LT PCOS - What PCOS Is!

[XxAlexandritexX]

Hello People

As stated in my intro thread I have PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovaries Syndrome) and I assume many of you here may do, which may be the reason we are on LT or could make LT progress differ/affect our PCOS (positively affect I hope) so hopefully we can talk about that here.

PCOS:
- Basically your ovaries grow cysts, some which can stay there and not do anything and others which can cause some real problems
- The problem is caused by an imbalance of hormones, women with PCOS have a larger number of maculine hormones, which then affect what makes us female.
- Symptoms of PCOS are: Irregular periods (as men dont have periods); body hair (face; back; tummy; thicker arm/leg hair) as men are hairier in these areas. Because of the hormone issues some women have really bad acne and mood swings.
- Diet and PCOS: There is a growing connection between women who have PCOS and Insuilin Resistence (sometimes known as 'mini diabeties') although it is NOT diabeties but can develop into diabeties if not controlled.
- Because of this insulin resistance the body turns sugar into fat meaning that PCOS sufferers are more likely to be overweight, which makes the cysts more likely and then you are in a circle.

There is NO cure for PCOS and sadly some Primary Care Trusts dont even recognise it as a medical condition despite research showing between 5-10% of women have it, it is the biggest reason for infililaty; biggest guaranteed trigger of type 2 diabeties and can lead to other medical/obesity problems.

Women who can reproduce with PCOS are highly likely to miscarry.

Women who are unfortunate to live in an NHS area who accept the problem are denied drugs like Metforim (given to diabetics to control their blood sugar) and laser hair removal.

I was really "lucky" that I was diagnoised in 1996, before it was even heard of. However, links to diet and weight and fertility are being discovered more in the last 3-5yrs. The only thing Drs were able to do before was prescribe you with the pill to articifically give you female hormones (estrogen) and kick start your periods.

However, some research and women from PCOS forums have indicated that weight loss has regulated their periods and allowed them to produce a baby without miscarriage. As soon as they have lost the weight they rely on low GI diets, however just starting low GI hasnt reduced just stablised.

Any questions - please ask. I am not a Dr and everything I have put down is what I have taught myself as many people, including Drs dont know what PCOS is.

[MrsFatBum]

Thanx for that. I have PCOS too... which is the main reason I am on LT! I was given metformin to help with it but I dont know what happened but I was bleeding non-stop for six and a half months. my consultant was a guy and kept on telling me that it was normal for me to bleed for so long and that 1 in 10 suffered like this blah blah. well in the end.. after all them months i more or less collapsed and was taken to hospital because i was so weak from the bleeding. Since then I have taken matters into my own hands and am trying to lose weight as I believe this is the best solution to PCOS. I have only had 1 period since I started LT 3 months ago... but its a start. Was on the pill as well.. but my GP has advised me not to because of my weight and also coz of history of heart disease in my family.

I know many people who have PCOS and they are absolutely normal and it hasnt affected their health in any way and they have kids and everything. God knows what happened to me but PCOS is hell for me.

[JennyHill]

Thanx for that. I have PCOS too... which is the main reason I am on LT! I was given metformin to help with it but I dont know what happened but I was bleeding non-stop for six and a half months. my consultant was a guy and kept on telling me that it was normal for me to bleed for so long and that 1 in 10 suffered like this blah blah. well in the end.. after all them months i more or less collapsed and was taken to hospital because i was so weak from the bleeding. Since then I have taken matters into my own hands and am trying to lose weight as I believe this is the best solution to PCOS. I have only had 1 period since I started LT 3 months ago... but its a start. Was on the pill as well.. but my GP has advised me not to because of my weight and also coz of history of heart disease in my family.

I know many people who have PCOS and they are absolutely normal and it hasnt affected their health in any way and they have kids and everything. God knows what happened to me but PCOS is hell for me.

When I leave my PCOS to work its natural way I also bleed nearly all the time with few days without. But I have a coil in now and so Im now having alot less (once every one or two months) But I am still really overweight and I hate the hair and the acne...............driving me insane. Even if I lose weight for my wedding ...Im still having to worry about what my skin will look like and how I make sure the hairs not there without my skin looking sore from removing it ...Down to PCOS....but on the plus side I have 3 lovely kids so I guess Im lucky x

[XxAlexandritexX]

Hun, I have collapsed twice, once when I was 17 which was the trigger for my (male) Dr to suss something. He was great, my Dr since birth and my families Dr before I was born. He got me to do an Ultrasound after my first blackout which I was in hospital for 3 days and the hospital had no idea what it was. They only do ultrasounds for pregnancy but it showed my Dr the cysts on my ovaries and then he dianogised me. The day b4 my 18th birthday I had to have a cyst removal op (ha bloody ha) was in hospital for 5 days! I collapsed again when I was 26 at work and had to have another removal.

My Dr has since died so I am on my own, he was the one who did alot of research for me but he passed away when I was 25. He did prescribe me Dianette (pill) but that dried my skin out as I dont have acne so that didnt work for me. Besides its a short term solution.

I have changed 3 Drs in five years until I get someone who will help me, my current Dr doesnt understand but she follows my instruction and does research with me - so thats the best I have. She has made some nice referrals to big central hospitals. My NHS Trust also recognise it.

I heard many people talk about the bleed on metforim. I tried it for 2 weeks and vomitted like crazy, helped me lose weight just from the vomitting!

I agree, losing weight is got to be the only way. But thats the curse of PCOS it doesnt let you lose weight. People always say eat well and be active, I eat fairly well, I do my 5 a day, hardly ever fry, have a take away once-twice a week, always active, walk about 2miles to work! Its not a "lazy" issue it is a PCOS.

Anyway, Kuri when is your Shaadi? Lucky you found a man!

[XxAlexandritexX]

When I leave my PCOS to work its natural way I also bleed nearly all the time with few days without. But I have a coil in now and so Im now having alot less (once every one or two months) But I am still really overweight and I hate the hair and the acne...............driving me insane. Even if I lose weight for my wedding ...Im still having to worry about what my skin will look like and how I make sure the hairs not there without my skin looking sore from removing it ...Down to PCOS....but on the plus side I have 3 lovely kids so I guess Im lucky x

Im contemplating laser hair removal, hurts like a b*#%t though! I have heard PCOS sufferers say their acne reduces when they have lost the weight

[JennyHill]

Im contemplating laser hair removal, hurts like a b*#%t though! I have heard PCOS sufferers say their acne reduces when they have lost the weight

I really hope the acne will improve. I was told I had PCOS at 19 and didnt really have that many symptoms except for the bleeding but as babies have come and gone in my body...my body has changed. The acne has become an issue in the last year as has the hair. My gyni said this was due to my age boooo but that it will improve when I loose weight. Im not allowed the pill due to my weight...hopefully when I loose it I will be able to have other options open up to me. At the moment Im not on LT...Im trying to do Slim fast and see what happens. I dont think I could make it without eating. But when Im used to SF I might see if Im ready to go and give LT a try.

[MrsFatBum]

i should consider myself lucky... i have never suffered from acne. Luckily I have great skin but obviously the hair is no fun!
Its strange that! the metformin made me vomit like mad in the first couple of weeks but Dr said that it was all because of the changes in my hormones.

I have never ever got the help I needed from any of my doctors. They always said that I had irregular periods because I was overweight. But I became overweight after I started my periods!

Im glad I have not needed to have any ops done yet but my new doc has said that it may be necessary because I have a lot of them on both ovaries.

The things us women have to live with. Not fair.

I am getting married to my sweetheart on 11th Oct 09
From everything I have heard about laser hair removal, its not worth the trouble. a lady I worked with said she has it done for a while but it didnt make a difference and it made her skin dry and scarred.

[MrsFatBum]

Also, just remembered. I was seeing this asian doctor for a while and she refused to send me for scans etc esp the internal one... she said that she wouldnt advise it because Im not married yet and stuff.... but in the end... when I collapsed and went to hospital they stuffed that thing inside me and I cried so loud people in the waiting room heard me. Since that day I vowed I would not go to a hospital again.. and would never ever ever have s*x

[Saddia]

Lol! U just made me smile! Its not that bad honestly, Ive had 2 kids now so it gets easier babe. The main thing is ur marrying a guy ur in love with which makes it easier x

[MrsFatBum]

I just hope he's a lot smaller than the thing they put in me! hehe
I really worry about the whole PCOS thing because so many women who suffer from it cant have children and it would break my heart if I couldnt have kids. Doc did say that I probably will need some surgery before then anyway so hopefully everything will be ok.

[Saddia]

ive heard of so many people with this problem but have no probs havin kids. Trust me babes, things will work out just fine.

[MrsFatBum]

thank you.. and i hope the same for everyone else too. Its just not fair that us women always get lumbered with all the bad stuff

[XxAlexandritexX]

Also, just remembered. I was seeing this asian doctor for a while and she refused to send me for scans etc esp the internal one... she said that she wouldnt advise it because Im not married yet and stuff.... but in the end... when I collapsed and went to hospital they stuffed that thing inside me and I cried so loud people in the waiting room heard me. Since that day I vowed I would not go to a hospital again.. and would never ever ever have s*x

My current dr is Asian, she had the laser hair removal done and says its great

[XxAlexandritexX]

ive heard of so many people with this problem but have no probs havin kids. Trust me babes, things will work out just fine.

^^ She is right!

Think about it, how many Aunty Ji's do you know who are fat and hairy and have kids? I bet many of them are PCOS and have had kids. Sometimes the worry is knowing too much - ignorance is bliss!

When you start trying and its obvious there is a problem, then worry. There are drugs like clomid you can take or something call ovarian drilling (which sound worser than it is). Many people on the PCOS forums have been successful in concieving!

[Saddia]

Hey alexandrite! im originally from london. Which part u from?