PCOS Messages for June, 2002: Re: anorexic individuals with pcos(to Sonnet)

Re: anorexic individuals with pcos(to Sonnet)

From: Belle (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Mon, 3 Jun 2002 22:21:41 -0500 (CDT)

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Next message: Renee: "Re: Link between Type II diabetes and pcos"
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OK, There are a couple of things. People with Type II diabetes may or may not have hyperinsulinemia. People with Type II are unable to control their blood sugar sufficiently, but they do produce insulin. Diagnostic guidelines for Type II diabetes is a fasting blood glucose levels over 110 mg/dl or a non-fasting glucose level over 200 mg/dl. This may help. http://www.diabetes.org/

1) Many people with Type II diabetes DO have thinning hair, facial hair and mid-section weight gain. I know in my endo's office, there were many women who had thinning scalp hair and little straggly hairs on their chins.

2) Many (most) people with Type II diabetes have developed it because of overeating and inactivity versus a genetic predisposition. In this case, the cells will "stretch" and that is what prevents them from using their insulin correctly. (If they lose weight, their cells have the potential to return to the normal shape.) This takes time so many of the people that we see who have Type II diabetes are older. Generally, people are not routinely tested for Type II until after age 45, and then only every 3 years. We tend to not notice the weight gain around the middle or thinning hair in older people as much as we would in someone who is, say, 25 - 30. It is considered to be normal.

With PCOS (or Syndrome O) related insulin resistance, we are able to have the insulin problems before we gain the weight. We have a genetic problem which prevents our cell from accepting our insulin and we may have a problem with our insulin itself (there is some evidence that our insulin is mis-shapen, but further research is required). We can lose weight and still have insulin resistance.

We have the problems of insulin resistance show up while we are young which makes the problem more noticable. A woman of 25 would certainly notice a problem with her period more than a woman of 45. A woman of 25 would be more likely to be concerned with fertility than a woman of 45.

Our diabetes-like problem is different from either of the Types listed by the official diabetes organizations. There has been some talk about calling what we have Type III diabetes. Personally, I hope they do not because of insurance and employment complications, but it is that different.

I hope this helps some. If not, just let me know, I will try to answer it to your satisfaction.

At Tue, 28 May 2002, jan wrote: >
>Hi Sonnet, thanks for the explanation, but still a little confused. I
>know that people with type 1 diabetes make too little insulin, but I
>thought people with type 2 diabetes has hyperinsulinemia too. But I
>don't see women with type 2 diabetes with pcos symptoms. ???
>
>At Mon, 27 May 2002, Sonnet wrote:
>>
>>Women who are not overweight can definitely have the other symptoms. I'm
>>sure a lot of women on this board will say that they're in exactly that
>>position! Weight doesn't cause PCOS. It's just one of the symptoms you
>>can have. You also can eat a really good diet, low in carbs etc, and
>>see your PCOS get worse anyway, especially if diet is your only method
>>of treatment.
>>
>>Hypoglycemia is when blood sugar gets too low, you're right. IR doesn't
>>seem to have very many noticeable symptoms in itself. Often you'll find
>>women who get shaky and dizzy after eating, or other blood sugar related
>>feelings. Unexplained weight gain is a symptom of IR (and other
>>things.) I am told that skin tags are a direct symptom of IR.
>>
>>The difference between PCOS and diabetes is that women with PCOS have
>>hyperinsulinemia, too MUCH insulin rather than too little. In order to
>>keep our blood sugar normal, our pancreas has to pump out a great deal
>>of insulin (because a percentage of what we have doesn't work, due to
>>the IR.) It's that extra insulin that interacts with our ovaries and
>>adrenal glands and everything else and causes the hormonal problems, and
>>symptoms like acne and facial hair.
>>
>>At Mon, 27 May 2002, janpotter wrote:
>>>
>>>One thing that confuses me is whether pcos symptoms are mostly due to
>>>weight or too much carbs and sugars. For example, if you are thin and
>>>are able to maintain your body weight, but eat many carbs and sweets,
>>>can your symptoms get worse?
>>>
>>>hypoglycemia is when the blood sugar is too low in the body right? What
>>>other obvious symptoms come with insulin resistence.
>>>
>>>if pcos is based on insulin resistence, how come other women who have
>>>diabetes don't have problems with hair, acne...etc...?
>>>
>>>Jan
>>>

-- Hope this helps,

Belle

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