Thin With PCOS: “How can I have PCOS if I’m not overweight?”
by Dr. Sari Cohen
From PCOSA Today, September/October 2007
Are you confused about your diagnosis of PCOS because you are thin? Many people think that everyone with PCOS is overweight, but this is not the case. In fact, at least half of women diagnosed with PCOS are of normal weight or lean. Some women with PCOS are even underweight.
While insulin resistance is generally thought to be the underlying cause of most cases of PCOS, there is disagreement in the medical community about whether thin women with PCOS suffer from the same degree of insulin resistance as their heavier counterparts.
Some studies support the presence of insulin resistance in both lean and obese women with PCOS. Furthermore, lean women with PCOS do seem to struggle with insulin-glucose regulation, even though it is not classified strictly as “insulin resistance.” Thin women with PCOS have higher insulin levels in their blood than thin or normal weight women without PCOS, according to researcher Vrbikova and associates in the 2004 article “Insulin Sensitivity in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome” published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Moreover, even if the serum insulin levels are normal, the ovaries of women with PCOS tend to be over-sensitive to the effects of insulin, thereby leading to increased ovarian androgen output.
Oral contraceptives are commonly prescribed to women with PCOS, regardless of whether they are overweight or of normal weight. However, using oral contraceptives in women with “lean PCOS,” as it is termed, may increase the risk of weight gain in this population and put them more at risk for insulin resistance or other negative effects on insulin and glucose metabolism.
Women with lean PCOS have much in common with their heavier counterparts. For example, lean women with PCOS may still have the same risk factors for cardiovascular disease as overweight women, according to a study conducted by Kravariti and colleagues and reported in the September 2005 issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. They conclude that all women with PCOS, regardless of weight or BMI, should work to prevent cardiovascular complications.
Another article by Tarkun et al published in The Endocrinology Journal in October 2004 suggests that lean women with PCOS were at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and anovulatory infertility compared to age-and weight-matched healthy women without PCOS. Therefore all women with PCOS should work to prevent complications like hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This can be accomplished through a whole foods, low carbohydrate diet, an exercise plan tailored to you, and certain nutritional and herbal supplements.
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About the author
Dr. Sari Cohen received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine with High Honors from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, and graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College. A clinical practitioner in New Hampshire, where she sponsors a PCOS support group, Dr. Cohen is the author of the prize-winning article “Melatonin, Menstruation and the Moon” published in The Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients. A contributing author of the Board Review Study Materials for the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examination, she is also a member of Insulite Laboratories’ Medical & Advisory team where she undertakes research and provides professional guidance to individuals with insulin-related disorders. Dr. Cohen has developed the company’s 52-week Customer Protocol and has co-authored The Insulite Guide to Reversing Insulin Resistance and its Related Conditions.
I’m a little confused about the whole PCOS thing. Still struggling with how I got it. I exercise regularly, eat right, and I’m not overweight. I have stopped all alcohol, processed foods, starchy foods, etc.
Obviously, my ovaries are still producing too many male harmones,because I continue to have facial hair and scalp hair loss.
Dear Kimberly,
Thank you for contacting the PCOS Support Blog.
I understand your confusion. You are not alone. 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.
If you have a family history of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, if you have cravings for carbohydrates or sweets, if you have skin tags or acanthosis nigricans (dark patches on the skin, especially in the armpits) I would be more inclined to think there is a component of insulin resistance in your case.
It’s great that you have worked so hard to eat a healthy diet and to exercise. It’s possible that with the Insulite PCOS System you would see improvements in the excess facial hair and scalp hair loss. We have seen many women with lean PCOS improve using the system. These particular symptoms can take longer to see improvements than others. The excess/unwanted hair that currently exists may have to be removed via laser, electrolysis, etc. However, as your insulin resistance reverses and your hormones balance, the new hair growth should become finer, less visible. Honestly, we are all different and your body may respond more quickly but this can often be one of the last symptoms to resolve.
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 was just diagnosed with PCOS. I am 5″7, 120 lbs. I eat pretty healthy and exercise vigorously 5-6 times a week. I have always suffered from depression/mood swings, but do not have any of the other symptoms of PCOS. My husband and I have been unable to conceive, which is why PCOS was even discovered. I am so confused by this syndrome. Will I gain weight from this over time? Can the other symptoms show up at some point? Also, how did I get this? There is no history of it in my amily.
Thanks for your input!
Cammie
Dear Cammie,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog. I am so glad you found our website.
It sounds like you may have lean PCOS. 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.
If you have a family history of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, if you have cravings for carbohydrates or sweets, if you have skin tags or acanthosis nigricans (dark patches on the skin, especially in the armpits) I would be more inclined to think there is a component of insulin resistance in your case.
Women with PCOS may be able to improve their fertility by 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.
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. Your mood swings may improve, as many women with PCOS suffer from anxiety and depression due to the hormonal imbalances, and they noticed improved outlooks and increased energy while on the system.
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
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 not been diagnosed with PCOS, but I have thought I have it for about 6 months. I talked to my doctor about it and she said that even with the symptoms that I do have (hair growing in darker and in more random places, ovarian cysts, terrible acne), that I’m still not a “picture candidate” for it because I’m not overweight…so she doesn’t think I have it. My symptoms are staying the same, and the hair growth is only getting worse. Should I get a second opinion, or have her run the tests just in case? Is it possible that I could have it with just those symptoms? (I have an IUD, so I don’t have any periods to know if they’re irregular)
—————
Dear Danielle,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support Blog. This is a great inquiry as I think there are a lot of doctors that are not aware at how many different ways PCOS can present in women.
I have to say in my experience with PCOS, I know what the “picture” is supposed to look like but every women with PCOS can present very differently.
The fact that you are not overweight does not rule out PCOS. There is a group of women with PCOS who are lean and this can be as much as 50% of the PCOS population according to some resources.
The symptoms that you do have are important and the reason should be further investigated. Acne, increase in body hair and darkening of hair and ovarian cysts are all symptoms of PCOS. I would recommend getting further testing.
Here is a link that discusses this topic:
http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-and-Lean-Women.php
Here are some of the tests that we recommend:
- 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.
- Fasting glucose or 2-hour post-prandial glucose test- elevated in PCOS. Using this information in combination with the insulin levels 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).
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. 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. In addition, I would recommend that a thyroid panel also be done for further evaluation.
Symptoms that are also associated with PCOS include the following. Some women may have 2 or 3 of these traits while others struggle with all of them. Most experts consider that a woman must have evidence of both lack of ovulation manifested by irregular periods AND signs of excess male hormones to be diagnosed with PCOS. Some experts also require the presence of polycystic ovaries to diagnose PCOS.
1. Weight Gain or Inability to Lose Weight. Other people may not necessarily gain weight but find that no matter how hard they try, they cannot lose any weight. Not every woman with PCOS will have problems with excess weight. In fact, up to half of women with PCOS are lean. Even lean women with PCOS may struggle with high insulin levels or insulin resistance, however.
2. Absent or Irregular Periods (Amenorrhea or Oligomenorrhea). Irregular or absent menses indicate that a woman is probably not ovulating.
3. Infertility. The high levels of excess insulin seen with PCOS can stimulate the ovaries to produce large amounts of the male hormone testosterone, which can possibly prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg each month, thus causing infertility. Because women with PCOS don’t have regular menstrual cycles, many are unable to become pregnant. With help,
however, many PCOS sufferers conceive.
4. Excess Hair Growth (Hirsutism). This symptom causes excess hair, which can be difficult for many women. For most PCOS sufferers, hair in the mustache and beard areas becomes heavier and darker. Masculine hair on the arms and leg is also possible, as well as hair on abdomen, chest or back, together with more growing in the pubic area. High levels of male hormones (androgens) cause this condition.
5. Thinning Hair. Just as heavier hair growth is possible, so is the type of hair thinning that many men experience.
6. Acne and oily skin
7.Ovarian Cysts. The elevation in insulin levels 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. These multiple, immature ovarian cysts that are the hallmark of PCOS are associated with irregular menstruation and trouble conceiving. Polycystic
ovaries are defined as 12 or more follicles in at least 1 ovary as seen by ultrasound. Note that not every woman with PCOS has polycystic ovaries.
8. Fatigue. Fatigue is a common symptom that may be related to PCOS in that insulin resistance can be one cause of reduced energy levels. Furthermore, many women with PCOS also have low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) which
itself causes fatigue.
9. Other Skin Problems. Skin tags: thick lumps of skin sometimes as large as raisins can form as a result of PCOS. They are usually found in the armpits, at the bra line or neck and can easily be removed by a dermatologist. Darkening and thickening of the skin can also occur around the neck, groin, underarms or skin folds. This condition, called Acanthosis Nigricans, is a
sign of Insulin Resistance, the underlying cause of PCOS. Other women with PCOS note an increase in dandruff.
10. Mood Swings.
11. High cholesterol (Hyperlipidemia) and High Blood Pressure (Hypertension).
12. Sleep Apnea. Women with PCOS have a high risk for sleep apnea. This may be due to the increased BMI (Body Mass Index) in about half of women with PCOS. Another possible reason for the increased prevalence of sleep apnea in people with PCOS is the effects of testosterone on blood vessels.
Again, just because you don’t fit what some think is typical, does not mean that you are not affected by PCOS. I would ask for further testing and if your doctor does not want to do that, then getting a second opinion with evaluation should be sought. Ruling out other reasons will also be helpful. I have seen some women be evaluated to only have the tests all come back normal and without any other medical reason for their symptoms and in those, I have seen quite a few respond well to treatment as if it was PCOS and their doctors would often treat as if this is what they had since nothing else fit.
I do hope that this helps you and that it turns out that this is not what is causing your symptoms but something that can be easily managed. If we can help further, please let us 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.
i am 19 years old and my weight is 46 kgs and i have pcos with an insulin level of 135 which is very high. i have been having diane 35 ( oral contraceptive) and gluconorm (for preventing high insluin) but my family doctor adviced me to stop all medecines since their long term consequences are very serious and that i should just work out and not put on weight. he says since i am not overweight and i am very thin my pcos will be okay with time without any medecine. i am confused.even my parents are satisfied because i feel very weak because of these medecines. please help if i should stop the medecines and just work on my weight and proper diet.
Dear A Arushi,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS support blog.
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 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.
Diet and exercise are also crucial in the treatment of PCOS. I think your doctor has a good point: you’re young, not overweight and these medications do have side effects that could be avoided by first trying to treat the PCOS with diet and exercise. Re-test your insulin levels after trying his diet and exercise plan. If you don’t see improvements consider using the Insulite PCOS System which contains supplements that have been shown to lower insulin and blood sugar levels and reverse insulin resistance. 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.
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’m 5’2 and I weight 105lbs. I was recently diagnosed with pcos. I’m so so confused I don’t have facial hair, I’m not overweight I have regular periods I have had a period EVERY single month since I got them at age 11 (now 21)
The only reason it was discovered is because I have terrible period pains every month often causing me to vomit and nearly pass out.
My GP hasn’t even been helpful, she’s trying to get me to take the contraceptive pill but hasn’t explained to me the ins and outs of it.
All she said was that is would help my acne go away, but I went to see a dermatologist who said that thank God my acne is only on the upper layer of my skin so it won’t scar.
I don’t want to take it just for acne. What are the benefits of taking the pill? And what are the cons?
I get a period every month so I’m so confused, can women with PCOS who get periods every month get pregnant? I want to have children more than anything in this world. Will the pill stop cysts from forming? And do the cysts lessen my chances for cobcieveing? i.e. will not taking the pill lessen my chances of concieving?
What are the other medictions for PCOS? I don’t have any of the main symptoms so what do I do?
I have acne (but it was got a lot better in the last few months ever since I cut out dairy a lot beter) and I have bad period pains.
Please help I’m sos so confused.
Dear Nad
Thanks so much for contacting the PCOS Support Blog. I’m so sorry to hear about your debilitating periods. Having monthly periods and maintaining a healthy weight is a good sign that you will be able to get pregnant. Do you know if you are ovulating or not? Also, have you had a pelvic ultrasound?
The benefits of taking the birth control pill include: regulating the menstrual cycle and decreasing painful periods (especially for women with endometriosis). However, the pill shuts down our bodies’ own natural production of hormones. Also, there is evidence that the birth control pill can possibly increase the risk of heart disease later in life.
Overall, I think it’s best if you could avoid taking the pill long term. I recommend trying acupuncture and herbal medicine prescribed by a licensed Naturopathic Doctor or a licensed acupuncturist.
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.
If you do indeed have PCOS, it is definitely still possible to get pregnant. I hope to hear back from you again soon.
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 have been diagnosed with lean PCOS. I am a little confused by the diagnosis. My body has always been normal…my periods did come about every 6 weeks, but they were regular. Never painful or anything weird. I stopped birth control after 5 years last January. I got my period that month, February, and March. Then nothing until they induced it with Provera in September. All of my lab values are normal, except my LH/FSH ratio was more than 2 to 1. They did the pelvic ultrasound and I had 6 follicles (guessing 1 for every month of no period?). I’m not insulin resistant. I did gain weight for TTC and now my doc wants me to gain more. I am 5’10″ and 147 lbs. My doc wants me over 150 (I have never been that heavy in my life) and my body worked when I was around 130 so I question the weight gain. My testosterone was normal, cholesterol normal, thyroid normal. Everything was normal but the LH/FSH ratio. My infertility NP still has me taking Metformin 500 mg daily and advised me to begin exercising 30 minutes daily adn then wait and see. Are there better treatments out there?
Dear Cate,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
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:
(check this link first as it may not be available) http://www.insidepcos.com:80/articles/612/1/Lean-Women-with-Polycystic-Ovary-Syndrome-Respond-to-Insulin-Reduction.html.
You can use this one instead on lean/ overweight http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1993.tb02144.x
If you have a family history of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, if you have cravings for carbohydrates or sweets, if you have skin tags or acanthosis nigricans (dark patches on the skin, especially in the armpits) I would be more inclined to think there is a component of insulin resistance in your case.
We have had customers with lean PCOS on the Insulite PCOS System with success. You could certainly try the System. I do want to let you know we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If for some reason, the system does not work for you, Insulite Laboratories offers a 90 day money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with the Insulite System, we will refund your original purchase price for up to 90 days. (Excluding shipping and handling)
You just might want to pay close attention to your blood sugar in the first few weeks on the System, to make sure it does not drop too low. You can monitor blood sugar with a home glucometer (blood glucose meter) and by watching for symptoms of low blood sugar such as: headaches, feeling faint or dizzy, feeling clammy or sweaty, trembling and hunger. These symptoms relieved by eating.
The dietary guidelines on the Insulite PCOS System are flexible enough that you can adjust the caloric intake to meet your needs to sustain your weight. If you would like guidance to help you gain weight, we might be able to help with that too.
The nutrients themselves will not make you lose weight. If you find that you are having difficulty maintaining your weight while using the Insulite PCOS System, please contact us right away so that we can help you with that.
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’m 28yrs old (5ft, 90 pounds) who was diagnosed with PCOS 7 yrs back through an ultrasound. I have regular menstrual cycles of 33 days. After some treatment, for 6 months, my next ultrasound revealed no cysts whatsoever. I stopped takin the medication. its 7 yrs now and i’m now 5 weeks pregnant and we had no problem in conception. we tried for jus 2 months. I want to know now if i still have PCOS and what precautions i should take during pregnancy.
Thanks
Dear Naveena,
Thank you for writing in to the PCOS Support blog. Congratulations on your pregnancy! This is great news.
The birth control you used did help with the cysts. The hormones helped establish a more normal period and also helped you ovulate. Controlling the hormone levels can prevent cysts from forming.
But onto your question… I would assume that your Ob is aware of your history of PCOS. This is important since women with PCOS are at a higher risk for miscarriage. Has your doctor measured progesterone levels? This is something that we would recommend and especially if in the past the level was lower.
Progesterone is produced in the second half of the cycle after ovulation. During pregnancy, the placenta produces progesterone and is not functioning in the beginning and only fully functions at week 10 or so. At 3 months some people are on progesterone to compensate for lack of placental progesterone but then can be weaned off safely.
Progesterone supplementation would depend on your levels of progesterone and should only be used and recommended by your doctor after testing determines that this is needed. If you use it, I would recommend making sure it is a natural, bio-identical form of progesterone. Women respond much better to this than the synthetic forms of progesterone.
Also, other hormones can be implicated and again testing can help (testosterone, DHEA-s) to determine this. Women with PCOS are also at higher risk for having gestational diabetes. Eating low glycemic foods that support a healthy glucose level is important to reduce this risk. Make sure that you are eating a healthy diet and not eating too many processed or refined foods. Lots of vegetables, lean protein, healthy fat and be sure that you are taking a high quality prenatal vitamin.
Your doctor will be doing some tests at each visit that will include fasting glucose and blood pressure that will screen for some complications. Also, if anything changes or you are not feeling “right” contact your doctor.
Also, be sure that you are discussing these concerns as well as any other, with your doctor. I hope that this helps. Please keep us posted on 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.
Hi, I m 16 years old and i was diagnosed with PCOS 4 months back. And the doctor prescribed me 6 months contraceptive pills. Right now 4 months have passed, and I m halfway through the 5th. I recently inquired from her what should be done after this medication is over. She says i should have a good diet and do yoga. As far as i know, this doesn’t seem to be a proper treatment for PCOS. My symptoms are acne and loss of hair only. I m not over weight. I m too young to decide what should be done, yet i m concerned. My mom says she would take me for a check up again. I hear about various things such as insulin problems,infertility,etc which really scares me. And i also found that PCOS don’t really have a cure. I need advice on what should be done.
Dear Rebecca,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog. I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis.
I know it can be very scary to get this diagnosis and even more when you start learning more about the condition and the possible complications. It is true that there are risks that increase with PCOS. Infertility is higher in this population but that does not mean that it will be your experience. There are many women with PCOS who have had successful pregnancies and lead very healthy lives.
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.
Birth control pills are commonly used to help restore a normal menstrual cycle and may help with some of the symptoms such as acne and hair loss because some birth control pills can lower testosterone levels. It is often the increase in testosterone that can lead to symptoms such as acne, hair loss. It can also be responsible for irregular periods and excess facial and body hair. But birth control pills do not address the underlying cause, which is often insulin resistance. With a population that is not overweight, it is not as clear cut, regarding the cause.
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.
Research does support that there is some dysregulation still with insulin and glucose even in thin/normal weight women. However, this population still benefits from controlling insulin levels.
A healthy diet and exercise is going to be very important. But there are many different ideas about what is a healthy diet and what is appropriate for someone with PCOS. Most women benefit from a lower carbohydrate diet with focus on vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocadoes, olive oil, etc.) and some whole grains and fruit.
Your doctor seems to want to limit the amount of medications that she uses. This is not a bad thing. But you do want to address the problem. You may find that you are fine with regard to your symptoms once you are done with the birth control. However, you may see them reappear if you are not addressing the problem.
I assume other tests have been done with regard to the diagnosis (fasting insulin, fasting glucose, testosterone levels, FSH and LH, etc.). And that other reasons for your symptoms have been ruled out.
I would recommend that you sit down with your mom and consider the Insulite PCOS System. This is a non-pharmaceutical approach to addressing PCOS. It includes supplements and a lifestyle plan and support: http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/.
I also wanted to pass along this link of different sites that you can use to further educate yourself about PCOS and support (such as this blog). http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/Insulite-PCOS-System-Support-Links.php
I hope that this answers your questions, Rebecca. The good thing is that you are being proactive in your health and taking the information and using it can help you optimize your health and how you are affected by PCOS.
Please feel free to ask any questions and let us know how we can help.
–
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.
Hello. I was diagnosed with PCOS after having a high LH/FSH ratio about a year ago. I was on and off the pill – so I’m wondering if there can ever be a false diagnosis? Or if sometimes you can have a high LH/FSH ratio and not PCOS? I was tested (and found not to be) insulin resistant. I also have had an internal ultrasound that did not reveal irregularity. I guess the question is whether the LH/FSH test is 100% as far as PCOS diagnosis? My husband and I want to try to conceive within the next year or so – and I want to make sure I’m doing what I can. If I do have PCOS, is it harmful to not be on birth control?
Dear Rachel,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog.
This is a great question and I hope that I can answer it appropriately for you.
First, I assume that you also had some other symptoms that led to the testing of these hormones. Is that correct?
Not all women have all the symptoms, which range from irregular or completely absent periods to hirsuitism (excessive facial or body hair), ovarian cysts and Alopecia (male pattern hair loss). Other symptoms can include obesity, acne and skin tags, Acanthosis Nigricans (brown skin patches), high cholesterol levels, exhaustion or lack of mental alertness and decreased sex drive.
An increase in LH can be associated with some other conditions and stages of life. Menopause is one of these where LH can be elevated. But we would also expect FSH to increase as well and to be higher than LH. We would also see LH increased in some genetic disorders. But these are most likely to be found early on in life.
What is important is to rule out other conditions that are similar to PCOS and to look at not one test level but the whole picture and person.
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:
- 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.
- Fasting glucose or 2-hour post-prandial glucose test- elevated in PCOS. Using this information in combination with the insulin levels 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.
The mechanism of PCOS without insulin resistance is still not entirely understood in the medical community. As you may know, many women with PCOS do have insulin resistance, but some do not. Some women with PCOS hyper secrete insulin but do not yet manifest insulin resistance. Furthermore, 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.
How did your doctor determine that you are not insulin resistant? I am wondering if you have ever had your serum insulin checked.
As mentioned above, 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. 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.
In general, 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. If you are interested in this comprehensive approach to PCOS, please visit: http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/
The Insulite PCOS System consists of several elements, all designed to work together to address PCOS. It includes 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!
Rachel, 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.
Hi, I am 23 and I was diagnosed with PCOS 6 months back, but I believe I had it for a while, because I have most of the symptoms, like irregular periods, facial hair, darkening of the skin, tiredness, and the list goes on. Well, I was prescribed BCP, but I could not tolerate them. As a result of that, my gyno prescribed Metformin, and now my period is becoming more regular and less heavy.
Now, I am more conscious on the food intake, I excerise 3 times at least for 40 mins, and I lost more than 20lbs.
My question is, how do I know, that my PCOS is under control. I cannot seem to get rid off the excessive facial hair and darkening of the skin. For darkening of the skin, I use differin gel…but it is not fading away.
I have not gotten to check insulin resistance test, but my Prolactin level is few points higher than normal. My gyno wants me to see an endocrinologist.
I feel like I am going back and forth, coming back to square one.
I would love to get pregnant sometime, but is it possible if I continue to have PCOS?
I am quite depressed.
Hi
I am 19 years old and was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16. I have never had regular periods and had a feeling that there was something wrong with my body since I didn’t start my period til I was 14 or 15. I’ve done everything imaginable to try and control it/ get rid of it but nothing seems to work. I have dropped 28 lbs over the last 3 yrs, I am now 5’4 and 121-124 lbs. I feel like I should lose more weight becasue my acne and mood swings, and cravins have spiraled out of control. I was wondering about what else I can do?
Hello, I am 18 years old and I was just recently diagnosed with PCOS. I have always had trouble with my weight and I barely get my period. I was recently pregnant…. but had a miscarriage within a few weeks due to my pcos. I want to have three children in the future I hope my dream will come true! I need to loose weight asap because I’m in sports and I’m trying to get back in shape. What is the fastest way to loose weight if you havd pcos?
Dear Tracy,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
I am sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I hope we can help your dream of having a family one day come true. 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. We advocate a slow weight loss which is healthier and more permanent. This is not a quick fix or fad diet. We want you to be healthy for the rest of your life by applying sensible lifestyle changes to your diet and exercise routine.
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
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 last year at the age of 18. Symptoms include acne, excess hair growth everywhere on my body and periods that are slightly irregular. I am underweight by most standards though I eat healthily and eat whatever I want (though luckily this tends to not be large amounts of food). I have a high muscle mass and low fat percentage despite the fact that I rarely exercise.
I am concerned about insulin resistance being the underlying cause but my doctor is appeared not to be concerned about PCOS at all and hasn’t advised me to seek any course of action whatsoever.
I read that you mentioned the following ‘a family history of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, cravings for carbohydrates or sweets, skin tags or acanthosis nigricans (dark patches on the skin, especially in the armpits)’ which would cause you to believe that insulin resistance played a key factor.
I do not have any of these. I realise I’m hopeful in asking whether that rules out the possibility entirely? Will I start putting on weight dramatically one day? What foods should I be eating to attempt to prevent problems such as heart disease and diabetes?
I’m quite worried about the future in general in regards to this and would greatly appreciate your response.
——————–
Dear Maz,
Thank you for contacting Insulite’s PCOS Support blog.
It sounds like you have lean PCOS. 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/obese women who have a history of PCOS: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1993.tb02144.x
Since you don’t have any of the signs of insulin resistance you may not be insulin resistant. Consider testing your fasting insulin and glucose. Fasting insulin is 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. Fasting glucose or 2-hour post-prandial glucose test are elevated in PCOS. Using this information in combination with the insulin levels helps to diagnose insulin resistance.
We have had customers with Lean PCOS on the Insulite PCOS System with success. You could certainly try the System. I do want to let you know we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If for some reason, the system does not work for you, Insulite Laboratories offers a 90 day money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with the Insulite System, we will refund your original purchase price for up to 90 days. (Excluding shipping and handling)
You just might want to pay close attention to your blood sugar in the first few weeks on the System, to make sure it does not drop too low. You can monitor blood sugar with a home glucometer (blood glucose meter) and by watching for symptoms of low blood sugar such as: headaches, feeling faint or dizzy, feeling clammy or sweaty, trembling and hunger. These symptoms relieved by eating.
The dietary guidelines are flexible enough that you can adjust the caloric intake to meet your needs to sustain your weight. If you would like guidance to help you gain weight, we might be able to help with that too. We recommend a whole foods low carb diet plan in which you would avoid refined grains and sugars.
The nutrients themselves will not make you lose weight. If you find that you are having difficulty maintaining your weight while using the Insulite PCOS System, please contact us right away so that we can help you with that.
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’m 35 years old, 5’7″, 120lbs. I recently had a miscarriage at 8 weeks. I have always had regular periods, every 29 or 30 days. I chart/temp so I also know that I ovulate every month. This month is the first time there was a cyst leftover at my baseline ultrasound. (I do typically have many small follicles each month until the dominant one is “chosen” but I thought this was normal). I have been TTC for 4 months, with no medication. I have a bit of light facial hair but attributed that to just getting older. My blood sugar is fine, not overweight, no acne, no hair thinning, etc. One thing though is my LH/FSH ratio this month is 1.7:1. With this and having a cyst I am now wondering if I have PCOS? Is it possible to have while ovulating every month?
Thanks,
Nicole
——————
Dear Nicole,
Thank you for contacting Insulite’s PCOS Support blog. Your ratio is not very elevated. Often with PCOS there is a ratio of 3.0 or greater. The cysts on the ovaries seen with PCOS are often what is referred to as a string of pearls because there are many small follicular cysts.
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. You may have already had these lab tests done, but the other blood tests to consider are:
- 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.
- Fasting glucose or 2-hour post-prandial glucose test- elevated in PCOS. Using this information in combination with the insulin levels 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.
- 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).
Also consider testing prolactin, thyroid panel, progesterone and estrogen to rule out other hormonal imbalances that could affect fertility.
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 23 years old, 5’7″ and weigh about 52 kilos and this means i am a bit underweight. i have been diagnosed with PCOS and have excess hair growth but i also have regular periods that are almost like clockwork, with no heavy bleeding or pains.I have always been underweight and my current lifestyle is kinda not allowing me to exercise regularly. i am a little confused because my symptoms are much unlike the regular cases.. kindly help
Dear Dipika,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
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 (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
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 was told I have PCOS, I am 30 yrs old, 5’3 and 115lb, I have a period every single month every 30 to 31 days, I have been trying to get pregnant for the past 5 yrs wih no luck,I was on clomid and even tried IUI, my progestrone levels were always really high. My dr gave me Metforim, but I have not been good at taking it because I don’t like the side affects. Is there any other medicine that is just as good as Metforim?
Dear Joni,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
I am sorry to hear about your difficulty conceiving. We do hear from many other women that don’t like side effects with Metformin and have tried other fertility treatments. 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.
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
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 iam 30 now been to gyni 3months ago when he told me ive got pcos but yet i have none of the simptoms i have regularly periods littl bit of period pain for the first day no heavy bleeding normal weight. i am trying to get pregnant this is the first month i have not been getting my period yet the pregnancy test show im not pregnant
Dear Elzanne,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
Do you know what the doctor based his/her diagnosis on… lab tests like an ultrasound, blood sugar, fasting insulin, hormone tests (DHEA-S, LH, FSH)?
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.
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.
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 am 6’1″ and weigh about 130 lbs. So, I am tall and skinny, but have been diagnosed with PCOS. I had my first child naturally, but then while trying to get pregnant again was diagnosed with PCOS. It took 5 years, but we did get another baby and since then have had two more (4 total). The last 3 were all conceived using lots of clomid and IUI’s. A huge blessing. So, my question is this. My doc. didn’t do ANY test to diagnose my PCOS, though I believe it is true that I have it. I don’t ovulate, I have skin tags, hair issues, other probs,and lots and lots of cousins who also have it…but my question is about my period. I don’t have a lack of period, quite the opposite in fact. Ever since I started my period, at almost age 17, I have bled non stop. I bleed for months on end, then have a few days break, then continue to bleed. The only thing that regulates it is super high doses of birth control, or surprisingly, clomid. I am also confused about the insulin resistance. Perhaps I need to do more research, but what side affects would this cause in a thin woman? How do I find out if I have it? And what is the course of action? I had my 4th baby 5 months ago, and now that I am not pregnant all my “issues” are coming back. I am nursing my baby but I feel that my hormones are way outta whack, and I’m trying to figure out what I need to do. (Just not feeling good, lack of appetite -common for me, other probs) Any help you can offer? Thank you so much.
Dear Cjha,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
I understand your concern about losing more weight. We have had several thin women using the Insulite PCOS System and they have not written to us complaining of this effect.
The dietary guidelines are flexible enough that you can adjust the caloric intake to meet your needs to sustain your weight. If you would like guidance to help you gain weight, we might be able to help with that too.
The nutrients themselves will not make you lose weight. If you find that you are having difficulty maintaining your weight while using the Insulite PCOS System, please contact us right away so that we can help you with that.
Here is a link comparing lean and obese women with PCOS (lean women found to hyper-secrete insulin):
http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/89/6/2942
Here is a link to a 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
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.
We recommend that women not use the nutrients in our System until they have stopped nursing. 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. (In fact most supplements and many medications are not tested in these populations.)
We strongly encourage our customers to keep working on the carbohydrate reductions and exercise plan, as these recommendations are both safe for pregnant as well as nursing mothers. Just make sure to eat enough calories to sustain lactation! A Lactation Consultant or La Leche League group (www.llli.org) can provide guidance if needed.
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 am 21 yrs old,5″4, weighin only 105 lbs which means i am underweight.wen i was diagnosed with pcos i was weighing 99lbs n was stressed out cuz i had recently lost alot of weight.i dropped from 108lbs to 99lbs.this was more stesful n i had a hard time acepting the diagnosis.since i am underweight, i am currently tryin hard 2 gain some weight, against the advice of my doctor who asked me not to worry about my weight. basically my family comment alot about my dropping weight n it stresses me out.slowly but surely am gainin the weight back. i was told dat i have a total of about 24 cysts-12 to 14 in one ovary and 10 to 12 in the other ovary. i also have hirsutism n it i very embarassing.my doctor prescribed yasmin which has helped with the hirsutism, but am starting 2 worry about it side effects so am thinkin of having her change my pill. am wondering why i got pcos n i am so underweight n is it causing me to be underweight cuz i find it so hard to gain weight n keep it on. also, shud i change the pill even though its wrkin well n i hav had no known side effects while on it?i also constantly worry about the possibility that i may become infertile.
Dear Bien,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
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
If you have a family history of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, if you have cravings for carbohydrates or sweets, if you have skin tags or acanthosis nigricans (dark patches on the skin, especially in the armpits) I would be more inclined to think there is a component of insulin resistance in your case.
We have had customers with Lean PCOS on the Insulite PCOS System with success.
About the Yasmin, we do not recommend oral contraceptives because they are synthetic hormones that mask some of the symptoms of PCOS rather than fixing the problems. Treating absent menses 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 for inducing menses. Of course if you are using the Yasmin 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!
We do not anticipate any drug-nutrient interactions in terms of impairing the efficacy of the Yasmin or the Insulite PCOS System if you do elect to continue taking the birth control pill.
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.
just wondering if you guys have any info on hyperthyroid and pcos. this is what brought me to this page.
i have been suffering with depression, pcos, and hyperthyroid for about 6-7 years now. i realize most people have hypothyroid. can it be possible to have hyperthyroid cause symptoms that appear to be pcos but are not… or maybe i am lean pcos due to having both issues.
i’ve been wanting to consult a doctor but i have to wait for insurance again in a few months.
Dear Melanie,
Thank you for contacting the PCOS Support Blog.
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.
If you have a family history of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, if you have cravings for carbohydrates or sweets, if you have skin tags or acanthosis nigricans (dark patches on the skin, especially in the armpits) I would be more inclined to think there is a component of insulin resistance in your case.
We have had customers with Lean PCOS on the Insulite PCOS System with success. You could certainly try the System. I do want to let you know we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If for some reason, the system does not work for you, Insulite Laboratories offers a 90 day money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with the Insulite System, we will refund your original purchase price for up to 90 days. (Excluding shipping and handling)
You just might want to pay close attention to your blood sugar in the first few weeks on the System, to make sure it does not drop too low. You can monitor blood sugar with a home glucometer (blood glucose meter) and by watching for symptoms of low blood sugar such as: headaches, feeling faint or dizzy, feeling clammy or sweaty, trembling and hunger. These symptoms are relieved by eating.
The dietary guidelines are flexible enough that you can adjust the caloric intake to meet your needs to sustain your weight. If you would like guidance to help you gain weight, we might be able to help with that too.
The nutrients themselves will not make you lose weight. If you find that you are having difficulty maintaining your weight while using the Insulite PCOS System, please contact us right away so that we can help you with that.
In general most women with PCOS may have an issue with hypothyroid rather than hyperthyroid. In regards to the safety of using the supplements with hyperthyroidism my only concern with be the adrenal glandulars found in the InsulX (one of the supplements). The glandular is used to support your adrenal glands, which is often taxed in any chronic conditions. However, it does have a slight chance of increasing ones metabolism, which is something we don’t want to happen with hyperthyroidism.
I hope this is helpful! Please write in again with additional questions.
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
Can I still have PCOS if I’m thin and do not have insulin resistance? I’ve had bloodwork done and the doctor says it looks good – cholesterol, glucose, and insulin levels are very normal. I do suffer from the occasional cystic acne on chin before periods. Is this related to PCOS? On an ultrasound, it said that my ovaries looked probable polycystic. The doctor is not sure I have the disease now because my blood work looks normal, but my FSH: LH ratio is off (my LH is a lot higher 2.75:1 instead of 2:1). I was suffering a lot of stress that month, so I will try to get re-tested now that my hormones have hopefully balanced out. Is it possible for me to have PCOS without being insulin-resistant and being thin?
Dear Vicky,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
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
If you have a family history of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, if you have cravings for carbohydrates or sweets, if you have skin tags or acanthosis nigricans (dark patches on the skin, especially in the armpits) I would be more inclined to think there is a component of insulin resistance in your case.
Keep in mind that while the labs usually state the normal range for fasting insulin is somewhere between 0-20, we find that results greater than 9 or 10 indicate insulin resistance. For the post-prandial insulin test, results over 25 or 30 may indicate insulin resistance. Even in women who don’t have frank elevated insulin, research shows that in women with PCOS their ovaries tend to be more sensitized to the effects of insulin.
Your acne could be related to PCOS. Not everyone with PCOS has ovarian cysts. I would suggest re-testing the LH:FSH ratio. Also, were DHEA or testosterone tested? Right now it doesn’t seem clear whether or not you have PCOS. The ingredients in the Insulite PCOS System are safe and non-toxic, but of course we would not want somebody to be taking these or any supplements needlessly. Let us know what the testing reveals.
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.
Sorry, I’d also like to add to the above comment that I get periods every month and only missed one month, where I had light spotting, due to stress (I’m 30). Other than that, my periods have always been regular.
Hello! I am desperately searching for answers/advice. I am 22 years old, 4’11 and 102 lbs. I’ve never been overweight but I have always had a lot of body hair and some acne/large pores on my face/oily skin. I’ve always thought I had a hormone problem and I also have irregular periods and my hair looks like it’s thinning/shedding which makes me think I have PCOS. I’ve been tested for diabetes and they say everything is fine as well as my thyroid checked. I got a pelvic exam/pap smear recently and didn’t get the results yet but I mentioned my concern about my hormones and also how intercourse is painful and my periods have made me feel like my pelvic area is congested. Sometimes I can’t even walk the pain is so bad, and I get clots and severe gas. I’ve heard it could be endometriosis but the only way to know for sure is invasive surgery.
I’m not sure where to go from here to figure out if I have PCOS and/or endometriosis. All my GYN did for me was prescribe me Lutera birth control pills saying it would help the pain, which I have not taken yet because I do not want to take until I get my hormones tested. I feel like the doctors don’t take my concerns seriously. I’m still having pelvic pain when I’m not on my period and I feel like I have discharge congestion/clots if that makes sense? I’ve been tempted to take the birth control pills to avoid to pain later this month, but I don’t want to gain weight or have worse symptoms–and I’d really prefer to do this a more natural way.
What are natural ways of helping PCOS if I were to be diagnosed with it? Would it be safe to try Chasteberry instead of birth control to regulate my hormones and help with the pain? Also, if I were to have endometriosis as well, does that make treatment with little side effects for me even more complicated?
Thanks so much if you can give me some answers
Dear Kay,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
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 decide to use birth control to prevent pregnancy, you will need to find an alternate form of contraception (condoms, diaphragm, etc.). 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.
It does sound like you have many symptoms of PCOS and possibly endometriosis. It will be interesting to see what the tests show. Not all women with PCOS have ovarian cysts, so if you pelvic ultrasound is clear of cysts this does not rule out PCOS. 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
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 does contain chaste berry, also called Vitex.
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.
Hi,
I’ve had pcos all my life, i’ll say few months after i started my perios around age 13…i started experiencing irregular periods….sometimes for as long as 6months. When i was 21, i started using birth control…and it was regulated….i stopped using birth control since i was 22 because my fiance and i wanted to have a child before getting married..i’m 23 now and i’m about 7-8 weeks pregnant(still not sure how far along i am because of the irregular period,my last LMP day 1 was july 29, and i took the pregnancy test october 8th just out of curiosit. I already went in for an ultrasound and it showed that the fetus or embryo is about 0.63cm long, waiting to see the doctor to know exactly how far along i am). I am worried about the pregnancy, dont want to miscarriage and dont want any complications. also i weighed about 118 to 120lbs before i got pregnant, now i weigh 125lbs. Any advise, help or comment will be appreciated.
Thanks
Dear Bisi,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS support blog.
First, I would like to congratulate you on your pregnancy. However, many of us on the blog understand your concerns. I am hoping by now you have seen your doctor again and that they have given you more information on how far along you are, at this point.
Depending on how far along you are, the weight gain that you have experienced so far may not be a big concern. Remember there are hormones changing that also contribute to this.
As far as what you can do to, most importantly talk to your doctor about any potential risks that they feel may apply to you. As you know, the miscarriage rate is higher in women with PCOS, but this does not mean that it will be your experience. There are many women who have successful, healthy pregnancies.
Your doctor can do some tests to see if there is any need to add in some supplemental progesterone. Progesterone supplementation would depend on your levels of progesterone. Many women with PCOS do have lower levels of progesterone and supplementation would be helpful if that is the case. If you use it, I would recommend making sure it is a natural, bio-identical form of progesterone (Prometrium). Women respond much better to this than the synthetic forms of progesterone.
Progesterone is safe in the beginning of pregnancy and in fact is prescribed by many doctors for maintaining pregnancies. The placenta is not functioning in the beginning and only fully functions at week 10 or so. At 3 months some people are on progesterone to compensate for lack of placental progesterone but then can be weaned off safely.
Your doctor will also be doing some other tests and with a history of PCOS, they may start doing a glucose test earlier to be sure that levels are within a healthy range and that you stay there.
In addition, stress reduction, exercise, and eating a healthy diet should still be a part of your daily life as these all impact your body. Foods should focus on lean protein, healthy fats and lots of colorful veggies. Exercise will help to keep your metabolism up and will help with managing weight. Although, a “diet” and weight loss should not be a goal in pregnancy.
Bisi, I hope that this helps. Please keep us posted on how you are doing. We wish you a very healthy and safe pregnancy.
–
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,
Thank you in advance for your time and advise. Really appreciated. am 33 years old and I am size 00 very skinny, not extra hair at all and I just to have period problems when I was a teen ager but now I have regular periods of 35 days. I have no visible PCOS symptons except I am lately loosing hair. I went to different doctors and my last visit to the doctor told me that I have some thyroid problems and hormonal problems that she could see little cyst on my right ovary and on my left ovary I have a 4and1/2 inch long cyst. She told me that I have PCOS. I know I have not ovulated in the last 6 months because I bought several ovulating test. I am so scare. I am 33 and can’t get pregnant. The doctor want to do a laparoscopy to remove the ovary but I know this can cause scars and make ovulation more difficult. I have never taking any hormone pills not even birth control. I am for the first time taking Vitex and Milk Thist which are natural capsule to help me control hormones and detox and had my period this month on the 27th day instead of my normal 35. I always read that women that have PCOS get pregnant after loosing weight but I can not afford to do so I am too skinny already and feel very scared. What its the best treatment that you recommend? Thank you, Flor
Dear Flor,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
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.
I understand your concern about losing more weight. We have had several thin women using the Insulite PCOS System and they have not written to us complaining of this effect.
The dietary guidelines are flexible enough that you can adjust the caloric intake to meet your needs to sustain your weight. If you would like guidance to help you gain weight, we might be able to help with that too.
The nutrients themselves will not make you lose weight. If you find that you are having difficulty maintaining your weight while using the Insulite PCOS System, please contact us right away so that we can help you with that.
Here is a link comparing lean and obese women with 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
Women with PCOS may be able to improve their fertility by 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.
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 will also be important to balance your thyroid function.
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 am 27 yrs old, married having pcod and jst dignosed hypothyrodism TSH=14.2. Thin, height 5’3″ 44kg wt.
didnt have periods regularly, and wen it comes with seviour pain in stomoch.
plz guide for preganacy.
Dear Mrs. Shakala,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS support blog. First let me apologize for
the delay in my response.
I hope that you have been finding the blog and our forum useful. If you have
not yet visited the forum, please do: http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/forums/index.php
It sounds like there is a lot going on right now. As you know, PCOS can
affect fertility and working to help balance the hormones can help increase
the possibility for conceiving. In addition, having a high TSH, indicating
an under-active thyroid gland, can also reduce fertility.
However, this should become more balanced since it was found and I imagine
that you have been prescribed thyroid hormone (Synthroid, Armour, etc.).
In addition, have you spoken to your doctor about the pain you experience
with your periods? If not, I would do so. There are many women that experience
painful periods with PCOS. This can be due to cysts that may be present on
the ovaries or from missing periods and/or periods becoming heavier.
I see that you wrote in under the heading “Thin With PCOS: “How can I have
PCOS if I’m not overweight?”” and you did not specifically ask any questions
regarding this but I wanted to include some information.
Many doctors and women think that they have to be over-weight to be
diagnosed with PCOS and that the average weight woman is not going to get this
diagnosis. However, when a woman is trying to conceive, PCOS should be
considered regardless of weight. And in both cases, insulin resistance is
often the underlying cause.
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
As you know, there are women with PCOS that have children. However, having
PCOS may make it more difficult.
PCOS is a major cause of infertility. A symptom of the condition can be nine
or fewer menstrual cycles per year or irregular periods. Because women with
PCOS don’t have regular periods, many are unable to become pregnant. To read
more about PCOS and infertility please visit the following link:
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-and-Infertility.php
Women with PCOS may be able to improve their fertility by improving the
insulin resistance that underlies PCOS.
The Insulite PCOS System 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 can 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
and/or ovulating 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 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.
Mrs. Shalaka, I hope that this helps provide you with some useful
information and gives you an option for optimizing your fertility. 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.
Hello,
I am 23 years old, 5″2 and weigh 110lbs. I have recently been diagnosed with PCOS. I am not bothered much by the syndrome; however, I have had some severe bloating ever since my periods have been irregular. I was wondering if the bloating is due to the PCOS. The doctors have ruled out larger issues and have run all kinds of tests. I’m not overweight, so I don’t think I have insulin resistance, but I’m just not sure. Any help?
Thanks!
Dear Brittney,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog. First, let me apologize
for my delay in response. We are usually much more efficient at getting
back.
I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. Since the doctors have ruled
out more complicated or serious causes of the bloating, it can be due to
PCOS. Since you have noticed it more with the irregularity, trying to get
back on track with your periods should help.
Just because you are not overweight does not rule out insulin resistance.
However, having PCOS does not make it true, either. But the likelihood
increases that you are either insulin resistant or that you are more
sensitive to your own insulin.
The reason I ask, is that 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.
I just posted this for another women but want to include it here as well.
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
If you are not sure, you can ask if the fasting insulin was done or if they
can perform the test.
Also, if you are addressing the PCOS, you should see the bloating change as
well. I would recommend checking out the Insulite PCOS System. This is a
comprehensive approach to PCOS that addresses the hormone imbalance to help
regulate your cycles as well as helping to reduce other symptoms that can be
associated with PCOS. If you are interested, please visit
http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/ or you can feel free to write in with any
questions or concerns.
–
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.
My 15 year old daughter has been diagnosed with PCOS following a recent scan. She has only ever had one period at the age of 13 years old and not had one since. She does not have any other classic signs, she does not have facial/thinning hair or suffer from acne and is not overweight. She is 5’5″ tall and a very healthy 8 stones and dress size 8/10. She eats very healthily has a good appetite and takes regular exercise. The doctor initially suggested that she go on the pill but was then decided that she was at risk due to headaches so the GP then decided against it? My daughter is quite stressed about it and says she feels like a “freak” when all her friends are talking about their periods and she is too embarrassed to tell them. Her GP has decided to do nothing and told her to come back in a few years time if and when she decides she wants to become pregnant.
Dear Lorraine,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS support blog. I am sorry to hear about your daughter’s diagnosis. We understand how difficult this can be for everyone involved. Unfortunately, many doctors only look at this as a fertility issue but that is not the case. Having PCOS increases risks for cardiovascular disease and developing diabetes.
But it is a relief that your daughter is not experiencing many of the symptoms of PCOS. As you will learn or have learned, women with PCOS can have a few symptoms or all symptoms. And about 50% of women with PCOS are not overweight.
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
It is also important to have a period and many doctors will recommend using progesterone (Prometrium, a bio-identical progesterone) to bring on a cycle to thin the lining that is is not shed with a monthly period. But this is one of the many symptoms that the Insulite PCOS System addresses. It can help to regulate her period along with helping the hormone balance.
Basically Lorraine, we are not sure how your daughter will be affected other than what we know right now.
However, I have worked with many, many women with PCOS with many different symptoms but I do feel that it should be addressed and the sooner your daughter understand how this can impact the better equipped she will be to do her best to have control over how it affects her.
Our goal is to optimize the health of women with PCOS in order to help them reach their goals, reduce risk of further progression of this condition and reduce the many ways that their body can respond with increase in symptoms.
Lorraine, I hope that this provides you with some helpful information. Please feel free to write in at any time.
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,im 5″2,105 pounds,im 23..i have always had regular periods since i was 13,i missed one period last monthes,i got 2 scans that showed nothing,then a 3d scan that pco..i dont have any of the symptoms at all,so what to do to achieve pregnancy,thnx alot
Dear Heidi,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
The synthetic hormones in birth control pills have been shown to decrease insulin sensitivity. Since PCOS is believed to be caused by insulin resistance, it does not seem like an appropriate treatment for PCOS. 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.
The high levels of excess insulin seen with PCOS can stimulate the ovaries to produce large amounts of the male hormone testosterone, which can possibly prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg each month, thus causing infertility. Because women with PCOS don’t have regular menstrual cycles, many are unable to become pregnant. With help, however, many PCOS sufferers conceive.
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
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, Im 24 Years old, 163cm, 55kg. I am a healthy active person that dislayed no symptoms of PCOS untill last month when I had stomach cramping, after an ultrasound and examination I have been diagnosed with PCOS. I have been on the pill for over 10 years now. Could this of been a cause as I tend to skip my period quite freqently by choice. Also I am quite concerned about infertility.
hi i am 21 and have been diagnosed with pcos i am really confused and more than that scared…i am not overweight and do not have diabeties. my periods are regular as well….i do have a little bit of pimples but not severe and do have facial hair….this is the first time i have take an oral contraception pill….can PCOS be cured? will i have to be on the pill all my life?? can i not get pregnant ?
Dear Kriti,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog.
I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis and know that it is not easy to understand how this happened, why, what does it mean, etc. But there is a lot of information that can help you understand these and more.
As you will see there are many women that do not fit the “typical” pattern for PCOS. Often doctors and even women expect that a woman with PCOS will be overweight, not have periods, have hair loss, excess facial and body hair, acne, infertility, etc. However, many women are not overweight, some will have periods but not be ovulating leading to the development of cysts, and/or have more of an androgen dominant picture. This means that certain hormones such as testosterone, DHEA-s present as the dominant picture leading to excess facial and/or body hair, acne, infertility.
It is also important to understand that even though you are not overweight, you may still have insulin resistance. This is most commonly associated with leading to PCOS. So in order to help reduce symptoms, it is important to not only address the hormone imbalance but also the insulin resistance , which contributes to disrupting the hormones.
Now, is this curable? Great question and I 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. In my experience, it is more a managed condition with attention paid not only while you reduce symptoms but that you will need to continue to be diligent at making some positive changes to decrease the effects of PCOS.
Regarding birth control pills to control PCOS, in general, 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. We have developed a comprehensive, non-pharmaceutical approach to addressing PCOS. It is called the Insulite PCOS System. 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.
Regarding pregnancy, at this time we are not sure how it will affect your ability to conceive. There are many women with PCOS that have children, however, PCOS is a leading cause of infertility. Balancing hormones can certainly help support ovulation.
You can read more about the PCOS System at http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/. You may also be interested in some of the support/educational links from our website: http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/Insulite-PCOS-System-Support-Links.php.
I hope that this helps and gets you started on your journey. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns that we can help with.
–
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,
I am 24 years now. I had a short history of irregular periods for which I took metformin and Estrogen. since then my periods are regular. I am thin/normal (53 Kgs and 168 centimeter). But what worries me alot is the extra hair, they are not too much on the face but they are growing on my belly and inner side of my tighs. I am afraid of touching them so that they don’t increase. I also Know I never had such a case in my father’s or mothers family history. No Insulin intolerance or case of diabetes. but these hairs are driving me CRAZY! Also my doctor was not so sure about the diagnosis, as my hormonal levels were normal. Could my problem be something other than PCOS? If yes what is that and is there a remedy?
Thank you in advance.
V.N
Dear Venus,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog. 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):
HYPERLINK “http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/89/6/2942″ 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: HYPERLINK “http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1993.tb02144.x” http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1993.tb02144.x
If you have a family history of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, if you have cravings for carbohydrates or sweets, if you have skin tags or acanthosis nigricans (dark patches on the skin, especially in the armpits) I would be more inclined to think there is a component of insulin resistance in your case.
The excess/unwanted hair that currently exists may have to be removed via laser, electrolysis, etc. However, as your insulin resistance reverses and your hormones balance, the new hair growth should become finer, less visible. Honestly, we are all different and your body may respond more quickly but this can often be one of the last symptoms to resolve.
We have had customers with Lean PCOS on the Insulite PCOS System with success. You could certainly try the System. I do want to let you know we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If for some reason, the system does not work for you, Insulite Laboratories offers a 90 day money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with the Insulite System, we will refund your original purchase price for up to 90 days. (Excluding shipping and handling)
You just might want to pay close attention to your blood sugar in the first few weeks on the System, to make sure it does not drop too low. You can monitor blood sugar with a home glucometer (blood glucose meter) and by watching for symptoms of low blood sugar such as: headaches, feeling faint or dizzy, feeling clammy or sweaty, trembling and hunger. These symptoms relieved by eating.
The dietary guidelines are flexible enough that you can adjust the caloric intake to meet your needs to sustain your weight. If you would like guidance to help you gain weight, we might be able to help with that too.
The nutrients themselves will not make you lose weight. If you find that you are having difficulty maintaining your weight while using the Insulite PCOS System, please contact us right away so that we can help you with that.
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 26 years of age now. I was diagnose PCOS last December 2010,my OB advise me to take Metformin and Clomid. I had a irregular menstruation (October 3,November 18 and December I don’t have my period and my next period is January 18 then February 17)but I think I have regular period now month of Jan and Feb. What do you think? My weight is normal (53 Kgs and 5’3 ft). Do I need exercise (or go to gym)to help me to conceive??
Thank you in advance and GBU
Cont:::
I mean metformin and folic acid. I tske clomid for 5days only then my ob advise me to maintain metformin and folic acid
Do you think do I need to continue taking clomid with metformin? To help to conceive??
Dear Lyde,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Blog.
You should take the folic acid. It can help prevent birth defects. I can not advise you on whether or not to continue the clomid and metformin. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. These two are often prescribed for women with PCOS who want to conceive. I can tell you about the treatment system we offer. 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, HYPERLINK “http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com” 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.
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
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,
Thank you for responding to all of us struggling with PCOS. Like all women asked questions about PCOS, I have specific question too.
My doctor said that I have mild PCOS. I just got my blood results and my testosterone levels (free and total) are fine. It is close to higher border, but not over it. I did estrogen, progesterone, LH, FSH, prolactin and everything was normal. The hormone which is high is DHEAs. As far as I could research, it is linked with insulin resistance.
I’m thin, 5.3 feet and 106 lbs. I was playing many sports and I’m very active. I’m eating very healthy diet. I’m eating most of the time organic food, I don’t eat sugar or candies etc.
My doctor said that I should not take anything since my results are normal. I ovulated last month and not this month. I’m charting all simptoms during the day, as well as my temperature in early morning, 5:30 pm. But… I still think that I should do something. I have found that Metmorfin (Glucophage) is safe medicine and it can help not just women with PCOS and insulin resistance, but it can help women with PCOS and without insulin resistance.
What should I get done to be sure about therapy, or should I try Metmorfin?
Thank you so much!!!
Dear Nataly,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog. I am happy to
answer your question. But first let me apologize for the delay in my
response.
In my experience, there are so many presentations of PCOS. I have heard
women say that they have mild to severe PCOS, but regardless if you have
three symptoms or 10, it is important to address it…for many reasons, but
one that is important is having PCOS increases risk of developing diabetes
and cardiovascular disease.
In addition, not all women will have abnormal labs. So, I am not sure that
this determines severity. It may be that the activity and nutrition plan are
helping maintain or reducing some of the symptoms or helping with labs. I am
not sure of course but I still feel that addressing the problem will be
useful.
You would fall into the lean PCOS category with what you are explaining.
With problems with either ovulation/fertility we know that hormones are out
of balance. We also know that insulin resistance and having elevated DHEA-s can
also contribute to the problem as you know.
Metformin is used by some to help with ovulation. I cannot say how this
will help or not help. It is our specialty to address PCOS from a
non-pharmaceutical approach. 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 metformin in terms of losing weight and
regulating their menses, but we hear from many women for whom this
medication is ineffective. There are also many women that experience side
effects that can include nausea, diarrhea, etc. I am not sure how you will
respond and it is an option. But, like I said, we use a more comprehensive,
natural approach.
As you may know or are finding out, there are women with PCOS that have
children. However, having PCOS may make it more difficult.
PCOS is a major cause of infertility. A symptom of the condition can be nine
or fewer menstrual cycles per year or irregular periods. Because women with
PCOS don’t have regular periods, many are unable to become pregnant. To read
more about PCOS and infertility please visit the following link:
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-and-Infertility.php
Women with PCOS may be able to improve their fertility by losing weight (if
needed) and improving the insulin resistance that underlies PCOS.
The Insulite PCOS System 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 can also contributes to weight gain, 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
and/or ovulating 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.
Nataly, I hope that you feel as though you have options to chose from and that
you will consider the Insulite PCOS System. 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.
I was diagnosed with pros because I don’t ovulate and many other symptoms. The doctor did some blood test and said that I am not insulin resistance, can that be true. Also if I am not insulin resistance then do I still have a higher change of miscarriage and is there anything I can do to lower this. PLEASE HELP!!!!
Dear Malak,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
The mechanism of PCOS without insulin resistance is still not entirely understood in the medical community. As you may know, many women with PCOS do have insulin resistance, but some do not. Some women with PCOS hyper secrete insulin but do not yet manifest insulin resistance. Furthermore, 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.
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.
Can you write back and let me know what tests your doctors have performed to rule out insulin resistance? The answer to that question enable me to better guide you in the decision of using the Insulite PCOS System in its entirety, or just using one or two components of the System. Our system is designed to balance the testosterone, insulin and other reproductive hormones that impact ovulation. This can improve fertility.
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 am 20 years old. I am thin, 5’5” and 120 lb. I exercise everyday and I am a vegetarian so I have pretty healthy diet. I have no family history of PCOS, still I was diagnosed with PCOS a month ago. I started having symptoms like acne, 10 pounds wight gain around belly area,access facial hair and irregular menstrual cycle.I have little higher but still in range insulin. But my free test. are pretty high. My endocrinologist said that stress can cause this but I am not even that stressed.I am prescribed to take contraceptive pills and Glumetza(for insulin) I DON’T understand what could have caused PCOS ? and is their a solution for it or I have to take birth control pills all my life? Please help. Thank you very much.
Dear Shah,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite Laboratories PCOS Support Blog.
It does sound like you have a healthy lifestyle. There does seem to be a hereditary component to PCOS. Our view on the pharmaceutical treatment of PCOS, including the birth control pill and glumetza, 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, which you may have read about on our website, http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com, consists of five elements, all designed to work together to address PCOS and its underlying cause, insulin resistance.
How long you stay on the Insulite System depends on your progress, on how much weight you need to lose, on your symptoms, etc. We certainly don’t want our customers to have to take the supplements for the rest of their lives! We do however hope that you would continue the healthy lifestyle of the Insulite System with respect to the diet and exercise guidelines. These healthy lifestyle changes can help keep you symptom-free, and also may help to prevent other diseases- such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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 am 23 years old and I found out this montht that I have PCOS. I am about 5.5 and thin. I wouldn’t say i have irregular periods; however, I do struggle with excessive facial and body hair. It took me a month to finally go and buy the drugs my doctor recommemded. Tomorrow I will start taking my contraceptive pills and aldactone…which is suppose to help with hirsutism. My doctor also prescribed vitamin d pills…is my low vitamin d level linked with PCOS?? Everyone on this blog keeps talking about insulin, my doctor and endocronologist didn’t mention is at all…should i be worried?? Please help, I so clueless about all this. I am still walking around in a daze. Thank you
Dear Karen,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog. I first want to apologize for the delay in my response. For some reason, I missed a few of the posts.
I know that you may still be overwhelmed by all of this. But I want to assure you that there is support available and information that can help you understand what is going on and not only what meds are used (and why) but work that you can do to control and manage PCOS.
As you may know by now, you are falling into the category of lean PCOS. And although people will discuss those that are thin and those that are heavy as being different, with regard to PCOS, the weight gain is just one of the many symptoms of PCOS. However, with your symptoms and the treatment they are using, likely you have elevated levels of androgens, such as testosterone, DHEA-s, that are responsible for symptoms such as excess facial and body hair (hirsutism) and acne and thinning hair on the head. In most cases there is a similar root to the problem and that is why treatments varies very little from one person to the next. That is insulin resistance, that you continue to hear about on our blogs, forums, website, etc.
There are studies to support that thin women with PCOS have some level of insulin/glucose dysregulation and why we recommend the same approach when starting the Insulite PCOS System.
So, you may be asking yourself, “why didn’t my doctor test for this?”. And the reason is that many doctors do not test fasting insulin and usually only test fasting glucose. If glucose if fine, they will not mention insulin resistance, however, to know for sure, fasting insulin should be checked. Also, levels of fasting insulin should be below 10 (normal can range from 1-23). In research, above 9-10 is already showing showing signs of insulin resistance. And although your levels may have been checked or may be with in a optimal range (< 10), women with PCOS, who are lean, can definitely be insulin resistant. Weight is not the deciding factor.
The goal the doctors have for you right now, is to reduce androgens. However, what is important is that you also take steps in your daily life to contribute to balancing those hormones, as well.
You can ask your doctor if this test was done and if not, ask for it to be tested. They may not do it but it can't hurt to ask. If you have been diagnosed, they may assume it is true or just focus on the hormones.
Now regarding vitamin D... it is not uncommon to be deficient in vitamin D. However, there is a correlation between lower vitamin D levels and irregular cycles and those that are deficiency in vitamin D are also at greater risk for insulin resistance, elevated glucose levels and other insulin resistant related syndromes (metabolic syndrome). So, yes there may be a connection. So this aspect should be resolved. After you are treated with the vitamin D therapy, you should ask for a retest in about 3-6 months. Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), is the most absorbable form and if you are not taking this for, ask your doctor to change it to D3. The reason I mention this is because the prescription given is D2 (calcitriol). One name brand of a pharmaceutical is ROCALTROL. Vitamin D2 potency is less than one third that of vitamin D3. http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/89/11/5387.full
One link that will also get you started on learning more in addition to the one I am putting below is this: http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/Insulite-PCOS-System-Support-Links.php
I hope that this answers your questions and provides some useful information. Please check out our website, if you are looking for additional options. http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/
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.
Hello,
i am 27 year old. i was diagnosed with PCOS 3 years back. my hight is 5’4 and my weight is 57 Kg. My Doctor prescribed me metformin. and that started regular periods but since last 8 months i am not getting regular periods. and with this i also started getting dark skin patches, hair loss, weight gain. i do regular exercise – like yoga for 20 min and i walk every day for 30 mins. Now i want a baby. I don’t ovulate every month. I am worried a lot about it. what can i do about it? what kind of diet should i follow?
Dear Sheetal,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog. I am sorry your post went
unanswered for this long.
I have had many women report that metformin worked for a bit then symptoms
returned. Unfortunately, it sounds as though you are becoming more insulin resistant.
This was likely the reason metformin was given.
Hopefully during the last 8 months you also started to make nutrition, in addition
to the exercise you are doing. If not, now is the time to really start to commit to
change to control the symptoms and improve your ability to become pregnant
and carry the pregnancy to term.
You should also discuss the changes with your doctor as they may want to do some
tests to be see what has changed or if there is anything else that should be evaluated,
such as your thyroid. It is not uncommon to have an under-active thyroid and
some of your symptoms can also be symptoms of an under-active thyroid.
Briefly, what we recommend to our customers using the Insulite PCOS System,
is a low carbohydrate diet. You would want to focus in lean protein (not high amounts),
lots of non-starchy vegetables (kale, broccoli, mixed green lettuces, green beans,
peppers, artichokes, etc.) and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados, etc.).
Then you can fill in with some whole grains and fruit. More information is available
with the System.
Regarding exercise, if you choose the Insulite PCOS System, we will guide you
through changes to increase the intensity, time and types of exercise. Your
body can be come accustom to the exercise and you may need to change it up a bit.
With what you have mentioned and the decrease in efficacy of metformin, I would
recommend the PCOS System.
PCOS is a major cause of infertility. A symptom of the condition can be nine
or fewer menstrual cycles per year or irregular periods. Because women with
PCOS don’t have regular periods and not ovulating, many are unable to
become pregnant. To read more about PCOS and infertility please
visit the following link:
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-and-Infertility.php
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 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 can also contributes to weight gain, 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
and/or ovulating 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. 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.
The Insulite PCOS System consists of several elements, all designed to work
together to address PCOS and its underlying cause, insulin resistance.
Sheetal, I hope that this gives you more information and you consider the
PCOS System. 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.
Hello, I am 23 years old. I have not been diagnosed with PCOS, how ever I was watching a program the other night on TV about a young girl who suffered from it and couldn’t help but feel a wave of worry when it was mentioned what her symptoms where? Which brought me to your sight hoping to find some further info. I’ve been keeping tack of my periods regularly for a few months now and so far to my knowledge its been pretty good I think, maybe 2 weeks late or a few days off, I’m 60kgs probably a little over wight for my hight but not unhealthy I just got married so I would say i’m just a little to comfortable for my own good hehe. but I do struggle with excessive facial and body hair (Chin,Navel area, cough! bum) my hair on my head seems to be alright though. My husband and I want to try have a baby next year so I’m a little worried, do you think I could have it? Would you suggest I see a doctor and check? Do you think I will have any problems getting pregnant? Can women with PCOS get pregnant? My mam says im hairy because of all the hormone pills she took to get pregnant with me? Could that be a reason? I was 6 weeks premature if that helps? Your reply would be much appreciated, its a great thing you’ve got going here and the fact that you seem to reply to everyone is fantastic! I wish all the women who have written there concerns the best of luck for the future. Thank you in advance, hope your having a lovely day.
Dear Marania,
First let me apologize for the delay in responding.
Well the excess facial and body hair and irregular periods are symptoms
of PCOS. But the fact is you can’t be sure until you are evaluated. What
interests me a bit is that your mom had to use medications to become
pregnant. Does she have symptoms of PCOS or has this been considered
in her case, or was there another reason she was having difficulty conceiving?
PCOS does have a hereditary component.
I do not know if the hormones she used have impacted your symptoms. It is possible
that they did but honestly, I do know.
However, I would recommend that you discuss being evaluated for PCOS,
with your doctor. Based on asking about symptoms, they may proceed with
further testing. Some of the tests include:
- 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.
- Fasting glucose or 2-hour post-prandial glucose test- elevated in PCOS.
Using this information in combination with the insulin levels 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: – 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.
Now, if you have PCOS, it is important to know that there are many women who
have successful pregnancies. We just don’t know who will have a problem
conceiving.
Having some tests can certainly help you determine if this is something that you
will need to address.
Marania, I hope that this helps some. Right now we just don’t know but the good
thing is that you have time to discuss this with your doctor and take steps to
address, if need be.
Please let me know if I can help further. Again, I am sorry for the length of time
without a response to your post.
–
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 just found this website. I have been diagonsised with PCOS. I’m not overweight, in fact I’m at the boarder of almost underweight. I had my blood work all tested and my testerone levels are normal but my insulin and progesterones are too low. I have been put on Metformin and Progesterone pills right now to try and get a regular cycle. Also, I have been diagnosised with hypothyroidism after having my T3 checked. Other drs have always ever tested TSH and T4 but never the T3. What advice do you have? I don’t have all the normal symptoms of hypothyroidism and PCOS.
——————
Dear Kim,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
It is possible that you have both PCOS and hypothyroidism.
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. Often women with PCOS have low progesterone. Did your doctors test your LH to FSH ratio (elevated in PCOS) or do an ultrasound to see if you have ovarian cysts (often but not always present in women with PCOS)?
I hope you are receiving treatment for your low T3. This alone could help normalize your periods. Our Insulite PCOS System is not designed to treat hypothyroidism, but it may help to elevate your progesterone levels and reverse your symptoms 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.
Hi,
I was diagnosed with PCOS this Jan bit I hav has symptoms from atleast 7 years. My symptoms include hairloss, dandruff, mild back acne, prolonged periods(15 days). From Sept 2011, my periods also got irregular (cycle of duration 21-25 days). It was when USG revealed polycystic ovaries.
My blood sugar, HgA1C, insulin, GTT is normal but I have dark patches in underarms and inner thighs. Could I be IR?
LH:FSH ratio is abt 3:1. Elevated testosterone, thyroids are normal. I am lean – 48kg for 5’4″.
Vit. D was 7.2 but I am on supplements now, B12 normal, low ferritin (on supplement)
Diet – vegetarian.
Exercise – it has been a week since I started doing regularly.
Please let me know of your analysis
Thanks
———————–
Dear Swati,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
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
If you have a family history of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, if you have cravings for carbohydrates or sweets, if you have skin tags or acanthosis nigricans (dark patches on the skin, especially in the armpits, which you have) I would be more inclined to think there is a component of insulin resistance in your case. We have had customers with Lean PCOS on the Insulite PCOS System with success. You could certainly try the System. I do want to let you know we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If for some reason, the system does not work for you, Insulite Laboratories offers a 90 day money back guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with the Insulite System, we will refund your original purchase price for up to 90 days. (Excluding shipping and handling)
You just might want to pay close attention to your blood sugar in the first few weeks on the System, to make sure it does not drop too low. You can monitor blood sugar with a home glucometer (blood glucose meter) and by watching for symptoms of low blood sugar such as: headaches, feeling faint or dizzy, feeling clammy or sweaty, trembling and hunger. These symptoms relieved by eating.
The dietary guidelines are flexible enough that you can adjust the caloric intake to meet your needs to sustain your weight. If you would like guidance to help you gain weight, we might be able to help with that too.
The nutrients themselves will not make you lose weight. If you find that you are having difficulty maintaining your weight while using the Insulite PCOS System, please contact us right away so that we can help you with that.
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 just found out about a month ago that I have pcos. I notice the body hair for about a hair and its getting more and more. I have a regular period. Is it possible for me to get pregnant?? Am really worried
Dear Jameila,
Thank you for posting to the Support Blog. I apologize for the delay in
our response.
I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I know that this can be a frustrating
and confusing time. I am glad that you are reaching out with your questions.
At this point, having a regular period is a sign that you are ovulating. And this
increases the likelihood that you will conceive. However, there are some women
that can have somewhat of a regular period but they are not ovulating. If you
are not ovulating, certainly conceiving will be more difficult.
With the increase in body hair, this is a symptom that testosterone levels
may be elevated. This can also affect ovulation.
The short answer is that we are not sure what your chances are to
conceive but I can say that there are many women with PCOS that have
successful pregnancies.
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 may also want to check out the following website regarding
the Fertility Awareness Method: http://www.ovusoft.com/library/primer002.asp
You can read more about how to monitor your fertility signs by reading the book
“Taking Charge of Your Fertility” by Toni Weschler.
In the meantime, I would consider the Insulite PCOS System that we offer. This
helps not only to balance hormones but to also address the underlying cause of
PCOS, which in most cases is insulin resistance. You can read more at:
http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/
Jameila, I hope that this helps. Please let me know if you have any additional
questions or concerns.
–
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.
doctor, im 18 year old girl.i got my first period at 14.last few years i had extreme irregularities in periods.in 2010 i didnt had periods for 6 months.last year it occured like once in 4 months.now i consulted a doctor,and done ultrasound pelvis scan,nd she told i have polycystic ovary.she told me it is due to hormonal imbalance.and also she told to take primolut n and gynaecolin for 5 days.so that i will have periods within a week .and to take dronis 20 from the 2nd of periods .
now i had periods and going to take dronis 20.
doctor my doubt is can these medicines really help me?
.should i have to take these for long time?
dont one can get complete cure from it?
cant i be pregnent in my life if i have this disease?
also doctor when searched online,i found tat one of sympton of pcos is overwieght. but iam extremely skinny and also underweight.my doctor told me tat i should eat more and attain atleast 40kg weight to have periods.but doctor i used to eat a lot ,eats all type of food,at any time and dont do proper excercise.then too iam not gaining weight .most of time i feel weak too.
doctor i am badly indeed of gaining weight coz iam too skinny and i dont want to continue like this.there is no fat in my body although i eat many oily foods.
doctor, i want you to suggest my entire diet plan and type of exercices so as to gain weight and decrease polycysitic ovary
and i also want to tell this,last month one day when i was watching tv ,suddenly my heart beat increased tremendously so tat i can feel it and it remained for 5 minute causing irritation .1st it beats fastly ,then it slowed down and was vibrating.after few minutes it become normal.after tat till now it happened to me more than 5 times.sometimes after lunch,or when waking up from long sleep. but i dont feel it is too serious as iam too young.
kindly doctor please reply me
Dear Dr Heather,
I am 28 years old. My weight is 45-47kg which has been consistent for the past 10 years. My height is about 160cm. I have irregular menses since menarche (15 years old) and the cycle would be once in 2 months or more. I have low bp 90-100/60-70 mmHg and sometimes my bp is normal. I have oily face and I noticed that I couldn’t control my dandruff. I dont think that I have hirsutism but I was not as hairier as now. I did pelvic ultrasound and noted that my left ovary had 17 cyst with 5-7mm in size along the border of the ovary. My right ovary had 7 cyst with about 5-7mm in size situated along the border of the ovary. I have a small Nabothian cyst at the cervix and I forgot other findings about my endometrium but as far as Im concern, it was a normal anteverted uterus. I am not sexually active, not married and I am planning to get married in 2 years time.
I have no other disease and never undergone any surgery.Ive never took any contraceptive pills before.My dad has hypertension.My mom had fibroid and hyperthyroidism.My sister has fibroadenoma.
I need your advice.
Thank you.
Dear Shasha,
Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog.
Did your doctor diagnose you with PCOS based on these findings or are
they containing to evaluate the situation?
Some of your symptoms are certainly suspicious of PCOS. The ultrasound
that was done supports this diagnosis but there are other symptoms, labs
to consider.
Here are a list of tests and symptoms that we use to help with evaluating PCOS.
- 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.
- Fasting glucose or 2-hour post-prandial glucose test- elevated in PCOS.
Using this information in combination with the insulin levels 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: – 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, thyroid and liver function tests, as
these can also be abnormal in PCOS (as well as in many other conditions).
You can certainly try using the System to see if it helps with your symptoms,
even without a diagnosis.
The following is a list of the more common symptoms of PCOS, but note
that not everyone with PCOS experiences all of these symptoms. Some
women may have 2 or 3 of these traits while others struggle with all
of them. Most experts consider that a woman must have evidence of both
lack of ovulation manifested by irregular periods AND signs of excess
male hormones to be diagnosed with PCOS. Some experts also require
the presence of polycystic ovaries (small cysts resembling a string of pearls)
to diagnose PCOS.
1. Weight Gain or Inability to Lose Weight. Other people may not
necessarily gain weight but find that no matter how hard they try,
they cannot lose any weight. Not every woman with PCOS will have
problems with excess weight. In fact, up to half of women with PCOS
are lean. Even lean women with PCOS may struggle with high insulin
levels or insulin resistance, however.
2. Absent or Irregular Periods (Amenorrhea or Oligomenorrhea).
Irregular or absent menses indicate that a woman is probably not
ovulating.
3. Infertility. The high levels of excess insulin seen with PCOS can
stimulate the ovaries to produce large amounts of the male hormone
testosterone, which can possibly prevent the ovaries from releasing an
egg each month, thus causing infertility. Because women with PCOS
don’t have regular menstrual cycles, many are unable to become
pregnant. With help, however, many PCOS sufferers conceive.
4. Excess Hair Growth (Hirsutism). This symptom causes excess hair,
which can be difficult for many women. For most PCOS sufferers, hair
in the mustache and beard areas becomes heavier and darker. Masculine
hair on the arms and leg is also possible, as well as hair on abdomen,
chest or back, together with more growing in the pubic area. High
levels of male hormones (androgens) cause this condition.
5. Thinning Hair. Just as heavier hair growth is possible, so is the
type of hair thinning that many men experience.
6. Acne and oily skin
7.Ovarian Cysts. The elevation in insulin levels 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. These multiple, immature ovarian cysts that are
the hallmark of PCOS are associated with irregular menstruation and
trouble conceiving. Polycystic ovaries are defined as 12 or more
follicles in at least 1 ovary as seen by ultrasound. Note that not
every woman with PCOS has polycystic ovaries.
8. Fatigue. Fatigue is a common symptom that may be related to PCOS in
that insulin resistance can be one cause of reduced energy levels.
Furthermore, many women with PCOS also have low thyroid function
(hypothyroidism) which itself causes fatigue.
9. Other Skin Problems. Skin tags: thick lumps of skin sometimes as
large as raisins can form as a result of PCOS. They are usually
found in the armpits, at the bra line or neck and can easily be
removed by a dermatologist. Darkening and thickening of the skin can
also occur around the neck, groin, underarms or skin folds. This
condition, called Acanthosis Nigricans, is a sign of Insulin
Resistance, the underlying cause of PCOS. Other women with PCOS note
an increase in dandruff.
10. Mood Swings.
11. High cholesterol (Hyperlipidemia) and High Blood Pressure (Hypertension).
12. Sleep Apnea. Women with PCOS have a high risk for sleep apnea.
This may be due to the increased BMI (Body Mass Index) in about half
of women with PCOS. Another possible reason for the increased
prevalence of sleep apnea in people with PCOS is the effects of
testosterone on blood vessels.
The nabothian cyst is not likely related to PCOS, if this is what you are experiencing.
Birth control is not the only option as you may have seen that we offer a non-
pharmaceutical approach to PCOS.
If you are looking for another option, you can certainly contact us and you can check
out our website at http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/.
Sasha, please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns that I may be
able to help with.
–
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.
Dr. Nicole Kellum,
I am 23 years old , 5’10″, 135lbs, and just got diagnosed with PCOS. In addition, my blood tests apparently came back “normal” but I do not know what they tested. The symptoms I have: moodiness (anger), anxiety, depression, hair growth (sides of face, chin, neck, chest, nipples, and navel), fatigue, and very painful and unusually dry intercourse. According to my doctor, I have many eggs, and in one ovary the eggs are circling, and preparing for a cyst.
I am also what many consider an athletic lean build.
I am always in competitive sports and train daily. As to maintain a competitive edge in sports, I eat as healthy as I can. My periods used to be normal, up until five years ago when I got on birth control. Every since then, I have slowly come undone with symptoms.
My doctor prescribed me, in my opinion, way too many drugs: spironalactone 100mg, vagifem (for two weeks), and birth control. I recently stopped the spironalactone due to extreme side effects: dizziness, double vision, fatigue, nausea, and extreme peeing. I am worried that birth control will make things worse. My gut tells me that I need to get off all drugs and get a second opinion on how to treat the underlying cause of this PCOS.
Please help!
Dear Elizabeth,
Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.
I do believe the Insulite PCOS System offers a more comprehensive treatment that is safe and more effective than many conventional options.
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 birth control pills, 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.
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):
HYPERLINK “http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/89/6/2942″ 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: HYPERLINK “http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1993.tb02144.x” http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1993.tb02144.x
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. Nicole Kellum,
I’m 20 years old, been diagnosed with PCOS last year. I did all the hormon tests the doctor requested and showed normal results. What’s confusing is I’v no hormonal imbalance yet I have irregular periods and pretty hairy ”Hirsutism” and i was wondering if i get laser or electrolysis treatment would it still be helpful, in the least will i get permanent results or is it something I have to live the rest of my life.