Let's talk PCOS

          So let's get away from the love subject for a second and jump into a health topic that I think is very important for women to be aware of: PCOS also known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It's an issue that I've been dealing with for a few years now and I've FINALLY got a handle on it, so I would like to share my information and treatments with women out there who might be struggling and frustrated as well. PCOS, from what I've learned, its not termed a "disease" because there are different ways of diagnosing it and different forms of severity. It's a frustrating topic since many women can have different signs and symptoms, and I don't think that western doctors are able to "treat" it. I took a more holistic approach...
     If you're wondering if you have PCOS, here are some common symptoms that women may experience: weight gain, hirsutism (hair on chin, back, chest), thinning hair or hair loss, acne, difficultly getting pregnant, and irregular or no periods.
     Since all women can have different signs and symptoms with PCOS, I want to talk about MY personal journey with it and what worked for me to get me where I am today.
     In 2012, I thought it would be a good idea to get an IUD placed. I was 22 at the time, not planning on having kids anytime soon, and I had been taking birth control (BC) pills on and off since I was 16 to regulate my periods. So I talked to my OBGYN about this little device...placement was simple, form of contraceptive for 5+ years, easy upkeep, minimal side effects, and lighter periods. TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, right? I had thought so. So I went ahead and got it inserted. Placement was a breeze, some slight cramping and spotting afterwards for about a week, and that was it! I had a few light periods for 2-3 months after insertion and then my periods had stopped altogether. It had seemed like I made the right decision on this form of BC and wondered why I hadn't gotten it sooner....
        Well jump ahead to a few years later..In 2014 I started getting HUGE headaches everyday. Since I worked in the ER, my primary care physician had suggested that I was just stressed from work, but I knew myself and knew that this wasn't the case. Something was wrong. Not to mention that I hadn't had a period in over a year, had gained about 30 pounds, had abnormal hairs growing under my chin and my hair was thinning. I am a pretty tall girl, so 30 pounds on me wasn't THAT noticeable, but was indeed frustrating when I was working out everyday and eating clean...it raised more concerns for me.
        My PCP ended up ordering and MRI for me, in which they thought they had found a tumor on my pituitary, which was the cause for my headaches and referred me to a neurologist. The neurologist said that this was NOT a tumor, but termed pituitary hyperplasia..which is basically an extension of the pituitary which was most likely caused by DAILY HORMONE USE! AH! That dang IUD. So my PCP recommended that I get that little bugger taken out. A week later, I got the IUD removed and thought everything would return back to normal....not so simple.
       Four months later and my periods had STILL not returned. Not even spotting. My OBGYN had suggested that my body was still leveling out and my hormones were out of whack. So her solution (which is the solution for many doctors dealing with patients who have PCOS) was to put me BACK ON THE BIRTH CONTROL PILL. I was against this and said no. I was trying to get away from hormones and be back to normal and natural. I waited a few more months, and on the 7th month of no periods, I caved. I started back on the birth control pill. After starting the pill, 3 months had gone by and I had ONE PERIOD when I should have had 3. I still was not able to lose weight..I even had a trainer that I was working with EVERYDAY. I started running, and nothing worked. I was frustrated and just wanted to be back to normal. That IUD that I thought was so wonderful 2 years ago was now the worst mistake I had made in my life.
     So again, I stopped taking the pill, I was frustrated, hormonal, overweight, tired, sluggish and didn't know what to do. My headaches had resolved, but that was about it! So I started doing some research....and found some forums about IUDs and women that were having the same issues as me! I went back to my OBGYN and told her that I thought I had PCOS, she ordered and ultrasound and sure enough, it showed multiple cysts on my ovaries (polycystic ovaries). This is quite frightening because even though I was not planning on having children anytime soon, my doctor had said that women with PCOS have difficulties conceiving. Her solution again...was to get back on birth control and regulate my periods but I said NO TO WESTERN MEDICINE. Their solution was always pills. In this two year span I also was put on thyroid medication by my PCP because they thought the weight gain was possibly from hypothyroid. I was sick of being on all these medications and I was only 24 years old!
     MY SOLUTION: I threw out all of my medications and started doing my own research on holistic approaches for PCOS. My forums that I read suggested acupuncture as a remedy for the absence of menstrual cycles. I questioned acupuncture (and was also afraid of needles), so I skipped that solution for now. The next best solution was cinnamon pills! Many women with PCOS have insulin issues and cannot process large amounts of carbohydrates. The cinnamon regulates blood glucose and helps with insulin resistance. This finding was SO INTERESTING to me because I had noticed that when I did eat carbs, I would get EXTREMELY tired afterwards. Hmmmm, maybe it's because I had an issue with insulin resistance and blood glucose! Possibly. So I went to walmart, got a bottle of their cinnamon pills (pictures will be added below), and started taking them. I take 3 pills (1500mg) in the morning and I also decided to cut out gluten. If I HAD to have things like pasta, I would make gluten free pasta at home which surprisingly tasted great! So after a few months of the cinnamon pills I felt great (or better than I once did), but still no periods. This means that I had ONE period after about 10 months. I decided to look up an acupuncturist. I found one and made an appointment. At my appointment, I told him my issues that I was having and we continued with the acupuncture treatment. It wasn't THAT bad, even though I don't like needles. It was actually quite relaxing. It cost $95 for the first session and $75 for each session after that. He suggested that I come back a week later and then about every 2 weeks after that. So, I scheduled my appointment for the next week and went along my day..
     A WEEK TO THE DAY, and the morning of my next acupuncture appointment, I started my period. I was absolutely shocked. Was it the acupuncture? Was it the cinnamon pills? I don't know, but I continued with everything that I was doing. I went to about 3 acupuncture sessions, and continued with the cinnamon pills. Sure enough, about every 30-45 days I was getting SOME KIND of menstrual cycle. Some months were better than others, but I was happy.
     That brings us to a few months ago, back in December. I was about to start nursing school and DID NOT WANT TO HAVE CHILDREN, but also didn't want to even think about touching birth control. I had a new OBGYN at this time and talked with her about it. She suggested an IUD, I said no and told her about my experience, but then she told me there was an IUD with NO HORMONES that lasted for 10+ years as contraception and would not mess up my hormones. I was hesitant on the idea...So I went home and researched it and liked what I found! I scheduled my appointment and got the Paraguard IUD (copper IUD) inserted.
     Here we are today. A long frustrating journey, but I am back to having normal menstrual cycles, I have contraception in place and really no other side effects that I've seen yet! I am still taking the cinnamon pills every morning, and before a meal with carbohydrates, otherwise I try and stay away from carbs. Since starting nursing school, getting to the gym is difficult, but I still try and perform some kind of cardio for 30-45 minutes and maintain a heart rate above 170 (everyone has a different maximum heart rate level). I haven't jumped right back on the "gym-train" because it was so frustrating before to workout everyday and not see results, I think that stigma is still in my mind. I have noticed that I am not as "bloated" and my mind is more clear.
     So my recommendations for women out there who think they are dealing with this issue: it's going to be frustrating, but you have to do your own research. Don't just take pills that your doctor wants to give you. Take a more holistic approach. I personally recommend cinnamon pills, trying a gluten free diet, maybe a few rounds of acupuncture and definitely maintaining a gym schedule. I've noticed that even 30 minutes of cardio reduces my stress levels which can be another factor to hormone imbalance. If you need contraception, stay away from hormone supplements. I love the paraguard IUD so far because it doesn't interact with my hormones or menstrual cycle.
        Another treatment that I've found through my research (and you will see throughout Chinese medicine) is tea! In many PCOS forums, women recommend multiple herbal remedies such as hibiscus flower, schisandra berry, vitex, clove, ginger root, etc. The list goes on and on. I've found that Yogi tea (see pictures below) has a variety of teas that contain a mix of these herbs. My favorite is the Caramel Apple Spice/Slim life and the Vanilla Spice (both by Yogi tea). They can be found at most stores (walmart, sprouts, savemart, etc.) or online. When drinking these teas, try NOT TO ADD SUGAR. They contain stevia which makes them a little sweeter and don't taste that bad. If you are struggling with PCOS, sugar is your ENEMY. Due to the possibility of insulin resistance, your body cannot handle and overload of sugars, another reason why I recommend these teas. They taste great and you are still able to get all of these herbs without taking multiple pills!

So much to take in, but thanks for reading! and as always, I'm here to answer any questions you might have about this issue! :)


As always,

I wish you love, peace and happiness in this day.

♥ J



Articles and forums on PCOS:

http://overlakeobgyn.com/pcos-cinnamon-and-4-other-possible-ways-to-minimize-your-symptoms/

http://pcosdiva.com/

Supplements/Teas:

LOVE this tea! Also Vanilla Spice life is amazing! 

Ingredients for Caramel Apple Spice tea

Yummy blueberry tea! (if you like blueberry taste)

Ingredients from green tea (yogi tea) blueberry slim life.

Cinnamon Capsules from Walmart

ingredients for Cinnamon pills.