I was diagnosed with PCOS at 18 - I am now 23 and in the last few months I have finally had success in treating my symptoms by visiting a naturopath that specialises in fertility issues. Previously I had been to conventional doctors and professors of endocrinology to no avail. Here were my symptoms:
- irregular periods ranging from 6 weeks to 6 months apart
- hormonal acne - after 4 years of persistent breakouts it has gone, and the scars are fading. In the last couple of months I have received compliments on my skin.
- severe
pms - I should say my naturopath was alarmed when I said on my first visit that I had terrible mood swings, severe anxiety & depression and crying episodes for up to 2 weeks at a time. I was seriously starting to think I had bi-polar disorder. I would also get painful breasts, bloating and nasty cramps throughout the month.
- hot flashes - I only started experiencing this from christmas last year and it terrified me enough to seek out better help
- borderline hypoglycemia
Now for some positive advice for those who are recently diagnosed (*sorry about the medical jargon but it is important to learn):
- insist on getting thorough blood testing to check these hormones: luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), total and free testosterone, DHEAs, prolactin, androstenedione, progesterone.
This helps to screen out related illnesses and will help you pinpoint where you have an hormone imbalance. PCOS ladies typically have a high LH to FSH ratio and elevated testerone levels (which causes the acne and hair growth)
- get your fasting insulin and glucose levels tested as this wills screen you for Insulin Resistance (again which PCOSers usually have) and Type 2 Diabetes. An oral glucose tolerance test is best for pcosers as abnormal readings often show up after a 2 hour interval.
- finally get you lipid levels (cholesterol) tested as PCOSers typically have high cholesterol and triglycerides.
I just wanted to say there is hope out there. I had been told I could not have children, told by a lady doctor I was 'lucky' to have so few periods, told to go on the pill and come back for fertility drugs when I wanted to have kids...now most of my symptoms are gone and I feel I am 'alive' again.
To be continued next post.
Continued...
Solutions
The biggest thing that is going to help a PCOS sufferer is being self-disciplined in becoming informed and taking action accordingly. I am not being harsh, the simple fact is PCOS is not currently curable and the general medical community are relatively ill-informed regarding it.
Self-discipline is needed because the biggest things that are going to make a positive impact on the condition are lifestyle changes, not metformin (glucophage) or the birth control pill which in recent scientific studies are being discovered to cause several side effects that can actually worsen the health of a woman with pcos. [e.g. PCOS Metformin takers have elevated homocysteine levels which is associated with heart disease and chronic fatigue and cervical cancer].
Lifestyle changes:
- Exercise helps counteract the effect of insulin-resistance and in regularising hormones (see above re: homocysteine) as well as aiding weight maintenance. This is especially important as insulin resistance and high levels of insulin and luteinizing hormone are the prime reason pcos'ers do not ovulate and are the cause of a host of associated problems.
- Diet is an obvious issue. A diet based on good quality carbs like wholegrains and vegetables, lean meat, omega 3 & 6 fats from fish, nuts and seeds, and low in processed food like processed meat, starchy food (potato chips), sugar and dairy (like icecream) combined with regular exercise is going to supercharge your body like no drug can do.
Being extreme is impossible for most people so if you going to have a treat have a better alternative option. For instance I was addicted to milk chocolate but I find since cutting down my sugar intake and opting to eat dark chocolate (less sugar) I only need a piece or two and I feel satisfied.
- Other issues to think about are stress and sleep. This is my main problem area as I am both a worrier workaholic and a night-owl type. But again, investing in 8 hours of sleep helps with weight control and in balancing your hormones. Minimising stress is important as continual stress puts the body into a constant state of 'alarm' which effects everything: the organs, hormones and nervous system - which in turn will effect the prime problems that women with PCOS deal with: increased fat gain, thyroid problems, insulin resistance and fertility/sex drive problems (to name a few). Stress also triggers increased appetite, anxiety and depression.
The above ideas are what I have summarised from a information booklet provided by the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association of Australia and a book called "The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS & Infertility" by Dr Nancy Dunne (a naturopath who has a daughter with PCOS - I have no affiliations). It is extremely informative and is not just a diet book but fully explains the things I have touched upon regarding how hormones work, etc. I would also recommend joining a online forum for PCOS sufferers in your country and looking into naturopaths in your area that specialise in fertility problems as they can provide herbal supplements that will help your symptoms. In particular, Vitex Agnus Castus is worth researching but I will not go into it here.
I hope this helps, and I wish everyone the best with their treatment.
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