search:

Re: cently diagnosed with PCOS... not sure which advice to take!

From: Celeste (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu, 22 May 2003 12:00:51 -0500 (CDT)

At Thu, 22 May 2003, Natasha wrote: >

Natasha, I have some questions. How long have you been on Metformin? It can take some time to help things get under control or even to find out if you need a higher dose or to add another medication.

Second, if you have high testosterone (over 30) then Avandia in combination with Metformin may help you a LOT.

You say you did not have success with the Atkins diet, but I have to ask if you followed it strictly from the book or if you dieted according to what you had heard the Atkins diet was all about. In any case, restricting carbohyrdates helps ANY insulin sensitizer therapy work better because it can address your baseline insulin levels instead of what elevation is a result of food you just ate.

I can recommend http://www.atkinsfriends.com for support and help with the Atkins diet. It also has boards for other lowcarb plans. At http://www.holdthetoast.com they have an FAQ about all of the other lowcarb plans. It may be that a different one is one you can live with. I personally think that Protein Power is easiest for most people to live with; there is more info at http://www.eatprotein.com. I hope you can find something you can stick to because diet and medication can help you avoid full blown diabetes, which is important.

If you are not exercising, you should be. It is incredibly good for your pancreas and will also help meds work better. Aerobics are not as useful in combination with carb restriction as weightlifting is, but adding any activity can only help.

I lost 60 lbs on lowcarb diet and exercise and NO WAY would I get stomach stapling over this. For one thing you are put on a lowcarb diet for the rest of your life anyhow, so, why not just go on it and skip the surgery?

I have used spironolactone and it did cause "irregular bleeding"--for me this meant spotting 3 weeks out of the month. It slowed down hair growth, but I felt like Avandia did an even better job. Spiro blocks the effect of testosterone on your tissues, but it doesn't reduce testosterone. Avandia helps to lower the testosterone. Are you trying to conceive? If so, then you should not be on spiro. It is alright if you got pregnant on it and stopped taking it soon but prolonged use of it in pregnancy can cause malformation of little boy parts by blocking the effects of testosterone on a boy. You can ttc on Met and Avandia. Some docs let you stay on Met throughout pg and breastfeeding, others do not, it just depends. Avandia is too new to allow it in pg or bf, but it's safe for ttc. It was this combo that helped me get my daughter. If you can get your testosterone under control, then you can use electrolysis or laser hair removal to get permanently rid of any hairs that were changed into whiskers by high testosterone. However it doesn't make any sense to spend on that until you get control. JMHO.

However if you are not ttc, there is no reason you should fear Spiro. I liked its diuretic effect. I'm your size almost exactly, too. ;o)

I hope this helps!!!!

>I am 24. In August of 2002 I went to see an endo, and after several
>tests, was diagnosed with PCOS. I have always had a regular period,
>although a very painful and heavy one, up until just a year before that,
>when it just stopped for 8 months. Other than that I have most of the
>classic signs - the skin problems which never got better and followed me
>into my 20's, the extra weight which never wanted to come off, despite
>all the different diet and exercise routines I've been through, constant
>fatigue, etc. etc... I also found out that my thyroid was barely
>functioning, that my testosterone levels were three times what they
>should be, and that my insulin levels are high (although sugar is still
>ok), which makes me pre-diabetic.
>
>Anyway, I've been on medication for my thyroid (synthroid), and was put
>on metformin (500mg 3x day), as well as spironolactone. After doing
>some research on spironolactone, I found all sorts of forums stating
>that it has proven to cause tumours, and that you can't get pregnant
>while being on it, as it causes birth defects. It also needs to be
>taken in very large doses to be effective, but then it messes up your
>period. This really scares me! But lately, the hair on my upper
>neck/chin region has been growing out of control!! It won't stop. No
>matter how much I tweeze, I find a whole bunch more the next day. It's
>so frustrating!
>
>I have been to several different doctors, and two of them have mentioned
>that I should have stomach stapling surgery. I carry the weight pretty
>well at 5'8, and noone thinks I'm THAT overweight, but the fact of the
>matter is I have like 110lbs to lose or so. I have tried all sorts of
>diets, including Atkins. I stayed on it for 1.5 years, but it only
>worked the first 2 months. Any sort of exercise, even just walking,
>gave me bulky muscles, but no fat loss whatsoever. I am sooo scared of
>this surgery. I heard all sorts of horrible things about it from people
>who had it done, and it seems like it's such an extreme thing to do.
>
>Do you guys havc any advice on the surgery, and the spironolactone? I
>would really appreciate some feedback.
>
>--
>Thanks,
>-Natasha
>

--
Celeste



recommended search...
Google
OBGYN.net forums endometriosis zone Web
use when must restrict search to only the pcos forum...
Enter search keywords:
Returns per screen: Require all keywords:
Return to [ PCOS Discussion Forums ] Technical Problems: webmaster@obgyn.net
Last Updated: Mon May 19 17:10:57 2008

Women's Insurance Checklist from Auto Insurance Quote

home | medical professionals | women | industry | forums | international
e-mail | about us | advertising | our sponsors | contact us | disclaimer |

This information is provided for educational purposes only.
Please read the disclaimer. ©1996-2008, all rights reserved.
Do not reproduce without permission of MediSpecialty.com