PCOS Stinks! But Take Steps to Handle It

by Somer C.
(Summerville, South Carolina)

Hi girls,

My name is Somer. I started my period when i was 11 years old. I remember having cramps that would put me in the fetal position. My mom would give me pain killers, but it didn't do much. I also had very heavy bleeding as soon as my period started.

I am now 26 years old, and was diagnosed with pcos when i was about 20.

My doctor told me that you are born with pcos, but symptoms don't occur until you hit puberty. I am 260 pounds, i have gained 130 pounds since puberty.

I have been a vegetarian my whole life & generally eat pretty healthy.

I have a few extra hairs where i shouldn't, i got lucky in that dept. I wasn't so lucky with acne, & have horrible acne scars.

I also suffer low self-esteem. I have noticed as the years go by the disease progresses. I used to get a period but it was heavy, now no period for years unless i take prometrium. I have been on glucophage for years.

My husband & i desperately want a baby. I cry almost everyday.

No one understands how i feel; not my mom, friends, or co-workers. Wanting a baby is the worst pain in the world. If i do not conceive soon, we are considering adoption. I just want to tell all you girls: I know how you feel. I know the pain you feel when you see a pregnant woman walk by.

We are starting metformin with clomid this month. My friend who also has pcos recently had a baby. Hopefully we will have one soon too. Just remember there are worse conditions & handicaps than pcos.

I get down in the dumps too, but as long as I'm still breathing , I'll keep trying. Don't give up, some days i bury my head in my pillow & cry until i fall asleep. The next day i start over and say PCOS stinks, but you can't accomplish anything if you stop trying. GOOD LUCK !!

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Editor's comments: We hear your distress. We gently suggest a few steps you can take to get out of this trap.

1) A vegetarian diet probably is not helping you. This type of diet tends to be high in carbohydrate content, which is the exact opposite of what you want to do.

We might suggest a more balanced diet as described in The Natural Diet for PCOS and Infertility.

2) You didn't mention exercise. Daily exercise, when combined with the correct diet, can be as effective as metformin (Glucophage), but without its side effects.

3) Some studies have shown that the omega-3 fats found in fish oil can help to relieve depression. If you were to take fish oil or cod liver oil, you might feel better.

4) You might consider shifting your perspective from "PCOS stinks" to "PCOS is something that I have a lot of control over". This is true. You DO have more control over this disorder than you now think. However, you will need to take a more comprehensive approach that goes beyond depending on this drug or that drug to make your problems go away. There are no "magic pills" for polycystic ovary syndrome.

5) Selected nutritional supplements such as vitex or d-pinitol can be quite helpful in helping you to normalize your hormones.

6) By knowing what to do, you can reduce acne, reduce male-pattern hair production, lose weight, and become fertile. It's quite possible you and your husband can start a family. There's no question about it. Hundreds of medical studies support the idea of proper diet and exercise in reducing all of your PCOS-related problems.

If you were to follow the recommendations in our book, you might be pleasantly surprised.