Primal PCOS'ers? page 5

[eskim]

I have been Primal for 5 weeks now and would like to know how the ladies that posted on here are getting on now with PCOS symptoms especially with weight loss and insulin resistance.

[Momto3]

Hi there. I have been primal for over 2 years now. I also have endometriosis. Going primal has done wonders for my health and weight loss. (30lbs to date) I still needed to take Metformin to get my periods regular. But my periods were much better to handle. Less cramps, less heavy. Yet I did need to go back on birth control to help with the pain of endometriosis. My blood sugar came under control also. My triglycerides and other blood work look great. I am still dealing with acne. So, being primal has definitely helped, but it hasn't been a cure all yet. Maybe someday. I was sick for over 20 years and primal for just 2. So I'm getting there. Be encouraged, you are on the right path!

[bloodorchid]

my guy found this for me, and i'm forwarding it to all of you. i learned some new things about insulin.

An Unconventional Approach to PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) | The Primal Parent

[eskim]

Thank you, ladies for the encouragement and reading material. it's really helps to know that someone else has been there and has had great benefits. I haven't had a period for about 2+ years and I am really hoping that going Primal will really help to bring to get my cycle back.

[Luce]

Avoiding carbs is the only thing which ever worked with most of symptoms, though this month I went on a sort of a carb frenzy going well up 100gr the other day and this afternoon.
Hormonal therapies were a total fail for me, I got severe depression when I was a teen (discontinued and used the "starve and codeine/NSAIDS symptoms management protocol" plus staying at home during heavy periods).
My period went away when I was following dialysis therapy and pain got nasty. Nasty as in "I can't walk" and "vomiting out of migraine" nasty, with colon paralysis once in a while which was excruciating and potentially deathly given the fact that at the time I was on peritoneal dialysis (12 hours a day). I'm lucky I'm not prone to opioids addiction or I'd be a total junkie.
I was forced into hormonal treatment because of bone density issues and the sort and that got hellish, put an end to my family living and blowed away any piece of mind I had, I knew it was the pill but anyway I couldn't get out from bed so bad I was feeling. I dropped it after six months but it was too late, they've tried progesterone cycles and it blew up my coagulation panels. My veins at that time were showing like hell, but the worse part was pain getting constantly bad and blood loss being so heavy I was on a transfusion protocol (and at that point I sent all out the window and refused everything). Cloths were huge, yes.
When I changed to hemodialysis I switched diets (so to make the nutritionist happy) and almost died because of high potassium (7.9), they kept on saying I was eating to much vegetables and foods rich in potassium when I was not: glucagon was eating my at the time noticeable muscle mass and potassium was just a byproduct of it.
If I stay clean and high fat low anything which might touch my insulin levels I live a happy life and cysts stay really small (2.5 cm while I had 9 cm cysts during "glorious" times). My extra endometrial tissue is in the rectum and that causes a lot of problems, anti inflammatory drugs (steroids or not) are not available for me anymore (NSAIDs could damage my transplanted kidney, I already take enough steroids and opioids and their agonists are currently unavailable because of their liver metabolism competing with immune-suppresant drugs).
I know I'm lucky and got it easy because I have a manageable condition which got truly better after transplantation allowed some diet adjustments, in my case insulin is fully responsible of my ovaries misbehaving it so I can get on with it the easy way by staying primal as much as I can.

Luce

BloodOrchid you really can get away with dairy? I tried mascarpone this month, and some aged cheese but pain came back and I got into cravings. Maybe goat cheese? I really love cheese.

[bloodorchid]

i might lose weight faster if i cut dairy out but the only real noticeable affects it has on me, that i can tell, is getting a runny nose

at one point i was eating sweet potatoes & cream cheese every day and my symptoms were non-existant, periods regular and pain free

[golangrok]

I have mild PCOS, I had a generally regular cycle since it's start but always excruciating and heavy. Recently I developed polymennorhea from some emotional stress, and I've only been Primal 20 days, so I don't know if it's really had a chance to have an effect. However, my insulin has felt much better - I'm not crashing or getting woozy. I've also lost a few lbs (I'm 5'5" and 164 now, from 167 starting!). I'll keep you guys updated on how it goes

I recently stopped dairy for the Whole30, and I think I'll try to stay off it.
I don't fast because I'm a recovering bulimic and being hungry at all puts me into a rabid scrounging of anything I can get my hands on. I get way too deprived and eat everything in the fridge, carbs included.. So I figure until I rebuild my relationship with food I shouldn't attempt to fast.

[anova01]

I went off of birth control in August 2011 and didn't have my first period until February 2012. Then I had one in July. I had started (re-started) eating primal at the end of June and my period re-appeared in September. Meaning I went from 6 months & 5 months breaks to only 2 in such a short time. In July, my doctor diagnosed me with mild PCOS due to my irregularity and hormone pattern (higher testosterone/out of sync LH) and follicles on ovaries (no cysts though) and I take this much shorter break between periods as a sign that primal is already having an effect on my hormone patterns and body in ways other than weight loss.

[SteffanieLuv]

(First off - sorry for the lengthy post!)

Hi all! I'm newer to the primal/paleo world. I started the primal lifestyle about 3 weeks ago and eat 90% primal I'd say (rice or potato maybe once a week along with an occasional treat like ice cream or cookie once a week). I've lost 10.5 lbs so far and already feel SO MUCH better!

I was diagnosed "officially" with PCOS in 2005 when I was 20. But I've had irregular periods since puberty (11 or 12), only like 2 a year. At first I didn't care because I was really active through high school and thought it was just awesome I barely had a period (silly me). When I did menstruate it lasted about 2 weeks, was very heavy and quite painful. I was a bit chubby as a child but since puberty I gained a lot of weight, I am currently about 100 lbs overweight. I'd gain 20-30 lbs in one summer even if I was active! I noticed the excess hair growth on my face/chest in middle school and since then I have been shaving or plucking. I'm currently doing at home laser treatments.

Anyway, when I was diagnosed I was put on birth control, which gave me regular monthly cycles. I was also put on Metformin but I had to stop taking it because it made me so incredibly ill!! I'm talking like no appetite, blood sugar crashes and diarrhea every hour! I tried lower dosage and slow release pills but it just gave me too many stomach problems so I said to hell with this, there has to be a better way! I had been looking for natural alternatives since. I discovered that taking raw apple cider vinegar does miracles, and I encourage you all to look it up for the multitude of health benefits.

I've always known that a low carb diet is best for PCOS but until I found the primal/paleo diet I was so confused if I should go gluten free, vegan, eat whole grains etc. Now I've found that eliminating grains altogether is so much simpler and I can definitely see the benefits. My chronic asthma/allergies are gone! So now I know that I CAN lose weight with this lifestyle (when I felt I was always DOOMED to be overweight) I'm just worried about the hair growth.

I know some of you mentioned that avoiding dairy has helped with the excess hair. Did it ever go away completely? I'm just sad because I love cheese, eggs and greek yogurt but if I need to give them up I guess I will. Besides being overweight (which is totally self conscious as it is) I feel like the excess hair is what makes me feel the MOST unfeminine. I mean it is so embarrassing for me that I have to shave my face just like my fiancee!! I'm doing the at home laser but it's not totally permanent and was wondering if dairy free really helped.

Looking forward to your suggestions! Thanks girls!

[gt1cm2]

I've actually found paleo eating has been really good for me re hair growth. Admittedly I'm not very hairy but the three stubborn hairs I get that I always tweeze have either become so fine there is no issue or just don't grow anymore.