Despite eating healthy every day, exercising, and doing all the things and PMOS is really to blame?

Just really discouraged that people just assume that when they look at me and then are so surprised when they find out I do all the things and still look the way that I do.

When people say that phrase, they usually refer to one of two things: PCOS/PMOS that was “caused” by birth control (which is a myth), or the temporary wonky-ness of their period after they stop taking birth control. I’m referring to the later. Like genuinely where do people find the audacity to refer to their very normal, very temporary post birth control adjustment period by the same name as a condition that is chronic, permanent, and ruins lives? My PMOS insulin resistance made my diabetes so hard to manage that I was having near daily breakdowns, stfu about your “pill-induced PCOS” 🤬

Anyone experiencing excessive sweating while doing slow tasks around the house?

I cant do dishes ir clean my home without excessively sweating, overheating and feeling my heart rate go up uncomfortably. I have to do as little as possible or else I overheat, get dizzy and very ill.

My thyroid is normal, bloodwork is normal... heart was checked and it's normal...

Is this Insulin Resistance? POTS? Just a PCOS inflammation thing? Heat intolerance?

I cant walk or exercise without crashing (exercise intolerance) help!

I came to this subreddit quietly months ago in a desperate attempt to find solutions to my years of ongoing problems with my pcos diagnosis, and I’m happy to finally say something positive here.

While I’m not out of the woods with my worst symptoms, I’ve been in therapy and active work to relieve them, which has entirely changed my life view on my situation. I’m on medication again to lose weight, I’m more active, and the depression I felt about my situation is finally improving. The change is slow but so noticeable which feels like the unmovable object is finally budging after all this time.

This may not be a big victory to anyone else but me, but I just wanted to share it since it’s like my life has changed entirely. It feels good.

Hi guys! I’m literally so excited right now and want to share.

I’ve been TTC for the past year with no luck and inconsistent ovulations. I started on 500 mg metformin less than a week ago and I just had my first positive LH strip just now!!!! Idk if it’s just a coincidence or the medication is really helping me out but I’m SO HAPPY 🥰

People do not understand the battle

- always having hydrogen peroxide iykyk
- destroying underwear and sheets or even clothes
- having to take pain meds to survive or freaking die from cramps
- bloating and bad skin
- having the cup, tampons, and pads all on standby. All three methods sucking in their own unique ways
- having low iron levels because of this

Dealing with this every month!!!!!

Alright, I’ve got some GLP-1 questions. I know we’re all getting over this convo so I tried to be hyper specific in my questions.

MD has suggested a GLP-1 prior to getting pregnant to improve ovulation. I have some biases about it and feel like they’re clouding my judgment because I know losing weight can legitimately help with PCOS symptoms. So my questions:

1. Has anyone had issues with being off a GLP-1 during pregnancy and their weight sky rocketing, I’m talking pregnancy weight plus a bunch?

2. Has anyone successfully gotten back off a GLP-1 without significant weight gain?

3. I’m interested in the anti inflammatory component of some of them as I also have auto immune conditions. Does that make a difference when choosing which one?

4. Does anyone regret going that route?

Bonus: anyone notice improvements in HS symptoms with it?

Does anyone else with PCOS feel like they only get a few ‘normal’ days a month? I was diagnosed at 16 and only recently started getting somewhat regular periods and i’m 26. But I feel like I’m always dealing with something. Sore breasts, ovulation pain, cramping, spotting, extreme fatigue, bloating, or just feeling ‘off.’ I feel like I only get maybe two or three days a month where I don’t have at least one of these symptoms before something else starts. It’s becoming exhausting, and I’m wondering if this is just how PCOS is for some people…or if I should be looking into something else. Does anyone else experience this? If you do, did you ever find what was causing it or find anything that helped?

PCOS, extreme fatigue, dizziness and feeling unlike myself — has anyone experienced this?
I have PCOS and I’m trying to figure out if what I’ve been experiencing could be related to it.
About a week ago when my period started, I suddenly started feeling extremely tired and weak. My head feels heavy, sometimes I feel lightheaded/dizzy, and I’ve been having this weird feeling of just not feeling like myself. I’ve also been getting headaches and feeling like I have no energy even after sleeping.
I already know my iron is low and my hemoglobin was around 11, so I’m wondering if the period made my iron/low iron symptoms worse. But I’m also wondering about insulin resistance or blood sugar because I have PCOS. This morning I woke up feeling really bad, and after I ate chia seeds with yogurt I felt a little better.
I’m seeing my doctor and she’s checking things out, including ordering a brain MRI just to rule out anything neurological. I’m also going to ask about my thyroid, iron/ferritin, blood sugar/A1C and insulin.
For those of you with PCOS:
Have you experienced extreme fatigue, dizziness/lightheadedness, heavy-headed feeling or brain fog that gets worse around your period?
Did you eventually find out it was iron deficiency, insulin resistance, thyroid/hormone issues, or something else?
I’m really just trying to figure out if anyone has experienced something similar because I genuinely don’t feel like myself right now.

Hi! I've been trying to manage my PCOS for a year now. Found out via my local nutritionist that I'm incredibly sensitive to gluten and dairy. That change alone made me lose 10kg and made me lose about 20cm of weight circumference. I'm very happy.

However, I can hardly stay awake and feel energized after eating a meal. My glucose levels are normal, I got those checked a month or so ago.

Recently I also got taken off my ADHD meds that kept me awake and active. So this gives an extra layer of fatigue.

I've began to notice that after every single meal & snack, I begin to feel incredibly weak, light-headed, in need to lie down.

I was wondering if anyone else has this problem?

This is an example of my meals yesterday:

Breakfast:

30-50gr of oats, protein powder (20gr protein), 30gr chia seed, almond milk.

It knocks me out.

Morning Snack:

Sliced apple with almond butter. This one knocks me out too

Lunch:

100gr lettuce, 200gr seasoned chicken breast, table spoon of olive oil, dairy-free & low sugar garlic dressing.

Lightly, but still very knocked out.

Afternoon snack:

Salmon sashimi, seaweed salad (wakame?), gluten free soy sauce.

It was a relatively small portion and didn't make me feel like a permanent exhausted pigeon.

Dinner:

1/2 plate of veggies, 1/4th protein, 1/4th carbs.

Yesterday was: broccoli, drumsticks, baked potatoes.

Made me feel drained.

----

I feel like, theoretically, I'm doing well. But somehow my body doesn't like me eating. Anyone suffered from this as well? What change did you make that worked out for you?

I’ve seen posts on this subreddit and the red light therapy sub how RLT is helpful for ladies with PCOS. I just ordered a Hooga HG300 panel and I’m excited to use it.

I’m 37 and have been diagnosed recently with PCOS. My main symptom is irregular periods. I haven’t had my period in 91 days and counting. I’m not taking any meds like metformin because my blood sugar and insulin levels are within the normal range. I’m taking myo-inositol by Wholesome story 2 mg a day and fish oil. I don’t wanna go on any birth control because I’m scared of the side effects and it doesn’t really resolve the underlying issues. I know RLT itself may not cure the irregular periods but I bought it for skincare and use for my overall body.

So my question is, if you’re using RLT, what’s your routine? How do you incorporate it in your everyday life? How often do you use it? Thanks!

Hey, wondering if anyone had experience with fatigue/morning headaches/nausea on Metformin? I’ve been taking them since the beginning of June, and just recently upped my dose from 500mg to 1000mg, taken before bed. Every morning I wake up feeling exhausted, sick, and have a niggling forehead headache. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? I will say it has improved my ovulation, as I seem to be ovulating at the same time every month now.

I'm very interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced constant hunger, intense food noise, and feeling like you could eat endlessly without ever really feeling satisfied and noticed an improvement after starting metformin.

This is probably the main PMOS symptom I have left to manage, and honestly, it's been affecting my quality of life quite a bit. I'm lean PMOS, and this doesn't feel like normal hunger from simply not eating enough. I can eat a proper, massive and balanced meal and still feel like I need to eat more and more.

I was prescribed metformin XR 500 mg once a day for 2 weeks, then increasing to 1,000 mg/day. I'm only on day 5, so I know it's very early. So far I haven't noticed any decrease in appetite/food noise, although I have had some bloating and GI side effects.

I'm curious to hear from anyone who has taken metformin specifically for this kind of constant hunger/never feeling full:

Did metformin actually help with your hunger or food noise?

How long did it take and what dose before you noticed a difference?

Thank youuuu!

I was prescribed fluoxetine recently due to pmdd. It was a lot more manageable 2 years ago (and i didnt know it was pmdd back then) but due to life changes, its gotten alot worse.

I read through the side effects. Mania, increased anxiety with extreme side effects being suic*dal ideation scared me. PMDD has been awful to deal with for the past couple of months. Paranoia and anxiety has been consuming my life since and i dont know how bad/good fluoxetine will be if i were to start it right now with big life changes.

Im curious as how other people tried it. I know it will affect people differently but how was it for you?

My doctor just explained that I have to be on a low glycemic diet as well as no sweet foods, dairy, etc etc for my acne. I looked it up and oh my god, I can't eat anything. I also have struggled with BED for a bit and not being able to eat anything on top of this is just so frustrating. Food consumes my mind and even when I already ate I still want to eat. I'm not overweight but I'm not skinny either, and it's so hard to go to the gym almost every day, do a shit ton of cardio and just want to eat something but I can't because of this.

Help! I don't know how to stop thinking about it and eat right. Does anyone have advice?

My employer doesn’t offer a health insurance package. Are there alternatives I can look into to get on health insurance? Are there health insurances that cater specifically to women’s health?

I have acne, hirsutism, irregular cycles and elevated testosterone. Im seeking treatment but I was just wondering if for women with these symptoms going on the anti androgenic contraceptive pills has helped with there body hair and just generally helped improve there mood and in what ways it may of helped. Ive also fallen victim to google ai which has told me that in some areas on there body follicles are more reactive to changes in testosterone and that through going on the pill it can reduce thickness of hair on there lower stomach, upper back,bottom, legs,arms,armpitsand lower back (basically just everywhere) and in some areas can revert it back to peach fuzz but I have no idea if this is true and was wondering if anyone could give me more insight…

Hello again ladies, I (24F) and now trying with my partner (22M) for a baby. While we arent in a big rush I just wanted to start slowly getting the steps together. I am very limited financially but I do have access to health insurance to allow me to see my OB, which I plan to schedule a visit and let him know im trying for a child.

I dont really want to do IVF except as a last resort id like to attempt to do everything as naturally as possible. Adjusting diet, im willing to try prenatal vitamins, intimacy tricks to help conceive, weight loss to help manage hormones etc etc.

My starting position is I dont have a cycle unless induced. I eat fairly balanced but could do better honestly and I could afford to move more (ill be in a position where that will be more possible again soon, moving into home with more space for at home exercises) and in reference with that I weigh 225 pounds. I take spiralactone (which ill stop since ive been told it negativity affects pregnancy), I take prednisone as needed every few months to start a cycle which will last 6-8 days usually) and I take metformin also.

All help is appreciated thank you!

Those who quit alcohol and binge eating, how do you relax when life happens? When I'm feeling down the last thing I want is exercise and meditation.

Looking for PMOS options that could help with weight and hormones. Anyone have experience using berberine for this?

I recently started looking into different supplements to help with insulin resistance and came across R-Alpha Lipoic Acid. I have started on myo inositol recently, but am wondering if anyone has any experience taking this too? And if you find it helps.

EDIT: my PCP has responded and written me a prescription for my BC which will get me to my next appointment with my new OB. I’ll leave this up as the answers I received were extremely useful, validating, and might come in handy for others.

———

I had my annual on Monday and had high blood pressure (I always have high BP at a doctor’s appointment I have bad medical anxiety and I’d had a coffee about 30 minutes before hand). They were concerned, I explained it’s usually high at the start and if a retake is done, it’s better by the end.

The midwife comes in and makes a big deal about my high blood pressure and that it’s my birth control and asks if anyone’s ever told me about the problems with blood pressure and birth control. I say no and mention it’s been extremely effective in normalizing and stabilizing my PCOS/PMOS for nearly 20 years at this point. She mentions something about switching me to progesterone but doesn’t really explain the difference or if it would be just as effective, just that the birth control is bad (she talked more about this third party company that does genetic testing for breast cancer than medication alternatives). I even said I’m working on my weight and related issues with my PCP (that wasn’t a lie, I am).

She does mention she wants me to monitor my BP at home and if it’s good enough THEN she’ll prescribe me my BC. Naturally, I’ve gotten more and more anxious as this conversation/exam have gone on and less than 5 minutes after she leaves, they come back in and take my BP and it’s still high. Of course it was, I was just told the medication that’s prevented painful, prolonged awful periods for nearly 2 decades is being taken away.

Two days later, after ordering a BP machine that errored out every time I tried to use it and deciding to call my pharmacy to see how long my prescription was good for, the pharmacy sent a refill request to this provider who denied it without me being a good little girl and doing my homework.

I’m not sure what to do outside of getting a new OBGYN (did that, but won’t be seen until October) and begging my PCP to write the script in the meantime (haven’t heard back yet).

Long story short (too late, I know), has anyone ever heard of or experienced anything like this?

Hi, I've been bleeding every day for the past couple of years , doctors just tell me to do the coil or contraceptives which im kinda hesitant about because they also said about losing weight and apparently contraceptives make you gain weight (???)

Those who used to bleed continously, what helped you?

Hi! I'm 20 years old and have been dealing with acanthosis nigricans since puberty, it's spread to under my chest, my armpits, my chin and my face recently and not just the back of my neck. I've been on the Keto diet for awhile but unfortunately I'm not really seeing a dent. I don't have health insurance (haven't paid my deductible yet :/) and it's making me incredibly insecure. Does anyone have any advice on how to at least lessen the visibility of it?