PCOS-MEDICATION Messages for August, 2003: Re: Initiating Metformin

Re: Initiating Metformin

From: click (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed, 27 Aug 2003 19:34:21 -0500 (CDT)

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Well, I really didn't change my diet--the only thing I changed from pre-PCOS eating to post-PCOS eating was cutting out soda & regularly eating processed candies (snickers, etc).. Which I didn't do THAT often anyway--but I think soda made the biggest difference in my weight loss. I was always a 5-tiny-meal-a-day kind of person and that certainly made it easier to adjust to a pseudo-diabetic lifestyle. Low carbºd idea. low/no white/processed carbs is an excellent idea. I try to eat whole grains, oatmeal, things like that when I want some kind of bready item. I rarely eat pasta, or rice, and when I have bread I try to control myself to just a little to savor the texture or whatnot--and try to have whole grain.

Also, I was always a little overweight growing up but I really started to balloon when I was 12-13 (7th grade)--before that I was very muscular and 5'6, about 145 pounds. I'm still 190-200 lbs fluxuating at 5'7 now, but I lost that major 40 pounds that majorly lowered my blood sugar. Most people dont believe I'm over 160 beacuse I'm so muscular.

It's not really about eating LESS, it's about eating more often with lower calorie foods.. I don't know if what I eat will work for you, but here's a typical two or three days for me (oh, also, i'm really into bio so I'm pretty aware of what kinds of things I'm putting into my body, even when I know they're bad..I guess sometimes that helps):

1/2 cup oatmeal with 1 cup skim milk breakfast w/ 5 oz OJ (more than this isnt good for diabetic-prone people at a time, or more than twice a day)

maybe 20 grapes for a snack and like 5 8 grain crackers (check the sugars on those as well sa the fiber content; subtract any fiber content from the total carbs and that's what you should pay attention to and keep low without inconveniencing yourself) OR snack: 1 apple & some cottage cheese (like 4 tbls spoons)

lunch i'd likely have a fish taco (little), 1/4th cup of black beans and 1/4th cup of rice (bad!)

afternoon snack happens sometimes and doesn't sometimes.. its similar to the first snack, usually, but sometimes tends to be more like this: 1 fruit leather (80 calories and equivilent to a fruit and like an adult fruit roll up) or one "luna" bar or something balanced like that (excerscise energy but again make sure its not so much sugar.. the zone ones dont taste as good but are better for you, and they fill you up good)

dinner is usually protien like some grilled chicken or fish and asparagus or something..sometimes i have bbq sauce but i try to get one with natural sugars (honey) rather than processed sugars (sugar)... it's all the hidden processed sugars, especially in processed foods that is the biggest downfall of dieting. Diet bars are made for convenience but alot of the time contain a ton of sugar to boost energy even though maybe t hey're low calorie. Just make sure what you're putting into your body is stuff that can be used by your cells and your metabolism, and isn't just being put in for your taste buds.

Also, I know it's wierd for alt of people not to have potatoes, or rice or some carb with their meat & vegetable dinner, but try having TWO vegetables instead of the trio including carbs..it's tastier, healthier, and it's the latest trend ;)

I guess eating good is a little easier in cali, but i do have lots of room for improvement. my best advise (now that i've been so lengthy, sorry) is to keep an eye out for hidden processed sugars and avoid processed breads (white breads, rice, pasta) and keep an eye out also for high sodium foods (tomato sauce more than 2x a week)

Good luck

any questions or something like that click@charter.net

At Wed, 27 Aug 2003, AmyK wrote: >
>What kind of diet did you follow? Was it low carb? or ?>? I'm sort of
>like you - same weight gain - but when I went on Metformin in May I only
>lost 5 or 6 pounds. I eat HALF of what I used to and still, the weight
>is sticking to me. That's why I'd be curious to see what you eat!
>Thanks! AmyK
>
>At Wed, 27 Aug 2003, click wrote:
>>
>>I went to my new general practitioner because of my rapid weight gain
>>(unexplained; ate very little), my low energy, missed period for mroe
>>than a year, etc.. I was 16 years old, 5'7, 240 lbs, blood pressure was
>>170/100.
>>
>>The Dr ordered blood work checking a couple types of testosterone
>>levels, sugar levels, lipid levels, and some other items.. after that,
>>my GP suspected PCOS--she sent me to a gynocologist & an
>>endocronologist. I got into the gyno first. The gyno did an exam as
>>I'd never had one before--to check for abnormalities because of my high
>>testosterone, and then sent me to have an ultrasound of my ovaries done
>>(non vaginal as I was a virgin) to rule out any large cysts or abnormal
>>sizing. All that came back OK, but I still haddn't had a period, so my
>>gyno put me on high doses of progesterone for 5 days and I had a 30 day
>>long period. About two weeks into that, I demanded to start the insulin
>>resistance treatment I'd been suspected of having since I haddn't been
>>able to get into the endocronologist yet and my weight was getting
>>worse, so my gyno perscribed me enough for a month to hold me over. The
>>endocronologist had ultrasounds of my kidneys done, a CAT of my adrenal
>>glands, etc to rule out any other causes of my symptoms and things that
>>would be problems with the medication. Also, my blood pressure after a
>>few weeks of the metformin had dropped to 150/90--a large improvement.
>>All of the tests came back normal and he continued my glucophage
>>treatment and continued communicating with my gynecologist.
>>
>>Two months later I had realized that the medication's side effect that
>>were only to last the adjustment period were still plaguing me and
>>really crippling my life (in bed after 5pm because of stomach
>>pain/cramps, cold sweats, up and down blood sugar & moods) and so my
>>endocronologist switched me to glucophage XR (time release) and it was
>>magic. Two months later I'd lost 12 pounds or so, by 6 or 7 months I
>>had lost 40 pounds--all without effort--eating the same as I had before
>>I was diagnosed (which was not bad, btw, except for soda which was not
>>in excess)
>>
>>... anyway, That's the summed up version of events.
>>
>>At Wed, 27 Aug 2003, anonymous@obgyn.net wrote:
>>>
>>>A doctor should take blood to run the following; FSH (Follicle
>>>Stimulating Hormone), will be normal or low with PCOS,LH (Lutenizing
>>>Hormone), will be elevated with PCOS,LH/FSH greater than 2:1 or 3:1 may
>>>be considered diagnostic of PCOS, Prolactin can be normal or low with
>>>PCOS ,Testosterone, total and/or free usually elevated with PCOS,DHEAS,
>>>frequently mildly elevated with PCOS , Estrogens, may be normal or
>>>elevated with PCOS , Lipid profile (low HDL, high LDL, and cholesterol,
>>>elevated triglycerides) Glucose, may be elevated, Insulin, often
>>>elevated with PCOS ,TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone) some who have PCOS
>>>are also hypothyroid
>>>
>>>I had the initial blood test that checked most of the above and then I
>>>had the glucose tolerance test to rule out diabetes.
>>>
>>>Also, they did a vaginal Ultrasound to evaluate cysts/enlarged ovaries.
>>>
>>>Hope this helps.
>>>
>>>At Tue, 26 Aug 2003, anonymous wrote:
>>>>
>>>>I'd like to hear from anyone about how their doctor came to place them
>>>>on Metformin/glucophase. Was it the results of blood tests, if so which
>>>>ones?
>>>>Thanks

Next message: click: "Re: Birth Control Pills & Antibiotics"
Previous message: click: "Re: Initiating Metformin"
In reply to: AmyK: "Re: Initiating Metformin"
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