Supplements to help weight loss with PCOS?

My main problem with PCOS is that I am really struggling to lose weight, it just sticks like glue. I know that because of insulin resistance, low carb is the way forward, nothing else is going to help longterm, and I'm fine with that. Got past the difficult first bit, and now it is just a case of needing to stick with it.

However I have been wondering if any of you take supplements to help with this nasty condition? I am post-menopause but still get some hot flushes - I have been using natural progesterone cream to help with that, and it does seem to reduce them. I have had DVT twice and a PE as well so cannot take HRT or anything oestrogen related, but the progesterone of course is not a problem. I'm also on meds for high bp which appeared mysteriously out of nowhere when I was in my 30's - obvious now that both the high bp and blood clot problems were due to PCOS. Hindsight, eh...

Other than that I take a multivitamin & mineral tablet (one for 50+) also omega 3, lutein (because my mum is now blind with AMD and I certainly don't want that), a vitamin d capsule, that lot are all ongoing. I am also at the moment taking coenzyme q10 to help with high bp - I am hoping to be able to stop my bp meds (with GP's approval of course). Oh, and magnesium, and chromium picolinate to help with the insulin resistance.

Any thoughts? I'd be interested to hear what you are all doing, and what you've found helpful?

I've recently started taking coenzyme q10 and chromium, but it's too early to say if they're making any difference. I'm not on any other meds though. Hoping that the weight loss and then moving onto low carb way of eating will keep me away from the GP. Fingers crossed.

Low carb isnt the same as low GI... just saying. I take a menopause supplement with chromium in it.

Yes, you're right. Low carb, low GI and low GL are all different. Dr John Briffa (who I think talks a lot of sense) says that low GI and low GL are not low carb enough for PCOS sufferers. He says that it's possible to eat low GI or low GL and still consume more carbs than are helpful for women with PCOS. I low carb. At the minute I'm still trying to shift another half a stone so I keep my carbs around 40g a day. Once I'm ready to maintain, I'll gradually increase the carbs until I stop losing weight.

Back on the subject of supplements, Dr Briffa recommends Agnus Castus, not particularly in relation to PCOS, but menstrual cycle problems in general. He says you need to take it for 3 months before evaluating whether or not it's helped you.

I'm taking Agnus castus, but that only helps with the menstrual issues doesn't help with the weight loss. Only been on them 2 weeks though so dunno if they are helping any yet. I also take multivitamins with chromium in them.

Chromium helps with insulin resistance and it reduces your appetite a bit which is always useful and spearmint is good, stops bloating and works on reducing androgens, I generally have it as a tea so it's easy to try. Have you tried metformin or spiro? Normally if you are overweight with PCOS your endocrinologist will prescribe one or the other to help you drop the weight. I have to admit though the only thing that has ever really helped me drop all the weight is total food replacement programs, controversial as they are I did my first one through my hospital consultant over 8 years ago and it was the first thing that really worked for me otherwise 5 days a week at the gym and 1200cals only drops around .25lbs a week for me.

I take chromium and berberine. Berberine has been shown to lower elevated blood glucose as effectively as metmorfin. Metmorfin is prescribed by doctor and berberine is good as it is a supplement and can be bought without a prescription. I also put half of teaspoon cinnamon into my morning coffee as cinnamon is also known for improving insulin resistance

I've recently (too recent to judge on their effectiveness yet) seen a naturopath, who prescribed, based on my symptoms of PCOS and desire to lose weight. So I take... vitamin B complex; body bio-oil capsules 4:1 proportions of sunflower and flaxseed oils; probiotics (more for my IBS than PCOS); Vitex (chaste berry) tincture (more for period regulation).

Her advice for weight loss with PCOS was - as you've all said - to lower carbs throughout the diet. She also said that a healthy liver goes a long way, as it plays a role in balancing hormones - for this, she recommended drinking warm water with lemon on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

Hopefully that advice will work for me... I'll be reporting back on progress. It's good (well, not 'good', but you know what I mean!) to hear that others are as frustrated by their PCOS getting in the way of their weight loss as I am.

J x

I found I lost weight and suppressed my appetite with Chromium, before I was diagnosed with insulin resistance and diabetes, this combined with a healthy diet and exercise I lost weight very quickly and kept it off until I stopped taking it

Good Luck

I have been taking chromium, cinnamon, magnesium, vit b & c and omega 3 for a month now and I am starting to notice a difference now in my symptoms. Wud defo recommend

Wow i am going to be looking up all these meds I was diagnosed with pcos about a year ago i 37!!! but have had pcos for years, just never bothered getting symptoms seen to. I went to see my gp yesterday and he told me eat very low carb, advised Atkins ..and started me on metformin. now all i have to do is wait for blood results in 6 days.. xx there seems so much more i could be doing also! think i need to start researching x