Re: Margo Re: PCOS without IR?
From: A (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri, 19 May 2000 13:53:03 -0400
Judy-
Just curious...how much of the L-Carnitine were you taking? Also, were you taking
the L-Carn & Q10 together?
Thanks!
:-) Alexis
Judy wrote:
> Hi Margo-
> Just had to *thank you* for sharing exactly what your current routine is
> (with the amounts of inositol, chromium, etc.) I'm so happy for you! If
> my own tests don't pan out soon, I'm going to try your routine to see if
> it helps me as well.
>
> (Over the past few years, I've tried a few supplements on my own to see
> if I couldn't help my symptoms: Estroven (which amazingly did slow down
> the facial hair a bit--but not a total cure by any means), and a combo
> of Q-10 and L-Carnitine (which help many people's energy level--no
> effect on me though).
>
> *Very* intersting info about the IGTT, too Margo. You know, I have in
> my hands right now a script for my IGTT, and it's for only 2 hours. You
> may very well have spared me an inaccurate test. I'll ask for the 5
> hour just to be sure. (This script came from the PCOS specialist, too!
> Gee, you'd think he'd know better. Perhaps it's a $$$ issue.)
>
> Thanks so much, and CONGRATULATIONS of feeling better!
>
> Judy
>
> At Fri, 19 May 2000, Margo wrote:
> >
> >Hello everyone,
> >
> >I have hypoglycemia and I am insulin resistant. Fasting levels for both
> >glucose and insulin all were normal. I had the 5 hr. IGTT It's after
> >the sugar drink where blood sugar and insulin spiked and my blood sugar
> >plummeted at the 3rd hour (to 45) while the insulin level remained high
> >(105). if I had just had the 2 hr IGTT, the hypoglycemia wouldn not
> >have been noticed. Thankfully they stopped the test after 4hrs (I felt
> >like I was going to pass out - my lips and fingers were blue and I was
> >shaking and cold and slurring my words - no fun!)
> >
> >Way the doc explained it to me was, you eat, your body produces insulin
> >so your cells can process the food (primarily produced to process
> >sugars/starches) and to utilize the nutrients. Since your cells are
> >resistant to the insulin, your body keeps producing more and more of the
> >insulin to get your cells to process the food and nutrients, which
> >causes an excess of insulin in the blood and causes your sugar to drop,
> >hence you have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Then your body cries out
> >for more food to stabilize the sugar (they keep asking for more
> >nutrition) (usually the craving is for sugar or carbs) and the whole
> >process starts over. Since your body really isn't processing the food
> >and nutrients, it is constantly fatigued and "hungry" for nutrients.
> >What you eat isn't processed well by the cells so it gets stored as fat
> >rather than used for energy (my doc says it's usually stored in the mid
> >section). I hope I got this right. Forgive my non-medical explanation
> >of what he told me. I do have to say that just by doing the low carbing
> >(50-60g per day of carbs),taking the inositol and the chromium gtf for a
> >few weeks, I feel like a new person - I have energy for once (and don't
> >feel like sleeping all the time like I used to) and I also don't have
> >the wacky blood sugar levels or the chronic nausea that I used to. I
> >also actually sleep better than before.
> >
> >I guess PCOS my be like the chicken and the egg question but they are
> >DEFINITELY related.
> >
> >At Thu, 18 May 2000, Lisa wrote:
> >>
> >>At Thu, 18 May 2000, Christine wrote:
> >>>
> >>>Hi Ladies,
> >>>
> >>>I am curious about the IR/PCOS connection. It seems that years ago,
> >>>nobody really knew about the connection but now, many people are saying
> >>>there isn't just a connection - it is the cause.
> >>>
> >>>I am wondering then... is it really possible to be PCOS if not IR? I am
> >>>not sure whether or not I am because I am still waiting on bloodwork. My
> >>>Dr. seems to think my sugar problems are from hypoglycemia and not IR,
> >>>however, he has officially diagnosed me as PCOS.
> >>>
> >>>I am concerned that some of us are not in fact PCOS at all and there is
> >>>some other reason why we have excessive facial hair, irregular periods
> >>>and acne. I really am thinking that while many woman are struggling to
> >>>get the diagnosis of PCOS to get medicated properly, some Dr.s are using
> >>>it to cover unexplained symptoms. Is this really in our best interest?
> >>>Could what I have simply be a hormonal imbalance? Is there such a thing
> >>>as an unexplainable hormonal balance or are all abnormalities caused by
> >>>*something*?
> >>>
> >>>I am not really worrying about this just yet as I still need to get
> >>>results back from my OGTT, but I have just been thinking about this alot
> >>>lately: what if I am not IR? Will a diagnosis of PCOS be accurate?
> >>>
> >>>Any thoughts?
> >>
> >>Hi Kay, no answers except to say I am where you are right now too. I
> >>had an GTT with insulins last week. The BSL's have come back, but in
> >>Australia we use a different of unit of measure and I can't find a
> >>concersion table to make sense of it.
> >>I should find out the insulin's soon. But my fasting BSL was 4.9 mmol
> >>one hour after glucose it DROPPED to 3.9
> >>two hours later my BSL rose again to a low 4.9
> >>
> >>My endocrinologist isn't interested in any other insulin levels except
> >>the fasting one, but I asked my GP to send me for the test anyway. My
> >>RE also does not believe Metformin has any benifit, even if I am IR. I
> >>was diagnosed with PCOS 12 years ago and had clomid to have 2 sons
> >>(8&10). I have no doubt I have it, and I'm sure there is an insulin
> >>connection with me, even if they haven't found it yet.
> >>Lisa
>
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