PCOS Life Changes... Empower yourself with choices

PCOS Life Changes... Empower yourself with choices

Author: Ashley Levinson @GoTeal4PCOS(Woodbury, NJ - March 28, 2014)

PCOS treatments and solutions are as varied as the symptoms associated with the syndrome.

For Women and Girls with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)  accepting, learning and understanding PCOS can sometimes be a daunting task.  However, armed with the proper tools and support, women and girls are able to make the right choices for their long term care.

With that being said, Where does one start? 

1. Knowledge....

Knowledge is power.. There more you know about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) the better equipped you are to make the right decisions when it comes to your healthcare.  The mere acceptance of the first solution thrown at you is not always the best path for you.

There are many resources available to learn about PCOS... Some of the ones I have found to be reliable resources are

ASRM Find a Health Professional  tool 

Users can search by area of specialization. Areas of specialization for doctors who may be familiar with PCOS include gynecology, gynecology/infertility, infertility, obstetrics and gynecology, adolescent medicine, and reproductive endocrinology and infertility

The Hormone Health Network 

The Hormone Health Network is a leading source of hormone-related health information for the public, health care providers, and the media. Use the Hormone Health Network search tool to find an endocrinologist  near you

PCOS Awareness Association PCOSAA

PCOSAA is a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive information, support, and advocacy for women and girls with PCOS. You can Connect with other women with PCOS and find and abundance of resources tailored to learning about the syndrome

PCOS Nutrition Center

Support, tools, information and resources you need to make lasting changes to your eating, health and fertility. 

2. Exploring Treatment Options....

For some, medications are a necessity and solution to overcome the symptoms and overall cause of PCOS while for others a more natural approach seems to be the key!  

Treatment goals are based on your symptoms, whether or not you want to become pregnant, and lowering your chances of getting heart disease and diabetes. Many women will need a combination of treatments to meet these goals. Some treatments for PCOS include:

Lifestyle modification. Many women with PCOS are overweight or obese, which can cause health problems. You can help manage your PCOS by eating healthy and exercising to keep your weight at a healthy level. Healthy eating tips include:

This helps to lower blood glucose (sugar) levels, improve the body's use of insulin, and normalize hormone levels in your body. Even a 10 percent loss in body weight can restore a normal period and make your cycle more regular.

• Limiting processed foods and foods with added sugars

• Adding more whole-grain products, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats to your diet

• Control menstrual cycles

• Reduce male hormone levels

• Help to clear acne

• Clomiphene (KLOHM-uh-feen) (Clomid, Serophene) — the first choice therapy to stimulate ovulation for most patients.

• Metformin taken with clomiphene — may be tried if clomiphene alone fails. The combination may help women with PCOS ovulate on lower doses of medication.

• Gonadotropins (goe-NAD-oh-troe-pins) — given as shots, but are more expensive and raise the risk of multiple births compared to clomiphene.

• Vaniqa (van-ik-uh) cream to reduce facial hair

• Laser hair removal or electrolysis to remove hair

• Hormonal treatment to keep new hair from growing

Researchers continue to search for new ways to treat PCOS. To learn more about current PCOS treatment studies, visit ClinicalTrials.gov. Talk to your doctor about whether taking part in a clinical trial might be 

Birth control pills. For women who don't want to get pregnant, birth control pills can:

Keep in mind that the menstrual cycle will become abnormal again if the pill is stopped. Women may also think about taking a pill that only has progesterone (proh-JES-tuh-rohn), like Provera, to control the menstrual cycle and reduce the risk of endometrial cancer (See Does PCOS put women at risk for other health problems?). But, progesterone alone does not help reduce acne and hair growth.

Diabetes medications. The medicine metformin (Glucophage) is used to treat type 2 diabetes. It has also been found to help with PCOS symptoms, though it isn’t approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this use. Metformin affects the way insulin controls blood glucose (sugar) and lowers testosterone production. It slows the growth of abnormal hair and, after a few months of use, may help ovulation to return. Recent research has shown metformin to have other positive effects, such as decreased body mass and improved cholesterol levels. Metformin will not cause a person to become diabetic.

Fertility medications. Lack of ovulation is usually the reason for fertility problems in women with PCOS. Several medications that stimulate ovulation can help women with PCOS become pregnant. Even so, other reasons for infertility in both the woman and man should be ruled out before fertility medications are used. Also, some fertility medications increase the risk for multiple births (twins, triplets). Treatment options include:

Another option is in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF offers the best chance of becoming pregnant in any given cycle. It also gives doctors better control over the chance of multiple births. But, IVF is very costly.

Surgery. "Ovarian drilling" is a surgery that may increase the chance of ovulation. It’s sometimes used when a woman does not respond to fertility medicines. The doctor makes a very small cut above or below the navel (belly button) and inserts a small tool that acts like a telescope into the abdomen (stomach). This is called laparoscopy (lap-uh-RAHS-kuh-pee). The doctor then punctures the ovary with a small needle carrying an electric current to destroy a small portion of the ovary. This procedure carries a risk of developing scar tissue on the ovary. This surgery can lower male hormone levels and help with ovulation. But, these effects may only last a few months. This treatment doesn't help with loss of scalp hair or increased hair growth on other parts of the body.

Medicine for increased hair growth or extra male hormones. Medicines called anti-androgens may reduce hair growth and clear acne. Spironolactone (speer-on-oh-LAK-tone) (Aldactone), first used to treat high blood pressure, has been shown to reduce the impact of male hormones on hair growth in women. Finasteride (fin-AST-uhr-yd) (Propecia), a medicine taken by men for hair loss, has the same effect. Anti-androgens are often combined with birth control pills.  These medications should not be taken if you are trying to become pregnant.

Before taking Aldactone, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Do not breastfeed while taking this medicine. Women who may become pregnant should not handle Propecia.

Other options include:

Other treatments. Some research has shown that bariatric (weight loss) surgery may be effective in resolving PCOS in morbidly obese women. Morbid obesity means having a BMI of more than 40, or a BMI of 35 to 40 with an obesity-related disease. The drug troglitazone (troh-GLIT-uh-zohn) was shown to help women with PCOS. But, it was taken off the market because it caused liver problems. Similar drugs without the same side effect are being tested in small trials.

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3. Acceptance...

Many women with PCOS have difficulty accepting PCOS because the feel different, ashamed and set apart from what is considered to be the norm..  But when we think about it, what is normal???  

First, You have the ability to overcome the roller coaster of denial and depression.  As with anything else in life.. you learn, you research and you fight!!!!

Next, Accept PCOS and know you are not alone and  within you is the power to make change!!

Great resources for the right mind set with PCOS are:

Freedom from PCOS

We have become so “reactive” in our health. The very thought that we can create amazing health, and that things don’t just happen to us, is an absurd idea for most women. The hard-core truth is that what we’re thinking on the inside manifests on the outside. - Katie Humphrey

Conquer your PCOS Course

Dr. Rebecca Harwin, a leading PCOS Expert offers great information, products and resources to overcome PCOS

In closing... The path before you is never an easy one but with each step you become closer to reaching your destination..  Never give up, never accept one answer and never be ashamed of who you are, embrace all you can and want to be and go after it...

When I started this journey, I was told I would never have kids and was obese..  I felt I had nowhere to turn, no one who understood and no way of ever getting to where I wanted to be..  While I am not perfect today... I now have two children, I have lost over 120 pounds and am able to control my symptoms on my terms without medications.  You can see how it all began for me in the segment I did for Mystery Diagnosis on Discovery Health back in 2006...

PCOS on Mystery Diagnosis