PCOS & Thyroid problems?

[janet1305]

Hello,

My doc told me that given my symptoms, I may have an Underactive Thyroid. I then took some tests which he says confirmed his suspicion. He now has me taking a Thyroid medication.

To make matters worse, I also have PCOS. What are the chances of the thyroid problem causing the PCOS? If I am able to get my thyroid problem under control with medications, will my PCOS go away or will I have it forever?

Anyone out there that has had the same issues please help.

Thanks.
Janet

[Rochie1]

Hi Janet,
I was on thyroid medication for awhile to, but it was because I have thyroid nodules. I've been off it for five or six years now and my thyroid has maintained itself. As far as PCOS, I've been diagnosed with that too. I only have a few signs of it though, acne, facial hair and a dark sploch of skin on my chest. From what I've been finding there is no cure of PCOS, just ways to tame it down through exercise and eating right and maintaining your weight. I've done all of the above, but still seem to suffer from acne and hair growth. It's all very frustrating.

Rochie1

[mentormedic.com]

So Janet ... what is the status of your thyroid and PCOS ...

Would you like to share with us your experience of last few months. This will be highly obliged.

[drandrea]

Hi Janet!

I am glad you found our blog! Dr. Cantrell is away right now so I am answering for her. My name is Dr. Lee. We understand how tough it can be to manage different health conditions at the same time. Thanks for writing in!


PCOS and thyroid conditions may be related but we don’t know for sure. The thyroid gland and ovaries are both part of the endocrine system. If one part of the endocrine system is not functioning right, that has an effect on the rest of the endocrine system. One study on rats that showed the thyroid gland has a direct effect on the hormone receptors on the ovaries.

As naturopathic doctors we believe in looking at the body as a whole in trying to understand the cause of disease. The actual mechanism is not known, but it appears people with hypothyroidism often have insulin resistance. Hypothyroidism slows down your metabolism, and most likely also affects the body's ability to process carbohydrates. For people with hypothyroidism eating carbohydrates can lead to excess blood sugar levels causing your pancreas to release more insulin. Eventually, your cells become resistant to the excess insulin it produces

As you may have read on our website, the underlying cause of PCOS is insulin resistance. Both insulin resistance and hypothyroidism are extremely prevalent in society today. They might be related in that they seem to be related to living in an industrialized society, so that lifestyle (stress, diet, exercise) and toxic exposure could be one underlying factor for both diseases. Aside from that, we have not found a study demonstrating a causative link between hypothyroidism and insulin resistance.

I hope that I have answered your question. The endocrine system can be a very complex thing.

[janet1305]

Hello All, (update)

The thyroid medication seems to be helping. But then again I have been watching my diet too. I followed Insulite's suggestion and slowly reduced my carb intake. It was tough at first, but I got used to it and the cravings for carbs have lessened.

I have lost 20 pounds and feel so much better. My PCOS symptoms have lessened which is a huge bonus.

My guess is that by losing that extra weight my body is in a better condition which then by default has helped with the PCOS symptoms. It all seems to be related in one way or another.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

Regards and Best Wishes to Everyone...

Janet

[drandrea]

Dear Janet-

Congrats on your success!! Losing weight can be a very frustrating but ultimately very rewarding process. By balancing your hormones and taking charge of your health now, you are doing a lot to protect your health in the future as well.

The long-term consequences of PCOS and its underlying cause, insulin resistance, can be quite severe. Insulin resistance is a serious condition and unfortunately is not widely recognized in allopathic or western medicine as such. Insulin resistance is the primary cause of the following disorders and diseases: heart disease, diabetes mellitus, polycystic ovarian syndrome, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels.

Keep up the good work!

[teal]

Is there anyone else on the forum who has thyroid problems (or maybe is related to or knows someone else who does)? There are a number of different thyroid conditions...

[sweetpeahun]

I was diagnosed with hypothroidism about 9 months ago and then they found several cysts on my thyroid so I am on medication as well. I also do the insulite system. I feel alot better than I have in along time. My moods are better, I am very slowly losing weight, and I am still tired but not as bad. I was diagnosed with PCOS about 3 1/2 years ago. i was never put on any meds and I am glad becasue I don't like meds, I would rather do natural stuff.

[clsings7]

About 5 yrs ago I gained 30 lbs in 3 months. I continued to ignore the problem for a year until I finally went to see a doctor. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and given levothyroxin. The medicine has helped keep my thyroid levels ok, but I haven't felt good for all those 4 years after starting the medicine. I have put on a total of 90 lbs. I've tried dieting, but pretty much have to starve myself to lose any weight. By the time I lose weight, I'm getting frustrated and just ready to give up and so I gain the weight back. I'm tired all the time. A lot of the symptoms of PCOS match symptoms of hypothyroidism, so I never once thought about having this. I developed brown spots on the trunk of my body and the tops of my legs about 3 years ago. I never could find anything anywhere on the internet matching those spots. The other day I started to look up endometriosis thinking maybe that's why I was having some issues with my period. PCOS came up as well and I clicked on the link and it brought me to this site. I have almost all the symptoms of PCOS. I don't skip my period, but sometimes it's delayed and most times it's very heavy with clots. I feel like I have finally found what's wrong with me, and I am looking forward to starting the supplements.

[drheather]

About 5 yrs ago I gained 30 lbs in 3 months. I continued to ignore the problem for a year until I finally went to see a doctor. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and given levothyroxin. The medicine has helped keep my thyroid levels ok, but I haven't felt good for all those 4 years after starting the medicine. I have put on a total of 90 lbs. I've tried dieting, but pretty much have to starve myself to lose any weight. By the time I lose weight, I'm getting frustrated and just ready to give up and so I gain the weight back. I'm tired all the time. A lot of the symptoms of PCOS match symptoms of hypothyroidism, so I never once thought about having this. I developed brown spots on the trunk of my body and the tops of my legs about 3 years ago. I never could find anything anywhere on the internet matching those spots. The other day I started to look up endometriosis thinking maybe that's why I was having some issues with my period. PCOS came up as well and I clicked on the link and it brought me to this site. I have almost all the symptoms of PCOS. I don't skip my period, but sometimes it's delayed and most times it's very heavy with clots. I feel like I have finally found what's wrong with me, and I am looking forward to starting the supplements.

Hello and thank you for writing into forum.

It is not uncommon to see these problems come together, and under-active thyroid as well as PCOS. However, it is good that they are managing the thyroid situation as this will only help as you understand what else may be going on.

The brown spots that you mentioned may be what is called acanthosis nigricans and is a sign of insulin resistance. This is also the underlying cause of most cases of PCOS. Addressing the underlying problem will help to prevent further patches and may help with lightening up the others.

I would ask your doctor to evaluate for PCOS, labs, etc. to get a more complete understanding. Some of the tests should include fasting glucose, fasting insulin, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, LH, FSH, and DHEA-s can all be used to evaluate for PCOS. In addition, some doctors will also perform an ultrasound to see if there are any ovarian cysts present.

Please let us know how you are doing and how we can help support you while you are using the System.