PCOS Diagnosis
Starting around april or may this year I started the process of trying to better my reproductive health. I knew something was wrong when I gained a significant amount of weight in a short period of time from 2021-2022. Additionally, for years I would not get a period for months. I’ve struggled with cystic acne, heavy bleeding on periods, PMS, fatigue, high cholesterol, low vitamin D, and poor mental health.
I knew that all of these symptoms had to be related and doing some research and talking with friends who have been through similar situations made me think I may have something called PCOS. PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, is a syndrome where the female body can produce too many male hormones, have cysts on the ovaries, not have a regular cycle, and a slew of other symptoms. PCOS is one of the most common endocrine syndromes affecting people with reproductive cycles. The two main markers for PCOS that I displayed with polycystic ovaries and irregular periods.
Course of Action
I’m a bit of a crunchy granola, hippy girl. I believe in natural healing, and healing from food. I do believe that medications are important to people’s health and should not be discounted. Talking with my doctors I’ve started taking a few supplements (vitamin D, B12, Zinc, and omega 3’s) in addition to cholesterol medication, and something called metformin. Metformin is a common diabetes drug but is also used in the treatment of PCOS. Metformin has been known to help women with PCOS lose weight and restore their cycle. In addition to these medications, I’ve decided to take a holistic route.
PCOS is an inflammatory syndrome that can be worsened with certain foods. Many PCOS nutritionists and dietitians recommend cutting out Gluten and Dairy. However, there is no fast and hard science behind this but I’m willing to give it a shot. Some other things I’m avoiding are ingredients like “natural flavors”, added dyes, added sugars, refined oils (not good for cholesterol anyway), and refined carbs (contain gluten). I know this may sound a bit wack-a-doodle. But I believe that everything is about balance. Saying that I’m not going to have a cookie, cake, fries and a burger, or chocolate ice cream for the rest of my life would be a huge fat lie. But making it a goal to avoid those foods a majority of the time is realistic.
In addition, I’ve made the decision to cut out alcohol. I had approximately 1.67 drinks on metformin last sunday and by god did it make me feel like trash. Also, it’s recommended you don’t drink on that medication at all. In an effort to help better my chances at effectiveness I’ve cut out alcohol.
I’m all about people doing what is best for their personal health and wellness. I also encourage anyone thinking about making a big change in diet, supplements, exercise to consult with your doctor first.
My First Week on Metformin and the New Diet
It’s been a week since starting this new regime. My cycle has not returned but that is to be expected since I’m still early on in this journey. I have had indulgences this past week but like i said it’s all about balance. Some benefits I’ve noticed are:
- Improved fatigue, especially after eating
- Clearer skin
- Less bloating
- Less IBS like symptoms
- Less sugar cravings (I do have some cravings for sugar and especially diet coke)
Going Forward
Some things I’m going to focus on in the next week is incorporating light to moderate exercise back into my daily routine. I also have a check up with the GYN next week to check things out and just get a routine checkup.
I’m definitely looking for good gluten and dairy free recipes. I still eat meat just avoiding dairy/milk products. (Support your local dairy farmer!!!)