Hair loss and Flutamide

[Kate02]

Hi Dr.,

I have been experiencing hair loss for about two years now. This is about the same time I stopped taking Flutamide (a versions of Spiralactone i was told) to control the testerone levels in my body affecting my hair and skin. I've made an appointment to see my Reproductive Endrocinologist to talk about going back on Flutamide and possibly Metformin (i've also been experiencing weight gain and mood problems). I did experience problems on Flutamide with my stomach and am concerned I will have problems on Metformin as well. Money is very tight right now but I want to address the testosterone problem and other imbalances in the right way now. What would you suggest? Do you think the insulite system is better than Flutamide and Metformin?
I do continue to struggle with diet as well. Any advice would be helpful.

Thank you.

Katie

[drsari]

Hi Dr.,

I have been experiencing hair loss for about two years now. This is about the same time I stopped taking Flutamide (a versions of Spiralactone i was told) to control the testerone levels in my body affecting my hair and skin. I've made an appointment to see my Reproductive Endrocinologist to talk about going back on Flutamide and possibly Metformin (i've also been experiencing weight gain and mood problems). I did experience problems on Flutamide with my stomach and am concerned I will have problems on Metformin as well. Money is very tight right now but I want to address the testosterone problem and other imbalances in the right way now. What would you suggest? Do you think the insulite system is better than Flutamide and Metformin?
I do continue to struggle with diet as well. Any advice would be helpful.

Thank you.

Katie

Dear Katie,
Some people taking metformin do experience digestive problems, like diarrhea, as a side effect of the medication. Not everyone has this problem, though. Metformin is often prescribed to women with PCOS to help with weight loss and blood sugar control, and for some people it works great, but others don't notice many improvements.
The reason I like the Insulite PCOS System so much is that it addresses both the underlying cause of PCOS (insulin resistance) and the hormonal imbalance (high testosterone, etc.) using herbs and nutrients rather than pharmaceutical drugs.
Ultimately you will have to weigh financial cost, effectiveness, and your motivation to make changes, as you decide which route to take. If you have health insurance, the Insulite PCOS System will be more expensive in the short run b/c it is not covered by insurance whereas pharmaceutical medications prescribed by your doctor probably will be. I say 'in the short run' because the medications do not actually cure PCOS and so they will have to be used indefinitely; when you stop the medications, often the symptoms will return (as you have personally experienced with stopping the Flutamide).
The Insulite PCOS System, on the other hand, aims to reverse the insulin resistance that underlies PCOS, thereby removing the symptoms. It does so with diet & exercise guidelines along with the natural supplements. Insulite Laboratories does not expect customers to stay on the Insulite PCOS System forever, just long enough to reverse many symptoms and then hopefully just adhering to the diet and exercise portion will maintain those positive health benefits experienced on the full System.
The Insulite PCOS System does require more effort than just taking pharmaceutical medications because diet and exercise are key to improving insulin sensitivity and PCOS symptoms, and achieving optimal health.

You mentioned diet: did you have some specific diet questions? What type of diet are you trying to stick to right now?

I hope this answers your questions, Katie. Best of luck to you and write back anytime!

[Kate02]

Dr. Sari,

I have to admit my diet lately has not be too great. Because of financial stress I've been eating a lot of cheap food. This is something I want to change. I did try a low carb diet before but found it hard to stick to. My motivation with my diet is very low and I feel like I have failed at it many times. This is probably my biggest frustration with PCOS because I enjoy food but feel such guilt about not eating a PCOS diet. If I could stay on a PCOS diet permenantly I would be very happy and I'm sure I would feel better. Can you tell me a little bit about the nutrition guidelines of the Insulite System?

One other question I have is about Birth Control. I am 27 years old and have been on birth control since I was 14 or 15. I'd really like to go off of it and see how I feel. Is this a bad idea? I've been told by doctors I probably need to stay on it until I want to get pregnant. But I'm feeling like I really need to check in with my body and see where my nature cycle is at and try to regulate it natually. I am concerned the birth control is doing more damage to my body than good. Is this correct? Would you recommend I go off birth control and and see how the Insulite system works for me? Thank you for your guidance.

Sincerely,
Katie

[drsari]

Dr. Sari,

I have to admit my diet lately has not be too great. Because of financial stress I've been eating a lot of cheap food. This is something I want to change. I did try a low carb diet before but found it hard to stick to. My motivation with my diet is very low and I feel like I have failed at it many times. This is probably my biggest frustration with PCOS because I enjoy food but feel such guilt about not eating a PCOS diet. If I could stay on a PCOS diet permenantly I would be very happy and I'm sure I would feel better. Can you tell me a little bit about the nutrition guidelines of the Insulite System?

One other question I have is about Birth Control. I am 27 years old and have been on birth control since I was 14 or 15. I'd really like to go off of it and see how I feel. Is this a bad idea? I've been told by doctors I probably need to stay on it until I want to get pregnant. But I'm feeling like I really need to check in with my body and see where my nature cycle is at and try to regulate it natually. I am concerned the birth control is doing more damage to my body than good. Is this correct? Would you recommend I go off birth control and and see how the Insulite system works for me? Thank you for your guidance.

Sincerely,
Katie

Hi Katie,
The Insulite PCOS System diet consists of a whole foods, low carb diet. We suggest limiting carbohydrate intake, in particular eliminating refined carbs like pasta, bread, rice, sweets. Your plate should contain mostly protein and veggies (especially greens). It definitely can be tricky to eat a healthy diet both financially and also emotionally, since we have a lifetime of relying on certain foods for comfort! I think a good strategy is to make changes slowly, and of course not beat yourself up. Just try to make better choices the next time around. If you do much of your own cooking, that will help tremendously with food costs, as prepared & packaged food is so much more expensive than food made from scratch. Insulite Laboratories provides a lot of support to our customers struggling with diet, including recipes and menu ideas. More specific guidelines are provided in a detailed booklet that our customers receive with their first order.

About the birth control pill: this is complicated b/c I'm not your doctor so I can't advise you one way or another about taking a medication. I have to say though that I, too, would be curious about what my cycle would do on its own, without the influence of synthetic hormones. For most women, it is perfectly safe to discontinue taking the pill. The birth control pill does not cure PCOS, it just suppresses the symptoms. The pill does have some negative effects on the body from long term use so I generally don't recommend long term use to my patients. Of course you will need to find an alternate form of contraception if you discontinue the pill and want to be sure to avoid pregnancy! Barrier methods like condoms, cervical cap, diaphragm, or FemCap might work for you.

We do have customers who use the Insulite PCOS System along with the birth control pill, but many other women prefer to stop the birth control pill so they can better assess both what their bodies are doing naturally and what effect the Insulite PCOS System is truly having on their symptoms.
Let me know if you have more questions!

[leslie81776]

Hi Dr.

Last year I was diagnosed with PCOS. I was asked to take Provera. I was not able to come back to the doctor after that. But I still experience very very heavy flows for about a month now.. suffering from abnormal hair loss.. I am about 90kgs., Please help me.. on what to do and what to take.. Im getting nervous to undergo another ultrasound.. Thank u so much

[drsari]

Hi Dr.

Last year I was diagnosed with PCOS. I was asked to take Provera. I was not able to come back to the doctor after that. But I still experience very very heavy flows for about a month now.. suffering from abnormal hair loss.. I am about 90kgs., Please help me.. on what to do and what to take.. Im getting nervous to undergo another ultrasound.. Thank u so much

Hello, sounds like you've had a rough road! I'm not surprised you still have the PCOS symptoms even after taking Provera. Synthetic hormones like Provera and the birth control pill don't really change the underlying cause of PCOS, which is usually insulin resistance. When cells become insulin resistant, they don't respond to hormones normally and can start to produce abnormal levels of hormones like testosterone and DHEA (which are androgens, or male hormones). This can cause the symptoms you describe: hair loss, irregular menstrual flow, sometimes heavy menstrual flow. The insulin resistance is also a major factor behind weight gain, and this is a vicious cycle whereby weight gain can further exacerbate insulin resistance.

As far as what to do and what to take, this is something you should do a lot of research about. Looking at forums like these, where women with PCOS talk about what they've tried, is a good start. Personally I think going the "natural route" is the best path for truly improving PCOS. That means addressing both lifestyle factors (diet and exercise) as well as taking specific herbs and nutrients. You can read all about PCOS and insulin resistance, as well as one natural program for PCOS at www.pcos.insulitelabs.com.

Generally speaking, the best diet to reverse insulin resistance and therefore improve PCOS is a LOW CARB diet! Gradually reduce intake of carbohydrates, particularly refined carbs like bread, pasta, sweets. Most meals should consist of protein and tons of veggies. The Insulite Guide that is provided with the system described in the above website provides many details for diet and exercise.

Some herbs to look into for PCOS include saw palmetto, vitex, flaxseed, and many many more.

There are many medications that can sometimes help control the symptoms of PCOS, but they don't reverse the condition and once the meds are stopped, the symptoms will return. You can discuss pharmaceutical options with your doctor.

I'm not sure if you had other questions, so please write back if you had something specific you wanted me to address.
Take care!