PCOS & Our Bodies

:( I promise everything will work out! PCOS doesn’t ever go away, and sometimes you just have to relax and take baby steps to work with it. It can be FRUSTRATING as all heck, but it can get better! 
Endocrinologists are going to help you a whole lot more in the long run with PCOS because they understand how different chemicals and hormones will react with your body. Its super scary and seems like a big deal but it really isn’t! Just be very clear with him or her about what your needs are and they can really help! There are certain types of medications such as metformin that can help a PCOSer lose weight. 
Metformin is also kind of scary but not every horror story is accurate to you and your body. Nausea, dizziness, and fatigue are the most common symptoms and can easily be treated, they can also give you a slow release metformin to help ease these symptoms!  A lot of treating PCOS is trial and error until you find exactly the right fit for you and your lifestyle. I really recommend talking to your doctor about seeing and Endo. He/she can really help you so much with weight loss as well as getting everything in your body regulated. 
Good luck! I really hope this helps you!
—If anyone else has any words of encouragement or advice, feel free to weigh in! remember we are all here to support each other!—
~Ashley 

PCOS may seem scary but in the grand scheme of things it is a very common syndrome! There are quite a few of forums and support groups for women of all ages dealing with this disease. The younger you are when diagnosed, the better your chances are to curb the symptoms. Fortunately, there are tons of products you can find to help keep hair thick and healthy! 
I will try to make a post about that soon to help you out!
Good luck to you, and remember, everyone here at ourPCOS is here to support you and help you through this journey.  

**remember to visit a doctor or specialist regularly to make sure your PCOS is being treated in the correct manner, also be open and honest with him or her because that will really help with treatment options!**

—Ashley  

Hi there! 
I actually just talked to my specialist about this a few days ago, I was taking my metformin at night (same 1,000 mg dosage) because it wrecks my stomach. I asked him if I would see a difference in taking them they way the instructions say (once in the AM once in the PM). He said the only difference I may experience is that it may be a bit lighter on my stomach.  
I would suggest talking to your doctor, metformin reacts differently to everyone and sometimes taking it at 2 different times during the day will help ease symptoms as well as regulate insulin/blood sugar which is key in treating PCOS. 

**If anyone else has any input on this topic it is always welcome**

—Ashley  

Ah! Thank you so much! 

Here is this guys! 
Thank you for your feedback! 

Well I hope we can get other followers to respond to this if they have any ideas as well, but I will try to help you as best I can! (Coleen I hope you don’t mind!) 

The hair growth (Hirsutism) than can be a side effect of PCOS is usually quite difficult for women to deal with. One thing i would suggest on the medical front is to talk to your doctor, endocrinologist or other specialist about being put on Spironolactone to help lessen the hair growth that occurs. Although it does not always help, it can be a step in the right direction! 

Your doctor can also prescribe a topical cream called Eflornithine (vaniqua) that is used daily to help slow down hair growth on the face. 

Oral contraceptives are also said to work to lessen hair growth! But as stated above, try talking to your doctor or specialist about the problem because they can give you options you may have not thought of! 

Now on to non medical procedures! Electrolysis and Laser Hair Removal are 2 techniques used to get rid of unwanted facial hair in women with PCOS. I have had it done in the past and recommend being put on a hirsutism medication before getting this treatment done because the hair can home back! (This has happened to me personally)  It is slightly on the expensive side but has a lot of benefits and can really work for you! Just make sure to do your research! There are also a lot of “at home” laser therapy machines that can be used for excess facial/body hair removal. 

Some women get facial waxes every few weeks and that seems to help! although in some cases the hair gets too thick and cannot be waxed anymore, which is unfortunate. 

Shaving is another method of hair removal and is the fastest and cheapest way to get rid of unwanted hair. Many women suffering from excess hair growth, including myself, will shave their face before going out. Just buy a really good shaving cream and a multi bladed razor and you are all set! 

Bleaching and hair removal creams can also work to your advantage if the hair is fine or of a medium thickness. Sometimes they can be tricky or cause a bad reaction though. 

I strongly suggest doing some research of your own and seeing what is best for you! 

As for skin care, I would suggest seeing a dermatologist and seeing what they can do or suggest to help you with your skin! Some people have had good results with Proactiv or similar products but I personally am not sure how well it works. I would also do some searching and see what may work for you! 

If anyone has any other thoughts or help feel free to let us know!

Edit: I found a really helpful forum on soul cysters (a PCOS website) about skincare It Is Here Hope this helps xox

Hello! I cannot say if it is your PCOS, but have you been tested for insulin resistance or take Metformin? I cannot tolerate those foods very well because I take Metformin, but that is just my personal experience. PCOS is different for everyone, but I would think that would relate to insulin resistance. I would recommend bringing it up to your doctor as soon as possible, just to see what could be the cause. Has anyone else had issues tolerating carbs and sugar?

I received a similar question on my personal PCOS blog, so I copied and pasted the response, along with the information on the overview on wrote about Metformin not too long ago. I included the link at the bottom, so if you would like to check the original post and see where links are included throughout.

Metformin can be extremely helpful and many have positive experiences with it, including myself. Your body may take a little while to adjust, but if you take it at the same time daily, with a meal, even sometimes a glass of milk helps, the side-effects shouldn’t be that bad. I have been on it for four years now and have had success with it, but trouble has occurred (body had to adjust again to the medication) when I missed doses, so make sure you don’t!

Metformin is prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes, as well as PCOS because of the benefits. It can be used alone or with other medications, depending on what your doctor thinks is best for you. It works in three ways: helps level blood, insulin, and androgen levels.

Side Effects

There are quite a lot of side-effects, although most who take Metformin are only affected by the common side-effects; feeling tired, stomach pain, nausea, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea. For more in-depth on side-effects, you can read more here. I have dealt with all that is listed above, but noticed it decreased once my body adjusted to the medication. It varies for everyone, but normally takes a few weeks.

Weight Loss

I wasn’t losing much weight before taking Metformin, if anything I would lose around ten pounds here and there, but the weight would go back on even though I wouldn’t change my eating habits. So I do think that it has helped my weight stay the same or lose, and I probably wouldn’t have lost the weight I have and kept it off without the help of Metformin. I do notice that if I miss a few days, I put on a few pounds, so that is one things I am wary about because if it comes a time for me to stop, I do not want to pile on the weight. Especially since I am eating healthy and exercising.

It’s mixed when it comes to weight loss and Metformin because while some have noticed it helps, others say it doesn’t help at all.

General

If you are having issues with side-effects, try taking your doses with a glass of milk and with food, it’s important to take it with food and not on an empty stomach! It can help to limit greasy foods because of the GI side-effects as well. Some have said that side-effects decreased when they take Metformin before bed, so it’s as if they sleep through the side-effects. I have tried it, but when I wake up in the morning, it’s a rush to the bathroom and I wake up with stomach pain, sometimes during the middle of the night.

For information on Metformin and alcohol, first post and second post. The second post was the question you asked, but I figured to add it just so it’s all here!

OurPCOS has a tag for Metformin and can be found here. It has information on Metformin and B12 deficiency, which is something I do not think many know about but it’s something that is a must to be informed on, especially for those who take the medication.

The ask section also has responses about Metformin, along with other people sharing their experience, so you can click here and read about those if you’d like.

WebMD information (Warnings, uses, side-effects, precautions, interactions) Drugs.com Metformin information

I have been on Metformin for three years and it has worked well with managing blood, insulin, and androgen levels, along with weight loss and managing my weight. But I have issues with the side-effects and it has caused daily issues if I am going out or have errands all day long. I was prescribed Metformin HCL ER (500 mg, twice daily) because in the beginning the side-effects were much worse so my Endocrinologist switched me onto the extended release, which has helped a decent amount, although the side-effects act up sometimes, especially if I miss doses.

Overall, I think it is helpful when it comes to treating PCOS, especially if you have insulin resistance as well. The side-effects can be difficult at times, but if taken on time and without missing doses, the benefits are there. It honestly depends and varies for each individual, because I have spoken to some who can’t take Metformin because their body doesn’t agree with it, but for some their body adjusts to the medication and the benefits out way the side-effects.

Click here for the click-through links! - http://alittlebitofpcos-andtea.tumblr.com/post/28615812223/hey-do-you-already-have-a-post-where-you-review-the

While to many, PCOS is foreign and they don’t know exactly what to say, you have a very large support team here, who is willing to help in anyway possible. Once diagnosed, your doctor should discuss options when it comes to treatment to keep your PCOS managed. It may take a few months or year to get your PCOS under control, but please keep in mind it is possible to maintain and improve symptoms. If left untreated, it can lead to infertility. Not everyone with PCOS is infertile, and you can see on the tag that many wonderful ladies are expecting! It is possible to get pregnant if you have PCOS, some go through a few months of infertility treatment, some longer, and some may not need it, but regardless, pregnancy is possible with PCOS.

I cannot remember, but I am thinking it may have been in the Inspirational & Motivational quotes from those who have PCOS. The link that follows is the Inspiration tag, which has inspirational posts for PCOS and healthy lifestyle all together, the seventh post down is the one with the quotes: http://ourpcos.tumblr.com/tagged/inspiration

PCOS Success Stories, I have posted this numerous times and will continue to do so, because reading another others success can be very motivational for those who need it: http://alittlebitofpcos-andtea.tumblr.com/post/32766080891/pcos-success-stories

I had a question about natural supplements and a natural way to go about managing PCOS, and in the list of sites I included one for retaining a menstrual cycle the herbal/natural way. It should be the fourth link down on the list!

I had posted it here, despite being a question on my other blog, but cannot find it on here, so it’ll link to my personal PCOS blog and you should have a list of links to choose from and read through! It has information on what should be eaten, what it does to your body, to herbs to promote menstruation. This is a fantastic site to read for those who want more information on menstruation, along with vitamins that are important to improve cycles and more.

http://alittlebitofpcos-andtea.tumblr.com/post/29366725456/hello-i-have-pcos-and-polycystic-ovaries-i-dont

I hope this helps!