So far I have only found a few things that work for me. I can take Provera (progesterone in a prescribed pill form) when I haven't had a period for 2 months... it, like PMS, makes me moody, irritable, fatigued, bloated... and generally not very fun to be around. Then I have a period, and the issue has been temporarily treated... until another 2 months goes by and I have to cycle through it all again. I have also tried Metformin, it makes me sick, and not tolerable sick, VERY VERY sick. While on the Provera regimen, I also tried Clomid for 3 months. No pregnancy. So I decided it was all so stressful that I was going to take some time off of trying to get pregnant, and concentrate on me. Concentrate on healing, getting healthy, and fit. I am overweight, and have been my whole life. I am in the category on the BMI chart of morbid obesity (as much as that description seems almost offensive, I can also understand why it is called that). I have tried for years to lose weight, gone on many diets, changed my lifestyle, and nothing really worked. Now I know why! Because, nothing addressed the excess estrogen and insulin in my body! I always felt like I had a hormonal imbalance, but didn't realize how severe it was. Now that I know, I have been trying to get as much knowledge as possible. With knowledge and understanding of what is going on in my body, I can then work to resolve the issues at hand. I was kind of doing some research here and there, until I had a blood test come back telling me my bad cholesterol (for the 1st time ever) was HIGH! I didn't even know where that came from! It shocked me, and when I came out of the shock I decided I HAVE to do something about it. A few months ago, I got the impression (after praying) that I needed to start eating as organically as possible. Now I didn't know if that was even an option, giving that I'm a newlywed college student in a 1 income home. I soon found out there are places with good organic food that are reasonably priced! Sunflower Market and Sprouts are amazing. Costco has a wonderful organic selection. And we get our dairy products from Royal Crest, the local dairy (they don't feed hormones or gross things to their cows, and the process it goes through doesn't kill off all the good bacteria). EATING AS CLOSE TO ORGANICALLY AS POSSIBLE HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!! I also started going to the gym with a friend. this has been helping my overall attitude and appearance as well. I'm actually finding that even though it's really hard, I'm enjoying it! I even did a 5k last month! I'm a believer in vitamins and minerals. So I went to Vitamin Cottage/Nature's Market yesterday and talked to the nutritionist. She was VERY helpful! I highly recommend taking that step if you haven't. I ended up getting a few different vitamins and herb to help, and today I started putting them into play. Already I don't feel bloated or gassy (an unfortunate side effect when your bowels are affected). I will put up a list tomorrow of what I'm taking and what it supports. Everything is Possible with God

PCOS and Me

I am one of the ten. One in every ten women (or estimated between 5-10% of women, in child bearing ages) has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, more commonly known as PCOS. It is the leading cause of infertility. I was not diagnosed with it until I was 27, but now that I am looking at the symptoms, I believe it just went un-diagnosed for a long time. My Dr didn't even tell me all that can be associated with it. Some of the side affects I didn't even know were related until very recently. I am doing what I can to be informed, because I do not want it to rule my life. And I want to know what it is so that I can resolve the causes, not just treat the symptoms. This blog is my journey through the process. How I feel, facts, what I'm trying, what works for me, what doesn't, and listing the options. I totally believe a combination of things in western and eastern medicines, and treatments will be the answer... that and good old hard work. I am not alone in this fight, and if you are going through this, you are not alone either. What is PCOS? It was at first thought to be a reproductive disorder, but it is actually classified as a Metabolic Disorder. It disrupts your hormones, giving you a hormonal imbalance. (In my case, estrogen takes over and my body almost completely stops producing progesterone.) as a result the ovaries enlarge and have several fluid filled cysts (can also be fibroids), usually this is a related to an excess of androgens (testosterone), which prevents normal egg development to take place, resulting in low progesterone levels. This lack causes various hormones to stimulate the ovaries and produces more estrogen and androgens... and so the cycle continues. It also causes insulin resistance, making you more prone to diabetes, gestational diabetes, and diabetes like symptoms. Some of the symptoms are: Irregular or no menses (periods), excess hair growth (especially on face and neck), insulin resistance, male pattern baldness, acne, weight gain, high bad cholesterol, low good cholesterol, changes in (or lack of) libido (sex drive), abdominal distress or bloating, fatigue, food cravings (specifically sugary or high carb food), sleep disturbance, insomnia, brain fog, depression, anxiety, changes in mood, irritability, retaining water, adrenal fatigue, fatty liver... I'm sure there are more. Now as I listed before, I don't just want to put a band-aid on the symptoms, I want to resolve the issues. Here are some things that can disrupt hormone balance: Hormone/Chemical filled foods- especially commercially raised cattle and poultry, and dairy (if not organic or from your local dairy, that should be fine) Lack of fiber- fiber promotes the body to dispose of excess estrogen Low-Fat Diets- Fat and cholesterol are necessary for hormone production and for absorption of a number of nutrients. What you SHOULD avoid is trans-fatty acids. But there are plenty of Good fats and good cholesterol that you DO need! So don't avoid them! (i.e. extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, grain fed beef and poultry, full fat organic dairy, flax-seed, hemp-seed...) Exess sugar- it inpairs estrogen metabolism, and increases insulin resistance levels, also incr eases symptoms of PMS Caffeine- it increases severity of PMS and increases chances of endometriosis Alchohol- slows bile flow and hinders in estrogen excretion Liver toxicity Environmental Chemicals- pesticides DDT,DDR, PCB, dieldrin, and chordane collect in fat cells and increase estrogen load, and are contributing to estrogen related problems Stress/Adrenal health- significantly impacts hormone balance!!! Excess weight- it is related to the excess of estrogen in the body, fat tissues make estrogen and can influence imbalance and increase risk of estrogen dominant conditions and hormone related cancers Not enough or too much exercise- engaging in regular exercise (even 15 min of brisk walking a day) increases oxygen to your body, and improves health, removes toxins and balances hormones So it's time for a lifestyle change. I'm ready for it. I've already started, and I will tell you about the steps I've taken and what I have been through so far... another day. The facts in this come from a number of sources, but the two main sources are: Article "Nutrition and Hormonal Balance in Women" Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Market and The Ultimate PCOS Handbook, by Colette Harris and Theresa Cheung Through God ALL things are possible