PCOS - My Weight Problems Weren't My Fault

[Storygirl]

I diagnosed myself four or five years ago with that same Family Circle article Pea-n-Me is referring to...I was trying to get pregnant and knew it probably wouldn't happen (no periods, no ovulating) and I read the article on my 28th birthday...made an appointment with my doctor right away. I went in and said, "I think I have PCOS." She said, "I think you do, too, but why do you say that?" I showed her the article. I left with a prescription for Metformin and a whole new outlook. Thanks to a low carb diet, metformin, and a wee bit of clomid I now have a darling little boy who is about to turn 4 next month.

At first, I was so happy that the whole weight issue made sense! I am also diabetic, thanks to PCOS and weight gain. I was so happy that I wasn't a diet failure. Then the anger set in. Why me? If I didn't have this, I'd have had a totally different experience in my life. But now I have accepted it. If I didn't have PCOS I would probably have met someone sooner and therefore have a different husband and definitely different children. And I wouldn't give DH and DS up for the world.

I hear you about the medicine - yikes! Met is horrible at first. But so worth it.

 

[karebear1]

Storygirl- where are you from in Wisconsin? We were just there last week visiting fasmily! I wanna move back- I miss it! When we lived there, we lived in the Brookfield/Waukesha area, a suburb of Milwaukee. My DH family is from the Green Bay area. My OBGYN from Wisconsin is the one that diagnosed me with PCOS so many years ago!.

 

[left210]

My doctor thinks I might have PCOS. I have already been diagnosed with endometriosis after two laparoscopy's and have been trying to get pregnant for a year with no luck. He has ordered blood tests but I have to wait until I get through this month. I am currently taking Clomid and he has increased the dosage for next month and he did say that he would put me on Metformin if I have PCOS. Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[outstandinfarmer]

I was diagnosed with PCOS and almost a year later diagnosed with auto-immune thyroid. My doc said that this thyroid problem can actually cause PCOS and after a couple years of treatments it can balance out my body so I don't have to take medication anymore.

If anyone has ever had thyroid symptoms but it always tested normal, you should be tested for auto-immune thyroid. Normal docs don't just test for this for whatever reason, but the top endocrinologists are pushing for all docs to test for this.

So just a thought.

 

[ilovemyjeepliberty]

i was diagnosed with pcos when i was 16 (8 years ago). i had stopped having my period for about a year, finally told my mom, and she brought me to an endo and i found out. my only symptoms were no periods, sudden weight gain and male pattern hair growth. i'm one of the cysters with no ovarian cysts. i was on spironolactone for years and it really helped with hair growth. i've also been on bcp's since i was diagnosed, and metformin for about the last 4 years. i've always had a really hard time with my weight, except when i was 18-19 and 140 pounds, but that was due to basically starving myself. my weight goes up and down and up some more, but i started ww a month and a half ago and i've lost 19 pounds. well, i just wanted to share my story. i'm off to work.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I was just diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome or X Syndrome by a new Endo that I had a consultation with.

He's been long on getting back from me, had the tests on 5/1 and have not heard from him, but he wants to put me on Metaformin. My ob/gyn says I have it too.

This sydrome is getting more prevalent as the months/years go on.

 

[Kristi1357]

You guys are really getting me thinking...

I have been on WW for 1.5 years, but for the past 10 months I have lost nothing! I even starting exercising religiously in January and completed the Minnie 15k last week - something I never thought I would do in a million years.

I keep wanting to call my doc and get another set of thyroid tests done. Each time I think it's off again though, it comes back normal, on the low side even. Then I start second guessing myself that I am not following WW well enough.

You guys are making me think something else really could be wrong: PCOS or metabolic syndrome, or something! I am calling my doc. right now! Thanks!

 

[outstandinfarmer]

You guys are really getting me thinking...

I have been on WW for 1.5 years, but for the past 10 months I have lost nothing! I even starting exercising religiously in January and completed the Minnie 15k last week - something I never thought I would do in a million years.

I keep wanting to call my doc and get another set of thyroid tests done. Each time I think it's off again though, it comes back normal, on the low side even. Then I start second guessing myself that I am not following WW well enough.

You guys are making me think something else really could be wrong: PCOS or metabolic syndrome, or something! I am calling my doc. right now! Thanks!

Tell you doctor that you want to be tested for Auto Immune Thyroid.

This makes you have all the symptoms of a thyroid problem but it never shows up on your regular tests. They treat it exactly the same way as a normal thyroid problem. I kept telling every doctor that I knew I had a thyroid problem and they all told me I was OK. Finally one doctor tested for this and my levels were off the chart!! He said it was one of the most extreme cases he's ever seen. And here I've been sick for YEARS and everyone told me I was fine.

PLEASE GET THIS TEST DONE!!

 

[Kristi1357]

Thanks Heather!

I called yesterday and made an appt. with my primary for next Wednesday.

I would normally call my endo's office, but I was totally turned off from them on my check up in November. First off, my endo (who I really liked) bumped me off to his new nurse practitioner. It annoyed me since I see him yearly for check-ups, usually nothing more. So, I decide I may actually like her more, so I go to her. I explain how I've come to a hault at WW. That my hair is falling out again & my hands are extremely dry & cracking. She lectured me about how I need to exercise for about 15 mins. of my appt. She told me taking the stairs at work, etc. did not count at all towards exercise since it's not 30 mins or more. (huh?) My hands were dry because it was November (um, having problems since the summer...). I finally just tuned her out & got out of there. I plan on finding a new endo by the November anyway.

Hopefully, my current primary will just run these tests for me. He is not the greatest, but I don't have an appt. with my new primary (for a physical) until July. I am also curious about my cholesterol & blood sugar since those were a bit off in March of last year. I will definately make him do that auto-immune thyroid test!

 

[outstandinfarmer]

Thanks Heather!

I called yesterday and made an appt. with my primary for next Wednesday.

I would normally call my endo's office, but I was totally turned off from them on my check up in November. First off, my endo (who I really liked) bumped me off to his new nurse practitioner. It annoyed me since I see him yearly for check-ups, usually nothing more. So, I decide I may actually like her more, so I go to her. I explain how I've come to a hault at WW. That my hair is falling out again & my hands are extremely dry & cracking. She lectured me about how I need to exercise for about 15 mins. of my appt. She told me taking the stairs at work, etc. did not count at all towards exercise since it's not 30 mins or more. (huh?) My hands were dry because it was November (um, having problems since the summer...). I finally just tuned her out & got out of there. I plan on finding a new endo by the November anyway.

Hopefully, my current primary will just run these tests for me. He is not the greatest, but I don't have an appt. with my new primary (for a physical) until July. I am also curious about my cholesterol & blood sugar since those were a bit off in March of last year. I will definately make him do that auto-immune thyroid test!

My hair was falling out and my hands were extremely dry too, among many other things. I went to this supposedly "awesome" endo and she also just gave me tips about how to lose weight and eat healthier. I know how to do all that and for the most part I do. She was no help whatsoever and what completely irritates me is that here she is a THYROID SPECIALIST and she didn't know to test for auto-immune thyroid? Give me a break! In all of my doctor experiences I've had to do the research and figure out what was wrong with me and go to the doc and tell them. I think that's ridiculous! We pay them crazy amounts of money and noone seems to know what they are doing. I get so upset sometimes!!

 

[gris gris]

Hi, I was checking out this board because I figured I would join after my baby is born (I'll need to lose about 80 pounds - 50 pounds baby weight, 30 pounds of extra!) and saw this thread.

I was diagnosed with PCOS but not via a blood test - my blood test came out fine. But, my OB agreed that I have all of the physical signs of PCOS (excess hair growth, skin tags, weight gain, dry skin/hands, irregular periods - and the biggie - infertility). I went off the pill in August of 04 and didn't get pregnant until September 05. With first DD, I got pregnant right away (1 cycle). OB said that the pill actually supresses PCOS symptoms which might explain why I had no symptoms while on the pill. I never had a problem with my periods until after I went off the pill. I was a 28 day cycle person forever.

I'm really looking forward to getting this regulated once the baby is born. I'm assuming she'll put me on metformin & maybe Yasmin (although I'm not sure I want to go back on the pill).

Who recommends the endochrinologist to you? I haven't been to my primary doctor in years - all my physicals, etc...are done by my OB.

Also like others have said this is fairly complicated to diagnose and doctors are just starting to get better at it and understand it. My "normal" gynecologist is the one that did the blood tests and said I don't have PCOS. Once I finally got pregnant and went to a new OB, she is the one who told me it can be diagnosed by looking at the physical traits too, even if the blood work is okay.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I wanted to share with you, what a poster on another board wrote about PCOS (from her and her doctor's experience).

Ok .. as a disclaimer .. I know all Doc's have different opinions. And this is only my Doc's opinion ... but since alot of people read this board in place of seeking medical help I wanted to address something that seems to be believed in the PCOS world.

I am 2 years post-op ... down 100lbs ... which I lost within the first 10 months ... then NOTHING!! ... lol .. I have only lost 10 lbs in the 14 months since the innitial weightloss. I sit at an okay 183lbs ... give or take 5 depending on if I got dressed and had my coffee before weighing myself

I've known I had PCOS for about 5-6 years ... but only got sick of it and seeked out a diagnoses 3 years ago. But I moved from Canada to the US, and lots of things happened, so I never actually got treated for it. Then I had WLS, and was focusing on that ... but, my PCOS has NOT been cured from losing 100lbs.

Sure ... it's helped lower some numbers, and stuff ... but PCOS is NOT curable. Even if all your tests come back normal, you still have a Medibolic Disorder that they have no cure for. In woman it causes PCOS and other things, in men it's call Syndrome X. My family is riddled with this.

What I want to caution anyone who may not be seeking medical attention is this: Just because people on here say they were cured or have no insulin level issues since WLS and losing the weight ... PLEASE know that normal numbers do not take you outa the 7+ times risk for heart disease,stroke, diabetes, etc ...

I say this, because I did lurk here for three years before getting medical attention and being put on Metformin. My Doc is soooooo adament that the health risks are soooo far beyond getting pregnant, or having facial hair, and anyone who had PCOS should be treated for life ... no matter what. Your dose can be lowered, but just because your #'s get normal, doesn't mean you go off your meds.

I love my Doc, because he is the first one I have ever met that truly believes that Metobolic Disorder is most certainly life threatening. And not something "Fat" people blame their problems on.

My WL Surgeon's office strongly stresses being treated for your PCOS after weightloss as well.

It is not curable, only managed.

That said, I think it's great to hear people feel fabulous and don't need their meds. But since weight gain is simply a symptom of Metabolic Disorder, losing the weight does not solve your problem. It only hides it till your older and feeling like crap

 

[Zoesmama03]

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 19 yaers ago! Unfortunately for me, I developed diabetes before they knew about using metformin for the PCOS. So, weight loss is still very hard for me because of the diabetes and the metformin addressing that issue instead of PCOS. If you are diagnosed with PCOS- see you Dr. now about getting that metformin. Developing diabetes and then trying to lose weight is next to impossible! My endocronologist has suggested that I have weight loss surgery because nothing else works for me to lose weight. After working with a dietician and training for the half marathon for a year, and only losing 20 lbs.- she says it's the only thing that will get the weight off now. Bummer

I'm glad I saw this.

My mom developed diabetes and I'm scared i will. I've not been diagnosed with either but I still believe i have PCOS AND that my mom did/does as well we both have sooooo many symptoms. Such as skin tags, and the brown patches on neck and whatnot, hair growth on chin(mine is starting. ) Oh and I have outrageous cycles. I can go months with nothing. I've read 8 or fewer cycles is a good indication.

I've also read not everyone has the cysts and not everyone with cysts has PCOS. It really is soooo different in each case.

I talked to my "dr" it was just the nurse practionar. They only pulled blood. EVERYTHING was normal except my iron. My triglycerides were slightly elevated but not high by any means and thyroid and blood sugars and insulin came back normal as well. I think when I get my insurance going again I will ask my OB/GYN what he knows and see if he can refer me to someone for the symptoms. With the long cycles I'd love to see if Metformin would help regulate me and of course help with weight loss. Even back when I was working out hard and often it wasn't budging.

 

[misslissa]

Hi there,

I have been reading your post since last night. I can't believe I didn't know about this. The doctor thought I had this when I was younger. At 15, my periods stopped completely and I went on the pill. Now, I'm 22, and I am severely overweight. I am just losing weight the old fashioned way now.

Anyway, I have had cysts, missed periods, all of the symptoms you have had. Now, it is a matter of finding a doctor. I called around this morning and there seems to be no one out there!

I was wondering... when you lost all of this weight... what time period was it in??? And, what was your starting weight???

 

[outstandinfarmer]

I lost weight right away when I started on it. They increase your doses over a couple months so as soon as it stops working, they up your dose. I lost about 25 pounds within the first three months then nothing forever until they realized I had autoimmune thyroid and then I lost another 20 within the first month of being put on thyroid medication. You can just tell that when you start the metformin your body is running better and my recommendation to anyone that starts this medication is to take this time to really exercise. The effects don't last too long and while your body is running super high, work out so you lose more. I had a broke foot when I started so I didn't get to work out as much, but I wish I could have done more.

On another note, since they started me on the thyroid medication, I have had my period for over 6 weeks. But don't worry, my gyno told me, it should adjust itself out within 6 to 8 MONTHS!!! Geez. . .

 

[misslissa]

Your posts have totally inspired me to give doctors, in general, another chance.

I went to the doctor today and have a blood test and ultrasound to go to. She said since I didn't have any facial hair growth that I didn't have to be tested for testostorone. I don't know about that...

Anyway, I really hope that they are able to find that this is my "problem" because it is pretty much the only thing it could be... my symptoms are very similar.

She chuckled when I asked for the above medication. She weighed me. I hope that is a good sign. I went to a walk-in clinic 'cause I haven't been to the DR. since I moved to this city.

The DR. wasn't my favourite person, but I'm happy to have someone, in Canada it is hard to find a General Practitioner.

So..... we'll wait next week to see the verdict. I am holding my breath.