Tharaa

Hi Everyone,

I have been reading these forumns for a few months now.And sometimes I get doubts whether Natural is better then synthetic,in the effective treatment of PCOS.
Especially for women trying to loose weight or get pregnant.I would like to read some more success stories of women who reveresed PCOS without drugs.
For years now I have been very oppossed to taking drugs of any kind,but now I realize we need both allopathy and naturopathy,and they should be integrated.I know now,that being strongly on one side is not healthy.We need a balance.

I started seeing a naturopath,and he hasnt even started working on my PCOS much because we are trying to normalize some other ailments ive been having trouble with first.I have been taking Chromium Picolinate,and ALA.And I have increased my protein intake,and lowered the grains,and eliminated all sweetners,sugars and potatos.

I dont know If iam getting much result,I dont even own a scale,because I know it would just depress me,and cause me to go off the program.

Recently I started doubting my ND,sometimes he makes me feel confident he can help me,and sometimes he doesnt.

I am feeling so desperate to get well,and get this weight off of me,I see women who are thin and feel so jealous.I havent felt like eating today,because im so tired of being fat.

Anyway my point is,im contemplating going to another doc to get another opinion about my PCOS,from an allopathic standpoint.But i dont feel like taking birth control pills,I wouldnt mind giving NPC a shot,or even some Metformin.But Metformin has allot of side effects.

Anyway,I just need to hear some positive encouragement! and a success story in natural meds or two.

oaktreegirl

Hi,
I've newly realised that I have PCOS and so far I haven't tried any treatments, whether natural or sythetic. I'm still doing research into all methods. But in general, I know that it takes longer with natural treatments than with man made medicines, because it takes time to nourish the body and bring it into balance. If you are experiencing another health issue, maybe your naturopath feels it's important to address that before addressing the PCOS.
But if you feel like you want to hear from an MD's point of view, it might be useful to speak to one. However I'd suggest delaying making any decisions until a couple of days after your appointment. That'll give you time to think about whether the MD's reccomendations are right for you.

Pale Pink Aura

Lotus - going the natural route can be a little frustrating sometimes. Because you are actually reversing your problems not just masking them as a lot of medical stuff does it can take longer (though it doesn't have to - depends on the individual). We are all so different that it's such a trial an error to see what works for you anyway... I personally found that I needed NPC to help my thyroid - as much as I managed with alternative treatments to get myself to ovulate occasionally at first, then regularly, I still wasn't producing a functional corpus luteum, so I was still chronically low in progesterone. I took NPC for 3 months and then became pregnant, but I still needed to add progesterone pessaries once pregnant to stop me from losing the baby.

As for weight loss, I found there are a lot of factors playing a part in that...
1. Carb cravings - I personally found that chromium fixed that for me and I was able to change my diet to include more protein and very little sugar (finally, after years of trying to force myself to give it up).
2. Thyroid - if your progesterone is low, your thyroid is bound to be affected, even if it just shows up as borderline low (which you are normally told is 'normal'). NPC can help reverse that in most cases. If you have thyroid antibodies, that's often a sign of an allergy, such as gluten/wheat allergy and that should be completely omitted from your diet.
3. Allergies. When you are allergic to something, it is common to develop intestinal bloating and water retention. Does your naturopath specifically diagnose allergies?? If not, see if they can recommend someone who can (or ask around). When you eliminate an allergy, you tend to find that the water retention goes, your bloating drops (so your belly looks a lot smaller all of a sudden) and then your fat stores start to drop off you when before no matter what you did you couldn't get rid of it. There was an article of this posted in the diet forum a month or two ago. I've since read several similar articles. For me personally (who found an allergy to gluten) this was AMAZING for me in weight loss.

I spent the same number of years getting pregnant both through infertility doctors (with DD) and with alternative treatments (for my current pregnancy). So, time wise, they were a much of a muchness. But health wise - how I feel (especially emotionally and spiritually) I am so much more healthy, energetic and balanced now than I was that there's no way I would ever do it any other way again. For me it's always going to be a life long thing, but I'm fine with that because now I've learned to listen to my body and am treating it a lot more like it deserves.

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xx Pale Pink Aura

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DD (6) - conceived via IVF (FET) after 2 years of infertility treatment
DS (2) - conceived after 2 years of natural therapies

Current meds: Fish oils, NPC, NTH, Milk thistle, globe artichoke, astragalus, dandelion; probiotic, slippery elm, psyllium, olive leaf, DIM (indolplex - antioestrogenic), kelp, chlorophyl, low-GI diet free from gluten and dairy.

garbo

If you're not sure about choosing "alternative' vs. standard medical treatment, you might want to look into a blend - like an integrative medicine center. Dr. Andrew Weil's website would be a good place to start, he is the king of integrative medicine.

Another option you might want to look into is homeopathy. Although I still take metformin, I think my homeopathic treatment has been the key to getting regular af, and reducing my hair loss and excess body hair problems. Now, the weight and the acne I'm still struggling with, but there you go! My internist and homeopath know about each other and all the treatments I am on, and they have each other's contact information. The homeopath is more holistic in his approach; he actually had a phone consult with my therapist about me when I first started seeing him!

The other advice I wanted to give you is to remember that no matter what treatment options you try, there is no miracle drug or quick fix. Go ahead and research or try different things until you find something that seems to help. Journaling is good if you have trouble keeping track of symptoms.

Fender_Strat

Hi folks

I once read a newspaper article about Linseed and its role in treating PCOS. I bought a large bag of the stuff from our local health store - only cost £1 for 500gms - and gave it a go.

I started off taking one heaped tablespoon a day. It was like eating grit, but at least there was no bad taste. Within 5 days my skin lost its oiliness and after a week or so I noticed a real drop in sugar cravings. Most of all, I had seven regular periods in the 7 months I took the linseed.

I stopped the linseed as an experiment and waddya know, all the old symptoms came right back!

I would urge anyone else to give this a go - I would love to know if it works for anyone else. I wish I had known about this years ago.

bethers

I also use Linseed (also known as Flax seed) dialy. I grind it up in a coffee bean grinder and put it in a jar in the fridge. Then it is ready to use on steamed vegetables, salads, smoothies, etc.

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TTC #1 since Feb. 2004

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kittykay

I use flax seed oil in salads and the crushed seeds in my oatmeal. It's also good for keeping regular.

SherryLS

Does flax seed work for fertility? I'm looking for herbal ways to concieve with PCOS since going to the fertility doctor and meds are out of the question. Our insurance won't cover it . Is there any herbs (hopefully in pill form) that I can take that would work like clomid?

Pale Pink Aura

There are many different herbs that help with PCOS and many supplements also. Have a look through some old posts and you'll find a wealth of info in here. Soy can be taken just like clomid - do a search and you'll find plenty of info on it. Good luck!

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xx Pale Pink Aura

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DD (6) - conceived via IVF (FET) after 2 years of infertility treatment
DS (2) - conceived after 2 years of natural therapies

Current meds: Fish oils, NPC, NTH, Milk thistle, globe artichoke, astragalus, dandelion; probiotic, slippery elm, psyllium, olive leaf, DIM (indolplex - antioestrogenic), kelp, chlorophyl, low-GI diet free from gluten and dairy.

MaryKate76

It's foolish to ignore the proven drug therapies, especially Metformin. Metformin can cause side effects, but so can natural supplements. So can foods! There are methods to reduce side effects, like increasing the dose slowly, using a different form of the drug (eg: time-release), or adjusting the dose. That's what doctors are for, to help you work these things out. You don't have to live with any side effects because you may choose to not take it - but you won't know unless you try.

It's also foolish to ignore natural therapies, especially life-style changes.

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My PCOS treatment research summary:

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