I am not having much luck finding information anywhere else so i thought perhaps a few of you could help. I have just this morning started metformin....am on 500mg a day for a week and if i have no adverse side effects i am upping it to 1000mg.
I am of normal weight (BMI 20/21) and suffer terribly with acne at the moment as wll as having cysts on my ovaries and VERY scant periods. I also have some very faint (amost downy) hair on my face and chin. I am taking the metformin to try and address the symptoms i have, i didnt want to do anything too drastic or damaging to my hormones as i am looking to try to conceive in the next year or so. As soon as i have my acne under control i want to get married and then have babies!
I have read conflicting experiences about the success rate of Metformin in helping acne symptoms go away. I have tried antibiotics and various topical creams all of which are of no use. The BCP is not an option as i am convinced they are what wrecked my hormones in the first place! So my question is this.....does anyone think that success of metformin depends on your diet? I am not looking to lose weight and i think i eat pretty healthily on the whole but i guess if i am honest i eat a little too much sweet stuff (chocolate and biscuits mainly - but when i say a lot i am talking MAYBE 2 biscuits a day....is that a lot?!)
I eat LOTS of fruit and veg already and try to limit my carbs to wholewheat and refined when i can.....should i stop eating bread/pasta/rice etc for a while to see if it helps? I can not seem to find any link to a diet for PCOS sufferer that is not trying to lose weight. If anyone knows of any then i would be grateful for the advice.
Thanks in advance....heres hoping i dont throw my lunch up after taking the first Met pill!
Hi Jessica--- I agree that there is not much info about diet for thin cysters....I eat pretty healthy too and try to limit carbs when I can. I am taking glucophage 2000 mg/day and have been tolerating it well for 5 months. I was on Met last year and was fine on that too...my dr preferred the brand med. Anyway, my specialist hasnt advised me about diet changes or anything like that since I have been seeing him. I would assume that if he thought a better diet would work with the Met he would tell me. I also exercise pretty regularly. As far as for acne (whiich is one of my symptoms too), I have switched to organic milk (if you drink milk) and as many organic fruits and vegs I can find (for a decent price, of course). I have started taking flax oil (the actual oil) once a day...mix it with a little OJ and it goes down pretty easy. I found that tip on here. I just started it so no improvement yet. I also have been using jojoba oil on my face at night which another cyster suggested as well. I found it at the health food store. I really calms down the redness and moisturizes really well. It is pretty oily, so you dont need much and I only do it at bedtime. It feels really nice on my face and I really think its helping. Check out the skin problem forum too...lots of ideas. Let me knwo if you have any questions! Good luck!! ~Katie
Hi Katie
Thanks so much for replying! I dont think it could be milk as i only ever have it in my tea and i am not a huge tea drinker (proably only 2-3 cups a day and very little milk anyways) I am taking flax oil too but in capsule form....i have read that the actual oil is more effective though so i may switch. I am also taking 3000mg of Evening Primrose Oil, i have been on both for around a month or so with no real improvement as yet but i did start differin a couple of weeks ago which is known for making things worse before it gets better. My face is horribly broken out right now and one side in particular hurts like hell and is red so i am guessing there is infection there. I am also on Trimethoprim (anibiotic) which i started with the differin to try and combat the breakout but i dont think its working.
I really am losing any patience i had with my skin now...it seems to have been going on forever and not responding to anything i have read has worked for others. I read Saw Palmetto helps with androgens so i may introduce that in a few weeks so i can see what works and what doesnt. Have you tried it?
Thanks once again for your reply....please do keep me updated if you find something that works!
Jessical, I am hesitant to mention this (since it usually gets strong reactions), but have you thought about accutane or spiro for your acne? Met has done nothing for my acne. I use the differin/sodium sulfectamide combo on my skin and I still have acne (red bumps) every day! But, I should qualify that without that RX combo it could/would be a whole lot worse! Good Luck
__________________ Thin Cyster Age: 25 BMI:19 Not TTC
PhD Student in Social, Ethical, Political, and Cultural Thought at Virginia Tech. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
I have thought about it and was told by the dermatologist that it is an option but i wanted to use Accutane as a lst resort really. I am hoping to get married in the next year or so, (am actually putting it off because of this damn skin problem) and would like to start a family soon after so i am hesitant to go on the high vit A. Trouble is the longer i leave it the later i can start trying. GRRRR i am just so sick of waiting and hoping that the next thing i try will be the one to 'cure me'.
Also, not sure if it is me but does acne generaly only plague PCOS sufferers if they are on the thin side of normal? I know lots of women who have the weight problems of PCOS but they all have flawless skin as far as i can see. Why is that? I am sure there are examples that dont fit in with my theory but it was something i noticed.
I am going to give the Met a month and by that time the antibiotics i am on should have had an effect also. If they havent i will have to consider something else.
Thanks for your advice though...always appreciated xxx
thats interesting about being thin and having acne.
My BMI is 19 and I have acne/oily skin, but no other side effects (apart from non existent periods)
I wonder if thats the case?
Thats the case for me too really. My BMI is 20/21 and my symptoms are acne and scant periods. I have mild hair issues but was always a 'hairy child' so i am not sure if i just notice it more now because i am focussing on PCOS. It is short, blonde and fluffy (kind of like baby hair) rather than thick or coarse so i really dont know that it is PCOS related. That is my one fear, the longer this goes on uncontrolled.....that the hirsuitism will start.
Do any of the scientifically knowledgable cysters have any ideas if acne symptoms are relative to weight in PCOS?
I was recently diagnosed after getting off the pill. I've had acne issues since age 17 (my skin was clear up until then) and have taken all sorts of meds for it throughout the past 10 years. I took accutane at age 20 and it did wonders, BUT it doesn't actually cure acne for good. I've also noticed this with other people who have taken it. It comes back, although not as bad as before, several years after taking the medication. So, I had clear skin for a few years -and it helped that I was taken Yasmin too after I finished with accutane- and after changing BC pills and finally getting of the pill I noticed the acne again at age 25, 26.
But, I am happy to say, that diet has really helped my skin so far. I've been on a GI - low carb - PCOS diet (monitored by my nutritionist friend) for only 3 weeks and after a week I could see an improvement. I would highly recommend the diet.
Now, I've always been a healthy eater. Sure, I like my sweets too, but I would always eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies and also ate whole grains about 1/3 of the time. But now I am a lot more aware about what I'm putting into my body and have made it a lifestyle change because I do not want to go back on the pill to regulate my hormones or my period. I'm thinking towards the future when I'll want to start TTC. I'm still waiting to find out if it'll help regulate my cycle, but it has helped with some symptoms I was having (acne, hair in my brush, having to shave my legs more often).
By the way, I'm recently married and I hope I can convice you that it is not worth postponing a wedding because of acne. Especially if other things are waiting on it. Instead, I invested in a good make up artist.
Hi, You might want to try the antibiotic Soldyn for the acne. It is the BEST!! I recently had to go off it because I am TTC, but it worked well for me. Good Luck!
Thanks for the tip on the antibiotic, i have never heard of that one so may give it a try if this trimethoprim doesnt do anything. I am a little hesitant to say it but after almost 5 weeks i think it may be kicking in as my skin feels a lot cooler and the spots not as painful as they were. I still have a couple popping up but they are not as angry and hard so 'touch wood' it may be working!
I still havent gone completely low carb but am more mindful of the carbs i eat and will definately do it more strictly if my present regimen doesnt work soon.
Metformin and Diet for Thin Cysters 
