150
BF:
Progress: 9%
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Smile Hi Brenda

Hi Brenda,

I am also on 1500mg of Met perday. I never "really" had a problem with the diarrhea much... only sometimes. After a few weeks on this diet, the opposite happened to me, but it seems to be regulating itself now. Anyhoo, enough talk about that!

When did you find out you have PCOS?, and are you finding that the diet is helping it any? I've lost 10 lbs since I started Jan. 2nd. I started out on CAD diet but am finding the overload of carbs in the evening to start affecting me. So I'm reading up on protein power lifeplan.

Did you also have problems with your periods? And if so... Did the met help? Last month I had AF for the first time with no chemical help what so ever. (it lasted almost 10 days though).

Anyhow, I'll let you answer these questions before I ask more LOL.

BFN,

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  #8   ^
Old Tue, Jan-30-01, 13:48
Shoog76 Shoog76 is offline
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Location: Vancouver,BC,Canada
Talking My Story

I'll start from the VERY beginning. I got my AF when I had just turned 11 and it was painful from the start. I always had terrible cramps. I never get sick but the one thing I would miss school or work for is my cramps. Thank goodness I would only get my AF a few times a year. It never mattered much that I got it so infrequently because it was so dreaded when it did come.
About 3 years ago I had an AF that wouldn't stop. It lasted about 2 weeks and I became sooo tired from all the bleeding. It was heavy the whole time too. I was on holidays at my husband's family house (then boyfriend) so he took me to a clinic and I got started on birth control. From then on I had a year and a half of wonderful short and non painful regular periods. I lost 35 lbs before my wedding on weight watchers. We got married on August 14,1999. Over the winter that year I started getting terrible migraines and high blood pressure. I started taking a low dose of amytriptyline (antidepressant, also for pain)for the chronic pain I was in. It helped after 3 weeks but I gained 15 lbs and I wasn't eating much. So I went off of that. I then decided to go off the bcp's. (I gained a further 15lbs) And we started doing natural family planning as a method of birth control. (Temps every morning, charting and abstaining mid cycle). I ovulated the first two months and had fairly normal periods and then stopped. I had an 80 day cycle and convinced myself I must be pregnant. We wanted to wait a couple years for kids but I got very excited. I went to the doctor for a pregnancy test. I had just started with a new female doctor but it was a locum doctor. The urine test was negative so she sent me for a blood test along with tests for a whole bunch of hormones to diagnose what was wrong. When I met with her again all those tests were normal. I then went for more tests and this time she tested the testosterone and things to rule out PCOS. The next time I met with her she gave me that diagnosis (August 2000). I was devastated, I went in thinking I was pregnant and came out with a disease! I'd never heard of it before. I have very few symptoms other than being overweight and I have a bit of hair on my face but it's blond so it doesn't bother me. When I got home I cried and cried. Then I buckled up and started onto the internet doing tons of research and getting involved in different message boards with woman who had this syndrome. The Dr. had told me the only treatment was bcp's. She knew nothing about metformin but she did know enough to refer me to an endo. The soonest I could get in was Dec 16th!
I called her back and got her to order things like the fasting glucose tolerance test. I then called the endo's office and told them I was desperate, I asked them to get me in on a cancellation list. They called me back in an hour and gave me Nov 7th!
So now after doing all my reading on the internet I wanted metformin. My doctor was back now. I met with her. She knew nothing about PCOS and she didn't know why the locum would have referred me to an endo. She refused to give me metformin and she said I had to be on bcp's if I was to go on it because you could not get pregnant on it. But she said she would contact the endo and find out more info for herself before my appt.
So I was still very upset and even more so after that appt plus confused by the information she gave me. I decided to do what I had control over and started a strict sugarbusters diet on Sept 22, 2000. I started feeling better right away. It felt healthier too. Then my doctor called me and told me she would give me the metformin but she wanted an ultrasound first to determine my diagnosis. She had also learned that people did indeed use metformin to assist in conceiving so I didn't need bcp's. I got the script from her and I called to book an appt for an ultrasound and the waiting list was 4 weeks! It was at the hospital I work at so in desperation I told them I was staff and they squeezed me in on my lunch break the next week. I never heard back from my doctor about the ultrasound but I had the metformin prescription so I cashed it in near end of October. I started out really slow on it 500mg/d for a week and slowly upped it to 1500mg/d. I experienced little or no side effects. I went to my endo appt and had lost 12 lbs by then. She was great and confirmed my diagnosis even though the ultrasound had shown nothing. She gave me a script for a year of metformin and she also gave me prometrium to induce my periods every 60-70 days. (Supposedly less side effects then provera but more expensive.) She said it may take 6 months for the metformin to regulate my periods. In the meantime my total weight loss is 20lbs. I feel a lot more balanced emotionally. I feel healthier. My husband and I decided we would let "what happens happen" regarding children because of the infertility possibilities with PCOS so we are using no birth control. I haven't gotten an AF on my own yet. It is day 50 of my cycle so no luck yet. And that's my story.
Btw when I met with my doctor two weeks ago she was so nice and thanked me for all I taught her about PCOS. She said that since she learned about it she has found a couple other women in her practice that have it!
Let me know if I left anything out. My husband is feeling neglected after all that typing so I better get going. Talk to you another time!
-Brenda in BC
P.S. Congratulations on the 10lbs Josee! You started the met Jan 2nd this month? Wow! Doesn't it feel great. I got into a pair of jeans yesterday I hadn't worn since last summer. hehe It's like a shopping spree in your own closet when you lose weight.
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  #9   ^
Old Tue, Jan-30-01, 15:10
Gracia_30 Gracia_30 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 253
 
Plan: CAD/CALP
Stats: 184/181/150
BF:
Progress: 9%
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Cool Hi Brenda

Here's my story:

I started my period at 12-13. I was always VERY regular. Thin & healthy. I also got preg. twice in my late teens. I miscarried. When I was 20, I started gaining weight, and my periods stopped. I too thought I was pregnant. So I went to the doctors and they told me I had a thyroid problem. Put me on meds and after starting to feel better I stopped them. (not knowing I wasn't supposed to do that and was to be on that for the rest of my life) But the doctor did tests, and tests and tests on me and my thyroid never went bad again.

So I started working out, and watching what I ate and lost weight. At that time I think I had gained 20-30 lbs. So my periods came back, and I felt great.

Then I met my hubby to be, and it all started up again, only this time I gained 40-50lbs. And not getting my periods. SO... off to the doctors I went only to be told the same old BS they tell you: You're too fat, lose weight and everything will come back. Only this time the diet wouldn't work, I was exhausted all the time and had no energy. So I got fet up with doctors who only told me I was too fat, and I quit going to see them. A couple years after that, I started growing a couple hairs on my chin and it got progressively worse, along with other symptoms. Still once every 2-3 years I went to see a doctor, and I tried all the diets, and the weight loss pills...etc...etc...etc... Never worked so I decided to give all that up for good. However my symptoms worsened to the max. (ie losing hair on head, skin discoloration (indication of insulin problems), skin tags (ver small) and all sorts of icky feelings)

This summer I got a very excited call from my aunt who was watching a TV talk show and they were talking about PCOS. So she made me promise to go on the internet and go check it out. So I reluctantly said ok and went to see what this was all about. I WAS SHOCKED!!!!!! I started reading about it and the more I read the more tears started falling. I couldn't believe that someone was describing ME, and my horrible medical problems and NOT blaming it all on "YOU'RE TOO FAT"... I just cried so much. So afterwards I found a doctor, insisted to see an OBGYN, who didn't help much. He was certain I had PCOS from exterior tests but when the bloodwork came back everything was normal (story of my life) So I went back to the 1st doctor and insisted (after doing more research) on seeing an endo.

She confirmed by comparing my LH/FSH ratio (which is what I had told my doctor) that I indeed had PCOS. I can't tell you how much I felt like calling up that doctor and tell him I TOLD YOU SO YOU INCOMPETANT QUACK, but I resisted. He had put me on Met, after much resistance, for 500mg per day. I had called him previous to my meeting with the endo to increase my dosage but he refused telling me that if 500mg didn't work, more wouldn't help!!! HA!!! SHE increased it to 1500mg and said he didn't know what he was talking about!!!

So I started met in and around October, and increased my dosage on December 1st to 1500mg. On december 31st I got my periods naturally for the 1st time in a long time. I was so happy... If the Met is working, I may get my periods this week if my calculations are correct. WISH ME LUCK!!

I started the Low Carb (CAD) diet on January 2nd, and as of this morning I've lost 12lbs. 12!!!!!!! I almost cried when I saw the numbers on the scales... I'm hoping to go all the way down to 120. Right now I'm at 181.5lbs.

This is my story of horrors, but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel for the 1st time in 10 years. In march I will start back on Clomid to see if it will help. Maybe one day I'll be able to come on here and tell you all:

I AM PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!

Until then, I keep hoping, and praying, and hope others pray for me.

Josee
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  #10   ^
Old Tue, Jan-30-01, 18:50
Shoog76 Shoog76 is offline
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Thumbs up Thanks Josee

Thanks for sharing your story. It sounds like we started on Met around the same time. I can't wait for the day that I get my AF on my own. I'm so happy that things are working out for you. Believe you me I will be really excited to be pregnant too. I think my deepest fear is that I won't be able to get pregnant. I was a part of quite a few "trying to conceive" message boards but it got me really depressed hearing everyone's struggles with it and since I'm not there yet I just had to remove myself from that. I have to keep positive.
I will definetely pray for you and you do the same for me.
Btw where are you from? I'm in New Westminster, BC.
Talk to you later! -B
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  #11   ^
Old Wed, Jan-31-01, 06:47
Gracia_30 Gracia_30 is offline
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Posts: 253
 
Plan: CAD/CALP
Stats: 184/181/150
BF:
Progress: 9%
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Default PCOS

Of course I'll pray for you

I'm in Toronto.

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  #12   ^
Old Sat, Feb-03-01, 12:43
Shoog76 Shoog76 is offline
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Location: Vancouver,BC,Canada
Talking A little update

I just wanted to update you on my good news. I got my AF naturally yesterday! It was a 54 day cycle but I'm sure that will improve as time goes on. I am so pleased. It's taken 3 months. I've also lost 22 lbs as of today but I think it will be more once the AF bloating is gone in a few days. I'm feeling great. Only mild cramping but it's nothing compared to what I used to get. YAaaaaaaaa. Things are looking up! -Brenda in BC
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  #13   ^
Old Sat, Feb-03-01, 18:32
Gracia_30 Gracia_30 is offline
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Posts: 253
 
Plan: CAD/CALP
Stats: 184/181/150
BF:
Progress: 9%
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Default YAY!!!!

Good for you!!!! How wonderful! You keep going... you're doing great!!!

Let me know how long it lasts (mine was 10 days when I got them naturally last time)

J.
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  #14   ^
Old Thu, Feb-08-01, 11:17
Shoog76 Shoog76 is offline
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Lightbulb AF

It was a 4-5 day normal period. I usually get severe cramping but this was like I would imagine a normal person's AF to be. It was heavy at the beginning and then tapered off after two days and I was a bit uncomfortable during the heavy days but it was no big deal! YAaaaaa. -B
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  #15   ^
Old Thu, May-24-01, 13:58
Shoog76 Shoog76 is offline
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Talking An update

I just wanted to post an update on me. I've continued to lose weight though it's been slow going. I've now lost 30 lbs. My periods are regular and are now usually 34 day cycles. I'm not sure if I am ovulating at all but the regular periods is a great relief. Metformin really seems to make a difference for me.
Bye for now!
-B
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