Re: Glucophage?
From: tera (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Mon, 25 Feb 2002 20:58:57 -0600 (CST)
Hi!
Yes, many if not most women with PCOS have some level of IR. One of my
doctors said that I am not IR and one said that I was borderline. I am
now on a low dosage of Glucophage and it is helping me. I've been able
to get a period on my own two months in a row! Some women only need to
take 500 mg per day to make a difference with their IR (like me) and
others take upwards of 1000 mg or even much higher depending on their
IR. So, doctors do prescribe Glucophage for PCOS ladies who are
borderline -- mind did with a little bit of coaxing.
I agree with the previous gal -- low carbing and exercise is exactly
what you should be doing but 900 calories a day does seem low.
PCOS has many symptoms. You DO NOT have to have all of the the symptoms
to have PCOS. Some symptoms are: obesity, IR, excess facial and body
hair, head hair loss, irregular periods, anovulation and infertility,
ovarian cysts, fatigue and high cholesterol. God bless! Tera
At Mon, 25 Feb 2002, cw wrote:
>
>Hi. Here are my thoughts to your question, although I might be off a
>bit.
>
>First, some advice on your insulin blood testing.
>
>3 days before the test, eat plenty of carbs. If you are eating a high
>protein diet chances are high that your insulin level will come out low
>and not be accurate. I had 4 tests during the course of a year before
>IR finally showed up. Minor borlerline cases can be very hard to prove
>and detect, but the effects can make you just as sick as if they were
>high. Because my case is also minor, and because I've been a real
>health nut and athlete since a very young age, I am on glucophage but I
>take a very low dosage compared to most others.
>
>Also, be sure to get both your glucose and insulin tested. Because even
>though they could both be normal, the ratio between the 2 could be off
>and prove insulin resistance...example, if glucose is 75 and insulin is
>20, even though these are both normal levels, it shows signs of insulin
>resistance because one is sort of low and the other is sort of high.
>
>The symptoms I have experienced, besides PCOS and all it's problems, due
>to IR are the following: low toleration to carbs, weight gain, frequent
>hunger, chronic fatigue, afternoon "spells" of shakiness and sweating
>alleviated with orange juice or candy, dizziness, migrane headaches, low
>energy, high cholesterol and triglycerides, rapid heart beat, shortness
>of breath, muscle and joint stiffness, lack of concentration, to name a
>few. The small dose of glucophage I am taking got rid of them all.
>
>Also, something I want to ask. You said you eat only 900 calories a
>day? Now I know we are all different, so please don't slap my hand for
>typing this, but just because I'm concerned, that sounds awfully low for
>total health. Be careful. You might want to seek the advice of a
>nutritionist and do some exploring in a health food store.
>
>Good luck, and if you have any other questions, just ask. I'm sure you
>will get plenty of opinions to help you decide what you need.
>
>C
>
>At Mon, 25 Feb 2002, Virginia wrote:
>>
>>Ive been diagnosed as of today. The doctor did have some good news
>>though, he said only one ovary looked slightly affected. He said my
>>case was mild(thank goodness.) He has sent me for blood work to retest
>>my hormones on day 3 of my cycle and also my insulin levels. Okay,
>>here's my question. What if my insulin is normal? What about these 15
>>pounds I have gained(and keep gaining.)
>>I'm doing 900 cal, low carb, and all sorts of exercise. Do doctors
>>offer insulin reducing drugs as treatment despite boderline insulin
>>levels? As crazy as it sounds, Ive had this strange intuition that my
>>insulin has been off for some time now. Are most PCOS women insulin
>>resistant? Could some one explain the symptoms to me? It would be
>>greatly appreciated. Sorry for being such a pain in the butt, but I
>>still rather confused about this condition. Thank you.
--
Tera
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