Ask a Doctor General PCOS Questions
April 16th, 2008
Insulite Labs’ Coaching & Advisory Teams bring together a wealth of diverse experience to help you with PCOS and related conditions. Their many PCOS specialties include, but are not limited to Absence of periods, Fertility, Weight Loss, Birth Control, Fatigue, Nutrition and Exercise and Lesbians and PCOS.
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ive just been diagnosed with pcos in both my ovaries.
im 31 and have a child.ive been trying to conceive again for a long time without success and i dont have periods.i hate contraceptives.
since im in the uk was having period every two month but the last 6 months i didnt,i did tests and pcos was found out.this week ive been given provera and later after bleeding i need to do blood test.
i find this website ok and would like to ask if the doctor give me e.g clomid to conceive will it be ok to take this insulite products.
i realy want to have my periods normal like other women
and my tummy is too big when i dont have.
can u give me some advice please.
thank you
nalini
Dear Nalini,
Thanks for writing in to the Insulite PCOS blog.
Sorry to read that you are struggling with your menses and PCOS. The Insulite PCOS System can certainly help you with your issues, and can be used with Clomid.
Ideally, you would be able to conceive with the help of Insulite without the Clomid, but forgoing
the Clomid is a decision that only you and your doctor can make.
I’ll go ahead and send you some information on Insulin Resistance, PCOS, and the Insulite PCOS System. The underlying cause of PCOS in most cases seems to be Insulin Resistance. With Insulin Resistance, the body becomes insensitive to the insulin it produces, which leads to elevated circulating levels of insulin.
This, in turn, leads to hornonal imbalances such as increased testosterone and other androgens (male hormones). The increased testosterone is responsible for many of the symptoms such as hair growth and abnormal menstrual cycles.
Elevated insulin also contributes to the formation of cysts in the ovaries in part due to the hormonal imbalances and also because the ovaries are
highly sensitive to the influence of insulin. In women with PCOS, the ovaries are over-sensitized to insulin’s effects (as well as to the effect of testosterone).
Finally, the weight gain often associated with PCOS is intricately related to Insulin Resistance. Losing weight helps to improve insulin sensitivity,
and vice versa: becoming more sensitive to your insulin helps you to lose weight. Other symptoms that women with PCOS suffer from are acne and excess
hair growth, among others.
Here is some general information about the PCOS System: the Insulite PCOS System consists of several elements, all designed to work together to
address PCOS and its underlying cause, Insulin Resistance. The System is comprised of supplements, diet and exercise guidelines, addiction
awareness, and customer support. We provide ample customer support because we advocate lifestyle changes, and we know that these types of changes can
be difficult to make without some help!
The supplements are designed to improve insulin sensitivity, help you lose weight, reduce the symptoms of PCOS, correct the hormonal imbalance of PCOS, and help manage the deleterious consequences of having elevated insulin. Here is a link to a page on our website that describes the supplements in detail: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-Elements.php
The diet and exercise aspects of the Insulite PCOS System are also crucial to your success. The exercise can be tailored to fit your needs. You can read the general information about these guidelines at the following link:
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/Insulite-PCOS-System-Nutrition-and-Exercise-Plans.php.
Of course, more detailed information is provided in the Insulite Guide that our customers receive.
You can read much more about the entire Insulite PCOS System by visiting the following link: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/.
I hope this is helpful and I hope that you are able to conceive soon.
Sincerely,
Dr. Apryl Krause, ND
Insulite Medical and Advisory Team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
ACNE
what is the best cure? Im getting desperate have been using herbal tincture for over 6 months and still i am red and swollen. very sick of this now, but very wary of prescriptions drugs as I feel they played havok with me in the first place.
Hello,
I am glad that you wrote in regarding this topic.
I assume that you do have PCOS, as this is a common symptom reported by many women. It is often due to the increase in androgen levels such as testosterone. Even if the levels are not out of the normal range this can still cause distress.
I know that acne is just one of the difficult symptoms to deal with as this is something we often can’t easily hide and it can be very painful. The goal of course is to reduce the testosterone and other androgen levels that contribute to the acne.
There are many herbs that can be useful for acne. Does the person that prepared this tincture for you know that you have PCOS?
As a naturopath, one area I often look at is diet when I see skin conditions such as acne. Have you ever been evaluated for food allergies? Your diet may be very good but even good foods can cause problems for some people. This is just something to consider.
In addition, liver support is used to help acne but in the case of PCOS, it is still very important to support the liver because it does process hormones. It is also important to address the cause of the increase in hormones. A comprehensive approach may more appropriate for you. That would include addressing the insulin resistance (the cause of PCOS and the increase in hormones), increasing fiber to help bind excess hormones and increasing water intake to ensure proper elimination.
Have you seen the System we offer to help address PCOS and insulin resistance? It is the Insulite PCOS System at http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/. I recommend looking through the website.
You did not mention what herbs are in the formula you are taking. Have they been changed or modified based on the changes you have seen in the last 6 months?
Have you been evaluated for any other problems that may contribute to this such as food allergies (mentioned above) or digestive issues?
What other steps have you taken to reduce the acne? Exercise, water intake, high fiber and vegetable diet with limited refined carbohydrates and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, fish, avocadoes to name a few) can help improve the skin and acne.
There are many options and it can take some time to find what works for you. I hope this helps you. Please let us know how you are doing.
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Medical & Advisory team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
My question is about taking birth control for pcos. I was only diagnosed about 4 years ago at the most but have been having problems since i was 12. I don’t know if i have insulin resistance but i am suspicious. Could you tell me how to get that checked? My doctor put me on Mononessa which i have been taking for just about 24 days. I started bleeding 9 days ago and haven’t stopped. It is heavy and there are quite a few clots not to mention horrible cramps. I have also been getting dizzy. I have decided that i am not going to get a refill for the pill. Read the blogs and am really worried now. Would like someone who knows about pcos to give me some advice.
Hello Amber,
Thank you for contacting Insulite Laboratories. I am so glad you found our blog.
I’m sorry to hear about your painful and heavy bleeding from the birth control you’re taking. It can be common to have irregular bleeding after beginning the birth control pill. You should speak with your doctor about the bleeding, especially if it continues. Too much blood loss during menses can lead to anemia, which could explain your dizziness.
We do not recommend oral contraceptives as a treatment for PCOS because they are synthetic hormones that mask some of the symptoms of PCOS rather than fixing the problems. Treating absent menses or other symptoms with oral contraceptives does not treat the underlying disorder of PCOS and when the contraceptives are discontinued, the PCOS symptoms will persist.
Our philosophy is to treat the cause of the disorder so that there is no longer a need for using contraceptives. Of course if you are using birth control to prevent pregnancy, you will need to find an alternate form of contraception (condoms, diaphragm, etc.) if you decide to discontinue the birth control pill! The supplements of the Insulite PCOS System do not do the same thing as the birth control pills, they do something even better! They work to correct the underlying cause of PCOS.
Insulin Resistance can be difficult to diagnose. The following tests are helpful in diagnosing Insulin Resistance:
-Fasting insulin would be elevated. Some doctors may hesitate to order this test because the normal range (0-20) is so wide. However, we find that results greater than 9 indicate Insulin Resistance.
-Fasting glucose or glucose tolerance test would be elevated. Using this information in combination with the fasting insulin (the insulin:glucose ratio) helps to diagnose Insulin Resistance.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to write into the blog again with further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Medical Advisor, Insulite Laboratories Research Team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
I was diagnosed with pcos about 4 months ago. My doctor prescribed femcon. I changed my lifestyle and eating habbits and as a result have lost 25 pounds so far. however when i am on the femcon i have a period non stop when i am on my off week no period. Now the dr has put me on doxycycline to help the abnormal bleeding. I really hope it helps because when i am not taking the pill i am very moody. however something just does not seem right with it. how is doxycycline supposed to help everything ive read on it says its for bacterial infections which i am sure i dont have. any thougts.
Dear Rachael,
Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to you. Your questions and concerns are important and we are soprry for any inconvenience. It will not happen again.
- Your Editor
Dear Racheal,
It appears that your doctor based his decision on some research done in England in 2006. Here is a link to the full text article http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/21/10/2555.
Below are the highlighted last sentences of the paper’s conclusion:
“In conclusion, these results provide evidence that Dox [Doxycycline], acting through its anti-inflammatory property, alters the expression profile of a selective number of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in endometrial cells, supporting its therapeutic potential in women experiencing irregular uterine bleeding/spotting, in particular those associated with progestin-dominant or progesterone-only contraceptives.” 1
I suppose my question is, why not just change the pill you are on to a higher dose of estrogen (since the paper cites the Doxy working for women on Progesterone only or Progesterone dominant birth control pills)? Perhaps you could go see your Dr. with this paper in hand, and ask for his reasoning. Also, here is one of our blogs that addresses the fact that birth control pills can actually increase Insulin Resistance, which is what’s most likely driving your PCOS: http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/blog/index.php/category/birth-control/.
Moodiness can be distressing for you and others, obviously; however the birth control pill only covers up the malfunctions that are taking place. What is optimal is to balance out hormone levels by getting insulin and/or sugar levels under control. Often what follows is that moods lighten, acne improves, weight is lost, and menstrual periods become normal.
You have already taken steps to help this happen and it sounds like you have done a wonderful job. Insulite Labs can assist you with this by helping refine your exercise and diet and by adding in the supplements that will help rebalance your hormones and insulin (and also reduce the inflammation mentioned in the article that I have cited). For more information on PCOS and the Insulite PCOS System you can check out the Insulite page for PCOS: http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any questions.
Best wishes,
Dr. Apryl Krause, ND
Insulite Medical and Advisory Team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Please visit our PCOS community where you can share ideas, concerns andissues and find additional information and support to reverse PCOS symptoms.
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/blog/index.php
1) Rongxiu Li , Xiaoping Luo , Qun Pan , Issam Zineh , David F. Archer , R.Stan Williams , and Nasser Chegini
Doxycycline alters the expression of inflammatory and immune-related cytokines and chemokines in human endometrial cells: implication in irregular uterine bleeding
Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published on October 1, 2006, DOI 10.1093/humrep/del206.
Hum. Reprod. 21: 2555-2563.
Hi,
I was diagnosed with PCOS about 4 years ago and I still have not gotten to the bottom of it all. I am very thin, but have suffered from severe acne for years. I have never had a regular period. I have amenoria unless I am on birth control. My body reacts very strongly to the BC and I have weight gain, breast tenderness, headaches, etc. I have been on all of them the ring, yaz, ortho-lo, lo-estrin.
I went on accutane which helped, but then the acne came back. Just recently I was prescribed spirinolactone in hopes that my period would regulate itself. It has been 6 months, and I have not had a natural period. My acne has improved, but I am still very confused about what is going on with my body.
I have made changes to my diet, and I hardly ever eat sugar or refined carbs. I exercise 5 times a week. Would I be a candidate for an IUD? I am concerned about getting pregnant. Also what about Metformin? Would I be a good candidate for that?
I have never had an ultrasound, but pretty sure that I have PCOS from the symptoms.
Dear Julia,
I am glad you found our blog and decided to write in! PCOS is a very complex disorder and can affect any number of bodily systems. Not every woman with PCOS will display all the symptoms.
The topics of lean women with PCOS, and PCOS without Insulin Resistance are still not entirely understood in the medical community. Many thin women with PCOS do have Insulin Resistance, but some do not. It is not a clear-cut distinction that thin women are not Insulin Resistant. Some lean women with PCOS hyper-secrete insulin but do not yet manifest insulin resistance. And in many women with PCOS, their ovaries are highly sensitive to insulin, so that even if their serum insulin levels are
normal, the ovaries are highly reactive to that insulin.
Here is a link to study that was done with lean women who have a history of PCOS:
http://www.insidepcos.com:80/articles/612/1/Lean-Women-with-Polycystic-Ovary-Syndrome-Respond-to-Insulin-Reduction.html.
Some women with PCOS are prescribed the birth control pill to regulate their menses. We do not generally recommend oral contraceptives because they are synthetic hormones that mask some of the symptoms of PCOS rather than fixing the problems. When the contraceptives are discontinued, the
PCOS symptoms will persist.
As far as being a candidate for an IUD, that is something you would have to discuss with your doctor. I am not aware of any reason why the IUD would improve or worsen your PCOS symptoms. Like the birth control pill, IUD’s can artificially induce/regulate your periods, but these methods do not actually change the underlying pathology behind PCOS. PCOS is usually caused by insulin resistance. Using oral contraceptives or other hormonal forms of birth control does not treat the cause of PCOS. Many IUD’s
release hormones; I’m not sure if yours does or not. But in any case, the issues you have with the pill could still be problematic with an IUD and ultimately, the IUD is not treating the PCOS.
Regarding the Metformin, Metformin isn’t a drug for PCOS. Metformin is an anti-hyperglycemic agent which improves glucose tolerance in patients with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions, lowering both basal and postprandial plasma glucose (not insulin which is believed to be the underlying cause of PCOS). Its pharmacologic mechanisms of action are different from other classes of oral anti-hyperglycemic agents.
Metformin decreases glucose production in the liver, decreases intestinal absorption of glucose, and improves insulin sensitivity by increasing peripheral glucose uptake and utilization. With metformin therapy, insulin secretion remains unchanged and fasting plasma insulin levels and day-long plasma insulin response may or may not decrease.
In short, Metformin treats only the symptom of hyperglycemia (too much sugar in the bloodstream), not the cause (insulin resistance).
Our view on the pharmaceutical treatment of PCOS is that there is no one drug on the market that will change your condition. The only way to reverse the disorder is to reduce elevations in insulin which directly affect testosterone and other hormonal changes that are responsible for causing PCOS.
Only your doctor can determine if you would be a candidate for either of these drugs, however they do not treat the cause of the problem with PCOS and once you discontinue the medications, the PCOS
problems will persist.
I hope this information is helpful for you! There is amazing customer support at Insulite Labs for our customers; we are here to help you through this healing journey. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again if you have any other questions or concerns.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Andrea Lee, NMD
Insulite Laboratories Medical and Advisory Team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition
Hi
Im 23 yrs old and have been suffering from PCOS since i was 19. I’ve recently got married and i am trying to conceive. Im under alot off stress about this.
I know a lady that had here cysts burnt off and became pregant within months.
This is something im considering having done. But will my doctor ok this for me do you think??
Please help!!
Dear Amanda,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS support blog. I am so glad you
asked this question because it brings up some important points about
PCOS and its treatment.
Some doctors do recommend “burning off the cysts” as you call it. If
we’re thinking of the same procedure, this surgery is also known as
ovarian drilling, ovarian diathermy, or draining the cysts.
Ovarian drilling is performed laparoscopically, so as surgical
procedures go it is relatively non-invasive. During the procedure, the
surgeon makes an incision in the abdomen and inserts an
electrosurgical needle to puncture and slightly burn the ovaries in
various places. The risks of the surgery may include adhesions and
premature ovarian failure. Your surgeon should discuss the risks with
you in detail.
Ovarian drilling is sometimes recommended to women with PCOS who don’t
respond to typical fertility drugs like Clomid. If successful,
drilling can reduce LH (luteinizing hormone) and insulin levels,
increasing fertility. However, success rates vary widely. One study
published in January, 2008 states that ovulation rates after ovarian
drilling range from 30-90% and pregnancy rates range from 13-88%.
(Seow, KM et al. “Laparoscopic surgery in polycystic ovary syndrome:
reproductive and metabolic effects.” Seminars in Reproductive
Medicine. January, 2008.) Those results indicate a wide range of
responsiveness to the treatment!
Noone knows exactly how or why ovarian drilling works for some women.
One theory is that it reduces androgen (male hormone) levels. What is
known for sure is that the effects of ovarian drilling on a woman’s hormones
and ovulation are temporary. In other words, it does not reverse or
cure PCOS.
We prefer to try to reduce androgen levels and reverse insulin
resistance using natural means such as herbs, nutrition, diet and
exercise before resorting to pharmaceutical medications and surgery.
Since one of the most common causes of PCOS is insulin resistance, it
stands to reason that improving the insulin resistance will improve
PCOS symptoms.
You will simply have to discuss the pros and cons of ovarian drilling
with your doctor to see if he or she will recommend it. It is not
usually the first line therapy for infertility due to PCOS. Most
doctors will recommend fertility drugs first. Good luck on your
journey, and write back if you have more questions!
Best wishes,
Dr. Sari Cohen, ND
Insulite Laboratories Medical & Advisory team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the
Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This
information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care
provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or
other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have
regarding a medical condition.
hello im shyanne i was wondering if i am taking apo prednisone for my PCOS if it will make me fertile because the last time i visited my doctor he said that if i didnt take them i would have trouble having children and also that it will damage my ovaries i was wondering if the prednisone is enough to treat my PCOS and will it make me able to have children
Dear Shayne,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS blog. I am glad that you wrote in. this is a great question and I have to say that I have not heard of prednisone being used to treat PCOS. There is research to show that prednisone can decrease certain hormones that are often elevated in PCOS. There are other medications that are more commonly prescribed for this and include, birth control pills, spironolactone, etc.
I am familiar with the many other uses for prednisone, it can be effective for those, but again I am not familiar with this use. I would ask why this was chosen over the more common conventional treatments for PCOS. Here is a link to more information about prednisone. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a601102.html.
Now, not all women with PCOS will have fertility issues. It is the most common reason but that is not across the board. There is a lot that you can do to help yourself, starting with diet and exercise.
As a naturopathic physician, it is important not to treat only symptoms but the reason behind the symptoms. It is often insulin resistance. If you are interested in something like this, please go to: http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/. Testosterone and other androgens are not the only hormones out of balance. So, I am not sure how this will affect your ability to conceive.
Here is part of on of the other posts of mine addressing the elevation of testosterone, DHEA-s and other hormones.
As insulin levels increase, androgen levels increase. While all women have androgens such as testosterone, in PCOS there can be an increase beyond what is considered normal. The androgen production increases in the ovaries as insulin resistance develops. This also leads to less estrogen being produced in the ovary. This overall increase in ovarian androgens inhibits normal development of the follicle so that it does not mature and results in a cyst.
Without follicle development ovulation does not occur. Without ovulation, progesterone levels stay low as the corpus luteum would be the structure responsible for producing progesterone. (The corpus luteum is what is left behind after the egg is released from the follicle.) In a “normal” functioning ovary, the increase in progesterone after ovulation would influence another chemical in the brain to inhibit the rise in estrogen. This low level of progesterone not only encourages the estrogen levels but also leads to an increase in LH (lutenizing hormone) and in return FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) stays lower. The LH triggers ovarian androgen production. LH levels are also kept high by estrogen being produced in fatty tissue. In an ideal situation the levels LH are lower than FSH, in PCOS we see the reverse. So without ovulation, estrogen levels stay elevated, progesterone is lower, and more androgens are produced.
According to how this happens, it would be best to address this from a few different ways, but all starting with insulin resistance reversal and helping to decrease symptoms and re-establishing a regular cycle and ovulation. The PCOS System uses supplements as well as a diet and exercise protocol for a very comprehensive approach.
I am going to also check with the other docs here to see if this is something they have seen be used to treat the hormonal imbalance of PCOS. If I find any more information, I will let you know. Please continue to check and participate to the blog.
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Medical & Advisory team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
we have been trying to have baby for more than a year now but no joy yet what do you think that i should try becauses we really want a baby as we are both in are 30s now and dont want to leave it to long to have one
Dear Lisa
Thank you for writing into the PCOS support blog! I’m sorry you’re having trouble getting pregnant; it’s definitely distressing when you’re ready to have it happen for such a long time and it doesn’t. First, you need to find out the reason for not getting pregnant. For your partner, has he had his sperm count checked? This is an easy low tech thing to look into, and if his sperm count is low, there might be some things that will help it.
For yourself. There is bloodwork to do to check for PCOS and Insulin Resistance (IR). PCOS is notoriously difficult to diagnose. It is a diagnosis of exclusion. In other words, it is important to rule out other diseases that can cause symptoms similar to PCOS (such as Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia). To diagnose PCOS, we use a combination of clinical symptoms (what you experience as the patient, such as excess hair growth, irregular menses, acne, skin tags, weight gain, infertility, etc.) and lab tests. The blood tests to consider are:
- testosterone- elevated in PCOS- DHEA-S- elevated in PCOS
- Fasting insulin- elevated in PCOS. Some doctors may hesitate to order this test because the normal range (0-20) is so wide. However, we find that results greater than 9 indicate insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is usually the underlying cause of PCOS, as you may have read about on our site.
- Fasting glucose or glucose tolerance test- elevated in PCOS. Using this information in combination with the fasting insulin helps to diagnose insulin resistance. Also, women with PCOS have a higher risk of diabetes so it is important to screen for this early and often.
- LH: FSH- Some doctors may also look at the ratio between these two hormones. In PCOS, we would expect LH to be elevated in comparison to FSH.
- You could get an ultrasound to check for the presence of ovarian cysts. Even if the ovaries do appear normal, the absence of ovarian cysts does not mean that you don’t have PCOS. Not everyone with PCOS has ovarian cysts.
- I would also check your cholesterol levels and liver function tests, as these can also be abnormal in PCOS (as well as in many other conditions).
Lab testing is not mandatory for diagnosing PCOS, especially if you are experiencing so many of the symptoms. However, the above tests do give us numbers which, along with the improvement of your clinical symptoms, help us monitor your progress.
I do want to let you know that there is another condition called Cushing’s disease that has many symptoms of PCOS and is sometimes mistaken for PCOS. If you did have Cushing’s disease it may exacerbate the symptoms. Cushing’s is not very common, but I still wanted to mention it to you. This would be something to discuss with your doctor to ensure it has been ruled out.
If you do have PCOS, you can have a hard time getting pregnant due to the hormone imbalance. Here is some information on that: Women with PCOS may be able to improve their fertility by losing weight and improving the insulin resistance that underlies PCOS.The Insulite PCOS System, which you may have read about on our website, http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com, is designed to help reverse PCOS by addressing its underlying cause, which in most cases is insulin resistance.
With insulin resistance, the body becomes insensitive to the insulin it produces, which leads to elevated circulating levels of insulin. This in turn leads to hormonal imbalances such as increased testosterone and other androgens (masculinizing hormones).
Elevated insulin also contributes to the formation of cysts in the ovaries in part due to the hormonal imbalances and also because the ovaries are highly sensitive to the influence of insulin.
All of these factors combine to complicate a woman’s chances of conceiving if she has PCOS.
If you are not dealing with PCOS or Insulin Resistance you will need to look into other things such as: an imbalance of hormones during your cycle, possible scarring of your fallopian tubes from an infection such as Chlamydia that wasn’t caught in time, and other physical/mechanical issues.
I do hope that your issue is one that is easy to take care of so that you can get busy starting your family.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Apryl Krause, ND
Insulite Medical and Advisory Team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Hello,
I visited an OB/Gyn today for not getting period from last 2months..did my pregnancy test, which is negative. I have a dizzyness & light headache from Monday 11th aug. So, I thought i might be pregnant.
But,I came to know i am having PCOS. Dr. have asked for some 22 blood test. I have facial hairs, overweight & irregular periods.
I just read information on PCOS.
My dr told me to reduce atleast 20-25pounds, excerise, change diet &
GO ON A BIRTH CONTROL PILLS. I think BC have lots of side-effects. SHOULD I GO ON A BIRTHCONTROL PILLS….IS IT CORRECT DECISION.
I HAVE TO GET BLOOD TEST DONE & SEE MY OB/GYN IN 3WEEKS FOR SONOGRAM.
PLEASE EMAIL ME OR CALL ME WITH APPROPRIATE INFORMATION. I AM DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT PCOS & JUST KNEW TODAY.
THANKS,
BHAVNA
Dear Bhavna,
Thank you for your post. Since you just found out that you have
PCOS, I suggest you do lots of reading and continue to ask questions
of your healthcare practitioners to educate yourself about this
condition. A very informative website and a good place to start is
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com.
As you will read there and other places, the underlying cause of PCOS for
most women is insulin resistance. This site also discusses PCOS
symptoms and natural treatments, among other things.
Birth control pills may help temporarily relieve some of the symptoms
of PCOS, but the pill will not cure PCOS. This is because the birth
control pill does not reverse insulin resistance. Rather, the pill
acts to mask symptoms by altering hormone balance (estrogen,
progesterone, etc.). Yes, there are side effects of the birth control
pill, which you can ask your doctor or pharmacist about. You can
always look up the side effect profile of any medication you are
taking at websites like http://www.rxlist.com.
I hope thus helps, Bhavna. Good luck with the blood tests and sonogram.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sari Cohen, ND
Insulite Laboratories Medical & Advisory team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the
Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This
information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care
provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or
other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have
regarding a medical condition.
I have only just turned 15 on the first of august but last year in feburary i was diognosed with pcos i had to have bloods taken ultrasounds x rays and so on. when i got my tests back it said my insulin levels are moderately high but im not diabetic.and my “sex hormone binding globulin 19.5 which is on the low spectrum” so the doctors have put me on some medication called metformin which is ment to lower my insulin levels and help me loose weight i dont have periods anymore but i have noticed every time i go on holiday i tend to come on and its allways been discarge like but thn in may when to bulgaria in may i spotted a bit on blood but not much and i have jus come back from egypt and i come on agen but it was manly blood not didcharge but im really confused because people say when you have pcos you can have kids but its harder to consieve and they still have there periods
why do i only get periods when im on holiday it really ennoyes me because i cant wear a tampon as its not like a period and so i have to wear a pad and then i can never go in the pool or sea:(
Dear Coral,
I am delighted that you found our blog and decided to write in! We are hearing from more and more teens that are struggling, just as you are, to find a way to manage their PCOS. But there is hope and things can get better!
Unfortunately, I cannot tell you why your periods seem to start when you are on holiday. Because PCOS causes disruptions to the normal menstrual cycle – irregular menstrual periods and the absence of ovulation cause women to produce estrogen, but not progesterone which causes the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) to shed each month as a menstrual period so their menstrual cycles may be very irregular or completely absent.
PCOS is caused by Insulin Resistance, in most cases. With Insulin Resistance, the body becomes insensitive to the insulin it produces, which leads to elevated circulating levels of insulin. This in turn leads to hormonal imbalances such as increased testosterone and other androgens.
Elevated insulin also contributes to the formation of cysts in the ovaries in part due to the hormonal imbalances and also because the ovaries are highly sensitive to the influence of insulin. In women with PCOS, the ovaries are over-sensitized to insulin’s effects.
The weight gain associated with PCOS is intricately related to Insulin Resistance. Losing weight helps to improve insulin sensitivity, and vice
versa: becoming more sensitive to your insulin helps you to lose weight.
Our view on the pharmaceutical treatment of PCOS is that there is no one drug on the market that will change your condition. The only way to reverse the disorder is to reduce elevations in insulin which directly affect testosterone and other hormonal changes that are responsible for causing PCOS.
Metformin isn’t a drug for PCOS. Metformin is an anti-hyperglycemic agent which improves glucose tolerance in patients with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions, lowering both basal and postprandial plasma glucose (not insulin which is believed to be the underlying cause of PCOS). Its pharmacologic mechanisms of action are different from other classes of oral anti-hyperglycemic agents.
Metformin decreases glucose production in the liver, decreases intestinal absorption of glucose, and improves insulin sensitivity by increasing peripheral glucose uptake and utilization. With metformin therapy, insulin secretion remains unchanged and fasting plasma insulin levels and day-long plasma insulin response may or may not decrease. In short, Metformin treats only the symptom of hyperglycemia (too much sugar in the bloodstream), not the cause (insulin resistance). With those on Metformin, we cannot say that we have noticed dramatic results in weight loss, hair growth, acne or other symptoms related to PCOS.
I hope this information is helpful for you! There is amazing customer support at Insulite Labs for our customers; we are here to help you through this healing journey. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again if you have any other questions or concerns
Best Wishes,
Dr. Andrea Lee, NMD
Insulite Laboratories Medical and Advisory Team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition
Hello,
I was informed of having PCOS about 9 years ago and I was never told all of the details except a basic explanation of what it is and the infertility side. I got married last year and we having been trying to conceive for 11 months now. I am planning to go to the doctor now and ask for help. My question is what type of a doctor do I go to first? There are so many types and I have just moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin so I do not know anyone well enough to ask opinions from. Please let me know which path to start with.
Thank you,
I have PCOS and went on Weight Watchers lost 25lbs, that was two yrs ago. Since then I have not been able to lose weight. I currently returned from being deployed where I cut out drinking alcohol, this should have helped me lose weight? I exercised whiled there, although I did this before, I did start lifting weights also. I want to know how to lose weight, I watch what I eat. I also wanted to know if other people with PCOS are tired all the time? I get 8 hours or more and still wake up tired. I was seen by my PCM and since I was not reported to snore I was told that maybe “I just don’t sleep well” I am tired of being tired any advice, have tried the imagery, soft music/soft noise etc.
Thank you.
Jennifer
Dear Jennifer,
Hello, thanks for your post. Good for you for cutting out alcohol and for your significant weight loss of 25 lbs! Discontinuing alcohol would not necessarily alone help you lose weight.
When you say you watch what you eat, what do you mean exactly? I find that a lot of people think they are eating a healthy diet when in fact their diets have lots of room for improvement. At Insulite Laboratories, we advocate a low carbohydrate, whole foods diet.
Here’s a link to general information about the diet and exercise plan suggested for those using the Insulite PCOS System:
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/Insulite-PCOS-System-Nutrition-and-Exercise-Plans.php
Scientific research overwhelmingly confirms the fact that a truly effective change in the body at a cellular level needs to be gradual.
You did not become overweight and develop PCOS and insulin resistance overnight. Therefore, it is not realistic or safe to attempt or expect a complete reversal in a short time frame. Be gentle with yourself!
Research shows that the rapid weight loss evident in most fad diets is almost immediately followed by rapid weight gain. If you have been overweight for some time, your body recognizes that weight as its normal state. When you lose weight quickly, the body does not have time to habituate. It sees the rapid weight loss as abnormal and, once a diet is stopped, it makes an effort to get back as quickly as possible to the normal retaining of fat.
At Insulite Laboratories, we emphasize gradual weight loss so that the body can slowly adapt to a lighter weight. In fact, in an effort to eliminate the dreaded “rebound effect” of weight loss and gain we recommend in most instances that the Insulite PCOS System is used to lose no more than one half to one pound a week. You can read all about the Insulite PCOS System, which helps to reverse symptoms of PCOS, at http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com.
Yes, fatigue can definitely be a part of the PCOS picture. Here’s
why: the underlying cause of PCOS is insulin resistance. With insulin resistance, the cells of the body do not respond to insulin, therefore glucose (sugar) is not able to easily enter the cells. Cells use glucose as an energy source. As a result, the cells become “tired” and as a whole the person overall feels more tired. Your cells are hungry! People with insulin resistance (and therefore PCOS) might also notice that they crave sugar or carbohydrates, like pasta and bread. This is your body’s way of trying to get glucose into the cells. A result of insulin resistance is that insulin and glucose start to rise in the bloodstream, setting the stage for pre-diabetes and diabetes. I hope this helps explain what might be causing your fatigue.
Another aspect of fatigue in PCOS is that many women with PCOS seem to suffer from differing levels of adrenal fatigue, in which the adrenal glands (responsible for our stress response) don’t function as well as they should. If you have been overseas involved in military campaigns and far away from your friends and family, adrenal fatigue could definitely be an issue for you. Is there any way you could consider using the Insulite PCOS System and/or seeing a naturopathic doctor to help you manage your fatigue, weight, and PCOS? Check out
http://www.naturopathic.org to try to find a naturopathic doctor near you.
Feel free to write in any time if you have more questions!
Best wishes,
Dr. Sari Cohen, ND
Insulite Laboratories Medical & Advisory team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Hi. I was recently diagnosed with PCOS. I suffer from symptoms such as excess hair growth, fatigue, irregular periods, weight issues, but one of my symptoms that I have not found a lot of information on is a decrease in sex drive. My sex drive went from being extremely high to almost non-existent. Is this another side effect of PCOS? Also, will the PCOS supplements help my sex drive at all?Please let me know, thank you.
Dear Lucy,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS blog. I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis with PCOS. I hope that you’re finding the PCOS community helpful. I also hope that you are finding some useful information on the PCOS blog and the Insulite website.
A reduction in a woman’s sex drive can also be associated with PCOS. Now in looking at research, we are not sure why this happens but certainly we know that stress affects a woman’s libido. Often women with PCOS are in a situation where there bodies are under more stress. Also, depending on the woman and how she is affected, emotional stress can contribute to this as well.
However, it seems likely that the hormone imbalance also plays a role. Often women wonder if they have higher testosterone levels, why their libido isn’t increased. Research shows that the increase in testosterone does not affect libido levels in women and that the imbalance of other hormones such as estrogen and progesterone may be more the reason why lower libido is seen. However, this is not the end all but a possible reason.
Another condition that can have low libido as a symptom is hypothyroidism, or an under active thyroid. This is a condition that we also see in higher amounts in women with PCOS. I would ask your doctor to test for this as addressing it can help to restore your libido if it is indeed a factor.
I think that more research is needed in this area to help us understand why this happens.
We have not designed the Insulite PCOS System to directly address this but I have had women report that this has helped restore their libidos. As a Naturopathic Physician, it is my goal to find out why this is happening and PCOS is one reason. If you choose the PCOS System, I am not sure how this would affect you but I do think it would benefit your condition because it helps to balance out the hormones and address the underlying insulin resistance that is often the cause of PCOS.
Thanks again for writing in. Please let us know how you are doing and how we can help.
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Medical & Advisory team
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Hi,
I am 31 this year and I was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 18. First I have been taking Diane 35 since then till now and it’s been 12 years. Over the years I have gained so much weight and I am not at 87kgs with height of 5′ 2″. I have been told that Diane 35 made me gain all the weight and also my body has a water retention problem. Can I stop taking Diane 35 for a while and see if I have my period naturally? If i stop the pill, will i suddenly bleed on and off? I want to lose weight desperately. Please advise.
Hello Kate,
Thank you for contacting our PCOS Support Blog.
Diane 35 works both as an anti-androgen and birth control. It is possible for you to have some spotting after stopping it. Most women, even without PCOS, will notice some irregular bleeding after stopping birth control. It can take sometimes up to 6 months for your cycles to regulate. If you had high testosterone levels (androgens) in the past, you could also notice some signs of high testosterone again, like acne, excess facial or body hair, or head hair loss. Many women with PCOS are put on Diane 35 to help control their acne. I think it’s great that you want to try to get off this medication and naturally balance your hormones. We tell customers that begin the Insulite PCOS System and want to discontinue Diane 35 that they may notice some worsening of their acne. The Insulite PCOS System will take a few months at least to balance out the hormones and reduce the acne. Unfortunately it takes patience and time for your body time to heal and balance out.
You can read much more about the Insulite PCOS System by visiting the following link and browsing around: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Medical Advisor, Insulite Laboratories Research Team
Please visit our PCOS community where you can share ideas, concerns and
issues and find additional information and support to reverse PCOS symptoms.
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/blog/index.php
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Thank you.
Dear Dr. Heather,
My name is Erica I am 17 years old, On Thursday Oct 9, 08 my doctor told me I may have PCOS. I am very scared due to the fact I am very young. Me and my wonderful man of a year planned on having a family together. When we heard the news we’re very crushed. We wanted to know if it best not to have our own children due to the fact I may have PCOS to keep us from having to deal with even more hurt n pain of the lost of a child. We talked about adopting children instead even though we both wanted kids of our own. What should we due? The reason I ask is we wanted to start a family once I turn 18.
Sign
Erica
Dear Erica,
Thanks for writing into Insulite Lab’s blog.
Having PCOS does not mean that you can’t have children- it just means it might take a little more work. There are many women out there who have PCOS who have children of their own!
PCOS is often due to Insulin Resistance, which means your body isn’t sensitive enough to its own insulin, so it makes more to get the work done of getting glucose (sugar) into your body’s cells. Having excess insulin in your body can cause PCOS because your ovaries are sensitive to the excess insulin in your body. The good news is that women with PCOS can improve their health and chances of becoming pregnant just by making a few changes to their daily lives. From adopting a low carb, healthy diet to exercising daily and taking vitamins, women can decrease the symptoms caused by PCOS and increase their chances of becoming pregnant naturally. And there are many support groups out there to help you. For example, many women use Insulite Labs’ 5 Element System to help them reverse PCOS. The Insulite Labs PCOS System helps you get the nutrients and supplements your body needs, helps you change your eating habits, and works with you on getting the exercise and emotional support to deal with PCOS.
For more information on PCOS, please visit:
Insulite Labs (http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/)
PCOSupport.org
Soulcysters.com
With diligence, you will be able to get pregnant and have the family you want.
Good luck on your journey,
Dr. Apryl Krause, ND
Insulite Coaching & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition
hiya i have pcos and been try to get pregnent is there any supplements that i can take to get help me get preg and how do you know when you ovolate if you dont have a period every month i get it every 2 months thanks
Dear Danielle,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Blog. I hope that you have been finding some useful information from the PCOS community.
Regarding ovulation, there are a few ways to tell whether or not you may be ovulating. One, is the presence of regular menses. Other signs of ovulation include a shift in the basal body temperature and the presence of fertile cervical fluid (also called “egg white” mucus or spinnbarkeit). You can read more about how to monitor your fertility signs by reading the book “Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health” by Toni Weschler. I highly recommend reading this book because you will definitely gain a better understanding of your body and optimizing your chances of becoming pregnant.
You may also want to check out the following website regarding the Fertility Awareness Method: http://www.ovusoft.com/library/primer002.asp.
One way to track your progress is taking your basal body temperature. By doing this you should be able to see if you are ovulating or not. To do this take your temperature under your arms each morning BEFORE rising from bed with a basal body thermometer. Approximately midway through your cycle, depending on how long your cycle is, you should see a rise (around 1 degree F) for 3 days. If so, this is an indication that you have ovulated. Which is great news, because ovulation means you are releasing an egg to be fertilized for conception!
The fact that your period is coming every two months can mean that you are ovulating in between or that you are having anovulatory periods. Anovulatory periods are when you have a period without ovulating. There is more on this topic in the book I mentioned above as well.
There are also tests that can indicate ovulation. However, having PCOS may cause these tests to be falsely positive. The ovulation test measures luteinizing hormone (LH) in urine. The reason it can cause a false positive is that often women with PCOS have elevated LH levels. So although sometimes it can be a true positive it is helpful to use other methods to detect ovulation and to address the PCOS.
If you are interested in using supplements to help to regulate your cycles I would recommend the Insulite PCOS System. The PCOS System is not only supplements but also nutrition, exercise guidelines, addiction/cravings awareness and support for you while on your journey. We know that treating PCOS must be a comprehensive approach in order to deal with the short and long term concerns.
The Insulite PCOS System (www.pcos.insulitelabs.com) is designed to help heal PCOS by addressing its underlying cause, which in most cases is insulin resistance.
With insulin resistance, the body becomes insensitive to the insulin it produces, which leads to elevated circulating levels of insulin. This in turn leads to hormonal imbalances such as increased testosterone and other androgens (masculinizing hormones). Elevated insulin also contributes to weight gain (which does not affect every woman), as well as the formation of cysts in the ovaries in part due to the hormonal imbalances and also because the ovaries are highly sensitive to the influence of insulin.
All of these factors combine to complicate a woman’s chances of conceiving if she has PCOS.
The Insulite PCOS System helps to improve insulin sensitivity with its combination of nutrients and herbs as well as diet and exercise guidelines. The supplements are also designed to correct the hormone imbalance of PCOS. While we cannot guarantee that you will conceive on our program, we know that theoretically reducing insulin and testosterone will increase your chances of conceiving, barring any other factors contributing to the infertility.
It is safe to continue trying to get pregnant while you are using the System. However, if you become pregnant while using the PCOS System, we recommend that you discontinue using the supplements during your pregnancy and then resume them after you finish breastfeeding. The reason is that while we know that the Insulite PCOS System is safe and non-toxic in general, these supplements have not been tested in any clinical trials specifically on pregnant women or infants.
Danielle, I hope that this adds to the information you have. If I can help further, please let me know.
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Hi there
I have just been enjoying your site and found it very helpful. I am 31 year old women living in South Africa. Your Products and Programmes seems really amazing however I am not able to access it here in South Africa. So we are trying to keep to the basic principles ie low carb diet, exercise etc.
I am in need of a little advice please I am not 100% sure if I am doing the right thing as far as our eating plan is going.
I am currently 114kg and am working on changing our eating habits. I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in my teens and then went onto Dianne 35, metphormin and a host of other meds which I stopped after 9 years or so and just leaned to live with it all. Recently my periods have become very irregular and went back to the Gynae after loads of tests the doc wanted me to go back onto dianne however I refused as I know what bad side effects it had on me. Instead I am on a 12 day dose of Provera every month and 250mg metphorman twice a day. The tests revealed I have no cysts but the doc has said that I am borderline diabetic my fasting blood sugar level test was 6.2 however my cholesterol is 3 yes 3 the doc still cannot believe it and my blood pressure is always low.
I have an apple shape body and I have been overweight for as long as I can remember. I have gone done to 78kg once after some extreme dieting and exercising however it all came back with a vengeance.
Anyway as I come from a family with diabetes I am determined now to loose weight and not suffer the way they do. My partner is vegetarian so we eat an abundance of veg, beans, pulses and fruit. So it is not that hard for us to eat smaller meals with less carbs. He will eat veggie protein burgers and I will eat chicken and other white meats. I know one of our biggest problems was bread we use to eat loads of bread almost with every second meal.
This is how we have been eating in the past few days:
Day one
10:30 Water & GI low Sandwich with cheese & 2 small Lentil patties
12:30 Banana & Water
2:30 pasta salad with cheese & tea
18:45 water & cheese & 1 slice GI Low
20:30 Beans & veg casserole & Water
21:00 Water & Banana with Yogurt
Day 2
9:45 boiled oats fruit salad + yogurt & water
12:30 Water & cottage cheese 4GI Low Crackers & Tomato
14:15 Egg on 2GI Low bread with salad & water
16:45 Banana & water
20:00 Veg & Lentil Moussaka & water
21:50 Smoothie – ¼ pear, apple, 2 bananas & yogurt
Day 3
9:45 boiled oats fruit salad + yogurt & water
11:00 Banana & water
13:00 Hamburger & Salad Sandwich 3 slices GI Low Bread & Water
16:00 Banana & water
19:15 Veg + lentil whole-wheat pie, cabbage & I piece of chicken
When I say veg I mean just filler veg in a stew i.e. marrow, eggplant, green beans, green peppers, red peppers and all the meat is lean and chicken has no skin. We also eat loads of seeds – pumpkin, seseame, flax, linseeds, sunflower etc
My partner is also a bit overweight (about 15kg) however I always serve him a little more as he is a man i.e. 4 slices of GI low bread or an extra scoop of veggies. Where I drink water he drinks tea with milk no sugar. He also eats veggie protein. We have taken out all sugars and other carbs we use to eat – ice cream, chocolates, cookies.
Are we on the right track? He seems to be very tired the last 2 days should I been giving him more to eat? We go to bed at about 12am or 1am hence the meals being a bit later.
We are trying to do some kind of exercise everyday even if it is just for 10 to 20 minutes. He has really been amazing in supporting me.
Is there anything else we can do different?
Thank you for your time we look forward to hearing from you.
Rene
Hello Rene,
Thank you for contacting our PCOS Support Blog.
Have you contacted our customer service to see if we can ship to you? I know we have other customers in South Africa. You can email customer service at info@insulitelabs.com to get a price on shipping.
It is wonderful that your partner is being so supportive. Your diet looks great as far as free of processed foods, sugar and refined grains. You could benefit from trying to better balance your meals or snacks. Your meals should consist mainly of protein and greens, protein and greens.
Using a carb counter may help with this aspect of planning your meals. We recommend gradually reducing your carbohydrates to about 80 grams per day. Also, good healthy fats are essential to ingest- examples would include nuts, olive oil, avocados, pumpkin seed oil, macadamia nut oil, etc. These fats will help you feel satiated.
To help improve insulin sensitivity (insulin resistance is the underlying cause of PCOS), the following nutrients may be used: Vanadium, Chromium, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Zinc, Biotin, and L-Carnitine .
To help improve the hormonal balance of PCOS, the following herbs are often used. In fact you may be able to find a formula already put together in your local health food store- check in the section of products for men’s prostate health! The reason is that this herbal combination is helpful in reducing the negative effects of too much testosterone.
Saw palmetto, Vitex, Nettles root, and Pumpkin seeds (eating 1/4 cup per day of pumpkin seeds can help prevent testosterone’s conversion to its active counterpart, DHT).
Taking antioxidants like grape seed extract, quercitin, Vitamin C, or bilberry are also helpful to reduce the harmful effects of excess insulin. You could also increase your intake of such fruits and vegetables as blueberries, cherries, and colorful peppers.
You may also consider taking flaxseed oil- 1 tablespoon a day, for essential fatty acids. Look for this in the refrigerated section of your health food store.
It is important for people to have regular, healthy bowel movements. Fiber formulas can be wonderful assets here, and you can select among the following, or find a simple formula at your health food store. If you buy one already made up, try to ensure that it does not have Senna or Cascara in it, as this is stronger than you should be taking everyday.
Freshly ground flaxseed: 1-2 tablespoons daily (I think this is the best because ground flaxseed also helps optimize hormone metabolism). Mix in water or smoothie or sprinkle on salad, soy yogurt, etc. Tasty! Be sure to drink plenty of water with these fiber supplements.
I hope this information answers your questions.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Hi Dr Nicole Kellum
My Partner and I have read through your reply to my previous post and we feel so positive…
I have contacted your sales dept however I have not yet had a reply from them and to be honest with the current exchange rate I am not sure if I will be able to afford it and shipping at the moment.
We will work on increasing our protein and also pre planning our meals more. I will be going to the health store as soon as I can to look for the oils & herbs you mentioned.
We already eat a lot of seeds – I put at least a table spoon in of the mixed seeds in all our meals( pumpkin, sesame, flaxx & sunflower) ….. Could I either eat the Saw palmetto, Vitex, Nettles root, and Pumpkin seeds raw or can I include it in our food?
Do I have to grind or crush the flaxx seeds? Could I not just eat it whole?
I have very bad facial hair which I have tried to do everything with from waxing to laser and right now I have just learned to live with it and shave it off everyday. Out of all the Doctors I have ever seen ( and I have seen loads) no one has given me such positive information especially with regards to the DHT. Nothing would please me more than to reduce the growth rate. I had no idea I could alter the effects of the testosterone.
Sorry for all the questions I just have sooo many …. Normal Doctors here hardly listen to you let alone give advice.
Thank you so much I will keep you posted on how we get on.
Rene
Hello Rene,
Thank you for contacting the PCOS Support Blog. I am glad that you found
the info useful.
I understand the financial strain and would love to help you more. The herbs I mentioned can be taken in capsule form (the mg dosing) or liquid tincture form (the teaspoon dosing). These herbs can be combined and taken together, preferably twice a day and away from meals. The best way to take tinctures is to put the tincture in a little bit of water and slug it down like a shot. Otherwise, it can taste pretty intense!
I would not recommend eating the root or using tea form. You may be able to find a formula already put together in your local health food store- check in the section of products for men’s prostate health! The reason for that is that this herbal combination is helpful in reducing the negative effects of too much testosterone. The herbs again are the following:
Saw palmetto 150 mg or 1 teaspoon twice a day
Vitex- 75 mg/day or 1 teaspoon twice a day
Nettles root- 900-1200 mg or 1.5 teaspoons twice a day
Flax seeds are best taken ground. I recommend getting the whole seeds and then grinding them yourself to assure freshness. Grind only enough for a couple weeks and keep them in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer. I use a coffee grinder. The pumpkin seeds don’t need to be ground but should be eaten raw as well. These seeds can be added to salads and veggies or a smoothie (flax seeds).
Good luck finding what you need. Let us know if you have any further questions.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
I have endomitriosis and PCOS and I’m tired of getting the run around from Doctor’s that only treat one but not the other. I’m looking for a doctor that specializes in treating both my PCOS & Endo. I am not looking to get pregnant again since I had my tubes tied. I just want to control and lower my insulin resistance and weight and manage or get rid of my endometrioisis pain and heavy periods. I want to regain control of my sex life and be able to enjoy it without fearing pain. Can anyone recommend a doctor in Arizona in the East Valley Area that treats both?
Dear Vanessa,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
I completely understand your desire to find a doctor that will treat you as a whole person and not just separately treat each isolated condition or symptom. As a naturopath, I understand how important it is to treat the cause of an illness and to treat the whole person. Did you know that there are many naturopaths in the East Valley? You would want to see one that specializes in women’s health care. If you would like possible referrals in your area email me: nicole.kellum@insulitelabs.com
The Insulite PCOS System is not just for women trying to conceive. By reversing the insulin resistance it can help with weight loss and reduce risks associated with insulin resistance like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The Insulite PCOS System is not designed to heal endometriosis; however I do think that some of its symptoms would be improved by using the Insulite PCOS System.
For instance, the GlucX product contains a high amount of fiber which optimizes gut function and therefore the excretion of hormones. This would be very helpful for a condition like endometriosis, which is an estrogen-dominant state.
In addition, the PCOS+ supplement may help endometriosis by helping to balance the female hormones. It helps balance the progesterone to estrogen ratio which is necessary in treating both PCOS and endometriosis.
The Insulite PCOS System also helps the detoxification pathways, which again may help the hormone imbalance in endometriosis by optimizing the conjugation and excretion of hormones.
Finally, the diet and exercise components help to reduce excess insulin and glucose which are inflammatory hormones when in excess. Reducing this systemic inflammation could theoretically be helpful for improving endometriosis.
All this means that I don’t think the Insulite PCOS System would WORSEN endometriosis, and it may actually help in some ways.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Hello:
I was diagnosed with PCOS about 3 years ago. I have recently been diagnosed with High blood pressure. I was wondering if it would be safe for me to take your Insulin package as well as continuing to take the medication for High blood pressure. Please advise.
Thanks,
Jennifer
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS support blog. I am sorry that I did not post a response to your question sooner.
With the information you included, I can tell you that you can use the Insulite PCOS System with most blood pressure medications. We have had many customers take blood pressure lowering medications (like lisinopril, furosemide, metoprolol, etc.) along with the Insulite System and no one has reported low blood pressure or interactions.
One additional long-term benefit of using the Insulite System is that, by lowering circulating fasting insulin levels, you will also reduce high blood pressure. Elevated levels of insulin will actually damage the interior lining of vessels contributing to high blood pressure or hypertension.
I do want to mention that there is some evidence that CoQ10 (one of the ingredients in the RejuvenX supplement) has mild blood pressure lowering effects. There have been some reports in the medical literature that if CoQ10 is taken at the same time that a blood-pressure lowering drug is used, blood pressure may become too low.
Signs of low blood pressure could include dizziness, confusion, fainting/faintness, headache, and irregular heartbeat.
Again, we have had many customers take blood pressure lowering medications along with the Insulite PCOS System and no one has reported these side effects.
After using the Insulite PCOS System, if you notice that your blood pressure seems too low, you could speak to your doctor about adjusting your blood pressure medications.
My other caution is to take medications separately from the GlucX (one of the supplements in the Insulite PCOS System). The reason for this is that GlucX is high in fiber, which could theoretically interfere with the absorption of other substances taken at the same time. Taking the GlucX about 4 hours away from other medications and supplements should be ample time.
Jennifer, please let me know if you have any other questions/ concerns or if I can offer any assistance. I look forward to hearing how you are doing.
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Birth Control pill is not helping my blood pressure and my OB has suggested an IUD. Is an IUD ok with PCOS. I’m concerned because it states your period can eventually disappear due to the continued thining of the uterus lining (hormone).
Dear Liza,
Thank you for contacting our PCOS support blog.
I assume you are thinking about the Mirena IUD, which releases a hormone to prevent pregnancy. It can thin the lining of the uterus and then lead to changes in your period. It can become heavier for the first few months and then can become lighter and shorter. Some women report amenorrhea or absent menses.
Your doctor can provide you with more information on this form of birth control. It may not be the best option for you if you would like to conceive in the near future. Like the birth control pill, IUD’s can artificially induce/regulate your periods, but these methods do not actually change the underlying pathology behind PCOS.
Although I have reviewed the Mirena physician info guide and it did report changes in glucose tolerance and suggested diabetics monitor their glucose levels http://berlex.bayerhealthcare.com/html/products/pi/Mirena_PI.pdf ).
If this is the case it could potentially affect PCOS. PCOS is usually caused by insulin resistance. Using oral contraceptives or other hormonal forms of birth control does not treat the cause of PCOS.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Hello webmaster
I would like to share with you a link to your site
write me here preonrelt@mail.ru
Hi Alex,
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to link up. However, at this time, we’re focusing on links that relate directly to PCOS and other insulin resistance-related conditions to expand our PCOS support blog and community.
Best regards,
Catherine L, Editor, PCOS Support Blog
I have PUPPPS and am miserable. I am taking apo-prednistone. I was wondering if I can also take Nettles Tea with that to help reduce the itch.
Thanks,
Cindy
Dear Cindy,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog. I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing PUPPP (pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy). For those who do not know what this is, I am sure Cindy can tell you it is uncomfortable to say the least.
What it comes down to is, an itchy rash that develops usually later in pregnancy. It can start on the belly and then spread down the thighs, legs and up the body as well. It is a red itchy rash and is extremely uncomfortable. Often steroids are used to treat it, such as you are currently taking. Topically women use oat meal baths, aloe vera gel and many women have success with pine tar soap (Grandpa’s pine tar soap) to help relieve the itching.
When it comes to internal use of herbs during pregnancy, there are many that can be used safely. However, because I am not your doctor and have never seen you as a patient, I am not comfortable making a recommendation regarding use. You can read more about herbs and pregnancy at: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/naturalherbsvitamins.html. Nettles are discussed.
Cindy, I hope that this clears quickly. Best of luck!
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Hi im 31 years old and ive been diagnosed with pcos my pa-c baby doctor ran blood work put me on metformin and the insulin is ok but my estergone wasnt I do have hair growth on my face and stuff she put me on medicine called spironolactone tab 100mg went for the test and I have to go back in 1 more month for another test she raised the meds to 2 pills to 200mg to check on elevated testostral level Ive been married for 7 years and and been trying to have kids shes a good doctor she ran blood work tests and she figured out the problems. I see all my friends with kids and I dont have one I get teased alot about not having kids and it hurts sometimes I want to give up.
Dear Angie,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
It’s unfair of your friends to tease you, especially if they know you want kids and are having difficulty getting pregnant. It’s wonderful that your doctor has been so helpful so far. Has your doctor spoken to you about diet and exercise? Women with PCOS may be able to improve their fertility by losing weight and improving the insulin resistance that underlies PCOS.
The Insulite PCOS System, which you may have read about on our website, http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com, is designed to help heal PCOS by addressing its underlying cause, which in most cases is insulin resistance.
With insulin resistance, the body becomes insensitive to the insulin it produces, which leads to elevated circulating levels of insulin. This in turn leads to hormonal imbalances such as increased testosterone and other androgens (masculinizing hormones).
Elevated insulin also contributes to the formation of cysts in the ovaries in part due to the hormonal imbalances and also because the ovaries are highly sensitive to the influence of insulin.
All of these factors combine to complicate a woman’s chances of conceiving if she has PCOS.
The Insulite PCOS System helps to improve insulin sensitivity with its combination of nutrients and herbs as well as diet and exercise guidelines. The supplements are also designed to correct the hormone imbalance of PCOS.
Our system is designed to balance the testosterone, insulin and other reproductive hormones that impact ovulation.
Glucophage (Metformin) acts as an anti-hyperglycemic; it reduces glucose thereby reducing insulin levels. It is prescribed to women with PCOS because the condition is caused by insulin resistance. Some women with PCOS respond well to Glucophage in terms of losing weight and regulating their menses, but we hear from many women for whom this medication is ineffective.
Our view on the pharmaceutical treatment of PCOS is that there is no one drug on the market that will change your condition. The only way to reverse the disorder is to reduce elevations in insulin, which directly affect testosterone and other hormonal changes that are responsible for causing PCOS.
While we cannot promise that you will conceive on our program, we know that theoretically reducing insulin and testosterone will increase your chances of conceiving.
It is safe to continue trying to get pregnant while you are using the System. We do recommend, however, that, if you become pregnant while using the PCOS System, you discontinue using the supplements during your pregnancy and then resume them after you finish breastfeeding. The reason is that while we know that the Insulite PCOS System is safe and non-toxic in general, these supplements have not been tested in any clinical trials specifically on pregnant women or infants.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don?t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
Please visit our PCOS community where you can share ideas, concerns and
issues and find additional information and support to reverse PCOS symptoms:
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/blog/index.php PCOS Support Blog
http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/forums/index.php PCOS Forums
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Hi,
I was diagnosed with PCOS 2 years back though symptoms like facial hair, acne etc were there since long. The doctor prescribed Diane 35 which i have been taking since then. Recently I have gained a lot of weight though I have always been overweight. My height is 5’5 and I weigh 75 kgs. Please advise how can I lose weight and if its possible to lose weight without having to stop the pill. Please advise.
Arushi
Dear Arushi,
Thank you for visiting our PCOS support blog.
Your questions have been forwarded to our Consulting & Advisory teams. These doctors are
knowledgeable about PCOS and very caring. Their response will be posted here in the near future.
Please visit us anytime we can be of help and support to you.
Sincerely,
Catherine L
PCOS Support Blog
I am wanting to get more information about PCOS. I have just recently had a baby and although PCOS is not in my family my partners sister has it. I am wanting to find out if there is any way to detect it early and if there are any symptoms I should be looking for? Or any other information I should be aware of, as I don’t no very much about PCOS and infact hadnt heard of it until just recently givin it is not present in any of my family members. I am concearned for my daughter though and would really like to make sure I’m on top of this so if it she does have PCOS I am aware of it and aware of the different treatments/symptoms etc.
Dear Katherine,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS support blog. I am so glad you found our website.
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter! It’s great to want to be pro-active by preventing the development of PCOS. I think the most important thing you can do is to teach her the importance of a healthy lifestyle, which includes a healthy diet and regular exercise. Teach by example.
It sounds like someone in your family has been recently diagnosed with PCOS. PCOS is notoriously difficult to diagnose. It is a diagnosis of exclusion. In other words, it is important to rule out other diseases that can cause symptoms similar to PCOS (such as Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia). To diagnose PCOS, we use a combination of clinical symptoms (what you experience as the patient, such as excess hair growth, irregular menses, acne, skin tags, weight gain, infertility, etc.) and lab tests.
Some of the common treatments include a healthy diet plan that is often low in carbs, includes regular exercise, and medication or nutrients to improve insulin sensitivity. Metformin (glucophage) is often prescribed. Birth control pills are also often prescribed to regulate menses. Some women with PCOS respond well to Glucophage in terms of losing weight and regulating their menses, but we hear from many women for whom this medication is ineffective.
Our view on the pharmaceutical treatment of PCOS is that there is no one drug on the market that will change your condition. The only way to reverse the disorder is to reduce elevations in insulin, which directly affect testosterone and other hormonal changes that are responsible for causing PCOS. The Insulite PCOS System uses botanicals and nutrients to help reverse insulin resistance and balance hormones.
You can read much more about the Insulite PCOS System by visiting the following link and browsing around: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
I have been struggling with PCOS for years undiagnosed. After having a nonstop, heavy flowing period for over 5 months (not days! not weeks!) straight and being told that I was crazy a bunch of times, I was finally diagnosed. It has been a year since I started birth control and managed the symptoms. I now have a rash that, through extensive online research has brought me to thinking it is PUPPPs. The only problem with that is that pregnant women usually get it in their 3rd trimester and I am not pregnant! I tried to talk to a doctor at my schools clinic but he dismissed me completely saying that I can’t be pregnant on birth control and that its probably eczema. I researched eczema and I know eczema doesn’t just come out of nowhere and I am 25 and never had the problem and know people who have and it doesn’t seem the same at all. It matches the description and pictures of PUPPP to a T! I recently had a steroid epidural for a back injury, October 20th and I have been dealing with this rash for 3-4 weeks and it is December 4th so I am not sure if it is relevant. Can PCOS manipulate my hormones in such a way to give me a pregnancy rash? Can my body go through false pregnancy due to pcos? I often have pregnancy symptoms and my older friend with PCOS said that she has heard it is possible. I am so confused and just need someone to help me who doesn’t think I am crazy! Please help me! Thank you!
Dear Monica,
Thank you for contacting Insulite Labs’ PCOS Support Blog. I am so glad you found our website.
I have not heard from any of our customers with PCOS suffering from this. I wish I could be more helpful, as it sounds really frustrating.
Have you tried Benadryl? Or a homeopathic itch/rash cream from your local health food store?
I can say that we know that our reproductive hormones have receptors all over our body (not just in our reproductive organs), so we don’t fully understand how they affect every part of the body. I did see a thread on an itchy rash on a PCOS message board called soulcysters.net. It was not very helpful, but shows that you may be on to something and are not alone.
I hope the itchy rash resolves soon!
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Hi, I have had the PCOS diagnosis scince July 2007. I have sucessfully returned my periods twice by losing wieght. I got pregnant both times, and both times regained the wieght. Now after my 4th child, I again lost enough wieght to bring on a natural cycle and within 2 months regained all the weight plus 10 lbs+. I have had fairly normal labs, insulin 5.9 and fasting glucose 104 (pre-diabetic) recently. I have had gestational diabetes 3 times in the past 6 years, and I have excess abdominal fat, and a binge-eating disorder.
My doctor prescribed Metformin. I just dont feel comfortable taking it. The side effects scare me. I have made a new discovery about a natural fiber that I think is just as strong as Metformin. It is called “PGX” and clinical trials prove that is improves insulin resistance better than any drug or natural product available.
I am taking 15 grams of PGX fiber a day. Do you think that this could help my PCOS as good as Metformin would? I am already feeling much better on it, my cravings have went down alot, and I am not binge eating very much at all.
Please Reply
Thanks
Amanda W.
—————————-
Dear Amanda,
Thank you for contacting Insulite’s PCOS Support blog. I think it’s great that you are feeling better using that fiber product. Hopefully it will help to keep your blood sugar balanced and help you lose weight. Keeping your blood sugars balanced will help the PCOS symptoms. Ours system does contain a fiber blend as well as nutrients and botanicals to help reverse insulin resistance and balance hormones. The big thing you are not getting with the fiber product is the hormone balancing ingredients and antioxidants. But as I said before, it’s great that you are feeling better so continue with it and see if your other symptoms improve. If they don’t, you may want to consider using the Insulite PCOS System.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Dear Dr. Kellum,
I received a diagnosis of PCOS just yesterday, purely based on an ultrasound, which revealed multiple cysts on both ovaries, as well as failure to menstruate after weaning my daughter @ 11 months (now 15 months old). My BMI is normal (23), I am euglycemic, my lipid panel is normal, and I have no hirsutism whatsoever. My FSH, TSH, LH, T3, T4, etc, are all pending. I am a Registered Dietitian and am struggling to accept this diagnosis, as I don’t fit the profile at all! I am hesitant to proceed with the prescribed metformin regimen. Do you feel this diagnosis is hasty, or should I embrace it?
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
I can see why you are hesitant to accept a diagnosis of PCOS. Did your doctors test your fasting insulin or androgens? If not I would ask for these to be run too.
- free testosterone- elevated in PCOS
- DHEA-S- often elevated in PCOS
- Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)- usually low in PCOS
- Fasting insulin- elevated in PCOS. Some doctors may hesitate to order this test because the normal range (0-20) is so wide. However, we find that results greater than 9 indicate insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is usually the underlying cause of PCOS, as you may have read about on our site. Some doctors may also order a 2-hour post-prandial insulin test, along with a 2-hour post-prandial glucose test. For the post-prandial insulin, results over 25 or 30 may indicate insulin resistance.
- LH: FSH ratio- Some doctors may also look at the ratio between these two hormones. In PCOS, we would expect LH to be elevated in comparison to FSH.
Hopefully getting the lab results back will shed more light on why your menstrual cycles have stopped and have ovarian cysts. If it does turn out that you have PCOS, it sounds like you are catching it early!
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Dr wants me to have gastric bypass surgery, but I have some questions: Mom was diabetic when she had me all her brothers & sisters were diabetics before they died & all but 2 were obese & I have PCOS how does this play in with the surgery? Also how does this surgery affect diabetic neuropathy and glacoma? Will it help to reverse any of these conditions?
Dear Nancy,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
Gastric bypass surgery is a procedure that is not reversible and I commend you for taking the time and effort to do some research and decide if this is the best choice for you.
My thought regarding gastric bypass surgery is that it should NOT be first line of treatment for PCOS. This is because having gastric bypass surgery does not address the underlying cause of PCOS, which in most cases is insulin resistance. With insulin resistance, the body becomes insensitive to the insulin it produces which leads to elevated circulating levels of insulin. This, in turn, leads to hormonal imbalances such as increased testosterone and other androgens (male hormones). The androgens are responsible for masculinizing symptoms such as excess facial hair.
The weight gain associated with PCOS is intricately related to insulin resistance. Losing weight helps to improve insulin sensitivity, and vice versa: becoming more sensitive to your insulin helps you to lose weight. Unfortunately, people who have insulin resistance have a very difficult time losing weight. However, there are ways to help you improve your insulin sensitivity, specifically through the addition of specific vitamins, minerals, and herbs.
In addition, gastric bypass surgery can have many future negative health consequences, one in particular being that the nutrients in the foods you eat will be very difficult to absorb. It will not be a cure for your neuropathy and glaucoma. It may help you lose weight but you will have to address the diabetes through diet, exercise, and medicine whether natural or not.
We do have a system for diabetes and PCOS. We have customers that order the Insulite Diabetes System and get the PCOS+ product separately to manage the hormonal imbalances. Visit our website to see more information on these systems: http://www.insulitelabs.com.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
my daughter was diagnosed with pcos, by a very competent doctor who specializes in hormonal malufnctions,she was taking metformin a common diabetic drug and it worked miracles, then when she became sexually active I of course decided theat she needed to see a gyn,because there are many thimgs involed with your reproductive system not only insulin and testosterone but many things,he is a fabulous doctor as a matter of fact he delivered my daughter 15 yrs ago! and has always been right on the money with everything! but! and I do mean But,he is not a specialist in pcos! he advised me to take her off the metformin and start her on birth control to regulate her period, well that reeked complete havoc with her pcos!she became depressed and couldn’t get out of her funk so to speak! I called her pcos specialist and he told me”if ;you are not concerned or worried about her having children at this time,take her off birth control and get her back on the metformin, her hormones will balance and she won’t cry and get upset at the least little thing her hormones will stabalize thus making her moods and emotional well being much better. You know what he was right! it was hard for me to think that my beloved gyn doctor was wrong but you know what he is still a great doctor he is just not trained to recognize the subtle nuances involved with some pcos cases!I am hoping that the metfomin will get her back on track as it has before and I am not going to worry about whether or not she can conceive as long as she is happy emotionally and healthy otherwise! that is all I ask for for my baby! just because it is hard for you to get pregnant doesn’t make you any less of a woman!My daughter adores children and whether she adopts,fosters or is just a great aunt is ok with me!and hopefully her.She is a wonderful caring and loving person who happens to be so beautiful that she’s almost hard to look at!It’s all good so if u or a loved one has pcos and can’t conceive,don’t dwell on the negative,life is full of wonderful surprises and people and family and much more than just being judged by your reproductive worth! It’s all good people,relax! peace!
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for writing in to the PCOS Support blog.
You are correct! PCOS is very complicated and it is important for women to be able to find a doctor who understands how PCOS affects women. It is not just an endocrine condition, a gynecological issue, a dermatological issue, mental/emotional. It is a combination of all of these for many women.
Often this is what is missing, the big picture. Although, it is important to be addressing these areas, specialists in one area don’t often address the others and this leads to frustration. I am glad that you have found a doctor that understands and is helping your daughter.
But it is also important to understand that, although metformin worked very well for your daughter, this is not always the case and many women cannot tolerate it due to the side effects (gastrointestinal, elevated liver enzymes, weight gain, etc.). This goes to show how each of us is an individual and that is how people should be treated.
Keep in mind, that there are many women with PCOS that have successful pregnancies that did not require the use of birth control or metformin. Yes, there may be times when these steps need to be taken but there is also work that every person can do to optimize their health and ability to conceive, if that is what they wish to do.
I agree that having problems with infertility does not make you less of a woman and there are many who choose adoption, fostering, etc. But in my experience, I also hear from women who feel that giving birth is the most important thing in their life and struggle to reach this goal and it is heartbreaking.
Our hope is that, no matter what a woman chooses to do, try to conceive, adopt, foster or not choose to have children, that they have the support, as your daughter does, that encourages them to be strong and live the best life imaginable.
Thank you for writing in with your comments and thoughts. I hope that you continue to visit our community and contribute.
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
I started my period when I was in the 4th grade. I have had problems since then. In the 7th grade I was on my period for over 6 months. I was taking double birth control pills. Eventually that was not helping they wanted to do blood transfusions because I was loosing to much blood and anemic by this point. My mother refused the blood transfusions and the Dr.s at this point decided to put me on the Depo shot. This helped for several years on controlling the period, but in the long run, later, telling me it caused me to have PCOS. I was told there was nothing they could do about this. I would have irregular periods, severe cramping, and bloating. That was diagnosed when I was 17. I got off the shot when diagnosed, tried several other birth controls, nothing helped. Got married when I was 20 and ended up having a Molar Pregnancy. Since then I have been on no birth control and had problems for almost 8 yrs. I still have irregular periods, none or severe periods, weight gain, bloating to where my clothes don’t fit, migraines, HORRIBLE mood swings, severe cramping at least once a day, ACNE, depression, and of course fatigue. I am beside myself on what to do. Can someone please help. My Dr. said to get on birth control. To be honest I refuse. We ended up adopting because we were unable to birth a child of our own. My Dr. also told me since the clomid didn’t work I would need to see a fertility specialist. We decided that money could help a child that needed a home. I am opt to having a child of my own but this is not why Im writing. I just want to feel better, look better, and have a normal life. Read your whole site… Can you help?
Dear Kristen,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
As you may have read from our website, we do not recommend oral contraceptives as a treatment for PCOS because they are synthetic hormones that mask some of the symptoms of PCOS rather than fixing the problems.
Treating absent menses or other symptoms with oral contraceptives does not treat the underlying disorder of PCOS and when the contraceptives are discontinued, the PCOS symptoms will persist. You know this all too well!
Our philosophy is to treat the cause of the disorder so that there is no longer a need for using contraceptives. Of course if you are using birth control to prevent pregnancy, you will need to find an alternate form of contraception (condoms, diaphragm, etc.) if you decide to discontinue the birth control pill!
The supplements of the PCOS System do not do the same thing as the birth control pills, they do something even better! They work to correct the underlying cause of PCOS.
Many women with PCOS may find themselves more anxious or depressed by their appearance or their inability to become pregnant. These mood disorders can also be caused by hormone problems. Managing your PCOS symptoms may help to relieve depression and anxiety, though this is not proven in research studies.
The results are varied and depend on individual commitment to the plan. Results vary from women commenting that they have reached their weight goals; have conceived; and have improved energy, moods, skin, hair growth, and menstrual regularity.
We have not collected statistics on success rates thus far, so I’m sorry I can’t be more specific than that. I do think that you will see improvements if you stick with the low carb dietary recommendations, the moderate exercises changes, and if you take the nutrients regularly.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Hi, I am 22 yrs old and have had acne since puberty. My periods were at one stage erratic and I used to feel terribly tired after meals.I then consulted a professional naturopathist (about 2 yrs ago).A hormone test indicated that my hormones were not out of range..but i was given chaste tree, progesterone cream,tablets to regulate my insulin levels,nettle root and various other powders for 2 months. This regulated my periods and they’ve been fairly regular ever since. And I have no tiredness after meals irrespective of how heavy they are. Yet i still get the acne. I had an ultra sound recently which showed cysts and enlarged ovaries. This is the first time i heard of pcos, about 6 months ago. My pp glucose and insulin are within range. I have seen various doctors and have read up so extensively that it is almost an obsession.I notice that during the follicular phase, my skin is fairly clear and then i get break outs during the luteal phase. I also noticed that eating phytoestrogenic foods like sesame seeds and chick peas clear my skin radically, but when i eat it too frequently, i get more break outs. I am so confused. I was told to just manage my pcos by my doctors till getting pregnant becomes necessary, but am not sure how to manage the acne. I am lean,a vegetarian since birth and incredibly healthy, even consciously trying to avoid heating food in plastics, xenoestrogens etc. A recent hormone test on the 3rd day of my cycle shows my LH/ FSH to be 6.36/3.71 MIL/ml receptively. My total testosterone was normal, though my SHBG was slightly higher than the normal range.My 12-OH progesterone was 2.6nmol/L. I don’t seem the typical candidate for pcos, yet I am sure I have had it for a long while. I am not sure if my acne is due to high androgen levels as phytoestrogens make a marked difference on my skin. Is there any advice or recommendations you could give me?
Dear Snusha,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog. You are doing a lot of wonderful things to treat the PCOS. What did your doctor advice regarding your hormone test results? Was the testosterone level high normal? You may be right about the acne, but I just want to make sure it’s not related to elevated androgens.
I wonder if you would have seen the acne begin to clear if you had continued on the treatment plan longer than 2 months. Botanicals can take a few months to “work” and the skin is often the last thing to heal.
The topics of lean women with PCOS, and PCOS without insulin resistance are still not entirely understood in the medical community. Many thin women with PCOS do have insulin resistance, but some do not. It is not a clear-cut distinction that thin women are not Insulin resistant. Some lean women with PCOS hyper-secrete insulin but do not yet manifest insulin resistance. And in many women with PCOS, their ovaries are highly sensitive to insulin, so that even if their serum insulin levels are normal, the ovaries are highly reactive to that insulin.
Here is a link comparing lean and obese women with PCOS PCOS (lean women found to hyper-secrete insulin):
http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/89/6/2942
Here is a link to study that was done with lean and overweight women with PCOS: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1993.tb02144.x
Our PCOS System does help to balance the estrogen to progesterone ratio as well as lowering testosterone levels and reversing insulin resistance. We have had many women with lean PCOS respond well to our Insulite PCOS System. It contains some of the botanicals you took in the past plus some additional nutrients.
It is not a vegetarian/vegan product. It does contain glandulars. Let us know if that is a concern for you.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
Hi, i wondered if you could help me, i’ve had psoc since i was young and am very happy to say i am lucky and have 3 very beautiful children. Over the past 7 years i have either been pregnant or breastfeeding so the symtoms of psoc have never returned fully. My youngest daughter is now 22 months and i don’t plan or having any more babies, i have found recently that i am getting really bad pains in ovaries and in back, when ovulating and when period is due. I recently had a pelvic assessment, which showed both ovaries were enlarged, with numerous peripheral follicles and a dense stroma. I really don’t want to go on the pill as remember the pain was more intense when taking it. Please help as know if i go to my GP they will recommend the pill, would rather use a different form contraception. I also really don’t want to spend most weeks of a month in pain i am only 31. Thank you.
Dear Hayley,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog. I am sorry you are starting to see more evidence of PCOS with pain in your ovaries. This can be frustrating and certainly does not make it easy with day to day activity.
There are certainly options for birth control other than the pill.
What is best for you can be discussed with your doctor. Options include cervical cap or diaphragm, IUD (hormonal or non-hormonal), condoms (male or female), tubal ligation, vasectomy all can be options.
Here are a couple informative links to some options:
/www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control-4211.htm,
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/birthcontrol.html#cat1.
Hayley, it depends on what you are looking for. From our standpoint, the pill can regulate your cycles but it does not address the underlying cause of PCOS, just a symptom. We also don’t recommend birth control since it will introduce synthetic hormones into your system.
If you are looking to address PCOS and to help balance hormones, regulate cycles, reduce symptoms, I would recommend considering the PCOS System. It is a non-pharmaceutical approach to PCOS. If you have not already, you can read more about it at:
http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/.
I hope that this helps. Please let us know if we can help further.
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 18 I am now 24. I have one son and have tried for 4 years for another child with no luck. My doctors provide little insight as well. They treat this as if it’s not a big deal. I took provera and glucophage for 2 years and now that I have my cycles on my own It’s just the glucophage. I stopped taking that just recently due to the fact that I don’t feel it is helping. I am now taking Soy Lecithin Granules also I eat very few carbs and try to do 30 min.s a day of cardio. What I want to know is about D-Chiro Inositol and D-Pinitol. I have read alot of articules about this products but can’t seem to find anything. Other than what I’m taking now and in Carub syrup and Buckwheat Ferinetta. I also need help with body hair and back acne. I have no information on those two things but anything would help to add to my journal for the doctor.
Dear Brandee,
Thank you for contacting the PCOS Support Blog.
In private practice, I have successfully used the products you mentioned for both diabetes and PCOS. Similarly, I have seen the Insulite PCOS System work extremely well for PCOS. I am not aware of a specific over the counter brand of D-Chiro Inositol. If you are interested, I would recommend consulting with a naturopathic physician in your area that may be able to order this for you.
With regard to your acne and body hair, these are also signs of PCOS.
Here is some general information about the PCOS System. The Insulite PCOS System consists of five elements, all designed to work together to address PCOS and its underlying cause, insulin resistance.
The System is comprised of supplements, diet and exercise guidelines, addiction awareness and customer support. We provide ample customer support because we advocate lifestyle changes, and we know that these types of changes can be difficult to make without some help!
The supplements are designed to improve insulin sensitivity, help you lose weight, reduce the symptoms of PCOS, correct the hormonal imbalance of PCOS, and help manage the deleterious consequences of having elevated insulin. Here is a link to a page on our website that describes the supplements in detail: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-Elements.php.
The diet and exercise aspect of the Insulite PCOS System is also crucial to your success.
I hope this is helpful, Brandee.
Best wishes,
Dr. Shana Spector Deneen, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition
I was just diagnosed with PCOS and Insulin Resistance and started taking Metformin 500 mg daily September 4th 2010. I instantly felt better, significant increase in energy and improvement in depression and food cravings. However, 48 hours after taking I started my period without the horrific 2-3 weeks of PMS symptoms. YEAH! Then now 20 days later I am spotting and bleeding intermittently again? My face is a mess too. I broke out worse then I ever have, especially around the neck and chin area where I have excessive hair growth. What is going on here? I thought this was going to make all of these things better?
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
I suggest speaking to your doctor about what you are experiencing with the Metformin. The prescribing doctor may have more information on what to expect.
I can say briefly that some women see good results with Metformin and others report side effects or that it was not helpful in treating their PCOS. It does sound like you are having some good results and it could be that it takes time for your hormones to balance resulting in spotting and acne until the hormones are balanced.
Our view on the pharmaceutical treatment of PCOS is that there is no one drug on the market that will change your condition. The only way to reverse the disorder is to reduce elevations in insulin, which directly affect testosterone and other hormonal changes that are responsible for causing PCOS.
The Insulite PCOS System was created to address the cause of PCOS. With those on Glucophage, we cannot say that we have noticed dramatic results in weight loss, hair growth, acne or other symptoms related to PCOS.
These symptoms can be partially controlled by diet and exercise changes. The addition of nutrients will help you become more sensitive to your insulin and reduce the symptoms of insulin resistance and PCOS.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
can kontraception injection couse pcos?
Dear Dila,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
I looked into the relationship between Depo Provera and PCOS and found some interesting tidbits.
The following is from the Center for Applied Reproductive Science: http://www.ivf-et.com/tlc/forum/pharmacology.html.
“Question: What are the risks and side effects of taking Depo-Provera when you have polycystic ovaries?
Comment: Depo-Provera is a relatively good contraceptive agent. The most positive aspect of Depo-Provera is that it will reduce the chance of uterine cancer, which is higher in women with PCOS. There is concern that its use in teens may increase the risk of osteoporosis later in life. I know of no specific studies that have addressed this issue Depo-Provera in PCOS. Sometimes Depo-Provera is given to solve problems other than contraception; it my opinion that it may cause more problems than it treats. I am not convinced it is a very good drug for PCOS. The side effect profile is quite long and may be of the same type, but worse in severity compared with those who do not have PCOS. Depending on the specific objectives of therapy there may be better alternatives.”
I was unable to find a direct link between women using Depo Provera and then subsequently developing PCOS, but there are women out there asking that same question on PCOS discussion boards.
It is interesting to note that Depo Provera has caused decreased glucose tolerance in some people and is therefore cautioned to not give to women with diabetes. The mechanism of why Depo should affect glucose metabolism is unknown. The significance of this with respect to your question is that the underlying cause of PCOS is insulin resistance, which involves ‘glucose intolerance.’ I am merely speculating. There is no conclusive evidence that I could find linking use of Depo Provera with PCOS.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
So I am fourteen years old and I was diagnosed with pcos a few months ago. I had had my first period, but it never reoccurred. So we went to the doctor after a year and she diagnosed me with pcos. I took birth control for a little while, but I had heavy bleeding for three weeks straight so my doctor took me off of birth control. Now she has told me to take medroxyprogesterone once every three months. I was just wondering, why once every three months and what the consequences could be if I dint have a period once every three months. Thanks!
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog. I am so glad you found our website. I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis.
Having a period every few months will help prevent something called endometrial hyperplasia.
Because PCOS causes disruptions to the normal menstrual cycle – irregular menstrual periods and the absence of ovulation cause women to produce estrogen, but not progesterone. Without progesterone, which causes the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) to shed each month as a menstrual period, the endometrium may grow too much and undergo atypical cell changes. This is a pre-cancerous condition called endometrial hyperplasia. If the thickened endometrium is not treated, over a long period of time it can develop into endometrial cancer.
Some women with PCOS are prescribed the birth control pill or medroxyprogesterone to regulate their menses. We do not generally recommend oral contraceptives because they are synthetic hormones that mask some of the symptoms of PCOS rather than fixing the problems. When the contraceptives are discontinued, the PCOS symptoms will persist. However, you may continue to take medroxyprogesterone while using the Insulite PCOS System- just be sure to take it separately from the GlucX supplement. GlucX is high in fiber which may theoretically interfere with the absorption of other substances taken at the same time.
Also you should know that this form of synthetic progesterone does not work the same way in the body as the progesterone your body produces. It does have side effects. Because many women with PCOS are progesterone deficient, some chose to temporarily use a natural form of progesterone, called bio-identical progesterone. This would also have to be prescribed by your doctor. Because this natural form is made into the identical form as the progesterone our body makes, it acts the same in our body and is much safer.
Here is some general information about the PCOS System. The Insulite PCOS System consists of five elements, all designed to work together to address PCOS and its underlying cause, insulin resistance.
The System is comprised of supplements, diet and exercise guidelines, addiction awareness and customer support. We provide ample customer support because we advocate lifestyle changes, and we know that these types of changes can be difficult to make without some help!
The supplements are designed to improve insulin sensitivity, help you lose weight, reduce the symptoms of PCOS, correct the hormonal imbalance of PCOS, and help manage the deleterious consequences of having elevated insulin. Here is a link to a page on our website that describes the supplements in detail: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-Elements.php.
The diet and exercise aspect of the Insulite PCOS System is also crucial to your success. You can read the general information about these guidelines at the following link: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/Insulite-PCOS-System-Nutrition-and-Exercise-Plans.php. Of course, more detailed information is provided in the Insulite Guide that our customers receive.
You can read much more about the Insulite PCOS System by visiting the following link and browsing around: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/.
I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
hi,
i’ve recently diognosed with PCOS (by ultrasonography), i have just a few thick hairs on my chine and that’s all and i don’t have that much problem with that, no obesity or… nothing else… is it necessery for me to take drugs as a treatment (like cyproterone or androcore)?
Dear Simin,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog. I am sorry for the delay in my response.
I am sorry that you have been diagnosed with PCOS. We understand how frustrating and confusing this can be. When it comes to treatment you do have options. They will be the typical pharmaceutical treatments such as metformin (glucophage) to reduce insulin and glucose levels, birth control pills, or anti-androgens (to reduce elevations in testosterone). However, what we specialize in at Insulite Labs is the non-pharmaceutical treatment of insulin resistance, the underling cause of PCOS.
It is great that you are not experiencing the majority of the symptoms associated with PCOS but still important to address. As you may come to find, every woman will experience PCOS very individually but there are aspects that run throughout this population. Woman with PCOS are at a higher risk of infertility issues, increased risk for developing diabetes and heart disease. The most crucial changes you can make will start with nutrition and exercise.
Based on what your diagnosis, pharmaceuticals are an option. It just depends on how you want to address this problem. Again, it is my specialty to not use these methods but to take a more holistic approach to PCOS.
Our supplements contain vitamins, minerals, herbs and fiber to address the insulin resistance, help to reduce elevated testosterone, balance estrogen and progesterone, help regulate cycles, etc. In addition, there is a nutrition/exercise program specific for PCOS. We also offer a great support as you go through this process. If you are interested, please check out our website. http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/
I do feel that this can be a very good option for you, depending on what you are looking for. Please let me know if this helps and if I can help further.
Please visit our PCOS community where you can share ideas, concerns and issues and find additional information and support to reverse PCOS symptoms:
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/blog/index.php PCOS Support Blog http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/forums/index.php PCOS Forums
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Hi there,
I’m a 32 year old woman living in Cape Town South Africa and have had PCOS since I was about 17 yrs old.
In the beginning when I went to doctors about this I was told its growing pains, I’m imagining things or given painkillers. I tried alternative medicine…you name it, I tried it.
Eventually in 2003 a new doctor did a PCO test and I had almost all the symptoms – no or very few periods, pains, dark colouring on skin, skin-tags, weght gain, excessive hair growth on face & body… a conference call with 2 gynas and bloodtests later and I was officially diagnosed with PCOS.
I was put on Metformin which helped but I had very bad reactions to the medication. I went onto the pill (triphasil) which helped with stabilising my preiods. I picked up weight over the years and knew that not all was well. My dad has really bad diabetes so I was aware of eating and living as healthily as possible, however I still could not lose all he extra weight.
In 2008 I ended up needing to have an operation to remove 4 cysts from my left ovary and 3 from my right.
I managed my PCOS for the last few years quite well, with intermittent really bad menstruations. Unfortunately I’ve had the nagging pains on my left side again and there’s a great pobability that I have cysts on my left oavries again! I’m seeing my gynae in few days’ time, btu the sensations are the sae as last.
I’ve never really has success with medication here and came across your website. Please advise if you have Insulite products in South Africa?
Looking forward to your response!
Amina
Dear Amina,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS support blog.
I am sorry that you are continuing to struggle with PCOS and its effects on the body. We know that there are often no easy answers as each woman can experience this condition in a different way, yet have similar symptoms.
We do have women in South Africa that have and still are using the PCOS System. You can contact our customer service department for more information on getting the Insulite PCOS System, if you are interested. (info@insulitelabs.com).
Metformin and birth control pills are often the primary medications given to women with PCOS. As you have found, these do not necessarily have desired effects.
From what you wrote, insulin resistance is something that you are dealing with and important to address, especially with your family history. I am glad that you are aware of healthier eating habits. Ideally, a lower carbohydrate diet will be important. I know this can be a challenge with the food options available. But I do think that you can make great changes to support managing and reducing the risk of further complications.
I do hope that the PCOS System is an option for you
The Insulite PCOS System helps to improve insulin sensitivity with its combination of nutrients and herbs as well as diet and exercise guidelines.
Here is some general information about the PCOS System. The Insulite PCOS System consists of several elements, all designed to work together to address PCOS and its underlying cause, insulin resistance.
The System is comprised of supplements, diet and exercise guidelines, and customer support. We provide ample customer support because we advocate lifestyle changes, and we know that these types of changes can be difficult to make without some help!
The supplements are designed to improve insulin sensitivity, help you lose weight, reduce the symptoms of PCOS, correct the hormonal imbalance of PCOS, and help manage the deleterious consequences of having elevated insulin.
Here is a link to a page on our website that describes the supplements in detail: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-Elements.php. This is the link that will explain what is in each supplement as well as the purpose of these ingredients.
The diet and exercise aspect of the Insulite PCOS System is also crucial to your success. You can read the general information about these guidelines at
the following link: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/Insulite-PCOS-System-Nutrition-and-Exercise-Plans.php. Of course, more detailed information is provided in the Insulite Guide that our customers receive.
Amina, please let us know if we can help further.
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
I have had PCOS symptoms every time I’m not on the BC pill. However, I’ve never had insulin resistance. What are my treatment options? I assume insulite will not help me.
Dear Michelle,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog. First let me apologize for the delay in my response. I am usually better with the timing.
I do feel that the Insulite PCOS System can still help. The reason that you continue to have symptoms when you are not using the pill, is that the pill only controls certain hormones and in turn will control certain symptoms. This is not a cure and again will often only address a symptom. So that when you discontinue the medication, the symptoms return.
How did your doctors determine that you are not insulin resistant? I am wondering if you have ever had your serum insulin checked.
Insulin resistance can be verified by looking at the insulin levels (fasting and random) and the insulin: glucose ratio. Some doctors hesitate to perform a fasting insulin test on their patients because the normal range (0-20) is so wide. However, we have found that a fasting insulin level of about 9 or higher is starting to indicate problems with insulin resistance. For the random insulin, results over 25 or 30 may indicate insulin resistance. Other factors that would make me suspicious of insulin resistance include high blood pressure, difficulty losing weight, skin tags, acanthosis nigricans (dark brown patches on the skin), and a family history of diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
I am beginning to think that there is a lot we don’t know about diagnosing insulin resistance and that our detection methods are not sophisticated enough to catch all of the cases of insulin resistance.
In addition, there are some women that have normal insulin levels but are still more sensitive to the insulin that they produce. Some lean women with PCOS hypersecrete insulin but do not yet manifest insulin resistance. And in many women with PCOS, their ovaries are highly sensitive to insulin, so that even if their serum insulin levels are normal, the ovaries are highly reactive to that insulin. That is why so many women do well, even when fasting insulin levels are within the optimal range.
So as for your treatment options, without knowing your history or seeing labs, the PCOS System is still an option. I hope that this helps. Please let me know if I can help further.
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
I am 18 years and was diagnosed with PCOS 5 years ago. I am 46 kgs. and suffer from acute hair loss, excessive hair growth, absence of curves, exhaustion and mood swings. I exercise regularly. How can I overcome the symptoms of PCOS and can it be completely cured?
Dear Sohini,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog. I am sorry your
post went unanswered for some time.
I am sorry you are struggling to manage the symptoms of PCOS.
What is important to understand is that PCOS many times, is difficult to manage
if a multi-dimensional approach is not taken. At Insulite Labs, we work with women
with PCOS in a non-pharmaceutical manner to help them control and reverse the
process going on.
We cannot say for sure that PCOS is a curable disease. Conventional
medicine asserts that PCOS is incurable. However, we can say that insulin
resistance is a reversible condition, and Insulin Resistance is one of the
underlying causes of PCOS. Therefore, by removing this underlying cause
of PCOS we would expect your experience of the PCOS to greatly improve.
The underlying cause of PCOS, in most instances, is insulin resistance.
This contributes to the symptoms you described.
At Insulite Labs, we use a combination of vitamins, minerals, herbs and fiber to
address insulin resistance and the hormone imbalance. A few other very important
aspects that we also help support you through are nutrition changes, exercise
changes and support, through emails, newsletters, etc.
With insulin resistance, the body becomes insensitive to the insulin it
produces, which leads to elevated circulating levels of insulin. This in
turn leads to hormonal imbalances such as increased testosterone and other
androgens (male hormones).
The increased testosterone is responsible for many of the symptoms such as
acne, hair growth/loss and abnormal menstrual cycles.
Elevated insulin also contributes to the formation of cysts in the ovaries
in part due to the hormonal imbalances and also because the ovaries are
highly sensitive to the influence of insulin. In women with PCOS, the
ovaries are over-sensitized to insulin’s effects.
The Insulite PCOS System helps to improve insulin sensitivity with its
combination of nutrients and herbs as well as diet and exercise guidelines.
The System is comprised of supplements, diet and exercise guidelines, and
customer support. We provide ample customer support because we advocate
lifestyle changes, and we know that these types of changes can be difficult
to make without some help!
The supplements are designed to improve insulin sensitivity, help you lose
weight, reduce the symptoms of PCOS, correct the hormonal imbalance of PCOS,
and help manage the deleterious consequences of having elevated insulin.
Here is a link to a page on our website that describes the supplements in
detail: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-Elements.php. This is the link
that will explain what is in each supplement as well as the purpose of these
ingredients.
The diet and exercise aspect of the Insulite PCOS System is also crucial to
your success. You can read the general information about these guidelines at
the following link:
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/Insulite-PCOS-System-Nutrition-and-Exercise
-Plans.php. Of course, more detailed information is provided in the Insulite
Guide that our customers receive.
Sohini, I hope that this helps and you consider the PCOS System as part of a
comprehensive treatment plan. If you have any additional questions or concerns,
please contact me.
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Dear Doctor
I went for laproscopy and Hysteroscopy. Found out had endo and also ovarian drilling done last month (mid june).Got my periods end of June and the doctor has prescribed letroz this month after my periods. Is it safe to start medication? Pls assist.
Dear Doctor,
I’ve been on the Insulite Labs PCOS supplements for over a year now, and have experienced amazing results! I’m now trying to “wean” myself off of the supplements, and try to keep things up with my diet and exercise. However, I was wondering if there was a few “key” vitamins/supplements I should stay on permanently to maintain my “status” health wise?
I look forward to your response!
Karen
I am 33 yr old white female.Was diagnosed with PCOS 2-3 yrs ago recently Ive developed what I believe is sciatic back pain. Ive already have muscle spasms but
I cant sit long due to butt hurting and hurts badly to stand and walk around even if i sit for 10 minutes..plz help! What should I do?
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Dear Janet,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
It sounds like you need to find a great chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncturist or other physician to confirm your diagnosis of sciatica and help relief your pain. One of them can provide some treatment and give you some stretches and exercises to do at home.
I am sorry I could not be more helpful. As you know exercise an important part of treating PCOS, so treating your back problem will be important so you can fully address your PCOS.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Dear Doctors,
I am a twenty something women suffering with PCOS. From my first menstral cycle (16) to present I have had each and every symptom associated with PCOS. I have seen GYNO doctors, endocrinologists as well as nutritionists & other specialists. The GYNOs put me on BC, endos: metformin & progesterone and the others on a healthy diet etc. the BC made me awfully sick and gained quite a bit of weight ( yaz/yazmin loestrin) and the more research I found BC isn’t the answer only a band aid for PCOS. Metformin was the absolute worst drug I could have taken for I was extremely sick with side effects, the progesterone I felt nothing just a bit of weight gain. Through this all nothing has helped my rapid and excessive scalp hair loss, body hair growth, acne and weight gain as well as menses… I am back to square one with a GYNO from my local hospital who put me on mononessa
Continued…
I have had a spike in acne and none of my symptoms have decreased. I am still on my first pack… I am wondering if there is something I have over looked or haven’t tried. Please help I am so tired of feeling this way and having these PCOS symptoms.
Dear Dr.,
I apologize for the length and semi-graphic detail of this post.
I have never had what one would call “regular” periods. I was always told they would level out and become normal as I grew older (I am 25) but they haven’t. In January of 2011 my periods started to become extremely abnormal.
Even now they remain abnormal, I go anywhere from two-four weeks being on it, usually really heavy, to a week or a few days off and then I will start again. I went to my OBGYN and she diagnosed me (with just the symptoms I told her about along with some other symptoms like excessive hair, acne, fatigue, dry skin, anxiety, depression, brittle hair, and sometimes painful cramping) with PCOS. She also told me to stay away from dairy and gluten.
She wanted to put me on BC but I am very wary of taking pills. I was on BC once before and I did not like how they changed me, even after switching pills 3 or 4 times.
My question is if the PCOS system would be right for me, if it is possible I have PCOS? My acne never seems to go away and dairy seems to make it worse. I get extremely tired when I am bleeding (I was also given a blood test to test my thyroid levels and to see if I was anemic, and I had good levels according to them and am not anemic) and have to pluck hairs off my chin that are coarse and dark, and get really long if I do not pluck them.
Would staying away from gluten and dairy help? I also wanted to know if the PCOS system would not only regulate my menses but also make the clots/tissue disappear? Whenever I am on my cycle I tend to pass clots or tissue that are about a quarter to silver dollar in size. My OBGYN was also aware of this as well. Are there any ingredients in the PCOS system that could be toxic or cause allergic reactions?
I am just really curious about this system and I really want to try it to see if it works for me because this is SO frustrating! However I also have concerns, naturally. I hope you do not mind me asking so many questions. Thank you for your time.
I found I have pcos 5months ago due to bleeding constantly my periods have now regualated to around every 30days but blood test have confirmed I do not ovalate. Since finishing my last period I have had really sore breasts does this mean I have ovalated this month. And if I don’t ovalate can I just start ovalating on my own?