PCOS-MEDICATION Messages for February, 2003: Re: PCOS and Eating Disorders

Re: PCOS and Eating Disorders

From: anonymous (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Tue, 4 Feb 2003 20:33:01 -0600 (CST)

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At Fri, 28 Jun 2002, anonymous@obgyn.net wrote: >I recently read in Collette Harris's book on Pcos that 60% of women with bulimia have PCOS. What is unclear is the direction of the association if there is one at all,in other words does bulimia cause PCOS or does PCOS lead to bulimia? Or is this just a coincidence? Personaly I think that PCOS and the associated weight gain causes women to fall into a trap of unsuccessfil dieting which inceases their chances of developing an eating disorder, although I'm sure that its possible that the hormonal havoc that eating disorders create can bring on the sydrome. The majority of women with bulimia are anovulatory, which sets up a PCOS type cycle. Also as it is biologically unsafe for a woman with disordered eating to carry a child, the body may have evolved a mechanism to induce infertility at times of famine, namely PCOS.
Slightly of topic, I reccomend that all PCOS sufferers read John Lee MD's books on natural progesterone cream. Bio-identical progesterone cream, unlike the synthetic progestins contained in the pill, can be a very effective means of treating the symptoms of PCOS. I would strongly urge all PCOS sufferers to avoid the pill and explore other alternatives like natural progesterone cream, a low carb diet, regular exercise, vitamin and mineral supplemantion (especially chromium, vanadium and B complex) and if the above are unsatisfactory, the drug metformin(glucophage). Herbs like Vitex Agnus castus and black cohosh may also help, but only under the supervision of an approved medical herbalist. NB I am not a doctor, please act only under the advice of a madical practitioner!

>>From reading many of the posts, it seems that a lot of us deal with the mood disorders...mostly depression. It would make some sense that this occurs because PCOS throws your system "out-of-whack" so that it doesn't function correctly. It's easy to get depressed when everyone else seems to go thru life so much more easily and we're having to struggle to have cycles, struggle to get pregnant, fear miscarriage because of messed up hormones, deal with weight gains and retention that "normal" women can easily shed thru simple diet and excersize (I'm not counting the ladies who are biologically destined to be thin, or those who punish themselves by extreme diets in order to achieve society's "PERFECTION"). When you're constantly made aware that you're not society's ideal, it's pretty depressing. Add to the fact that the majority of physicians and medical professionals are still treating PCOS as being "all in your mind". Advice such as "lose weight" does nothing to improve a woman's self esteem nor does it address the true problem of the messed up hormonal system.
>
>When treatments are given to address certain symptoms created by the hormone imbalance, the woman's system is once again give a surge of "something new and foreign" (as far as HER body is concerned) and this difference will affect the delicate balance of hormones that affect a woman's mental health. The link between hormones and moods is only being realized and acknowledged recently. (Even though WOMEN have known this as a fact for CENTURIES!!!)
>
>Not many have mentioned eating disorders, but I could see how this could happen too. It's well known that a lot of people deal with depression and mood swings by eating comfort foods. And, since most PCOSers fall into the category of those of us dealing with overweight issues, those less understanding of the true medical problem are only too ready to condemn us as having eating disorders, being overeaters, having no willpower, etc.
>
>I guess what I'm saying is this....If you're questioning these things because you suffer from them, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!
>
>Hang in there. NOw that PCOS is being acknowledged in the field of medicine, now that it's being talked about in the media with great frequency (and thus, more women are DEMANDING to get answers), we are finally getting research done to help us find answers to the problems of PCOS. Although the day to day struggle of living with this burden can seem overwhelming, we truly live in a wonderful age where discoveries are constantly being made and new treatments are acknowledged. We as women with PCOS, and those who love us, need to continue to band together and make our collective voice heard so that the medical field realizes we will NOT accept the old fashioned treatment of our ancestors...the "pat on the head" and the "sweetheart, all you need to do is lose weight".
>
>Good questions though! I'm interested in knowing what others have to say about these too!
>
>Hugs,
>
>Shelley
>
>I am interested in finding out how many women with PCOS have also
>suffered from eating Disorders and/or mood disorders, particularly if
>you have Insulin Resistence or Impaired glucose Tolerance as well. I
>was wonering if any medical research studies have been conducted to
>establish whether or not there is a correlation.
>
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