I have had the symptoms for nearly 14 years and just now found out what I have! Imagine my excitement to know what's wrong with me and that I'm not just a weird bird and that there is a cure!
PCOS is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Can be caused by Insulin Resistance, which from the symptoms of that I believe I have that as well! IR symptoms include: Chronic Fatique
Mental Confusion, “Brain Fog” or Near Memory Lapses
Gastrointestinal Digestive Tract Problems
Slight Balance, Coordination or Spatial Disorientation Problem
Abnormal Blood Lipid/Triglycerides/Cholesterol Levels
Intermittent Depression and Withdrawal from People Contact
Indigestion Following Carbohydrate Intake
Sluggishness or Fatique after Carbohydrate Ingestion
Bloating or Gas or Diarrhea after Carbohydrate Ingestion
Inability to Lose Weight on Low Fat but High Carbohydrate diets
*Panic/Anxiety Attacks (on rare occasions, usually at night)
Hypoglycemic Type Symptoms yet Near Normal Blood Sugar
Irritability, Frustration from Lack of Concentration
Most of which I have! Remember a few weeks ago when I had a *panic attack? And when I feel like I'm worthless and not a good mother…..Tired, and no energy, frusterated easily, can't concentrate, Brain Fog, all that stuff is so me! So what is Insulin Resistance? It's not Diabetes, it's not low or high blood sugar, my blood sugar has always been normal. That's why it's fooled us and we didn't think anything was really wrong! I'd have the symptoms of being Hypoglyceic yet my blood sugar was normal!
Here's some information I gleaned off the internet about IR.
Insulin Resistance has many factors that contribute to its presence in the body. In essence, our environment and lifestyles have evolved too rapidly for our bodies to keep pace. We are still genetically “wired” to thrive on the entrenched habits of our ancestors who consumed different, nutrient-rich foods, a diet low in carbohydrates and also sustained greater levels of movement and exercise.
Some people may also have a genetic predisposition to Insulin Resistance. Others develop Insulin Resistance through unhealthy lifestyles.
Over time, the above factors have damaged the complex ability of our bodies' cells to properly utilize insulin to convert glucose to energy. Unhealthy diets cause the pancreas to overproduce insulin that overwhelms the cell which, in turn, protects itself by reducing the number of receptor sites on its surface.
This results in devastating effects:
- Insulin, which acts like a key in a lock, is less effective in opening up the cell and allowing glucose in to be converted to energy.
- Without enough receptor sites, insulin bounces off the cell and enters the blood stream where it causes a variety of conditions including unbalanced hormones such as in PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and Cardiovascular Disease.
- Unable to enter the cell, glucose is converted to fat, leading to weight gain which can result in obesity.
- Eventually many health-related functions fail and cause numerous serious diseases besides PCOS, such as Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X) and Pre-Diabetes leading to Type 2 Diabetes.
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com
Sugar craving is a sign, and I definatly have that! I can't stay out of the cookies, cake, icecream, which by the way is sounding really tempting right now. But when I'm off of sugar all together for a couple weeks, I no longer crave it. Then this weekend when Berylac had his birthday, I had some cake and icecream, icecream another time and a dounut once, resulting in a horrible Monday. I about went nuts craving sugar and sweets! I couldn't hardly stand it! What I need to do is get some fructose and bake some whole wheat cookies with fructose in them. I use to cook and bake with only fructose and loved it, but when we moved back to Indiana, I got away from it because I didn't have a handy place to get it. Now we have plenty of places close by where I can get it.
I also think that the hormones in our meat, eggs and dairy products don't help the PCOS at all. So this week I have a goal to get to the Co-op and get a membership and start purchasing some of that stuff in organic form. Todo is a little hesitant about Organic Milk, but I can't see why it would taste any differant than regular, it just doesn't have the hormones from the food the cows ate. So we'll see. I've also decided that while the NutriSystem diet is the best diet to be on for this, I can cook it at home! It's just the Glycemic Index and I have 2 cookbooks and a shopping guide on the way for the Glycemic Index. That is cooking with good carbs and not the bad ones. In dropping the Nutrisystem diet, I will be able to afford the organic meats, eggs, milk, cheese and yogurt as well as take the 7 elements from the website I listed above: Inulite.
Oh, and I didn't even explain what PCOS is! Here's info from the same site:
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a major cause of infertility. This condition is also known as polycystic ovaries, Sclerocystic Ovarian Disease, Stein-Leventhal Syndrome, Chronic Anovulatory Syndrome and Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD).
It is the most common female endocrine (hormonal) disorder and is characterized by multiple abnormal ovarian cysts. Most ovarian cysts are harmless, fluid-filled sacs containing immature eggs that attach to the ovaries. But multiple cysts, with a typical appearance of “a string of pearls” or “pearl necklace”, are a hallmark of PCOS. An estimated 5-10% of women of childbearing age are affected by PCOS and it is one of the leading causes of infertility. Post-menopausal women can also suffer from PCOS.
This condition can be a silent killer. Since the symptoms of PCOS can vary so widely from woman to woman, doctors very often misdiagnose the condition. This oversight became a matter of critical concern after a study conducted in 2000 found that women suffering from PCOS have a higher risk of coronary heart disease.
Symptoms of PCOS can include excessive weight gain and obesity, irregular, heavy or completely absent periods, ovarian cysts, excessive facial or body hair, Alopecia (male pattern hair loss), acne, skin tags (growths from the skin), Acanthosis Nigricans (brown skin patches) high cholesterol levels, exhaustion or lack of mental alertness, decreased sex drive and excess male hormones.
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I have PCOS as well. Not fun. I was diagnosed years ago but did not believe the diagnosis so I've been walking around untreated wondering what the heck is wrong with me. I started to see an endocrinologist for my thyroid issues — which turned out to be related I'm now finding and thus have come full circle to the PCOS. Get is treated to avoid complications down the line. If you decide to take the insulin resistance drugs though — be fore warned !!!!! They will make you MUCH more fertile. If pregnancy is not desired please please take birth control.
I'm now looking into holistic ways to treat my PCOS. Wish me luck and good luck on your journey. -
Nice gleaning. Never outside of the webmarketing world have I seen or heard the word used.
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I was dignosed with PCOS about two years ago and about a year ago I married my high school sweetheart, he and I want a baby so bad but its been a up hill battle, I contacted a fertility Dr and I have an appointment soon, I look foward to trying to have the baby we want so badly, for me its a matter of time, I am 31 and feel soon it will be too late..My Sn Is PreMedStudentJen@aol.com, I am not a member but I wanted to say Ty for the information
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I am believing with you for whatever you are believing for – let me know, and I will pray accordingly.
I understand about your Mom. Sometimes it is just easier to take the easy route – or, as we say in our house (like the commercial) Push the Easy Button. And, in America, aren’t we pretty much inundated with it?
I know nothing about this, but it reminds me of Fibro-Myalgia, in the respect that it is so encompassing of so many symptoms. I know a few people that have that. I know it isn’t the same…
All I can say is live as naturally as you can. The Above Rubies website is a good place I’ve found for nutriton info. They practice a vegan lifestyle, which you don’t have to do, but you may want to after you read some of the info! They do have a lot of good info about whole foods, and that is also where I found the info about Red Palm Oil, which I could not find when I just looked. It is worth finding, though. It is something I heard about recently and need to use. Take a look! http://www.aboverubies.org
( ; Take Care, Shine!Jacque
Mom to SuperAngel, jocelyndixon, rjdjohn316, and 4 more! -
hey girl where are ya?
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I will be praying for your peace of mind and that God would give you the strength you need. God said in the Bible that he would not give us more then we could handle. God tests those he loves most!!! Whenever you do God will be right there beside you. I have learned over the years that I know God will give me the desires of my hear but I also have to pray for His will in my life. I know that with His help all things are possible! God is watching over you and His face his shining over you on your clouding days!
I didn’t feel at all when I started a blog that I would get so attached to anyone, but after 3months I feel that I have known most of Blogger friends forever. God has truly blessed me with this blog! I can honestly say that you are one of my closer friends, probably because you live so close.
Again I will be praying for you and your peace of mind! May God’s face shine upon you and may His hand guide you all the days of your life!
With much Love,
Myrtle, a Hobbit from BloggerEarth! -
Mrs. Diamond, I definatly wouldn’t diagnos just anything on the internet. But my Nurse friend that also has it gave me this website. PCOS is very real and the women that have it can diagnos it better than Dr.’s can, I know that sounds weird, but Dr’s don’t often diagnos it because every woman that has it is different. I have no doubt at all that I have PCOS and IR. While you do have to be careful what you diagnos on the internet, you also have to be careful what you get diagnosed by a Dr. I don’t know your case, so I won’t even go there. But my Mom went to a DR and he put her on Prosac and said she had depression. SHE DOES NOT HAVE A CHEMICAL IMBALANCE. Dr.’s are too quick to give prozac too many times to people who really don’t need it. You’re thinking how do I know that she doesn’t need it? Because I know her patterns. Whenever somthing doesn’t go the way she want’s it to, she spends weeks in her bedroom. She has many people bluffed into thinking she has depression and she doesn’t. She has learned behavior, her dad did the same thing and then when the people that didn’t do what she wanted them to finally gave in and did it, she’s fine. She also does it when she’s on the prozac, so that too tells me it’s not doing her a lick of good, she’s simply uses it as a crutch. She’s actually been off of it for a year and a half. And she’s not much different than she’s ever been. I’m wondering if maybe she has PCOS. She has some of the symptoms, but not as many as I do, so it’s hard for me to diagnos her, and I wouldn’t try.
I do realize that some people do have a chemical misfire and need prozac, but there’s way to many out there taking it that don’t need it. It’s an easy fix for a DR that doesn’t know what’s wrong. -
just be careful trying to diagnose yourself via internet information. i did that once and had myself convinced I had MS (multiple schlerosis) I had myself so worked up that I developed panic attacks over it.
And I did not have MS. I had severe depression.
I never ever looked up my symptoms on the internet again after that…. My doctor told me, if you had plumbing problems would you fix it yourself or call a plumber? If your car was broken would you attempt to fix the engine or take it to a mechanic? So why would you attempt to diagnose your self with no medical tests etc? That’s what doctors are for.
Granted, he was promoting his own trade, but I was driving myself crazy and turning myself into a hypochondriac! LOL.
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The doctor I went to once said he thought I might have PCOS, but since I didn’t have insurance it wasn’t worth the cost of tests to see for sure. I was devestated at first, since I was about 17 and one of the symptoms was problems having kids. However, as I looked over it more, it sounded less and less like my symptoms. He thought I had it because one of my ovaries was enlarged… which I’m sure could be many other things.
However… the insulin resistancy thingy I have all the symptoms of. Soooooooo…. WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT IT?! LOL You told us everything except that.
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I can only imagine the relief to have this knowledge now. It must have been very frustrating not knowing.
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it’s quite a common thing. My sister was diagnosed with it a few years ago. She has to take medication for it.
amy
mrsretro.co.nz
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Berylla of Dawlings
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