by deaksie » Wed Jan 19, 2011 9:44 pm
Hi Girls
I know all about this one. I've been undiagnosed with PCOS for 10 years and recently in the last 6 months have had my diagnosis.
In the 10 years until I got diagnosed, I have had severe stomach problems, and various ongoing investigations with bupa, different doctors, complimentary therapists, NHS, private, shonky, you name it, I've tried it!
My symptoms were very very swollen tummy, diarrhea, feeling sick, feeling absolutely knackered for no reason.
I ended up on a very restricted diet: no bread, no pasta, no sugar inc fructose, no lactose. Nothing with yeast in it. Basically, meat and veg. even no alcohol at one point and then 7 years of just vodka and slimline tonic. No wine!. bread and sweet things made me the worst and I could guarantee I'd be ill within a few mins of eating even small amounts of that stuff.
I met a naet therapist and she helped me a lot, but it still wasn't right.
I should also mention that I couldn;t sleep through the night properly and more importantly I've been gaining an average of 2lbs per month all that time despite a very low calorie count and no "treats", and intensive gym 6 times a week. I've put on 94lbs since this started despite not eating hardly anything. on one occasion I didn;t eat at all for 5 days and I put on 4lbs!
Crunch came earlier this year when I dieted for 6 weeks (no alcohol, no nothing, 1000-1200 calories per day), trained every day and I put on 6lbs in 6 weeks!!!!!!!!
that's when my father marched me to the doctors (bit embarrassing when you're 36!) and that's the start of me getting my diagnosis.
Anyway, after the internal exam and some discussion I persuaded the doctor to put me on metformin.
Within 4 weeks I had begun sleeping properly. Within 2 weeks all those terrible stomach problems had disappeared - like they weren't even there in the first place. I can eat everything now with no problems, no bloating, nothing. Within 6 weeks I had stopped gaining weight. I haven't lost any yet but I'm hopeful.
I know its the met because if I forget to take it I go straight back to where I was: bloated, not sleeping, feel like I'm getting bigger by the minute etc
I had laboured under the delusion that it was my stomach/gut etc which was the problem, that it was food intolerances etc etc and I now am convinced this is all caused by the PCOS.
what's good is that I now have a more varied diet and am not gaining weight. It still leaves me just under 16st and looking like someone's attached me to high pressure air hose, but hey, I;ve got to start somewhere. I wish to god one of the many professionals I've been under the "care" of over the last 10 years had picked it up sooner.
My advice is try met. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Of course as you can tell, I'm still trying to find the right answer myself but I wish you very well with it all
xxx