Skin/period issues after starting/stopping met

Mobysmom · 05-08-2006, 08:54 PM

Hey all,

Been reading everyones posts for awhile now, but have never actually posted. WEIRD things have been going on lately, so here's some background info, and maybe you guys can play detective and help me out.

Generally, I am very healthy and never get sick, just dealing with the PCOS, which my (new wonderful female) Doctor diagnosed me with last year, at 23. I excercise rigorously, and really always have, and eat healthily (seriously!!!). I started out at 260 lbs, bad blood pressure, cholesterol, migraines, I got my period because I was on Yasmin, though I never did before that.
So, my doctor took my off Yasmin so we could get an accurate level on my hormones, which I think were at a 4:1 ratio. At this point, My periods were irregular, my skin was freaking out, but I was staying on top of the weight OK, which was down to 250 by then. After starting the Metformin, I dropped to 245 effortlessly, had more energy, and just felt really great.

I had to go off of it after about 3 months because I broke out in a head to toe rash, which my doctor suspected could have been a drug reaction. Now that I've started back on it, I am back up to 250 despite really cutting back on my diet bare-bones style, adding extra workouts, and generally behaving myself.

My periods SUCK. I am regular, but they are intolerable. I am bloated for like 3 weeks at a time, which I am PRAYING is the cause of the weight gain, because I fight for every damn ounce. Also, My skin SUCKS. I used to have awesome peaches and cream skin, but now it looks all blotchy and my chin especially appears dark and discolored.

Things I have been doing differently: eliminated red meat for cholesterol cutting purposes, working out more, eating more fruits (not as many veggies, i do admit), and eating more nuts and fish. My blood pressure rocks now, and I haven't gotten my cholesterol re-tested, though I am due to.

I am too young to have high cholesterol and carry all this extra weight, especially with the super amount of effort I put into it, and this skin stuff is just plain starting to piss me off.

Can anyone say if they have experienced anything similar with starting/stopping metformin or yasmin? Would you suggest that I ask for a referral to an endo or a derm at my next appointment?

Thanks all!

X-posted

KYBluegrass · 05-10-2006, 04:19 PM

mobysmom- the first thing I will say is, congrats on doing all that hard work for yourself! EAting right and exercise is a big part of dealing with PCOS. I can't explain what happened to you with the met...it's possible that your body might not like the binders and fillers used in metformin, and you're having a reaction to it. There are other metformin type drugs out there that you may want to try to see if that is the case. The second thing I will say is that the response to met is not always immediate. Depending on what is going on in your body, it may just take some time for your hormones to start moving in the right direction. The best way to tell is to keep a check on your lab numbers and see where they are moving. Even though all your symptoms may not have cleared yet, your numbers may still be moving in the right direction. I hope this helps, and I hope you find the answer to what's going on!