doesn't want to take yasmin where do you start with natural remedies?

[momtomo]

My daughter was diagnosed with pcos this summer after years of suffering with weight gain that didn't respond to diet, 2 episodes of chronic hives for 1 1/2 years each, panic attacks and anxiety, very heavy periods, painful periods to the point of naseau and vomiting, facial and body hair, cystic acne... routine blood work never found anything. This summer they finally found elevated androgens and testosterone and dhea sulfate levels. The Dr. wants her on yasmin and then add spiro..? 6 months later. She tried the yasmin and became extremelly depressed. She doesn't want to be on bc she is only 18 and has heard all those tv commercials about yasmin. Where does she start with natural remedies? She did loose over 40 pounds this past year and looks great. She does watch what she eats and exercises. The acne is a little better but the facial hair and body hair is getting out of control. I have spent over 1500.00 in laser treatments that really don't work. Right now she really wants the facial hair and body hair gone...the rest she said she can deal with. Any ideas or suggestions?

[CandiKisses]

I'm on the same boat. My dr wants me to go on BCP but i've said no for months. The body hair comes from the elevated testosterone & androgens. I used to go on here alot and just browse around and all the women had a huge cocktail of vitamins and herbs while i only took iron & a multi :-D hahaha... I slowly began to realize how you start adding more vitamins & herbs. I'm not overweight so i'm not taking anything for my weight.

Is your daughter a diabetic ?
Is that causing the high testosterone ?
Testosterone and sugar both work together.

I also have facial hair growth and hair loss. I assumed they were from testosterone. I'm taking saw palmetto 950 mg. It lowers testosterone. Its used for men with prostate problems. Good for us pcos girls too. Evening Primrose Oil said to balance a womans hormones. Biotin is for hair, skin and nails but it also helps break down carbs better. Cinnamon is also good for blood sugar control. Magnesium is also involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates & fat.

I'm no expert im going through what everyone else is going through here. Wasnt satisfied with my doctors answers so i looked for my own. Found the natural approach to be better.

You said your daughters dieting has she completely cut out sugar from her diet. I know it sounds hard but its worth it. She needs to do that. Remember sugar & testosterone trigger each other for women. Her acne will clear up alot. As mine did. I started this no sugar diet 3 weeks ago. I wouldnt leave the house because i had major cystic acne. I still have " pimples " very small ones about 5-6 now. Its very good considering i had cystic acne before the no sugar diet. My family has even noticed my skin.

People say its chocalate that makes one break out ( its the sugar in the chocolate )
also fried food cut all those things out. fruits, veggies & lean meats. Avoid alot of red meat it might boost testosterone. Grill or baked. WATER WATER WATER. No sodas what so ever. If you MUST drink juice water it down or get the super food green kind they even sell it at walmart.

Keep in mind we didnt get pcos over night. Its going to take some time months maybe a year. For all this to take effect.

Another thing i'm finding very helpful is peppermint/spearmint tea. I use caffeine free. caffeine is not good for pcos. Studies have proven it helps in reducing testosterone levels in just 5 days. high testosterone = body hair, hair loss, acne. ( 3-5 cups a day ) I highly recommend this. AND YES TEA AND WATER ALONE ( NO SUGAR ) LEMON IF U LIKE. As for fake sugar its still bad.

If you take fish oil ( its good for pcos ) make sure to take vitamin e with that as well as the fish oil consumes it all from you.

Soy isoflavones or soy protein ( for shakes,smoothies ) Avoid dairy. Almond milk is better.

I recently purchased maca root. you can visit www.macaroot.com for more info. I ordered the gelanitized maca organic 1 lb bag. Its delicious and it sounds promising.
If you have a hard time digesting starch i suggest u go with the gelanitized one. Might be a little more expensive but its worth it. Its said to balance out hormones in men & women. And give our bodies what its missing. It can also help in the hair dept. And if your daughters not menstruating properly it can help her achieve that as well. the root comes from peru. I just started maca i'm hoping for the best.

Make sure she takes a multi/prenatal as well. Remember sugar is our enemy its poison to our bodies. ( everyones even non pcos'ers )

Royal Jelly also known for regulating hormones.
also watercress in the pill or food form is best.

I havent tried these but you can read about them

Fresh licorice
vitex
tribulust
blue cohosh
chromium picolinate
Carnitine

Remember though diet is the main thing. What we put into our bodies comes out. I'm not overweight but i still have a healthy diet. Lots of water. No processed meats. I'm only 21 most of my family thinks I'm crazy for doing this whole " lifestyle change " unlike them unfortunately I had medical problems. If not i'd still be eating junk food. I'm a real foodie but its whats gonna benifit me that counts. The first 2 weeks will be a killer but the " nasty healthy stuff " will start tasting good once you see everything as " nutrition " and LOWERING TESTOSTERONE. Thats what drives me. junk food = me being bald. If you want to treat yourself one day you eat a slice of wheat bread ( seriously ) No white bread, rice, pasta. In other words keep away from WHITE TRASH. I would get those cravings the first 2 weeks.. and almost gave in but i would only be cheating myself if i did that.

For the facial hair use nair thats what ive been using. Remember this is not a miracle it will take time. Medications take months to kick in. So will this. I'm 3 weeks in my journey with this new diet and herbs. I feel alot better.

Also no smoking or alcohol what so ever !!
Eat breakfast.
Don't eat past 6 or 7


God bless and wish you and your daughter and you the best.

[chany86]

Your reply was very helpful!! I am a slim gal, on Yasmin, and Im looking for natural remedies to substitute the drug. Currently, I have no signs of having pcos since being on the Yasmin for over 4 years. I used to suffer from bad acne, heavy sweating and was very very slim. Now, I have no acne, don't sweat as much, and I am at a "regular, healthy" weight for my height. I pray the herbal substitutes will prove as efficient - but without the potential side effects!

[momtomo]

Thank you so much for the information. I am going to share it with my daughter. Do either one of you suffer from any anxiety or panic attacks? She does have to take xanax xr everyday which I would love to have her take something more natural. That was interesting that you mentioned sweating. She also sweats too much and hates it. Which natural supplements do you recommend and at what doses? I take a herb mix myself that has the red clover, black cohosh...and others that make me more even in my moods and made the periods come without a lot of warning (headaches, moodiness...) and they aren't as heavy and long so I know the natural supplements do help. Thank you both for responding. There are times when I feel alone for her. She is NOT trying to get pregnant and is not overweight but does have pcos. Thank you!!!!

[TexasRockStar]

I used to take Xanax as well, but have gotten off of it.

I use Dr. Bach's Rescue Remedy for acute anxiety. It's a liquid, and you place a dropperful into a glass of water. It doesn't have much of a taste.

I also practice yoga and deep belly breathing--simple stuff that works really well. Another thing that you and your daughter can look into is a technique called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It helps you to re-train the way you think about things. You can find a therapist or counselor who specializes in this, but there are also books available. I have found the "cognitive behavioral therapy workbook for depression" by William Knopf to be helpful. There is also one specific for anxiety, but I haven't read it yet.

Good luck!

[yumyumqueen]

I've listened to a couple of radio shows with dermatologists that say that women with testosterone probs should limit dairy because of the hormones. Milk comes from pregnant cows, and this makes the testosterone worse and can make the hair growth and acne worse as well. I've eliminated dairy for the most part and have noticed that there is no new hair growth. I like almond milk as a substitute for cereal and things like that.

Yoga is a great stress reliever! I have been taking DCI for the last 4 months and my cycle has returned and I have ovulated. I take other things too - many things mentioned in previous posts. I am feeling more and more balanced every day. I feel pretty strongly that it's important to balance the body, not just mask the symptoms with birth control.

Holly

[onVacation]

I'm on the same boat. My dr wants me to go on BCP but i've said no for months. The body hair comes from the elevated testosterone & androgens. I used to go on here alot and just browse around and all the women had a huge cocktail of vitamins and herbs while i only took iron & a multi hahaha... I slowly began to realize how you start adding more vitamins & herbs. I'm not overweight so i'm not taking anything for my weight.

Hi CandiKisses,
You reply was so helpful and interesting. I have similar story, tried to PM you however have few posts here. I noticed you mentioned high testosterone, so decided to look at my labs, and I was shocked:
total testosterone 109, range 2 to 45 ng / dL
free testosterone 7.3, range .1 to 6.4 pg / mL
wow - had no idea my testost was so high. My obgyn never explained my labs, just diagnosed pcos, handed a pamphlet and advised BC.

I am trying to figure out the best natural approach to pcos, don't want bc. Would you please look at my recent post, it will give you my stats and story, titled " Lean PCOS and Alternative solutions, Newbie - Please advise " (sorry not able to post the link for some reason). Would love to get your input.

Thanks again!

[momtomo]

OnVacation

I noticed that you are from Chicago....can you share with me where you had your labs done? My daughter's doctor for some reason will not share any labs with me. I always wondered what her "numbers" were. Can you share who your Dr. is or if you see on in the Chicago area? Thank you!

[onVacation]

OnVacation

I noticed that you are from Chicago....can you share with me where you had your labs done? My daughter's doctor for some reason will not share any labs with me. I always wondered what her "numbers" were. Can you share who your Dr. is or if you see on in the Chicago area? Thank you!

Momtomo,

My current obgyn is Shayna Rubin. However, I do not recommend her for pcos- I had a really hard time getting my labs from her office. I think she is a nice obgyn, but not very interested or informed about pcos. So I am going to a pcos specialist in January - dr. Andrea Dunaif at Northwestern. But she is very hard to get an appointment and she will demand new set of tests, even more thourogh than what my obgyn took.

Your current doctor should absolutely release your daughter's lab work to you. Just call them and ask for a copy of the results, because you would like to review them yourself.

[Peggotty]

I'm on the same boat. My dr wants me to go on BCP but i've said no for months. The body hair comes from the elevated testosterone & androgens. I used to go on here alot and just browse around and all the women had a huge cocktail of vitamins and herbs while i only took iron & a multi :-D hahaha... I slowly began to realize how you start adding more vitamins & herbs. I'm not overweight so i'm not taking anything for my weight.

Is your daughter a diabetic ?
Is that causing the high testosterone ?
Testosterone and sugar both work together.

I also have facial hair growth and hair loss. I assumed they were from testosterone. I'm taking saw palmetto 950 mg. It lowers testosterone. Its used for men with prostate problems. Good for us pcos girls too. Evening Primrose Oil said to balance a womans hormones. Biotin is for hair, skin and nails but it also helps break down carbs better. Cinnamon is also good for blood sugar control. Magnesium is also involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates & fat.

I'm no expert im going through what everyone else is going through here. Wasnt satisfied with my doctors answers so i looked for my own. Found the natural approach to be better.

You said your daughters dieting has she completely cut out sugar from her diet. I know it sounds hard but its worth it. She needs to do that. Remember sugar & testosterone trigger each other for women. Her acne will clear up alot. As mine did. I started this no sugar diet 3 weeks ago. I wouldnt leave the house because i had major cystic acne. I still have " pimples " very small ones about 5-6 now. Its very good considering i had cystic acne before the no sugar diet. My family has even noticed my skin.

People say its chocalate that makes one break out ( its the sugar in the chocolate )
also fried food cut all those things out. fruits, veggies & lean meats. Avoid alot of red meat it might boost testosterone. Grill or baked. WATER WATER WATER. No sodas what so ever. If you MUST drink juice water it down or get the super food green kind they even sell it at walmart.

Keep in mind we didnt get pcos over night. Its going to take some time months maybe a year. For all this to take effect.

Another thing i'm finding very helpful is peppermint/spearmint tea. I use caffeine free. caffeine is not good for pcos. Studies have proven it helps in reducing testosterone levels in just 5 days. high testosterone = body hair, hair loss, acne. ( 3-5 cups a day ) I highly recommend this. AND YES TEA AND WATER ALONE ( NO SUGAR ) LEMON IF U LIKE. As for fake sugar its still bad.

If you take fish oil ( its good for pcos ) make sure to take vitamin e with that as well as the fish oil consumes it all from you.

Soy isoflavones or soy protein ( for shakes,smoothies ) Avoid dairy. Almond milk is better.

I recently purchased maca root. you can visit www.macaroot.com for more info. I ordered the gelanitized maca organic 1 lb bag. Its delicious and it sounds promising.
If you have a hard time digesting starch i suggest u go with the gelanitized one. Might be a little more expensive but its worth it. Its said to balance out hormones in men & women. And give our bodies what its missing. It can also help in the hair dept. And if your daughters not menstruating properly it can help her achieve that as well. the root comes from peru. I just started maca i'm hoping for the best.

Make sure she takes a multi/prenatal as well. Remember sugar is our enemy its poison to our bodies. ( everyones even non pcos'ers )

Royal Jelly also known for regulating hormones.
also watercress in the pill or food form is best.

I havent tried these but you can read about them

Fresh licorice
vitex
tribulust
blue cohosh
chromium picolinate
Carnitine

Remember though diet is the main thing. What we put into our bodies comes out. I'm not overweight but i still have a healthy diet. Lots of water. No processed meats. I'm only 21 most of my family thinks I'm crazy for doing this whole " lifestyle change " unlike them unfortunately I had medical problems. If not i'd still be eating junk food. I'm a real foodie but its whats gonna benifit me that counts. The first 2 weeks will be a killer but the " nasty healthy stuff " will start tasting good once you see everything as " nutrition " and LOWERING TESTOSTERONE. Thats what drives me. junk food = me being bald. If you want to treat yourself one day you eat a slice of wheat bread ( seriously ) No white bread, rice, pasta. In other words keep away from WHITE TRASH. I would get those cravings the first 2 weeks.. and almost gave in but i would only be cheating myself if i did that.

For the facial hair use nair thats what ive been using. Remember this is not a miracle it will take time. Medications take months to kick in. So will this. I'm 3 weeks in my journey with this new diet and herbs. I feel alot better.

Also no smoking or alcohol what so ever !!
Eat breakfast.
Don't eat past 6 or 7


God bless and wish you and your daughter and you the best.

Great info! May I ask what are your PCOS symptoms? Were you ever on any BCP. Seems as if that BCPs are the only things docs recommend.

[CandiKisses]

hello peggotty i was taking BCP for a while about 1 year before the pcos I was 20. I had to stop taking it because it gave me hyperpigmentation HUGE browns spots on my arms thighs and chest thank god they werent on my face. I had one on my neck. I looked crazy --- lol. I was on orthro tri cyclin Lo when that happened my dr pushed it on me i didnt have pcos symptoms then. He gave me them because of the acne. Which it didnt clear it up AT ALL. If anything i think it made it worst. I was on birth control when i was 15 due to acne and i stopped it because it made it worst... I then realized i didnt want to mess with my bodies natural rhythm.

My symptoms all have gotten better but the hair loss has not stopped completely. I read thats the longest process though.

Before the lifestyle change i had heavier periods, alot of cystic acne, very irritable, always crying ( always wanted to leave my bf 2 weeks before my period which was half of the month-- lol ) extremely violent, couldnt sleep well, lots of pelvic pain ( i forgot what that feels like now ), my scalp stunk that went away, my skin is less oily. I don't have polycystic ovaries and have regular periods. I had darkening of the armpits that went away. I still have facial hair the mustache which i nair and eyebrows that grow fast. The mustache hair " seems " less course but i dont want to jinx it lol. Still get the wirey chin hairs.

I had hyperthyroid that went away now i just have a goiter. I have high testosterone (98) it was (86) it went up. Im dieing to see if its lower now with the change. i'm going next wk to get tested again.

I must admit i dont exercise how i should. I need to work on that one. I don't like doing it alone i'm gonna have my bf walk with me everyday. Its so funny because everyone started mentioning my weight and skin and a beautiful healthy glow. Now hes doing it too.

He wants to invest on the health master with me. If you havent seen the health master WOW you should deff take a look at it. I was left it awe. All i want for xmas is THAT -- lol.
http://www.myhealthmaster.com/deff worth a look.

I've also come across this superfood http://www.healthrecipes.com/benefits_spirulina.html

Thanks if you've gotten this far. I'm sorry if i type so much all the time i'm just really passionate about getting through this PCOS.

The most significant benifit that i've had from all this is the acne clearning up and the mood. I feel normal now and not full RAGE !!

BEST WISHES.

[beatlegirl9]

Type away, CandiKisses, and dont think twice about it....I have come across alot of your posts and have already learned a lot more things that I could be doing. I too have alot of the same symptoms as you have especially the anger and emotional issues not to mention crazy hairloss & facial hair issues. Name the symptoms and I have them!
I had never heard of maca and want to try it and some of the herbal remedies you mention are now on my list as well. I fully intend to try the no sugar thing. I have been doing pretty well with exercising and losing some weight (45lbs so far) and the no sugar diet should help me further with that.
I dont come on this site as often as I should, and I dont usually post anything but I wanted to let you know that your info is very helpful!

[onVacation]

Ladies,

Wanted to post some positive feedback about my current natural herbal supplements. I have been off BCP for a year now, and had no AF the natural way until my doctor prescribed Prometrium. I did some reasearch here and talked to few girlfriends about natural remedies. This is what I am taking currently....

For AF:
I started with 1800mg/day of D-Chiro Inositol (DCI short) taking first thing in the morning and I got my AF on day 45 of my cycle. This was huge for me, going a full year without natural AF then poof. I ovulated as well, I'm not TTC but it was good too observe. I am a thin sister, I am not IR (as far as I know), and technically I did not need such a high dose, but I tried DCI because I had heard such positive things from thin sister like me. DCI help your body process sugar properly. Most pcos bodies store too much sugar and the excess sugar leads to hormonal unbalance that creates all the great side effects for us: irregular AF, acne, hair loss... etc. I hope DCI will continue to work for me. It also helped with my acne, I definitely have less intense breakouts. I also noticed that my upper lip hair is not as dense. DCI is expensive, but for me it's well worth it if it keeps working. The company I purchased it from offers a money back guarantee on fist shipment. I am starting to add more remedies slowly.

For High testosterone:
In July my testosterone was 109, and free testosterone was 7.3 - both too high. I am currently drinking spearmint tea, 3 cups a day for first 10 days of my cycle. There was a study done with pcos women and spearmint tea, the most effective dose and time to take was for the first 10 days. It is important to understand that even though high levels of testosterone are not good for us, normal levels of testosterone are desired in certain stages of the cycle and too low of testosterone will also create problems and hormonal unbalance.

For acne:
Jojoba oil - I use it at night. I have normal to oily face, the jojoba oil balances out the oil in your skin. I just started so can't really tell much yet - but will update later.

Maca - I started taking it in pill form 2 weeks ago, I have a lot of energy.

Diet - I have been cutting sugar out completely - I eat healthy protein, fish, and chicken. Dairy has been the hardest for me. But I started with switching to almond milk for my cereal. Then will slowly move to no cheese and other things

Hope this helps - good luck to all of us.

[TexasRockStar]

I've been taking Saw Palmetto and Chromium for ~4 weeks and my cycle was 33 days, instead of the 40+ that it often is. I still have hypoglycemia symptoms, but because of the holidays I've been traveling and indulging in sugary foods. When I eat sugar, I notice a difference--I feel BAD. Same with caffeine and dairy. Thanks for the natural suggestions, they seem to be making a difference!

-Stephanie

[jacquiej]

I went off Yasmin in July after being on it for nearly 7 years. Since then I have been having to deal with the PCOS symptoms that Yasmin evidently helped keep at bay. But I don't want to go back to the bcp because I don't think it is probably the healthiest choice - hind sight being 20/20! So I have been trying to figure out what else I can use so I am very interested in this thread. I haven't had time to read through everything yet but I will be interested to see what everybody has to say. I wasn't too bad right after I went off the pills but I am now seeing significant weight gain, much more facial hair, hair loss on my head, etc. I have been trying to find the right herbal combo but then I kind of "gave up" I guess for awhile but I am starting to get really concerned about the weight gain. I know eating healthier and exercising will defintely help and I plan on starting that again but I figure right NOW might not be the best time - Christmas and all! Anyway, thanks for the info, etc.