Losing weight with PCOS

katers

katers

New member
Hey everyone!

I'm a 20 year old woman with PCOS. I was diagnosed when I was 16. My doctor explained to me that this is a large reason why it was very difficult for me to be able to lose weight...and to be able to have children in the future.

I am meant to take metformin 3 times daily...but I just can't do it! It makes me extremely nauseous, but I know that it is supposed to aid me with my weight loss. Does anybody know of any secret tricks to lower the nausea and make it a little more bearable?

I guess I just wanted to start a support thread for those who think there's no point if you have PCOS. and maybe we can talk about the effects of metformin; whether is was useful in the weight loss or not!

I have so far lost around 22lbs and I haven't been on the metformin...but I find that I hit plateaus a lot .

So I hope we can all share our PCOS help and maybe somebody can give me some advice as to how to beat the weight loss plateau that PCOS gives me all the time!!

Kate :)
 
I have PCOS (was diagnosed two years ago) and to be honest I'm not having much trouble losing weight. I don't know whether I'm lucky or whether I should be losing more weight given what I'm doing... but I'm happy with it.

As to metformin- why are you taking it? My understanding was it was generally only given to women who intend to conceive soon. I've never even been offered it (they gave me Diane/ Dianette instead, haha). (Although annoyingly, I do have some symptoms- mostly period and hair related- and I've basically been told they can't do anything unless/ until I decide to try for kids, then they'll throw resources at me, but until then, nothing)
 
When I was 16, I had been going though many many tests for cronic headaches. I was placed on and off all kinds of different medicines to see if it would help. The doc at the hospital finally said, maybe the problem doesn't have anything to do with what's located in your head, but anywhere else in the body...so he sent me to a gynecologist as he thought it may be hormone related.

The obgyn discovered that I had PCOS and the first thing he gave me was metformin: my cronic headaches stopped instantly! He also told me that it would help me lose weight. I wasn't offered anything else, other than a contraceptive pill that I was on at the same time.

Metformin, for what it's worth, did help me lose weight but I couldn't keep it up due to the crappy side effects. The obgyn also told me I wouldn't be able to conceive children easily and would probably have to resort to IVF later on...that day sucked!

That's about all I know! I'm guessing I don't need the metformin right now because my headaches have stopped.

That's interesting though! My doc never told me that it was only for conceiving. Maybe he just thought it would help me out for the future when I do want to have kids.
 
Maybe it's a separate issue for you, then (mine was diagnosed because I've always had crazy irregular/ heavy periods, was told they'd settle down by the time I was 16... they didn't, and finally I marched into my doctor's office when I was 23 and said something to the effect of "I can't take it anymore! Make this shit stop!"- then a bunch of tests. It'd been suspected for awhile but for some reason they'd never done anything to confirm it). There are other things to consider though, like the increased risk of ovarian and uterine cancers, so maybe you should talk to a doctor rather than just not take your pills. (It's funny you saw a gynecologist- my treatment has always been through an endocrinologist)
 
I was diagnosed with PCOS last year - a friend of the family is a fertility doctor and my mom ran into him at the grocery store. He asked about me, and she explained that I had gained a lot of weight recently and wasn't doing too well (thanks for telling the world, Mom! :D), and he told her to get me to book an appointment with him because he suspected I might have PCOS. After blood tests and ultrasounds, it turned out he was right! He explained "insulin resistance" to me (I still don't fully understand it) which goes hand in hand with PCOS, and it explained a lot of why I had gained weight so drastically over the course of a year or two.

I am on metformin as well - I take a 1000mg pill once a day. I was super nauseated for the first two weeks or so on the medication and I had absolutely no appetite, but after a while I was back to normal. How long did your nausea last, Kate?

To be honest, I haven't noticed whether the metformin helps weight loss or not. This is the first time since I went on the medication that I have started to really take weight loss seriously, so I guess time will tell. One thing that really seems to affect my weight loss though is carbs - even eating whole grains seem to slow it down! It is really frustrating.
 
Metformin is supposed to help with insulin resistance which is a symptom of PCOS. It doesn't help you to lose weight unless you actually ARE insulin resistant, so I would ask to be checked out for that. Even then, it CAN help, but doesn't have to.

Two years ago, after being diagnosed with PCOS, I lost 130 lbs without taking Metformin.

I since put the weight back on, and am taking Metformin, and I am struggling with every pound. At the moment I'm under 1000 cals a day and am consistently putting weight on (about 2 lbs/week). Not sure if it has anything to do with the Metformin or not though.

Also, not being able to conceive is total nonsense - PCOS does NOT mean you will have problems conceiving. It is possible, yes, but only a very small amount of women actually has to resort to IVF to conceive because of PCOS. In a lot of cases simply losing weight can reduce the symptoms of PCOS so much that everything will work just nicely.

Since I was diagnosed I learned a lot, and one thing seems consistent - doctors diagnose PCOS, followed by prescribing Metformin (without testing for insulin resistance), followed by telling the woman that they will struggle to lose weight, and will have problems conceiving. Most of that is nonsense, or at the very least very simplified and over-exaggerated.
 
San said:
Metformin is supposed to help with insulin resistance which is a symptom of PCOS. It doesn't help you to lose weight unless you actually ARE insulin resistant, so I would ask to be checked out for that. Even then, it CAN help, but doesn't have to.

Two years ago, after being diagnosed with PCOS, I lost 130 lbs without taking Metformin.

I since put the weight back on, and am taking Metformin, and I am struggling with every pound. At the moment I'm under 1000 cals a day and am consistently putting weight on (about 2 lbs/week). Not sure if it has anything to do with the Metformin or not though.

Also, not being able to conceive is total nonsense - PCOS does NOT mean you will have problems conceiving. It is possible, yes, but only a very small amount of women actually has to resort to IVF to conceive because of PCOS. In a lot of cases simply losing weight can reduce the symptoms of PCOS so much that everything will work just nicely.

Since I was diagnosed I learned a lot, and one thing seems consistent - doctors diagnose PCOS, followed by prescribing Metformin (without testing for insulin resistance), followed by telling the woman that they will struggle to lose weight, and will have problems conceiving. Most of that is nonsense, or at the very least very simplified and over-exaggerated.
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Well hey, that makes me feel much better about my future, thanks!! :D

I feel like that too...I feel as if it was diagnosed very quickly and he was also quick to prescribe the meds...of course, i SAW the cysts when he did the internal sonogram or whatever you call it, so I know I have it...but maybe the metformin wouldn't help me out. hmm it's cool hearing other peoples situations!
 
As an afterthought, I know they are quick to prescribe the pill if you've got PCOS. They did it with me to regulate bleeding (heavy), but it didn't work for me - made me feel nauseous and whatnot. My gynacologist then suggested trying an IUD (Mirena coil). Not only did it take care of the bleeding and cramping, when I had my last scan, my gyn said that my cysts have shrunk considerably, which is in large parts due to the hormones on the coil, apparently.

I know the IUD isn't for everybody, and a lot of peeps don't like it. I'm just saying that if the pill isn't working so well, it is another alternative to look at, because it kind of kills several birds with one stone.

Oh, and if you have a library around somewhere, see if you can find some books on PCOS. There is a lot of literature out there, and I've found several books that focused on helping with the symptoms through nutrition and natural supplements (apparently certain vitamins and whatnot can help), rather than relying on drugs. Might be worth looking into. :)
 
wiresandwood said:
LOL!

I just wish I knew more about this condition - I don't fully understand it, and all the books and articles I've read online don't really seem to put it in layman's terms.
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Totally agree with you on that. And honestly, when I go to my doctor and he explains it to me, I leave thinking oooh right...but then 5 minutes later forget or realize that he didn't actually explain anything lol!
 
No one's mentioned insulin resistance to me, so I might be a "lucky bitch". Then again, I've never been tested- there were more pressing issues at hand surrounding my diagnosis (which are TMI) and I never thought to chase it up.

My feeling on the matter is if I continue with calorie counting/ sensible diet/ exercise and I don't lose weight, I'll go back to my doctor and hope they have some advice for me or can chase other things up.
 
Insulin resistance only affects about 20% of women with PCOS from all I could see. So yes, you can definitely have PCOS without it, and the doctor should test for it, not just prescribe Metformin because you 'could have it'.

Metformin has a list of side effects about as long as my arm. And I've got long arms. So make sure you really need to take it.
 
katers said:
Hey everyone!

I'm a 20 year old woman with PCOS. I was diagnosed when I was 16. My doctor explained to me that this is a large reason why it was very difficult for me to be able to lose weight...and to be able to have children in the future.

I am meant to take metformin 3 times daily...but I just can't do it! It makes me extremely nauseous, but I know that it is supposed to aid me with my weight loss. Does anybody know of any secret tricks to lower the nausea and make it a little more bearable?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if your question has been answered but it is recommended to take metformin with food. It lessens the side effects on the digestive system. :)
 
I have PCOS too and let me tell you what I've learned in all the years since diagnosis and losing weight on it.

Like San said, Metformin (Glucophage and others) are usually given to diabetics (II) because it helps regulate insulin resistance. For women with PCOS, IR often goes hand in hand and the metformin is given to help regulate blood sugars. If your blood sugars are regulated, then your body knows what to do with the excess glucose in your body (and NOT convert it immediately into fat).

Why do you want to regulate your blood sugar? Because too much insulin in your blood system causes long-term damage to many critical organs, and for women with PCOS, they suspect that it affects hormone regulations (i.e. the amounts of progesterone, testosterone and estrogen and androgens) that can affect your appearance, your fertility, your periods, and of course your vital organs.

But just taking Metformin alone isn't going to make you lose weight or make your blood sugars perfect. Diet also has to go hand in hand with this! Usually, if you're eating too many carbs, Metformin will make you sick. If you stick to a low carb diet, you may find you don't even need to continue taking Metformin (consult your doctors and take your blood tests!).

Diane/Diannette and any other birth control pill that is prescribed for you is usually to give you a period if you don't get one (a good portion of PCOS women do not get their periods regularly). BCP are good for a number of different reasons -- including, they help regulate your hormones which means that you might get less acne and less unwanted hair, it makes sure you have a period when you want one rather than a random interval, it allows you to shed your lining regularly so you don't have a higher incidence of endometriosis if you're susceptible to it, and since you don't know when you're fertile, to prevent you from getting pregnant until you're ready to get pregnant.

Other pills that can get prescribed are spirolactone to control male androgens/testosterone (i.e. unslightly hair!), but it's a drug that pretty strong and should only be taken when you're not trying to get pregnant.

Personally, I'm not taking any medication and I got off the BCP because they were causing gall bladder damage (any drug can have other negative side effects, nothing is perfect). I am taking now a series of nutritional supplements and vitamins that are good for PCOS women, including taking chelated chromium which balances blood sugars the way that Metformin does, but without the negative side effects (nausea or others).

I've lost now 35 lbs but it's taken a really long time to lose it (and I have to update my info on this site!) and it's been filled with a lot of plateaus. But it's the PCOS and my body readjusting to a new way of eating healthier. I don't eat processed junk anymore, I am eating mostly whole foods and I lose weight when I am eating 1500-1600 calories a day, low carb, and exercising 5-7 hours per week.

My blood tests come back perfect now, with my PCOS barely noticeable and my IR undetectable -- if it wasn't for my medical history, a lot of people wouldn't know that I had PCOS. The only tell tale sign is that around my period, I do get acne and my skin used to be perfectly clear when I was on BCP.

There's a lot of websites out there that are great at getting information on PCOS. There is also a series of good books, including PCOS Guide for Savvy Women (or something like that), The Patient's Guide to PCOS, and others.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to get a doctor that knows about PCOS.
 
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Have you tried taking food with your Metformin? That has been shown to help with symptoms.
Nutritionally speaking, carbohydrate counting, a method also used for people with diabetes, is often recommended for help with PCOS and weight.
 
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