PCOS and/or Perimenopause?

[Lisa]

Hello, Dr. Heather;

I have had symptoms of PCOS with my very first cycle, age 11, (intense ovarian pain), missed cycles. I have treated it with BCP, as my doctor recommended to me. When the BCPs began causing me to have migraine headaches one week at a time, I knew it was time to change the treatment. I began Metformin, per my Dr. order. I had cycles without the BCP but my hair began thinning excessively. I began searching the web. I stopped taking the Metformin and began high quality supplements. I changed my diet (low-carb., whole foods) I was already a regular exerciser--(I discovered years ago, exercise helps). I continued regular cycles but they included extreme nausea 10 days before I begin to menstruate. At one time I was nauseated as I was ovulating and remained nauseated until the menses began. (I also experienced this nausea while on Metformin during the same time of the cycle.) I cannot tell if this is a PCOS problem or a perimenopause problem. Lack of medical insurance has prevented me from receiving hormonal testing. I am 42 and started having these symptoms for the last 3-4 years, on and off.

I just received my first month's supply of supplements from Insulite, thank you.

Another question I have is in regard to my eleven-year-old daughter. She started her cycles at age 10. She has had 2 cycles that are too close together--20 days and 15 days. Are these symptoms of PCOS? I never had bleeding between cycles, I was mostly anovulatory. She absolutely craves carbohydrates--would rather eat bread than good whole foods. What are your thoughts?

Thank you,

Lisa

[drheather]

Hello, Dr. Heather;

I have had symptoms of PCOS with my very first cycle, age 11, (intense ovarian pain), missed cycles. I have treated it with BCP, as my doctor recommended to me. When the BCPs began causing me to have migraine headaches one week at a time, I knew it was time to change the treatment. I began Metformin, per my Dr. order. I had cycles without the BCP but my hair began thinning excessively. I began searching the web. I stopped taking the Metformin and began high quality supplements. I changed my diet (low-carb., whole foods) I was already a regular exerciser--(I discovered years ago, exercise helps). I continued regular cycles but they included extreme nausea 10 days before I begin to menstruate. At one time I was nauseated as I was ovulating and remained nauseated until the menses began. (I also experienced this nausea while on Metformin during the same time of the cycle.) I cannot tell if this is a PCOS problem or a perimenopause problem. Lack of medical insurance has prevented me from receiving hormonal testing. I am 42 and started having these symptoms for the last 3-4 years, on and off.

I just received my first month's supply of supplements from Insulite, thank you.

Another question I have is in regard to my eleven-year-old daughter. She started her cycles at age 10. She has had 2 cycles that are too close together--20 days and 15 days. Are these symptoms of PCOS? I never had bleeding between cycles, I was mostly anovulatory. She absolutely craves carbohydrates--would rather eat bread than good whole foods. What are your thoughts?

Thank you,

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for writing in. I am sorry to hear how you have been affected. I can only imagine the discomfort you are feeling.

However, I was happy to read that you have done a lot of work already to help your condition, exercise and nutrition are so very important when it comes to addressing a condition like PCOS.

Have you had an ultrasound done at any point to see if there are any cysts on your ovaries? These can cause more pain and nausea/abdominal pain at certain parts of the cycle. This is only one of the many reasons for abdominal pain. You mentioned that the nausea has been on and off, did you notice if anything else changed that may be associated with when you did not and when you did have more nausea?

Because you are not sure of your current hormone status, it will be difficult to determine if they are a reason for how you started to feel over these last few years. Hormone levels when off can cause nausea.

Have any other tests been done at any time to determine if there is any other contributing cause to the hair loss (i.e. thyroid function)?

Nausea is also not uncommon with the use of metformin. Although I do understand that you had this prior to starting the metformin.

Lisa, I will be interested to see how you feel once you get going on the PCOS System. I hope that we see a change in this for you.

Regarding your daughter, it is not uncommon for periods to be a bit irregular in the beginning. But irregluar cycles can be a symptom of PCOS. I think what will be important is to continue to keep track of her cycles and see if they become more regular and watch to see if any other symptoms develop. Because you know about PCOS, you will be a great advocate for monitoring and determining causes for any changes that you see in her.

Since she does craves carbs so much, the changes that you have made and continue to make can benefit her as well. Be sure that she is eating regularly, often we crave carbs more the hungrier we get. So be sure she is getting enough protein and veggies for snacks and with most meals and this can help to displace some of the carbs. Also, be sure that she is active every day, if she is not already.

I hope that this helps a bit. I will be looking forward to hearing how you are doing. And please let me know if i can help.

[Lisa]

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for writing in. I am sorry to hear how you have been affected. I can only imagine the discomfort you are feeling.

However, I was happy to read that you have done a lot of work already to help your condition, exercise and nutrition are so very important when it comes to addressing a condition like PCOS.

Have you had an ultrasound done at any point to see if there are any cysts on your ovaries? These can cause more pain and nausea/abdominal pain at certain parts of the cycle. This is only one of the many reasons for abdominal pain. You mentioned that the nausea has been on and off, did you notice if anything else changed that may be associated with when you did not and when you did have more nausea?

Because you are not sure of your current hormone status, it will be difficult to determine if they are a reason for how you started to feel over these last few years. Hormone levels when off can cause nausea.

Have any other tests been done at any time to determine if there is any other contributing cause to the hair loss (i.e. thyroid function)?

Nausea is also not uncommon with the use of metformin. Although I do understand that you had this prior to starting the metformin.

Lisa, I will be interested to see how you feel once you get going on the PCOS System. I hope that we see a change in this for you.

Regarding your daughter, it is not uncommon for periods to be a bit irregular in the beginning. But irregluar cycles can be a symptom of PCOS. I think what will be important is to continue to keep track of her cycles and see if they become more regular and watch to see if any other symptoms develop. Because you know about PCOS, you will be a great advocate for monitoring and determining causes for any changes that you see in her.

Since she does craves carbs so much, the changes that you have made and continue to make can benefit her as well. Be sure that she is eating regularly, often we crave carbs more the hungrier we get. So be sure she is getting enough protein and veggies for snacks and with most meals and this can help to displace some of the carbs. Also, be sure that she is active every day, if she is not already.

I hope that this helps a bit. I will be looking forward to hearing how you are doing. And please let me know if i can help.

Hello, Dr. Heather;

In regard to your question. I've only had ultrasounds on my ovaries while taking hormone therapy to conceive. The first ultrasound was done diagnostically. There were cysts at that time, even though I was not experiencing pelvic pain.

Even while experiencing the nausea, I have not had ovarian pain. I've had times that my pelvis felt "full" and almost tender when going to sit down, but the pain was always before ovulation, whereas the nausea started only at ovulation or 4 days after ovulation.

Many times my nausea and other symptoms (breast tenderness, fluid retention, heart racing, dizziness, heat intolerance) mimicked signs of pregnancy--I've even bought a few test kits, convinced that I was pregnant.

I guess I'm confused about the cause of it because when I tried to become pregnant in my twenties, I experienced many pseudo-pregnancies that usually ended up without even a menses. (All those symptoms would just abate, and I would feel like I was going crazy).

As for the timing of all this, I began feeling sick like this the second month after beginning Metformin, but I don't think it is related to the medication. After a year of being sick (no insurance, husband laid off), I changed my diet, lost weight and began a more rigorous exercise routine. Miraculously, the symptoms left and I felt better for almost a year before I started feeling bad this past summer. I stopped taking the Metformin last spring. I've noticed in the last three months that the symptoms are decreasing again--but I haven't really changed anything. Yesterday, I started my health plan with Insulitelabs and look forward to positive changes in my health.

I do understand that the supplements I am taking are not responsible for correcting an imbalance of hormones due to perimenopause. Somehow, I feel my doctor would just offer me more BCP or worse yet, HRT. I just don't want to go that route.

If you have any suggestions, just let me know. I don't really know anyone else who experiences these exaggerated symptoms. It would help to know that I am not the only one.

About a thyroid test... I haven't had one in years, but I don't have any other symptoms, dry skin, cold intolerance, anovulation (yes, that's right--now when I get sick after ovulation, I ovulate regularly--isn't that ironic?)

I've heard how years of taking BCP is causing women to experience perimenopause earlier--is this true?

Thank you for your response,

Lisa

[drheather]

Hello, Dr. Heather;

In regard to your question. I've only had ultrasounds on my ovaries while taking hormone therapy to conceive. The first ultrasound was done diagnostically. There were cysts at that time, even though I was not experiencing pelvic pain.

Even while experiencing the nausea, I have not had ovarian pain. I've had times that my pelvis felt "full" and almost tender when going to sit down, but the pain was always before ovulation, whereas the nausea started only at ovulation or 4 days after ovulation.

Many times my nausea and other symptoms (breast tenderness, fluid retention, heart racing, dizziness, heat intolerance) mimicked signs of pregnancy--I've even bought a few test kits, convinced that I was pregnant.

I guess I'm confused about the cause of it because when I tried to become pregnant in my twenties, I experienced many pseudo-pregnancies that usually ended up without even a menses. (All those symptoms would just abate, and I would feel like I was going crazy).

As for the timing of all this, I began feeling sick like this the second month after beginning Metformin, but I don't think it is related to the medication. After a year of being sick (no insurance, husband laid off), I changed my diet, lost weight and began a more rigorous exercise routine. Miraculously, the symptoms left and I felt better for almost a year before I started feeling bad this past summer. I stopped taking the Metformin last spring. I've noticed in the last three months that the symptoms are decreasing again--but I haven't really changed anything. Yesterday, I started my health plan with Insulitelabs and look forward to positive changes in my health.

I do understand that the supplements I am taking are not responsible for correcting an imbalance of hormones due to perimenopause. Somehow, I feel my doctor would just offer me more BCP or worse yet, HRT. I just don't want to go that route.

If you have any suggestions, just let me know. I don't really know anyone else who experiences these exaggerated symptoms. It would help to know that I am not the only one.

About a thyroid test... I haven't had one in years, but I don't have any other symptoms, dry skin, cold intolerance, anovulation (yes, that's right--now when I get sick after ovulation, I ovulate regularly--isn't that ironic?)

I've heard how years of taking BCP is causing women to experience perimenopause earlier--is this true?

Thank you for your response,

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

The nausea may just be due to the surge of hormones that you experience around ovulation.

Regarding the thyroid, you don't necessarily have to have all the symptoms to have an under-active thyroid.

At this point, I would recommend to see how you feel while on the PCOS System. Then if you continually feel nauseous, we can see what other options are available.

I am sorry that I don't have an answer as to the cause and how to change it right now. I hope that you experience less as your progress on the System. Please keep me posted and let me know if I can help.