Dear Lizzie,

Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog.

I can understand your frustration, Lizzie. Unfortunately, there is a large part of the medical community that looks at PCOS as a fertility issue and will only address the problem when a person is trying to conceive. However, we know that PCOS is much more than a fertility issue. Certainly, many women struggle to conceive but in addition to that, there are many other affects that PCOS has on the body that lead to the symptoms.

Birth control can regulate your cycles and can help you to ovulate when removed in the initial months following discontinuation, for some women, but that is not really addressing the problem at the level it needs to be considered.

PCOS is an endocrine problem with effects on the reproductive system. It is the hormone imbalances that impact ovulation, cyst formation, etc. making pregnancy more difficult.

However, what is important is educating yourself about PCOS and all the effects that it has on the body, in addition to the reproductive implications. Having PCOS increases risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well.

The choice to use birth control is certainly up to you. Mirena is an IUD that contains the synthetic form of progesterone (levonorgestrel). I have included a couple links here on different forms of birth control as well as another that explains more about IUD’s.
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/preventingpregnancy/overviewtypesbirthcontrol.html
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/preventingpregnancy/iud.html

I am not sure why your doctor is choosing not to recommend a form of treatment to address the PCOS. But what can be helpful for your current and future health and your goals is taking steps now that can positively impact how you feel and how you are affected by PCOS. I would recommend that you check out the Insulite PCOS System, Lizzie.

This is a comprehensive approach to PCOS that addressing the underlying problem, insulin resistance, as well as helping to rebalance hormones, reduce symptoms, and reduce future risks associated with PCOS. This is a way that you can take control. You can read more at http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/

I hope that this gives you some good information and options. Please continue to visit and participate in the Support blog and let us know if we can help further.
–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.

I am 26 years old and I was diagnosed with PCOS 3 years ago. I was put back on bc and then a year later began to take met and spirolactone. I did lose weight on met but it made me sick. I decided i no longer wanted to take prescription drugs and stopped taking both of them. After stopping, my hair began to thin. I believe it is because my body became dependent on spiro, as I never had this problem before. I have had my testosterone tested and it is really low. I just don’t understand why it would be falling out?? Can anyone help?? I also began taking insulite and love it!!

———————

Hello Jessica,

Thank you for contacting Insulite’s PCOS Support Blog. It’s great to hear that you are doing well on Insulite’s PCOS System!

That is unfortunate about the change in your hair after discontinuing the medications. Has your doctor also tested your thyroid hormone levels? Hair loss can happen for many reasons. Other conditions to consider are hypothyroidism, anemia, extreme stress, vitamin and mineral deficiencies. If it is indeed PCOS causing the issues, the PCOS+ supplement of the Insulite PCOS System will be very helpful because they help rebalance hormones. Also, an omega supplement can help in correcting any essential fatty acid deficiency. Starting and stopping the birth control pill can cause hair loss as well.

The thyroid test is TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and this number should ideally be at 1.0 (or very close by). The range for this test is very broad (0.45- 4.5 or in some labs 5.4). Most women say, “My TSH was normal” because they fall in the range however if you are above 2.5 this confirms that your thyroid is sluggish (a common cause of hair falling out in addition to many other PCOS symptoms).

It can take 6 months to see new hair growth in the form of baby hairs on top of your head or around the margin of your hairline. This is perhaps the slowest symptom to improve on the Insulite PCOS System, so be patient, and keep doing what you are doing. Hopefully many of your other symptoms will start to improve sooner so that your wait for the hair-regrowth doesn’t feel too long!

One final note, stress can have negative effects on our entire body, including causing hair loss. If you are feeling overly stressed, I recommend finding stress relieving exercises like yoga, deep breathing, and meditation.

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.

Hey Sandra. R. – So glad you found our PCOS support blog and that you love it!

In addition to articles and posts, we have a wonderful group of caring & knowledgeable female doctors on our Consulting & Advisory team. If you have any questions or need some guidance about your health – you can post it here for a response or write privately to me, the Blog Editor, and I’ll ensure you get a private response back from the doctors.

Cheers, Catherine L

Hello Emma,

Thank you for contacting our PCOS Support Blog.

Your doctor may be able to recommend a different birth control option. There are many options available for birth control.

Do you want to be on the pill for treating the PCOS or to prevent pregnancy? 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.

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.

I’ve been on BC for the last 9 years. I recently missed a months worth of pills and have now just missed that period and am now wondering if that could affect my remaining ovary, and cause cyst formation in that one month even though I’ve been on BC for so long. Or could I get pregnant (even though protection or the withdrawal method was used) just by missing a months pills even though I have PCOS?

Dear Shantal,

Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog!

A cyst of that size is not common in PCOS. More often than not there are small multiple cysts on the ovaries. It must have been a very frustrating and painful process to say the least. I am glad that you have not had any further complications following the initial diagnosis.

So with that, missing your pills can result in ovulation and if you did ovulate the risk for pregnancy is certainly increased if you had intercourse 2-3 days before or after you ovulated. If you are concerned about pregnancy, you can take an at home pregnancy test. For the most part if you have missed your period, you should get a fairly accurate result at this point. You can talk to the pharmacist and ask for the most sensitive test. The tests measure human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that increases once the fertilized egg is implanted into the uterus. Some tests will be able to detect lower levels of hCG even before your period is due but the level of hCG is still more than is present when a woman is not pregnant.

Also, here is a link to efficacy of different forms of birth control: http://www.womentowomen.com/sexualityandfertility/birthcontrolmethods.aspx.

And a link that discusses efficacy of withdrawal method for preventing pregnancy, as you will see efficacy is significantly decreased to 73% but when used properly can be about 95% effective, as compared to about 99% with the pill: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/birth-control/BI99999/PAGE=BI00038, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/withdrawal-pull-out-method-4218.htm

In addition, if you did not ovulate, there is a chance that a cyst was formed. But I am not sure that it would necessarily grow and rupture as it did in the past and affect your other ovary the same way. Also, if you have resumed the pill this can prevent growth of the cyst. You can always check with your doctor and ask that they perform a vaginal ultrasound to see if that is the case.

I hope that this answers your questions. Please feel free to write in again.

–
Best Wishes,
Dr. Heather DeLuca, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.

Dear Karee,

Thank you for writing into the PCOS Support blog!

This is a great question since birth control pills (BCP) are often recommended to control menstruation for many conditions in addition to PCOS. There are some that have higher amounts of certain hormones (usually progestins, a synthetic form of progesterone) and are known to increase androgenic effects. Androgens as you may already know, are hormones that all women have but can be increased in women with PCOS and often are responsible for symptoms such as acne, excess facial and body hair and male pattern hair loss, etc. The hormones that exert androgenic effects include DHEA-s and testosterone.

Here is a link with more information on which types of birth control have low androgenic side effects: http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm.

However your doctor should be familiar with the effects of different types of BCP’s and be able to help you find a good fit.

It is not that taking both BCP and metformin would interact and these are often how women are being treated. BCP can worsen insulin resistance and it is our goal at Insulite Labs to help women address PCOS from a non-pharmaceutical treatment plan that includes the ever crucial nutrition and exercise components but also helping your body heal the underlying insulin resistance and reducing the symptoms with vitamins/minerals/herbs so that medications are not necessary.

Regarding metformin, it 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.

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 metformin, 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.

In the end, it is really up to you how you decide to address PCOS. I would recommend that you consider the Insulite PCOS System and how it may help you.

Karee, I hope that this helps and gives your more information and choices. Please feel free to write in at any time.

–
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.

Thankful

Dear Katrina,

Thank you for writing into the Insulite PCOS Support blog.

Birth control pills just regulate your period and as you read on our blog, they can actually cause insulin insensitivity.

You mentioned that you would one day find a solution to your PCOS. What I recommend to my patients is different than what conventional doctors might. The foundation of your treatment should include nutritional and exercise changes. If these are not employed, medication will only work while you use it and it may not be giving you the results that you are looking for.

In addition to lifestyle changes, I would recommend the Insulite PCOS System. It includes guidelines for lifestyle changes and also nutrients/herbs that address the underlying cause of PCOS, 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 and insulin resistance also contribute to the formation of cysts in the ovaries in part due to the hormonal imbalances and also because the ovaries are highly sensitive to the influence of insulin. In women with PCOS, the ovaries are over-sensitized to insulin’s effects.

Finally, the weight gain associated with PCOS is intricately related to insulin resistance. Losing weight helps to improve insulin sensitivity, and vice versa: becoming more sensitive to your insulin helps you to lose weight.

The Insulite PCOS System helps to improve insulin sensitivity and promote healthy weight loss 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. You can read more about this at: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com

I hope this is helpful. Feel free to write in again with any other thoughts or questions you might have.

Best Wishes,
Dr. Apryl Krause, ND
Insulite Coaching & Advisory teams

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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

Hello Rene,

Thank you for contacting the Insulite PCOS Support Blog.

You are right being concerned that your doctor is not addressing the PCOS. Your weight gain and absent menses are symptoms of PCOS and could be treated now. Also, since you want to have a child in the near future the sooner you start treating the PCOS the better your chances are of conceiving naturally, without fertility treatments.

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.

Glucophage (Metformin) acts as an anti-hyperglycemic; it reduces glucose thereby reducing insulin levels. It is prescribed to women with PCOS because the condition is caused by insulin resistance.

Some women with PCOS respond well to Glucophage in terms of losing weight and regulating their menses, but we hear from many women for whom this medication is ineffective.

Our view on the pharmaceutical treatment of PCOS is that there is no one drug on the market that will change your condition. The only way to reverse the disorder is to reduce elevations in insulin, which directly affect testosterone and other hormonal changes that are responsible for causing PCOS.

The Insulite PCOS System was created to address the cause of PCOS. With those on Glucophage, we cannot say that we have noticed dramatic results in weight loss, hair growth, acne or other symptoms related to PCOS.

These symptoms can be partially controlled by diet and exercise changes. The addition of nutrients will help you become more sensitive to your insulin and reduce the symptoms of insulin resistance and PCOS.

I hope this information answers your questions. Please don’t hesitate to contact us again with any further questions or concerns.

Best wishes,

Dr. Nicole Kellum, ND
Insulite Laboratories Consulting & Advisory teams

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email
and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose
of being informative. This information is not and
should not be used or relied upon as medical advice.
Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or
other qualified health care provider before you
undergo any treatment, take any medication,
supplements or other nutritional support, or for
answers to any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.

I have recently been having a lot of problems with my birth control, spotting, cramping, and breast tenderness. I was switched brands and i was told to use them for two months to see if it works. I have been looking up PCOS online for a while and i keep hearing about metformin. Is this a good alternative? Does it actually increase the liklihood of ovulation? I would like to have a baby in the near future-not currently trying- so would this be a good choice? The only symptoms of PCOS i expirience are being overwight and an absence of menses when not on birth control.

I would really like your help. Any information is greatly appreciated considering i havent really been informed on anything dealing with PCOS. Thanks

i am lalytha i am a 30 year old women form virginia.I am trying to get pregnant .I have been diagnosed with PCOs when i was 18 . My doctor has put me on birth control pills for 2 years and now i am on diane .Please advice what i can do to increase my chances of pregnancy i have started working out and am overweight .

thanks

Dear Lalytha,

Thank you for writing into the Insulite PCOS Support blog. I’m glad you found our website!

Working out is a good start for you. Another good thing you could do is to limit your
carbohydrate intake. At Insulite Labs we generally recommend between 60-80 grams of
carbs per day for women who are suffering from PCOS. A good thing for you to do is
to get a calorie counting book and start watching your diet that way, in addition to eating
lots of veggies and lean protein.

The underlying cause of PCOS in most cases seems to be Insulin Resistance. With Insulin Resistance, the body becomes insensitive to the insulin it produces, which leads to elevated circulating levels of insulin. This in turn leads to hormonal imbalances such as increased testosterone and other
androgens (male hormones). The increased testosterone is responsible for many of the symptoms such as hair growth and abnormal menstrual cycles.

Elevated insulin also contributes to the formation of cysts in the ovaries in part due to the hormonal imbalances and also because the ovaries are highly sensitive to the influence of insulin. In women with PCOS, the ovaries are over-sensitized to insulin’s effects.

Finally, the weight gain often associated with PCOS is intricately related to Insulin Resistance. Losing weight helps to improve insulin sensitivity, and vice versa: becoming more sensitive to your insulin helps you to lose weight. Other symptoms that women with PCOS suffer from include acne and excess
hair growth.

By exercising and controlling your diet you can increase your chances of becoming pregnant. The Insulite PCOS System might be of great help to you as well. Here is the link link to the area on our website that talks about PCOS: http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com/.

I hope this is helpful. Feel free to write again if you have any more questions
or comments.

Best Wishes,

Dr. Apryl Krause, ND
Insulite Coaching & Advisory teams

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this email and the Insulite Labs website is for the sole purpose of being informative. This information is not and should not be used or relied upon as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment, take any medication, supplements or other nutritional support, or for answers to any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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