Alexis Re: PCOS without IR?
From: Judy (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri, 19 May 2000 14:20:41 -0500 (CDT)
Hi Alexis-
I was following a program in a book called "Natural Energy". Took them
together, 3X per day (at meals): Carnitine 1000 mg, Q-10 60 mg. (I used
the liquid L-Carnitine, since I'm not crazy about taking a lot of pills
each day.)
The book outlines a series of programs based on when you feel most
tired, whether you're overeating (for energy), or feeling like you're in
a "brain fog" all of the time.
I've heard it's helpful for many folks, but unfortunately it didn't give
me a boost. Worth a try though! No rock goes unturned in my quest for
*Wakefulness*. :-)
--
Judy
At Fri, 19 May 2000, A wrote:
>
>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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