Auntlee

Last year, when we were TTC -- Dr. prescribed chlomids to help with estrogen; after chlomids didn't work, I did some research about how to help the body maintain estrogen levels with natural remedies and decided to try boron, PABA, and mega doses of folic acid. I'd read that mega doses of folic acid have an estrogen-like effect on the body, and it's cheap.

Unexpectedly, within just a couple of weeks I noticed a difference in facial hirsutism (which I've had to a pretty serious degree since puberty -- at this point, 30 years -- I inherited my mom's PCOS and my dad's heavy beard, lucky me.)

I was alternating days of taking the boron & the PABA -- decided after some research it must be the boron & stopped taking the PABA, and the hair growth got worse again. So I went to taking PABA & boron & folic acid every day.

After three months on this regimen, the hair is substantially less --
there are more hairs without color, more thin, weaker hairs, and more areas that look absolutely normal.

Couple of caveats -- anyone who is even remotely likely to be anemic should probably check with a doctor before starting mega folic acid -- too much folic acid can hide some of the symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency. Other than that, your body pretty much takes what folic acid it wants & discards the rest. I'm not a doctor, but my own doctor said I could continue with the mega, as long as I also kept up my levels of B12.

Other caveat -- I'm in a subset of PCOS -- my ovulation & my periods are absolutely regular; the symptoms I have are hirsutism, terrible teen acne, skin tags, insulin resistance, and infertility that may be linked to PCOS. (didn't marry & start TTC until early forties)

I take 50 - 60 mg of folic acid every day -- around 20 800 mcg pills
three times a day, and sometimes four times. I take half a gram of PABA once a day -- I've recently upped this to half a gram twice a day, which seems to work even better. I change up the dosage of boron, but it's around 3 mg a day.

I also take acidolphus, which is supposed to help the body manage folic acid, but this regimen was working well before I started that. I also low-carb -- no sugar, wheat, potatoes, pasta, etc. -- don't know if that makes any difference.

I have no idea if this would work for anyone else, but wanted to let the group know my experience.

I don't know what it is about this that works, (except that I have read that most PCOS'ers have a folic acid deficiency) but over 30 years I've tried everything, and, with the exception of the laser hair removal (which worked great but it all came back in 18 months), this is the only regimen that's done anything. Plus, this keeps getting better, whereas the laser removal's effects wore off.

Smeggle

I read a book by Michael Lesser M.D called Vitamin Therapy I think. It had a whole slew of remedies for a myriad of problems including infertility, and get this, stretch marks! I think Hirsutism can be (if not cured) controlled through different remedies, unfortunately I don't have the time or the cash to figure out what's the right one for me. Yasmin is actually cheaper and probably just as effective, and I can barely remember to take a pill everyday let alone upteen different vitamins! But then again, there really is no way to taper off the pill, I can hardly imagine what I might look like if I stop. So maybe I should try some vitamins in combo with it? then perhaps if I get off the pill I have a substitute, well without a job, it's kind of hard for me. I can't work when I'm in school because of extra activities, I'm there about 9 hours five days a week! I'm glad though your exploring this Auntlee. Perhaps people like you will pave the way for future hirsute girls and women. Sadly, we'll probably have to be the guinea pigs. But I think things are looking much better for hirsutism. Knowledge is all around us now, with the inet and so forth. There's also plenty of alternatives to mainstream healthcare like you're pursuing. I only have hope, and the best of luck to you Auntlee

__________________
DX 17 without cysts, amazingly enough. A range of sx that include weight gain and excess body hair. Yasmin helping with the hair, my main focus is now weight management which I have been ignoring sadly... But will get on the ball here and soon will have a success story under Tuscar's thread!! We can conquer this ladies. We can win! Our bodies want to, they just don't know how yet! HW190/CW175/GW130

Auntlee

Thanks for the kind words. I'm new here and learning a lot.

I wanted to note that another poster here, with the thread title: "I thought I should share my good results..." noted that she was able to grow stronger hair by simply taking somewhat higher doses of another B vitamin, Biotin.

And I got fabulous results with hirsutism by taking higher doses of folic acid, which is a B vitamin, and PABA, which is in the B vitamin family.

Wouldn't it be interesting if it turned out that half the problem with PCOS is an inability to process B vitamins correctly, so that higher doses are needed?

And as the other poster noted, B vitamins are water-soluble and the body can't overdose on them, so that there aren't nasty side-effects like there are with most of these prescription remedies I've been reading about.

Folic acid's side effect is more protection from birth defects. I've read a lot of places recently that the RDA for folic acid is ridiculously, if not criminally, low.

But if it turns out to be true that a problem with B vitamins is a big part of PCOS, this is the only place where we'll find out -- nobody is ever going to sponsor clinical trials on the effectiveness of a vitamin regimen, because there's no money to be made that way.

99thmonkey

I'm wondering if anyone has had good luck with the herb, saw palmetto? A doc (who is not treating me) suggested I try it for my hairloss and hirsitusm. I don't want to go on BC pills.

If so, does anyone take it w/metformin? I'm 5 weeks on met now, and haven't seen any difference in my oiliness or of course not yet for hirsutism--but my hairloss has definitely slowed, and I've lost 2.5 pounds doing very low carb (which I did before and nothing happened)

Re: things getting better for PCOS....It is great that laser's around, now...I'm 38 and there was nothing like that when I was 18 and battling my hairiness. I'd get out of the shower and be exhausted from all that shaving.

ama

rose99

hi auntle,
nice to know abt you experience ..i was just searching about hirisutism and i found this forum amazing.i'm some one who is depressed with hirsutism, overweight. ..i got prominent hair on my face ,neck, leg, hand and chest like man..and the hair is very thick i usually remove my hair on my neck,chin and chest using epilator..hair removing cream on legs n upper arms and bleach the hair on my face in every month.people make fun of me coz of the extreme hair growth. iam very concerned and i want to be like normal girls .since it is more prominent and increasing..doctors suggested me to go for laser treatment.but i cant afford it.... iam planning to try PBA,boron and folic acid,but i want to know friend whether this will make me fat?? ..because iam already 50 pounds over weight..and i got hair loss (head) aswell.. plese help .iam 23 yr old...blessed with a 3 yr old baby ....thanks .tc

mps1130

Hi!

About the Saw Palmetto, I have been taking it on and off for the last 6 months and it has worked for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The first time I started taking it was about 6 months ago. I took it in conjunction with a multi vitamin, fish oil, calcium and magnesium, sub lingual B12 and Vitex. At the time I was suffering from moderate to severe acne and severe hirutism. Both my acne and the hair growth improved remarkably after only 2 weeks of taking all of this. I ran out of the saw palmetto and in a matter of a week I broke out severely as well as had faster and thicker chin hair growth. So I have deduced it was the Saw Palmetto. I DO NOT go without it anymore! I still have acne and facial hair growth BUT both are MUCh more manageable while taking Saw Palmetto.

Vellie

When did you begin research for your vitamin regimen? Was it before or after you did the laser hair removal? And how many sessions did you have to have when you did the laser removal. Im very curious and anxious to get this under control.

kohina

If you're not on Spiro or BCPs it might work for you. My personal experience with Saw Palmetto was awful. I started developing cystic acne EVERYWHERE. I was using it in conjunction with Yaz and Spiro though which might have caused some sort of hormonal overload. NAC has really helped with my hirsutism though. I've noticed that the hair grows in alot slower when I take it on a regular basis.