started taking cinnamon and chromium
 

I just bought the combo pills at Walmart for $8.00 and thought I would give them a try. I've never officially been diagnosed with PCOS. Some of you may remember a while back where I mentioned that a GYN I had seen who had covered for my regular GYN had mentioned I could possibly have it and that I would need to follow up with my regular GYN about it. Well, I think he was in drug rehab or something (was never quite sure about that) and was out a long time so I never went back. I saw a new family doc last month and I'm just gonna see her for everything, general medical care and everything. I mentioned PCOS to her and she said I had many of the symptoms. She said first line of treatment is birth control pills :?: NO THANKS! She said we can do more testing when I see her again in three months and depending on my blood sugar we may can try metformin. My main problem at the time was the migraine headaches so I was needing treatment for that first.

Meanwhile, I decided I would just try some cinnamon and chromium and I found these combo pills at Walmart. I can't believe how they suppress my appetite!!!! I want nothing sweet at all! I'm not even thinking about food. I just started them yesterday. I wonder how long this will last. Is this normal? I sure hope it lasts lol :carrot:

its pretty normal chromium is an appetite suppressant. It is most commonly referred to as a "legal steroid" because it boosts your metabolism so much.

I tried just plain chromium a while back but it didn't have this effect on me. Maybe the combination is really giving the boost! And when I took steroids for my rheumatoid arthritis it made me want to eat everything in sight and did not boost my metabolism at all. That's the weight I'm trying to get off now (sigh).

I swear by that combo! It has allowed me to start losing weight...I wasn't losing a pound before I started taking them. Plus, it has really helped with my sugar craving/food cravings. I've been taking them daily for almost a couple months now.

Never heard of this!!!

Do you have sources I can read about this??

I just found this -- first hit on google:

Chromium is a common ingredient in weight loss supplements. Chromium picolinate is the most common form in weight loss supplements. The trace element, chromium, has been given credit for fat burning and even offered as an alternative to steroid use to body builders. Unfortunately, most of these claims are not true. Chromium can does aid in the production of the vital complex, glucose tolerance factor (GTF). The organic complex, GTF, interacts with insulin to regulate the uptake of glucose by cells. If an individual is chromium deficient, the production of Glucose Tolerance Fact would be reduced the uptake of glucose by cells would not be efficient. This is a common symptom of type-2 diabetes patients. Chromium can aid in lowering blood sugar levels by aiding in the production of GTF.

wow that's awesome!!! How much weight have you lost since taking it? I am noticing a huge difference in my appetite. I can tell immediately after taking it that I am not wanting anything sweet. I'm also feeling an energy boost and for me, that is really great as I'm usually sluggish. I'm glad it's working for you :)

That's really interesting! That may be next on my grocery list as well. My appetite and cravings is better since I'm on Metformin but I still feel a bit sluggish and would love an energy boost. Do you take it in the mornings only or several times a day?

I've lost 9 lbs in just about two months, but after my last TOM I had a 4 lb woosh so I'm actually looking forward to it this month to see if the same will happen again! I take them after breakfast or lunch...which ever one I anticipate being more "carb" heavy. And by that I mean which one is going to have the slice of bread. I also exercise about 5 hours a week in the gym in addition to a couple pilates classes and numerous hikes with my dog. I gave a solid effort before starting the supplements. I think about 3 months of exercise and on plan eating. I didn't lose a single pound. I was so frustrated. I actually had a little thread on here about the first month or so on them, called, "natrual supplements" I'll try to find it and *bump* it back up so you can take a look and see my experience.

The bottle says two capsules one or two times daily and I take it twice daily. You take it with food and I've been taking it with breakfast and lunch and I'll be honest with you, I haven't been eating at night. I haven't wanted to and that is VERY unusual for me!!!!! This stuff is working for me :carrot: Also, I'm the type that has to drink coffee during the day just to keep going. I have a desk job and it's boring. Since taking starting this, this week, I'm more alert and don't need the coffee. I find myself just wanting water but not like having a dry mouth needing water. It's like a diet pill without the bad side effects :D

You just can't take this if you are pregnant or nursing. I don't know if it interferes with other medications or not, best to check with your doc..

wow that's awesome! you have done great! I'll read that thread! thanks a bunch!!!! So far so good! It's good to know that this keeps working. I just started it this week and it has been great so far.

Not sure if this is helpful or not, but a few years back I tried the metformin. It made me sick. I was literally throwing up several times a day. That stuff is pure evil to my body. That's why I researched for a more "natural" plan. Also, thought I'd pass along. My doctor told me that people with IR/PCOS benefit more than your average person from strength training/pilates. She said cardio is good, and necessary, but strength training is GREAT. And, I agree. It's been really amazing to watch my body get stronger. And, even though it's still covered in fat, I can feel muscle growth in my arms and thighs.

I have PCOS and I have taken cinnamon on and off for a couple years. I do believe it helps. I've never seen a chromium/cinnamon combo pill...gonna look when I go shopping since I'm about out of mine anyway.

Let us know how it works for you :)

Rana - its in my health textbook for class, I also found info on it when I searched chromium and PCOS , i forget the sites it was on my other computer and a while ago.

lucy - its evil to my body too.

I don't take the combo pill, I take my chromium and cinnamon in separate pills, but I do take them together I found that for me anyway I had better results this way. You just have to be careful on the dosage of chromium because just like vitamin D it is toxic to your body in large quantities. I recommend adding a vitamin D supplement to your vitamins, My doc had me on 2000 iu daily but i dont think that much is needed.

wow guys! I lost three pounds since last week!!! :carrot: I started the combo pill last Monday! :) For the first time in a long time I feel in control of my cravings. This is great news !

Googling combo pill as I type. Thank you for this - hopefully it'll help with cravings. I have thae hardest time getting past them.

Hope it helps you! My sister is only taking the cinnamon (she doesn't have PCOS) and it is helping with her cravings :)

I'm taking cinnamon and chromium picolinolate (separate pills...but I take them at the same time.) My cravings for sugar literally stopped within a day or so. My hunger has also decreased. At first I thought it was placebo but after a being on them for a couple months now, I know it's not.

I started taking the combo pill from wal-mart last week and WOW I've noticed a huge difference. My cravings were pretty much gone, I had more energy and best of all I dropped 2lbs this week! I admit I had my doubts, but it sure seems to be helping me. I pray it continues! :D

So how much are you all taking? I am reading up on chromium, and it seems like one shouldn't take more than 1000 mcgs a day. Are you taking that much or less? And are you taking it all at once or in "batches"?

Mary's PCOS faq gives suggestions for all kinds of supplements including cinnamon and chromium.

http://pcosfaq.com/

HTH!
A.

I'm not taking chromium picolinate.

I am taking the chelated chromium, which is supposed to be the "safer" kind. It's chromium polynicolinate.

I take 800 mcg of it. Depending on whether I stop losing (and it's not diet or exercise related!) I may increase it. For now, I think it's been working well.

I want to start taking these... but not sure what doseage I should take... I weigh 265 5'5...

What about Metformin?
 

Hi! I am new here, but realllly need support. I started Metformin, per docs orders, and just saw the cinnamon and chromium supplements. Does anyone take these along with Metformin? I would like to try them, but want to make sure it wouldn't cause any whacky side effects! Thanks so much!:smug:

i have pcos.. bla. hate it.. anyways
after i lost some weight last year. that i almost gained most back.. my
levels were so good. i stopped taking metformin.. so i tried to recently start back on it. and man i feel so sick. i am going to try to take the combo pill. thanks for posting!

My combo pill is 1,000 mg of cinnamon and 100 mg of chromium. I'm not sure what dosage is right for what weight. You could check with your doc if you're not sure. I just bought it and tried it :)

You should check with your doc and/or pharmacist about taking the meds together to make sure it's ok :)

Good luck! HOpe it helps!

Cinnamon is awesome for PCOS in my experience. Can't say as I ever noticed a difference when I took chromium though. I don't take cinnamon in pill form, I'm not sure why you would want to do that... You can buy it by the pound online, I personally mix it with greek yogurt and eat a spoonful every time I eat any carbs. Just make sure to purchase Ceylon cinnamon instead of Cassia. Ceylon cinnamon is more expensive but doesn't have the dangers that large amounts of cassia has (cassia cinnamon is probably what's in your cinnamon pills btw).

What cinnamon does for me is keep me from the omgimsohungry feeling that carbs give me without cinnamon. Also, I don't get the heartburn that I usually get when I eat carbs. How does it do that? Slows down digestion & keeps your blood sugar from spiking.

I've been taking the combo pills for a while, and it's definitely helped me fight the sugar cravings and the blood sugar spikes. My blood sugar feels much more regular now, and I even experience low blood sugar occasionally when I forget to eat, which is something I never experience before...a sign my blood sugar isn't as high as it used to be!

The only thing to watch for is that you don't take more than the recommended dosage. As the previous poster pointed out, the form of cinnamon in the capsules you get contains a compound which acts as a blood thinner if you take too much. I take three pills a day (one with each meal) and it's done wonders, but I wouldn't take any more.

Too large amounts of anything is a bad thing. It's definitely best to always take the recommended dose :)

Although my point was actually that you SHOULD exceed the "recommended" dose of the cinnamon pills, but by taking the other kind of cinnamon instead.

My boyfriend used to have daily, constant heartburn that he took prescription medication for. Now, every time he gets heartburn I haughtily ask "You didn't eat cinnamon did you?" and I'm always right. Of course, maybe it's a bad thing that cinnamon allows me to eat carbs without feeling terrible afterwards...

Sorry, I know your advice is well intended but it is also completely false. The fda recommendations on a nutrition facts sheet are guidelines for the average adult healthy person. If you are taking a supplement for a specific disorder, illness, or disease, it is actually very likely that you should take more than the average person's recommendation. Some of these things if you only took what it said to meet your 100% guideline, you would get zero benefit.

For example-my son has epilepsy and takes anticonvulsant meds. One of them has some pretty bad side effects, and his neuro suggested a daily dose of B6 to counteract those effects. Daily recommendation for an adult is 2mg per day. My son takes 100mg a day, more than 50 times the adult recommended dose.

Point is, it is NOT definitely best to always take the recommended dose. If you are taking something for the **** of it, or in a multivitamin, or just because you like what the bottle says it can do for you...then sure. But if you are using a supplement as an alternative medication to treat a condition then it is almost guaranteed that YOUR recommended dose is going to be very different than the next person's. The only way to know the proper amount is to research and talk to a professional.

ummm, just the state the facts here...the RECOMMENDED dose IS the dose from a professional. My doc just told me to buy the bottle from the store and when I told her the dose she was fine with it. The RECOMMENDED dose should always be from your physician on any medication, whether it be a vitamin or supplement, prescription med, etc. If your doc recommends you take more than what a supplement says then that's great, that is what they recommend :)

I also have PCOS, I put a dash of cinnamon in my coffee each morning and I love it. It taste great too. Cinnamon makes your body metabolize sugar up to 20x faster.

I've been reading and reading about cinnamon and sugar metabolism, do you mind sharing where you found the above information? I would love to know :) That's exciting news :)

So is it safe to take the cinnamon and chromium pills without having pcos? Or if you don't should you just take the cinnamon?

Your "dose" would probably be different if you are non-PCOS.

Probably best to check with your doc, naturopath or whoever it is you see for what you needs might be.

But if you just want to try adding extra cinnamon to your food I guess that really isn't a biggie. Try 1/4 tsp in your oatmeal or similar.

A.

My sister doesn't have PCOS and her doc says it's ok for her to take it. Yeah, I would ask your doc. Chromium is already in a lot of multivitamins so I would watch that too. My BIL takes cinnamon to help lower his cholesterol and well, he doesn't have PCOS LOL! People are starting to notice that I've lost weight. I haven't weighed on the scales but I can tell I've lost inches. I give the cinnamon/chromium the credit. Before I started taking it, nothing was happening. yay! :)

I've read a lot of good things about the cinnamon/coffee combo lately. The caffeine releases fatty acids into the bloodstream so you can burn them off later and the cinnamon helps prevent large insulin spikes when you eat which is also condusive to more fat burning.

10 health benefits of cinnamon: http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis...-cinnamon.html