pcos?

ladypip

Hi just wondering if there are any fellow pcos sufferers out there, Id really love to talk to someone else who knows what its like.

FluffyCat

I was diagnosed in 2005 when i was being investagated for something else. To be honest I pretty much thought I had it anyway.

My skin and peroids were terrible but I went on the pill to sort that. My weight is not ideal, am about one stone overweight. I find weight hard to control. I pretty much have to eat nothing to lose it!!

Apart from that, theres no difference. I know kids may be an issue but as everyone is different I cant really comment!!

What are your symtoms?

ladypip

I was diagnosed 7 years ago but i've only started to think seriously about it these last couple of years i was 20 when i was diagnosed so drinking and partying were of more interest to me.:D

My symptoms are weight problems, extra hair in unwanted places, skin pigmentation patches, changeable moods, nearly absent menstrual cycle and when they do come they are incredibly painful and heavy.

I have a child so infertility isn't an issue to me at the moment but it may be later in life when we want to expand our family.

Im shocked at the lack of resources here and training for doctors. I have been told go away and lose weight by the supposing leading gynes in the country!! That's a ridiculous thing to say to someone who has a disorder hat makes that virtually impossible. I have lost nearly three stone in the last year but its been ALLOT of work, i know health wise its worth it but i have hit a weight loss wall.

How have you managed to keep your weight down?

FluffyCat

ladypip wrote: »

I was diagnosed 7 years ago but i've only started to think seriously about it these last couple of years i was 20 when i was diagnosed so drinking and partying were of more interest to me.:D

My symptoms are weight problems, extra hair in unwanted places, skin pigmentation patches, changeable moods, nearly absent menstrual cycle and when they do come they are incredibly painful and heavy.

I have a child so infertility isn't an issue to me at the moment but it may be later in life when we want to expand our family.

Im shocked at the lack of resources here and training for doctors. I have been told go away and lose weight by the supposing leading gynes in the country!! That's a ridiculous thing to say to someone who has a disorder hat makes that virtually impossible. I have lost nearly three stone in the last year but its been ALLOT of work, i know health wise its worth it but i have hit a weight loss wall.

How have you managed to keep your weight down?

Yeah all I was ever told was to lose weight and come back when I want children!! Id say alot more people suffer from PCOS then is reported.

Like I said weight wise I really have to eat very little. I lost 2 stone last year but really need lose some more.

I found if I switched to healthy foods I still didnt lose anything!! Now I generally skip breakfast, have coffee at 11, another at lunch with a nutragrain bar and then a small healthy dinner.

Probably not he best way to lose weight but the scales tell different!!

Try sea kelp tablets. They are good for boosting the metabolism

ChewChew

I was diagnosed a few years ago and also have an underactive thyroid. My main complaints are my mentrual cycle and weight. All in all, my weight is stable, is not going up and unfortunately not going down, no matter what I do!

ladypip

FluffyCat wrote: »

Id say alot more people suffer from PCOS then is reported.

Ya apparantly its the most common fertility problem of woman of childbearing age and yet none of the docs i have been to have any answers or treatments other than the pill which does more harm than good

Im seeing an Endocrinologist on Wednesday who fingers crossed will have a better knowledge of pcos and not a general gist like most of them.

Ill look into Sea kelp FluffyCat thanks for that.

Have either of you tried the GI diet? Its supposed to be the best thing to keep it under control but i dont know allot about it.

FluffyCat

ladypip wrote: »

Have either of you tried the GI diet? Its supposed to be the best thing to keep it under control but i dont know allot about it.

Yeah, you need to look into low GI foods. You could google it. I havent tried it but it is more about eating a balanced diet then anything else. So it would be better then the fad diets.

I was meant to seen an endacrinolist, terrible spelling!!, but my appointment must have gotten lost in the post!! But what I can gather is that unless you want kids and are having trouble they dont really care!!

ChewChew

ladypip wrote: »

Im seeing an Endocrinologist on Wednesday who fingers crossed will have a better knowledge of pcos and not a general gist like most of them.

my endocrinologist doesn't really have much info about it, so I'm pretty much still in the dark!

ladypip wrote: »

Have either of you tried the GI diet? Its supposed to be the best thing to keep it under control but i dont know allot about it.

never tried it.. whats it all about??

ChewChew

FluffyCat wrote: »

]
I was meant to seen an endacrinolist, terrible spelling!!, but my appointment must have gotten lost in the post!! But what I can gather is that unless you want kids and are having trouble they dont really care!!

+1.. this is exactly their attitude!

ladypip

ChewChew wrote: »

my endocrinologist doesn't really have much info about it, so I'm pretty much still in the dark!

never tried it.. whats it all about??

Ah great here i was thinking that the endocrinologist would know exactly the best way to treat it and he'd basically say you need to do ABC and bingo!! your problems are solved I'm so sick of trying to guess and research myself that im literally desperate at this stage. i know there is a Pcos specialist in Dublin but his rates are astronomical and i really cant afford it for the foreseeable future.

ChewChew

ladypip wrote: »

Ah great here i was thinking that the endocrinologist would know exactly the best way to treat it and he'd basically say you need to do ABC and bingo!! your problems are solved I'm so sick of trying to guess and research myself that im literally desperate at this stage. i know there is a Pcos specialist in Dublin but his rates are astronomical and i really cant afford it for the foreseeable future.

MY endocrinologist is great with the control of my thyroid, but my pcos, well there's not a whole lot. He put me on a new pill as it's supposed to help with bad skin, which thankfully it has!! but that's the height of it. There is a dietitian in the hermitage clinic who is supposed to be fantastic but like that.. prices are a bit high so I'm staying put!

FluffyCat

ChewChew wrote: »

. There is a dietitian in the hermitage clinic who is supposed to be fantastic but like that.. prices are a bit high so I'm staying put!

I wouldnt waste my money on a dietitian!! You can find plenty of information on the internet and eathing healthy is not rocket science!! Yeah, keep your money in your pocket!

FluffyCat

ladypip wrote: »

Ah great here i was thinking that the endocrinologist would know exactly the best way to treat it and he'd basically say you need to do ABC and bingo!! your problems are solved I'm so sick of trying to guess and research myself that im literally desperate at this stage. i know there is a Pcos specialist in Dublin but his rates are astronomical and i really cant afford it for the foreseeable future.

Maybe there will be something but I honesty dont think there is. Id say you will be told about diet, again, and maybe cosmetic treatment if the unwanted hair.

What are the specific issues you are wondering about at the moment?

ChewChew

FluffyCat wrote: »

I wouldnt waste my money on a dietitian!! You can find plenty of information on the internet and eathing healthy is not rocket science!! Yeah, keep your money in your pocket!

I agree. I heard about this lady a few years back. I'm doing ok with my weight. I'm maintaining it but certainly not losing it! which is a right pain in the nads!

ladypip

Surely you can see a dietitian for free through the hse if you get a referral? I actually wouldnt be interested in seeing one id rather get a good gi book and start myself.

We shall see how i get on at the Endo on Wed and ill let you both know if he/she was any use.

Thanks for replying ladies im delighted there are others out there who know the stresses of this disorder.:D

ladypip

FluffyCat wrote: »

What are the specific issues you are wondering about at the moment?

Mostly the unwanted hair if im honest i have to wax my face three times a week and its getting ridiculous. If I haven't waxed and a friend calls to drop by or asking me to go out ill make an excuse not to, my three year old has started pointing it out and its getting ever more embarrassing. I havent waxed in a week in prep for the appointment (to show the endo how bad it is) and I met a person i haven't seen in ages today while i was dropping my son off to playschool and i was mortified i wanted the ground to open up and swallow me

ChewChew

ladypip wrote: »

Surely you can see a dietitian for free through the hse if you get a referral? I actually wouldnt be interested in seeing one id rather get a good gi book and start myself.

We shall see how i get on at the Endo on Wed and ill let you both know if he/she was any use.

Thanks for replying ladies im delighted there are others out there who know the stresses of this disorder.:D

I saw a hse dietitian. Won't be going back there.

ladypip wrote: »

Mostly the unwanted hair if im honest i have to wax my face three times a week and its getting ridiculous. If I haven't waxed and a friend calls to drop by or asking me to go out ill make an excuse not to, my three year old has started pointing it out and its getting ever more embarrassing. I havent waxed in a week in prep for the appointment (to show the endo how bad it is) and I met a person i haven't seen in ages today while i was dropping my son off to playschool and i was mortified i wanted the ground to open up and swallow me

oh ladypip... you poor thing. That's has to be pretty hard to deal with!! I really hope to god you get the results in order to help!

FluffyCat

I honestly dont think there is anything for unwanted hair and I know thats not want you want to hear!!
Laser treatment show really good results but Not sure about the cost

ladypip

ChewChew wrote: »

I saw a hse dietitian. Won't be going back there.

oh ladypip... you poor thing. That's has to be pretty hard to deal with!! I really hope to god you get the results in order to help!

Was the dietitian terrible?

Thanks fingers crossed he/she can come up with a better solution than tri weekly waxes:).

ladypip

FluffyCat wrote: »

I honestly dont think there is anything for unwanted hair and I know thats not want you want to hear!!
Laser treatment show really good results but Not sure about the cost

The cost is also beyond my means at the mo, Im out of work and my partner isn't in the best paid job:(. My gp told me about laser trials for pcos suffers about two years ago then they were canceled due to lack of HSE funding ridiculous!!

FluffyCat

I dont think laser treatment is covered in any form for medical conditions which is unfair.

My only other suggestion is to get prices in different clinics, explain your situation and see what could be done about cost. Other than that, try to save a little and over time get it done.

Its not right if you have to wax so often and once the laser is done the hair will never come back!!

Also, and Im serious, ask about it at beauty places. You know the way hairdressers look for models? Well maybe the beauty places could be looking too.

If ya dont ask you will never know!

ChewChew

ladypip wrote: »

Was the dietitian terrible?

Thanks fingers crossed he/she can come up with a better solution than tri weekly waxes:).

well I never got any help with dietry info.. what to stay away from (apart from the obvious) and what to have plentiful of. I suppose I had high expectations where I assumed I would be given sample meal ideas and plans. I was made to feel like a naughty school girl if I didn't lose any weight or stayed the same, which made me feel worse, so I stopped going to her!

Liveen

Hey fellow PCOSers. I was diagnosed a few years ago but my doc just put me on the pill, which only deals with the cysts. It doesn't tackle any of the other problems related to the conidition. So I went away and researched for myself and am now on the low GI diet. It's the hardest thing I have ever done but they say it works so I'm giving it a whirl. Basically you cut out all high carbs (potatoes are the worst culprit, followed by breads, breakfast cereals, parsnips, etc., and anything with glucose in it: fizzy drinks, all processed sugary foods), as well as new research saying you should also cut out caffeine and dairy (except yoghurt). It makes sense if you read what happens to your body when you eat these foods and how they contribute to the vicious circle of our already low hormone production. & best of all, this HAS to be accompanied by at least 30 mins exercise everyday. It's pointless doing the good diet and not exercising. You have to combine them both. They say it takes a while to see the effects (I've been doing it religiously since just May) but I already see a difference in energy levels - none of the annoying sugar dips I used to get - and it has definitely reduced my hair growth. Will keep ye posted

ladypip

hi Ladies

Well i had some sucess on Wednesday with the endo, he listened and was quite understanding which in my experience is rare i showed him my weight watchers weight loss records and he was impressed with the amount ive lost since november 2008 so he put me on metformin which i was secretly hoping he would ive heard great sucess storys on other pcos sites from the us and oz so fingers crossed this is sucessful for me:D

FluffyCat

Yeah Ive heard alot about metformin, all good. It helps to regulate blood sugar so weight loss shoud be easier. Let us know if you any success, Ill be looking for it too!!
Anything new to deal with hair?

ladypip

FluffyCat wrote: »

Yeah Ive heard alot about metformin, all good. It helps to regulate blood sugar so weight loss shoud be easier. Let us know if you any success, Ill be looking for it too!!
Anything new to deal with hair?

The metformin should help with the hair too, as its bringing blood sugar and hormone levels back in line.

Ill just wax until its starts taking effect

ChewChew

I forgot about metformin. I was on that and glucophage and I was on xenical and I couldn't tolerate any of them I'm so tempted to try again!
So glad to hear you were happy with the endo though. It's a great feeling isn't? Five years later and I finally got discharged from my endo's care which is a huge relief!

Liveen

Liveen wrote: »

Hey fellow PCOSers. I was diagnosed a few years ago but my doc just put me on the pill, which only deals with the cysts. It doesn't tackle any of the other problems related to the conidition. So I went away and researched for myself and am now on the low GI diet. It's the hardest thing I have ever done but they say it works so I'm giving it a whirl. Basically you cut out all high carbs (potatoes are the worst culprit, followed by breads, breakfast cereals, parsnips, etc., and anything with glucose in it: fizzy drinks, all processed sugary foods), as well as new research saying you should also cut out caffeine and dairy (except yoghurt). It makes sense if you read what happens to your body when you eat these foods and how they contribute to the vicious circle of our already low hormone production. & best of all, this HAS to be accompanied by at least 30 mins exercise everyday. It's pointless doing the good diet and not exercising. You have to combine them both. They say it takes a while to see the effects (I've been doing it religiously since just May) but I already see a difference in energy levels - none of the annoying sugar dips I used to get - and it has definitely reduced my hair growth. Will keep ye posted

What can you still eat? What kind of meals would you have? I'd be interested in this diet too but was put off by how much has to be cut out. Particularly cos I also suffer from IBS and already have to cut out fresh fruit and veg and wheat.

Liveen

Oh good grief. You poor thing. That doesn't leave very much then. Basically you can eat all meats, fish, eggs. All veg are fine except potatoes (probably the worst thing a PCOS sufferer can eat. If you can't do without your spuds, try mashed cauliflower instead. Great with horseradish), parsnips and swedes. Some fruit are out. Can't remember which off the top of my head, sorry. Then things like lentils and pulses, sourdough bread or any bread marked low GI, all the beans, small amounts of pasta and rice (except jasmine rice) are all okay. All my meals are basically some bean base with meat, and there are some lovely dishes out there. If you have a sweet tooth and are into baking, invest in a good low GI cookbook: we don't have to forsake all goodies thank heaven.
Moderator, am I allowed to give a website address here?

sam34

Liveen wrote: »

Moderator, am I allowed to give a website address here?

yep, as long as you dont recommend a particular doctor or clinic. and nothing dodgy obviously :pac:

0lddog

The public libraries have many recipe books for specific diets

Use their on line catalogues to see whats available.

The root websites for the various CoCos in the Dublin area are:

Dublincity.ie
Fingalcoco.ie
Sdcc.ie
Dlrcoco.ie

( membership of a coco library is not limited to those that live in the cocos area )