PCOS

[soymilk]

Magnesium
Vitamin D
Myo-inositol (this is new to me)
Zinc
Evening Primrose
Omega 3

and I take metformin (this has helped insulin resistance and actually suppresses my hunger a bit) as a prescription! I do take the pill for context but plan to come off it in the next year as we’d like to try and have a baby and my endocrine consultant suggested coming off it soon for that reason. But Ive defo found differences from the above and introduced them one at a time. Magnesium helps with my tiredness as does the vitamin D, evening primrose for balancing hormones, zinc helps with skin and insulin resistance and a couple other things.

There’s others but look at healthy pcos on insta, pcos now mama, pcos nutritionist, etc and there’s loads of info there x

thanks for all this info, myo-inositol is one I've read and heard a lot about! I hope you have success falling pregnant and it's not too difficult for you

 

[Blond3g1rl]

@Blond3g1rl what magnesium and myo-inositol are you taking? I currently take Vit D alongside my metformin but looking to add magnesium and myo-inositol but there is so many different kinds. I have magnesium citrate and glycinate in my cupboard but just unsure which one I should be taking.

I’ve just got the standard one from boots. It’s magnesium oxide. Depending on who/what you read either citrate, glycinate or oxide is the best so I just went with the boots one.
Free soul myo-inositol from Amazon.

 

[ohwowsers]

You should be able to ask your GP for blood tests rather than having to wait for gynae? I was diagnosed about 5 years ago I think and my GP did mine for me

My GP is useless, I only got listened to because there was a locum there. I'll try him anyway.
Ah sure I'm already with a gynae so thought might be easier to just get a full work done.
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Your Gp can do the blood tests. What symptoms do you have?

Hair on face and chest, bloating, light/ non-existence periods, bloating, swollen hands and feet, pin and needles, stomach weight (struggle to lose), fatigue, skin discolouration, constipation, pelvic pain (spasms)

 

[CharlieTYBT]

My sister has PCOS, she had to have IVF for her child but my friend also has it and she got pregnant without even trying so everyone is different! I went to the GP and we had to be trying for at least a year before they would offer any help, I don’t know what your situation is but just in case x

Thanks, that gives me some hope x

 

[bbbbbbb123]

I’ve not had this, but I do have an ovarian cyst and it doesn’t cause me any bloating or cramp. But that’s not to say it wouldn’t do for others.

I would personally just see if the symptoms continue and go to Drs if it goes on for a few more weeks x

My last scan was a couple of years ago and there was several small ones then so maybe ones grown or something! I will ring them this week I think, just thought I’d see if anyone has had the same experience xx

 

[alex650]

Sorry to jump on this thread and de-rail slightly but I think it might be the best place to ask this question! I recently went for a scan and internal as my GP thought I had PCOS (haven’t had a period in a year, struggling to lose weight ) however the doctor who did the scan and internal confirmed it isn’t PCOS and that everything looks as it should. Given that most the people on this thread have had similar problems to me - does anyone know what it could be? I’m waiting to be seen by my GP and then no doubt gynae but god knows how long that will be and google isn’t really giving much away - it all points to PCOS. Obviously appreciate that none of you are doctors and no one woman is the same but it is making me anxious to have no clue what the issue is!

Have you had blood tests? I’m not 100% sure but I think to have PCOS you just have to have 2/3 of the criteria so if you haven’t got cysts it doesn’t mean you don’t have it. (I might be wrong)

 

[abeautifullife]

I have PCOS myself. The struggle is real.

 

[Lizzie Mintdrop]

I only had a scan but that was 24 years ago so I'd imagine things are different now

 

[bbbbbbb123]

It’s so frustrating doctors use BMI too!

 

[LurkTwice]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!! It sounds selfish to say but it’s good to know of other people who have similar experiences! It can be so isolating especially when you have doctors that don’t take you seriously.
I ended up booking a gp appointment last week with another doctor at my practice and thank goodness I did. She was absolutely amazing, was confused why I hadn’t been tested for pcos before! I told her the stuff was other doctors had said and she was very quick to shut them down. I cried in front of her haha. She took my bloods and has put me on the list for a TV ultrasound. I’ve checked the NHS app just before too and it looks as though my blood tests results came back showing (very ) high prolactin levels (>800mIU/L- normal range is 102-496!) and testosterone is above normal range too. Hopefully the doctor will call to discuss as googling is just causing me to spiral lol

Hey everyone, I thought I’d update as I have since had an ultrasound and seen the GP! My scan came back as abnormal, with “small follicles around the periphery”. More than would be classed as normal but apparently not enough to be an obvious case of PCOS. Strangely, one of my ovaries was much larger than the other (13ml vs 6ml) however my gp said this is fine? But everything I’ve seen online has suggested it’s more a sign of pcos?

as my bloods and scan are borderline, my gp requested advice from endocrinology who have since got back and asked I be seen at their clinic for further investigation.

although no answers yet, it already feels like such a big weight is off my shoulders from being pushed aside constantly and wondering what if. Just knowing that my bloods and scans are showing results that are even slightly abnormal is enough to make me feel like I’m not mad! The GP I’ve been seeing has been wonderful. She is very open to the fact I don’t want to go on the pill too.

if anyone has been in a similar situation with borderline test results please do let me know!! I’ll update again once I’ve seen endocrinology

 

[kittypaws]

Just curious when did everyone find out they had PCOS? I came off the pill and my periods were months apart, I thought my hormones were just readjusting as I’d been on it for 7/8 years. I only went to the GP as my sister has it other wise I probably wouldn’t have gone at all!

I found out 10 years ago when I was 18/19. I can’t remember what triggered my doctor to send me for tests but it was probably my cystic acne. I’ve received no help over those 10 years, it’s really crap. I was told by a doctor last year when I phoned up about something else that I need to have my blood tests done and I was like “sorry blood tests for what?” and she told me with PCOS you’re supposed to have your bloods done every year. First I’d heard of it And I still don’t get called to get them done.

 

[VicksterIcon]

That’s good to know. Metformin and ultra low carb worked for me so I’m hoping ozempic works.

Good luck and hope this works for you

 

[Codiaeum]

Thank you, @Donald23! Luckily most of those things I already do (no soy, bar soap, most food lives in jars, our water is from glass bottles, etc).

I eat dairy and my aesthetician recommended to me ages ago to reduce intake as people sensitive to hormones can have negative effects from it. Since then I left out milk in my porridge (make it with water and like it better that way anyway). This was a few years ago and I remember seeing an improvement in acne. It's not gone, but since I still have some form of dairy almost daily and am honestly not willing to give that up, I don't know if it would improve the situation much.

The doctor was really nice, btw, took his time to really listen and I got a ton of bloodwork going on. He didn't mention PCOS, just that each single symptom on its own wouldn't necessarily mean that something is wrong, but the the sheer sum of things means that he would like to run some tests. I was quite nervous to be told that I should stop complaining and am happy that I went through with it. If you're still debating whether you should go, do it
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Regarding supplements: I took chaste tree (agnus castus) a few years ago and it was scary, so I stopped. Started lactating... Now, 'I've had some "milk" before without ever having been pregnant, but it got a lot more while I was taking those pills. They're supposed to help with hormonal imbalance and irregular cycles.

 

[charlotten]

Hey,
I've recently been told I have PCOS after fertility struggles - I'd never heard of PCOS prior to this, but after speaking to my GP and them informing me of the symptoms it seems this has always been a part of my adult life.
I'm 27, have acne break outs often, very very irregular period (last one 7 months ago, prior to that,1.5 years ago), thinning hair, scalp is itchy, have put on weight in the last 2 years with no change in diet (figured this was me getting closer to 30) and can't shift any weight! I'm active and eat healthy but nothing is working.
With everything going on at the moment my GP has said that any treatment isn't going to be quick, so any advice on loosing weight and managing symptoms would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Lizzie Mintdrop]

I've finally had my most recent blood test results back as I'd asked about being given Metformin. But all my levels have improved so they won't let me have it and I'm actually gutted. My blood sugar was fine and my testosterone has gone down. But I feel like it doesn't match my symptoms, I'm finding it so hard to lose weight, my excess facial hair is worse than ever and I have zero sex drive. I don't know what else to try anymore was really hoping I would be prescribed it to see if it helped

Looks into either berberine or myo-inositol, both have been found to be as effective as metformin

 

[hnoz]

I have what people generally refer to as lean pcos, diagnosed by blood test and an internal ultrasound.
It is very frustrating as it took SO long for me to get a diagnosis, they didn't even want to do the tests for years & my doctor has two daughters with classic pcos symptoms and she clearly thinks mine isn't as bad or doesn't need to be taken seriously and offered no way to treat/manage it.
It is really disheartening particularly as it is having a huge impact on ttc for me. I'm looking to switch doctors actually so hopefully that helps, it was mention by another nurse in the practice that fertility appointments are somewhat fast tracked and I could get referred at 6 months rather than a full year of trying so I might start thinking about taking that up soon.

 

[Lola Ruby]

Soy milk and soy products are huge disrupters. They cause my acne to spiral. They are quite an easy one to avoid and the difference you can see is visible. Other easy changes are from liquid soap to bar soap, I also did this and can see the changes. Switching out plastic food containers to glass is also a good one as it’s also environmentally friendly.
I’m not sure there are many in personal health products but I could be wrong.
I’ve been doing them my ova insitol for three months and have seen changes. I was wondering if anyone knew of a cheaper alternative?
Also been using Rheal foods for a month clean Greens and hormonal balance, apart from an acne spike this week, my bloating has considerably reduced and I’m losing weight steadily and weekly

I use a brand called OvaSense by Natural Factors, I order it off iHerb, haven't been taking it long enough to say if it's made much of a difference though! It's a bit cheaper than the one you mentioned

 

[VicksterIcon]

Does anyone have any advice for the embarrassing hair growth? It’s ruining my confidence and I can’t seem to win I wax and get sensitive skin, tweezing and ingrown hairs and spots, shaving and not as close as I’d like. Someone please tell me what on earth you do!

I use tweezers. You can have laser treatment too but it can be expensive.
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I’ve just ordered Ozempic to help with my weight loss. I have used metformin previously but my GP is reluctant to prescribe it and I cannot be bothered arguing with them

I paid privately for Saxenda through my surgery’s pharmacy. I did use Metformin many years ago but found it didn’t help me at all. No matter what I did I couldn’t loose weight. I was quite sceptical of Saxenda before trying especially paying £250 for 5 pens but was so pleased with the results. I used it for 6 months as couldn’t afford it after that. I did put some weight back on but no where near what I was and I am maintaining. I’ll be interested to see what Boots charge for Wegovy when they launch it.

 

[kittypaws]

I’m wondering if I have PCOS, does this sound like it…?:

irregular periods, as a young teen they lasted two weeks at a time and I had to wear giant incontinence pads, it was like this until I was 17 then fell to ten days, they’re still irregular now but in a weird way - e.g. I now know after religiously tracking my cycle for a year that my period comes every 40 days or so and tends to last ten days - except I always w/o fail miss one or two and then have a really heavy two week long period, or very light spotting, or I will finish for two weeks and then have light spotting again. So I can never say ‘oh yes I’ll go swimming, because I don’t know if I will bleed or have a ‘normal’ period.

Hairy, everywhere hair could be I have it toes, belly (happy trail), boobs, upper lip and chin - dark and wiry- looks like pubes, so embarrassing.

Weight gain, I have always been big anyway but every time I lose weight I seem to stall at a certain weight and find it really hard to lose any more, this is despite me eating a good diet, even when I was calorie counting I stopped once I hit 10st and still have a big belly.

GP doesn’t seem to care and doesn’t want to put me on the pill due to other health issues. I was put on menamphic acid for six months (no idea if ive spelled that right) it helped after three months or so but made my periods really odd. It’s as if, every time I miss a period, my body is on catch up mode and I then get a really heavy period and spotting in between.

A lot of the women in my family have it, my nan, sister, cousins…

Definitely sounds very likely that you have it! Obviously I can’t diagnose but you’ve got all the classic symptoms. Could you see another doctor and ask to be sent for tests?

 

[Blond3g1rl]

I’ve got symptoms and also cysts on my ovaries seen on a ultrasound. I haven’t had a blood test.