PCOS diagnosis
 

I have type I diabetes and am a normal weight, although I have to extremely rigid in my diet and exercise to keep a healthy weight....
About 1.5 years ago, I stopped taking BCP. I did not get a period for a long time, and after 9 months, I went to my gyno. He told me I have "lazy ovaries" and gave me an rx to get things started again. I got my period. But then I have only had a couple since (every 3-4 months, I have one).
Today my endo told me it is most likely PCOS.
I stick to a lowcarb diet and take metformin ER to increase my sensitivity to insulin, so I'm already taking the "treatment" but I am feeling a little overwhelmed right now.
I am a newlywed and within 2 years my husband and I really want to try to get pregnant. I am 26 yrs old.
Please, please offer me any kind words/wisdom/support you know of...I just feel so afraid right now. I really, really want kids someday.

I really feel for you. In my experience with pcos, I had to reduce carbs to below 30g a day, and then after about 4 weeks my cycles came back. Are you taking vitamin d3, magnesium, and chromium, I have also found these to be incredibly helpful - especially a good amount of d3.

Lee

Thanks Leemack.

I take 1000mg of Vitamin D and a centrum multi. However my vitamin D levels are still on the very low end of normal (about 30 or so) so I might have to take a megadose for a little while.

How much chromium and magnesium do you take?

The part I am most afraid about is that I already "take the treatment." I follow a lowcarb diet (usually about 25-35g per day) and take 1000mg of metformin ER 2x a day. But still, I only get a period every 3-4 months or so....

I think I am going to try and scale back to 25-30g of carbohydrate and see if it helps.

I have cut way back on calories and I lost 3 pounds, so at least that has improved! I am hoping that getting back to my usual weight of 150 will help things.

I have noticed that at 150 pounds I am far less insulin resistant than I am at 160 pounds (my current weight), even though 160 pounds is still within the "normal BMI" for my height.

PCOS is not a death sentence of infertility.

Take a breath and breathe for just a second. I understand how overwhelming and frightening this can be.

But...

In fact, you are already doing all the right things to help control the symptoms of your PCOS.

LC diet. Check.
Metformin. Check
Losing weight. Check.

Add in a bit of exercise that you ENJOY to help improve your insulin resistance a bit more and there you go.

You're doing everything right. With a little bit of time, you ought to achieve more frequent ovulatory cycles and thus pregnancy.

HTH

Progress not perfection.

Lisa

Thanks Lisa. I was hoping you would stop by this thread, as I imagine you have worked with a lot of women who have PCOS and have become pregnant.

I exercise a LOT. I'm a personal trainer ;)
What I have found is that I cannot lose weight at more than 1200 calories a day and I maintain at 1500.
So I need to be stricter in my intake (which was about 1200/day to get to 150lbs and 1500 to stay there).

Eating 2000 calories per day (staying lowcarb) led to my regain to 163. Ick...

So, yay, basically I am just focusing on being very strict in my diet, exercising as normal and taking my metformin.

Thanks for the support- it really does make me feel more calm. :)

I take 1500mcg of gtf chromium, and 750mg of magnesium. I think you probably need a higher dose of vitamin d - at least 5000iu a day. The cycles do come back, its just a case of getting the carbs low enough - for me that's below 30g/day.

Lee

Thanks Leemack.

Now that I think about it, I had 2 periods in a normal 30 day cycle when I weighed 150 lbs....This was after not having any in 9 months (during which time I was losing 10 pounds).
As my weight has shot back to 160, the periods stopped....

It is crazy how differently my body behaves at 160 compared with 150- my insulin dose goes up a good 25%, the periods seem to disappear. It just blows my mind that I can be well within my BMI range and still experience these problems....

Anyway, I am back on track- no more cheats and watching calories as well is important for me.

This morning I weighed 157.5, so things don;t look so bad after all.

Hey Robin! I have PCOS too, and just wondering how things are going for you now? I have one daughter, but I conceived her while I wasn't have any periods! And I've only had to two periods since I had her ten months ago. Have you tried the herb chasteberry?? That can really help with ovulation!

Hannah

Hi... I have pcos - i have 3 children. You'll probably be ok .. it's about mantaning your weight, keeping it low, on the low scale of normal. Hard work but worth it.