Will someone please explain this to me? Are your blood sugars high or low with IR?

I believe I have PCOS. I saw a doc once who was covering for my doc when he was out of town and this doc said I had some classic symptoms of PCOS..but that I would need to follow up with my regular doc. My regular doc happened to be gone for a month..then I moved...and moved again and now I'm waiting on my 90 days at my new job to get insurance.

Here is a little about myself: My periods have never been regular even when I first started back as a preteen. I remember thinking when I was little that I was pregnant cause I went a few months without a period and I was so worried ! hahahaha I didn't really even know about sex then but I just knew you didn't have periods when you were pregnant! I used to have only about 3-4 periods a year. I was thin in high school ...but with BCP I gained some weight.

After I married I had to take Clomid to get pregnant ...but it worked ! My periods are more regular now...I skip a month from time to time but not usually more than 2. I'm obese now and I've always had facial hair that I have waxed or gotten rid of...but it isn't black hair.

I usually have low-normal blood sugars...just routine labs will show it in the 60s and that is after lunch. One time fasting it was 103 and the doc said I could have pre-diabetes. So it's all over the place really.

If I were to take metformin would that help the low blood sugars or is that only for people who have high sugars? I know for diabetes it is for high sugars but I wasn't sure how that works with PCOS. Sorry this is so long..but I wanted to give a detailed history and find out more about IR. Thanks

Hi LeslieLou! My blood sugar has always been fine, and I'm IR. Our insulin is, in the end, doing the trick by keeping our glucose normal. We're just not doing it efficiently, so our body has to pump out extra insulin to get the job done. All the extra insulin in our system is running around with nothing to do, other than it's main job as 'the fat storage hormone'.

Taking Met can help your system utilize the insulin more effectively, so maybe your body doesn't have to pump out as much insulin. For some people, going on a reduced carb or good carb diet can help as well. Extra exercise, although it might not do 'everything' for insulin utilization, will at least burn off that excess, helping you lose weight easier.

You can also talk to your doctor about natural help - I've taken Alpha Lipoic Acid in the past and saw a difference, and also chelated chromium. Met makes me sick, so I needed to look for alternative therapy. Right now I've got it under control, but PCOS is a strange animal, and I may need it back again any day!

Thanks Jennifer I have tried so many different diets it isn't even funny anymore! I am now doing very low carb and I've lost 15 pounds since the 09/06/10! I think this WOE is best for me...maybe because of the insulin problem? I haven't officially been diagnosed yet but I feel i have PCOS with all the symptoms and the one doctor saying I probably do without testing.

Thank you for explaining the way the insulin works in PCOS. You made it SO much clearer than things I've read.

I'll look into the supplements you suggested too and see how they work with Synthroid (yep I'm hypothyroid too) and see how things go.

Do you see an OB/GYN for your PCOS or an endo? When I have insurance I'm not sure which one to see.

Thanks again

I have seen an OB and an endo, but there is no guarantee that either one knows what they're doing! Endo's are usually the best, and especially in your case since you have thyroid issues. But if you don't click, find an OB-GYN. Some of them even list PCOS in their yellow page ads. Don't give in to a doctor that is uneducated, or that treats it like a textbook diagnosis. PCOS is a syndrome, and what affects you might not affect me, and vice versa. Find somebody that will work on your individual symptoms, and treat the syndrome as a whole for the long term health effects, like heart disease, and a healthy, strong pancreas and kidneys.

Good luck!

I'll add that I recommend a reproductive endocrinologist, because they deal with women and have probably dealt with PCOS. I went to previous endos (not reproductive) and they didn't know what to do with me!

You do sound like you have PCOS and hopefully you'll get on track once you're diagnosed. Start doing as much reading as you can on the subject.

Thanks Rana We don't have one in our area and we just now this year got a regular endo here... I may be best seeing an OB/GYN then. Do you take metformin? I'm reading good and bad...guess everyone is different on how they respond to it?

I am not, but my doctor wants me to take it.

It does vary person by person and my endo said it was trial and error to see what dosage works and whether you get sick on it or not.

My path right now is to do things the "hard" way -- diet, exercise, and alternative medicine (nutrients, supplements, vitamins, etc.).

I have an OBGYN who knows about my PCOS and he recommended Weight Watchers because "that's the only thing that works" and BCP. Hopefully you can let your OBGYN know about Metformin if they don't. But it's not a magic pill. Diet and exercise are so critical to us PCOS ladies.

I have IR without the cystic ovaries. Metformin made me a moody wench in addition to giving me potty issues. My sugars weren't ever above 100. When I did the glucose tolerance test, I peaked at normal levels...then dropped almost into hypoglycemia. If yours was in the 60s after lunch, I'd guess you have something similar happening.

Simple solution was to get rid of pastas, breads, potatoes, etc. I exist on salads, meats, cheeses...and fruit smoothies. I don't exercise nearly as much as I should, but so be it.

Even with IR, you *can* lose weight. I went from 321 in early April to 268 today.

wow that's great! Do you follow a low carb plan? I've been losing on low carb...it seems to be the only plan that takes the weight off for me. Another reason that leads me to believe I have IR.

I'm gonna check into these natural things since I don't have insurance now...thanks for the suggestions Where do you find chelated chromium and how is it different? Thanks!

I was predominantly low carb/no carb in the beginning. I'm now lower-carb, but calorie counting. I have a thing for sushi, and I want it sometimes. I don't carb count, but with that exception, I do still prefer lower carb meals. I just allow myself a meal or two here and there that isn't.

I see an endoc. -- only saw OB/GYN when I was actually pregnant.

The others have given pretty good tips already so I'll just chime in with the usual...

PCOS comes in at least 5 types:

• traditional PCOS -- anovulatory, increased androgens, no insulin resistance
• endocrine syndrome X -- anovulatory, increased androgens, insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
• non-traditional PCOS --anovulatory, normal androgens, obese, insulin resistant or type 2 diabetes
• non-traditional PCOS -- ovulatory, increased androgens, mild insulin resistance
• idiopathic hirsutism -- ovulatory, increased androgens, no insulin resistance

LINKS

Inciid PCOS FAQ
Mary's PCOS Treatment FAQ
Teen PCOS (explains it well, even for adults!)
SoulCysters -- biggest PCOS forum I've encountered, though admittedly I like the cozy here better... LOTs of info but can be an overwhelming read.

HTH!
A.

Thanks for all the info and the links too! The more I read about it the more I realize how many symptoms I have of PCOS.