PCOS/Insulin Resistance SupportSupport for us with any of the following: Insulin Resistance, Syndrome X, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or other endocrine disorders.
I buy my supplements from a combo of two places - my local 'health food store'. They have specialists there that know exactly what I'm looking for, so if I go in and say I need something for my "______" then they bring me right to it, and tell me about dosage, etc. They are also more expensive, but it's worth it for some things. For general run of the mill things, I usually go to VitaCost. Low shipping and really low prices. I usually buy the brands NSI or Spectrum, when available, although I can't remember why I chose them!
^Thanks! I will try to find some of these locally to get started, but I will definitely look into VitaCost. I'm all about saving a little cash. I think that it's crazy that I can get a prescription med for $6 with my insurance card, or $4 on the Wal-Mart plan, but vitamins can cost me an arm and a leg...
I think you have to figure out your own research on this one. I buy some of mine at Whole Foods and others I buy online on Amazon, because they have it there for the best price.
I drink organic spearmint tea before bed, as it's supposed to help reduce male hormones. I also take 1000mg of cinnamon in addition to my daily vitamin (gummies!). Cinnamon is supposed to be good for regulating blood sugar levels.
Also: I have an un-used bottle of Evening Primrose Oil capsules sitting on my coffee table that I got on sale, as I heard they were good for women with hormonal imbalances. But...do they actually work? I want to try taking them but they're pretty large in size and I'm scared lol.
I drink organic spearmint tea before bed, as it's supposed to help reduce male hormones. I also take 1000mg of cinnamon in addition to my daily vitamin (gummies!). Cinnamon is supposed to be good for regulating blood sugar levels.
Also: I have an un-used bottle of Evening Primrose Oil capsules sitting on my coffee table that I got on sale, as I heard they were good for women with hormonal imbalances. But...do they actually work? I want to try taking them but they're pretty large in size and I'm scared lol.
EPO is only good for the first half of your cycle or until ovulation.
So, I have PCOS and I DO NOT want to take doctor prescribed medications. Is there anything that has worked for any ladies out there that may help me? Im really frustrated because it has been like 8 years or more since I have seen menstruation. It now gets worse because I am with someone I want to marry BUT, the question "can you have kids?" keeps coming up. If I must do the prescribed meds I will as a last resort. HELP.
Reading thru this forum I remembered that I had a half used box of this from Costco. So I started taking them again (since lately I've been SOOO tired that some days I can't get out of bed!)
Regarding tiredness, a couple of years ago I would sleep until 11 am and still feel tired, and my thyroid tested normal, so I went to a nutritionist and she said my adrenal gland was exhausted. (Yes, there are lots of things wrong with me.) She put me on a restrictive diet and prescribed licorice root supplements. I have to say, they were really effective. So effective I had a hard time getting off them. I had to gradually reduce. Nowadays I'm much better, but if I ever find the tiredness coming back, I take licorice supplements until it goes away.
By the way, another symptom I had was irregular heart beat. I don't know how typical that is with adrenal exhaustion.
Well, other than general good nutrition and a low glycemic diet (similar to SugarBusters) here is what I am doing:
DIM -- diindolymethane (I think I spelled that right lol) -- this is a compound found in cruciferous vegetables that has anti-androgen properties (the stuff that gives us facial hair!) and also helps to metabolize estrogens -- many of us are estrogen dominant...
Spearmint tea: spearmint has been shown to elevate mood as well as containing anti-androgen properties
red raspberry leaf (I drink it in a tea) -- helps to balance hormones, helps tone uterus, may help with regulating periods/promoting ovulation.
stress management: strong B vitamin support, helps with stress -- stress creates cortisol, which does a number on adrenals, which does a real number on PCOS
Milk Thistle -- this supports healthy liver function -- many women with PCOS may have impaired or "sluggish" liver function and maintaining a healthy liver may help symptoms.
HTH
This is an old post but I was wondering about how the above supplements may or may not have made a difference.
Like others have said, my MD put me on Inositol, Myo-Inositol. I'm trying to conceive too so it's supposed to help. I had an ruptured ectopic a few years ago and lost one tube along with the PCOS.
My Doc has me on a number of "natural" suppliments..
He says that the majority of people with IR are lacking these vital nutrients for not only stabalising blood sugars but getting things running right.
Others have recommended:
A multivitamin and mineral.
Calcium and magnesium and vitamin D.
Fish oil (1,000 to 4,000 mg) a day improves insulin sensitivity, lowers cholesterol, and reduces inflammation.
Extra magnesium (200 to 600 mg a day) helps with glucose metabolism and is often deficient in diabetics.
Chromium (500 to 1,000 mcg day) is very important for proper sugar metabolism.
Antioxidants (such as vitamins C and E) are important in helping to reduce and balance blood sugar.
B-complex vitamins are important and are part of a good multivitamin. Extra vitamin B6 (50 to 150 mg a day) and B12 (1,000 to 3,000 mcg) are especially helpful in protecting against diabetic neuropathy or nerve damage.
Biotin (2,000 to 4,000 mcg a day) enhances insulin sensitivity.
Alpha-lipoic acid (300 mg twice a day), a powerful antioxidant that can reduce blood sugar significantly. Flaxseed oil is another that helps reduce inflammation, high in omega 3 and great for vegetarians.
Evening primrose oil (500 to 1,000 mg twice a day) Cinnamon as a supplement. One to two 500 mg tablets twice a day can help blood sugar control.
Other herbs and supplements that can be helpful include green tea, ginseng, bitter melon, gymnema, bilberry, ginkgo, onions, and garlic. Fenugreek can also be used to help improve blood sugar, although large amounts must be taken.
My Doc has me on: Gluco Support made by Eagle Professional Natural medicine:
It contains: Gymnema, Cinnamon, Chromium (chloride and picolinate), RS-Alpha lipoic acid, Magnesium, Zinc, biotin, and cholecalciferol
Also Flaxseed oil ProbioticMetMulti-vitaminIf any of this helps!!???
Hello Chook, I'd really like to know if this has been working for you? I try to take fish oil and a multivitamin daily. But, perhaps I need those specified quantities
I was diagnosed with PCOS ten years ago and spent 5 years trying to conceive my first child. Blood tests of my progesterone levels at 21 days showed that I did not ovulate.
The one thing I found very helpful was taking N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) and I know that when you find people on forums talking about NAC they are generally always raving about it.
I hear you when you say about some supplements being expensive. I hate it when you ask 'what supplements are good for treating PCOS?' and people come back with a list of 20 supplements which work to varying degrees. Like anyone can afford to be buying those every month!
I think that it's crazy that I can get a prescription med for $6 with my insurance card, or $4 on the Wal-Mart plan, but vitamins can cost me an arm and a leg...
Pcos....:-(
