Go Gluten-Free for PCOS – Part 2
What About Whole Wheat?
So for all of you who have been eating whole wheat products and think whole wheat bread is a better choice (I once did as well), it is important to know that wheat has been hybridized to create high-yielding wheat plants with much higher amounts of starch and gluten and contains proteins that never before existed in nature. Sounds a bit like Frankenfood to me. Today’s wheat plants, Triticum aestivum, or modern wheat are more than two feet shorter, the result of years and years of cross-breeding and hybridization designed to make our agricultural products resistant to drought and better performing. This modern-day wheat is different from the gluten proteins found in wheat as recently as 1960. Gluten has deliberately been increased from 4% to 17%
Dr. William Davis, a preventive cardiologist and author of Wheat Belly, explains, “It contains amylopectin A, which is more efficiently converted to blood sugar than just about any other carbohydrate, including table sugar. In fact, two slices of whole wheat bread increase blood sugar to a higher level than a candy bar does. And then, after about two hours, your blood sugar plunges and you get shaky, your brain feels foggy, you’re hungry. So let’s say you have an English muffin for breakfast. Two hours later you’re starving, so you have a handful of crackers, and then some potato chips and your blood sugar rises again. That cycle of highs and lows just keeps going throughout the day, so you’re constantly feeling hungry and constantly eating. Dieticians have responded to this by advising that we graze throughout the day, which is just nonsense. If you eliminate wheat from your diet, you’re no longer hungry between meals because you’ve stopped that cycle. You’ve cut out the appetite stimulant, and consequently, you lose weight very quickly. I’ve seen this with thousands of patients.”
So How do I know if I am Gluten Intolerant?
Conduct your own experiment and see for yourself – your body will let you know. Remove gluten-containing grains from your diet. Ideally for 3-4 weeks but even 7 days can make a difference. If after that 4-week period you discover new mental clarity, stable moods, better sleep, relief from joint pain, happier intestines, less bloating, then you’ve got our answer!
Chances are if you ask your doctor about gluten intolerance unless you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease they won’t acknowledge it. If you do want to be checked for Celiac Disease, according to celiac.com, “Of the two tests, the IGA gliadin and IGA endomysial tests are the most accurate. However, this test can become negative relatively quickly after going on a gluten-free diet (3-6 months), which can cause a false-negative test result. The IGG is less specific, and can sometimes be positive in non-celiacs. Also, about 4% of celiacs have no IgA at all! For these reasons, it is very important that both tests are done for an accurate diagnosis. The biopsy is still considered the “standard candle” to confirm a blood diagnosis, and give a 100% sure diagnosis.”
Be assured that you can be tested negative for Celiac Disease and still be gluten intolerant. A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled Australian study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology strongly suggested the presence of this form of nonceliac gluten sensitivity or intolerance but was unable to determine the cause. Yet it remains largely unrecognized by conventional medicine.
Bring this research to your doctor to prove your point. You can still have gluten intolerance without a diagnosis of celiac disease and this new research proves them wrong. Celiac disease results when the body creates antibodies against the wheat (adaptive immunity), but another kind of gluten sensitivity results from a generalized activated immune system (innate immunity). (7)
Gluten Intolerance Causes Multiple Nutritional Deficiencies
When you have gluten intolerance your body does not absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A and E and K as efficiently as well as the essential fatty acids. EFA’s are critical for women with PCOS because we use these to make all our reproductive hormones and adrenal hormones including estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, cortisol, and DHEA. Other nutritional deficiencies include calcium, folic acid, iron, and vitamin B12 (which may already be low due to taking Metformin.
Don’t Start Eating Gluten-Free Junk Food
Eating Gluten-free doesn’t give you carte blanche to eat gluten-free pretzels, brownies, bagels, and cookies. These are still highly processed food. Processed food has a high glycemic load. Just because it is gluten-free, doesn’t mean it is healthy. Stick to gluten-free whole grains like amaranth, buckwheat, or kasha (not to be confused with Kashi products they are NOT gluten-free) corn, millet, quinoa, rice (stick with brown or black), sorghum, and teff are all gluten-free grains. Oats are inherently gluten-free but are frequently contaminated with wheat during growing or processing. Several companies like Bob’s Red Mill offer pure, uncontaminated oats. Limit servings of gluten-free bread and pasta to 1 serving a day or even a few times a week.
Have you Gone Gluten-Free?
Please share your experience with us in the comments below. Has eating gluten-free helped with reducing your PCOS symptoms? If you are going to do the experiment, please come back and let us know your findings!
(1) http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra010852
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6840480
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6099562
(4) http://medschool.umaryland.edu/celiac/documents/celiacgastro.pdf
(5) World Journal of Gastroenterology 2007; 13(10).
(6) Digestive Diseases and Sciences, February 2000;45:403-406.)
Amy – I am in total agreement with you. Checking to see if you are GF is a fantastic idea, especially if you have medical issues that aren’t being resolved no matter what you try. I spent over 6 years believing that diarrhea at every trip to the restroom was normal. I suffered from major migraines at least 2-3 times a month that would only go away with high-dose painkillers and sleep. I decided 1.5 years ago after doing some research that I should try a GF diet. Within 2 weeks, my trips to the restroom were normal, and I’ve gone that full 1.5 years without a migraine. If only I had known about my gluten sensitivities sooner – would have saved on doctor’s bills and CT scans. I’ve been off gluten for so long that it didn’t show up on my food allergy test a few weeks ago – but I’m definitely not going back to it! I have gotten so used to GF foods that regular bread and pasta taste gross to me now.
It’s difficult to start going GF, especially when you start realizing just how much wheat they put into EVERYTHING, from soy sauce to cream of mushroom soup. But it’s so worth it if you are gluten intolerant. Anytime I meet someone with PCOS, I talk to them about gluten. It’s a lot easier to take care of yourself when small changes like going GF can ease so many potential symptoms!
Hi Amy, great article!
To answer your question, YES, YES, YES!, completely eliminating gluten (and dairy!) from my diet last summer has helped my PCOS symptoms in more ways than one. I noticed improvements immediately and will NEVER go back to consuming either; I feel too good!!—I am more pleasant to be around, my acne has improved, my skin is less red and inflamed, I have fewer cravings, I no longer feel bloated or have annoying stomach aches, I focus better at work, and I was medically cleared to stop taking my hypothyroid medication!
I encourage all women with PCOS to eliminate gluten (and dairy) from their diets! Two of my favorite resources are godairyfree.org and glutenfreeeasily.com.
Good luck to all and God bless,
Megan
I’ve been recently diagnosed with PCOS at age 36 while struggling with infertility. Metformin gives me awful stomach flu symptoms so I turned to google to find alternatives in treating PCOS and found so many testimonials in favor of eliminating gluten. I tried it last year for two months and I experienced only positive outcomes: more energy, less brain fog, less bloating, weight loss (10lbs) and regulation of menses! Unfortunately it wasn’t easy for me to follow what i thought was a restrictive diet and during the holidays went back to eating a regular diet. Bad choice! I lost all my positive outcomes and reverted back to how I felt before going GF. I’m back on the GF train, it’s not a mere fad, this works! After a couple of weeks of going about 90% GF (I’m not perfect) I’m feeling really good again. More women with PCOS should be told this by their endocrinologists but they are not! I personally brought it up and was simply told to just eat a normal diet and eat less and excercise. GF gives me the energy to even want to go walking! I’m a total convert and advocate for GF. Great article, thanks for putting it out there for us.
Best article I have seen in awhile. I can see so much of myself in it. I have been diagnosed Celiac and living gluten free for awhile. Unfortunately much damage had been done before the diagnosis. The road to recovery and actually ‘feeling good’ has been long and hard. I am fortunate to have an understanding physician, chiropractor and pharmacist. Leaky gut takes approximately a year to heal and recover in addition to discipline. If someone doesn’t see results even in 6 weeks of being gluten free, they could still have intolerance need help with their gut. The damage can create sensitivity to all grains and dairy that will not subside until the inflammation is under control. Thank you so much for this article. I do believe my pcos is a direct result of being misdiagnosed for many years. The research and conversations we have now give me hope for a healthier future.
I couldn’t agree more with your article or the comments by Megan and Lynn! I’ve been Gluten and Dairy free for almost two years now. I eliminated both on the advice of an acupuncturist that I was seeing at the time. I have to admit, back then I thought that advice was a little “out there”, but I did it anyway and it made a world of difference. I have more energy, my digestion is much better, I’m not bloated anymore, my eczema cleared and not returned and although I’ve never had much of a weight problem, I lost about 10 pounds almost immediately and stays off without any effort. I also have hypothyroid that my doc suggested may be Hashimoto’s. There is no way I will go back to eating gluten.
My cycles became regular (and shorter) for the first time ever in my life this year, and I really believe significantly lowering my consumption of gluten wa a major contributor. Here’s the breakdown I observed in my mild PCOS (diagnosed with high estrogen and DHEA/DHEAS, low 17-OH progesterone, imbalanced FHS/LH, normal everything else)–
Pre-August, 2011: Worked out regularly. Stressful job. Standard “healthy diet” including whole wheat. Irregular cycles, usually lasting between 30 and 45 days.
August, 2011: Wasn’t working out. Elimination Diet excluded gluten. Still worked at stressful job. Cycles still irregular.
Fall, 2011: Left stressful job. Ate gluten off and on. Lowered carbohydrate intake. Did not work out regularly. Cycles still irregular. Almost seem to be lengthening…
January, 2012 to now (April): Began working out regularly again since I started teaching at the YMCA. More proactive about avoiding gluten since November (don’t 100% avoid it, since not sensitive to cross contamination or small amounts), still working in job I love. Like magic, my cycles became regular and “normal.” Standard 28 day cycles, so far three in a row (Never ever happened before in my life!), and lighter periods.
I really think a combination of less stress, less gluten, fewer carbs, and more exercise all came together to form the perfect cocktail to make my cycles shorter and regular. Only time will tell if it remains!
Michelle- Thanks so much for your feedback you are a Diva! I do think gluten and stress play a big part in aggravating PCOS symptoms.
Tammee – thanks for sharing your experience with us. Stay well!
Thanks for the info about Leaky Gut – I didn’t know how long it takes to heal. Thanks for your positive comments!
Thanks for your positive comments. Most conventional docs I have encountered don’t understand the gluten connection. It is best to just give it a go. Glad you are feeling better!
Hi Amy,
I am 23 and have lean PCOS. One of my symptoms is prolonged periods. My heamoglobin is 11.2 but serum ferritin is 13 point something – I m nt sure if its due to prolonged periods.
I have vitamin B12 deficiency – again I had been vegetarian for a decade. Started with fish just a couple of months back.
Vitamin D deficiency as well…
Will having organic wheat also trigger symptoms?
I am a little confused coz docs in my place close-to-nil idea abt PCOS. They don even give me supplements if my symptoms don’t correspond to my deficiencies. I am a little scared abt toxicity to take them on my own. How can I make sure that by going gluten-free I m nt missing out something frm my nutrition?
Thanks
You still get lots of nutrition from gluten free grains like quinoa, brown rice, millet, amaranth
I have been TTC for 2 years and just recently eliminated Gluten and Dairy from my diet. I have had occasions of slipping and have had stomach issues the next day. I haven’t figured out if it is the dairy or the gluten yet because my slipping usually involves an item that contains both. I still have been eating Ezekial bread (sprouted grains) and I wonder if I should also discontinue that and go full GF??
I decided to try going on a low carb diet to try and do something about my weight before even reading about all this. Within a few days I couldn’t believe how great I felt! I actually had energy – getting up in the morning wasn’t difficult and I don’t feel like I need a nap every afternoon!!
I am on strong antidepressants (stronger than usual because of postpartum depression from over a year ago but I did not feel comfortable reducing the strength) but about 1.5 weeks in I really feel ready to talk to my doctor about reducing the strength!
Also, I’ve lost about 5 lbs already!
Now I’ve read this article and I am SOOO convinced! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for helping me to understand my body!! My doctor really doesn’t have a clue about PCOS!
Very interesting! I have recently decided to go gluten free and found that it is insane of how many items that are consumed daily have gluten in them. My husband and I have been TTC for 5 years. I am 26 years old and was diagnosed with PCOS. I was very skeptical of the diagnosis because the only symptom I had was a slightly higher LH level on day 11 of cycle. I have been doing my own research after being tested for everything under the sun (except gluten intolerance), I think gluten intolerance may be my problem. I could be classified as a “foody”, but do eat pretty healthy. I ALWAYS crave pastas and breads and would eat the “healthier” versions of such. After I would eat any type of gluten I would get sleepy and have stomach issues later in the day. I was on metformin for awhile, but my stomach and body HATED it. I would have a few bites of food and have to run to the bathroom. I stopped taking metformin because of a few reasons. One, because if my body doesn’t like it and can’t get used to it, it’s probably not good for me. Two, after taking the meformin, every cycle was not regular, which not on metformin and currently I am every 28 to the hour practically. I am very excited and curious to see how going gluten free will help with how I feel and HOPEFULLY my fertility. If this is the answer I will just be in heaven! 🙂 Good luck to everyone on this adventure and hope to hear positive outcomes soon!
I am so glad I found this information. I have PCOS and I have a friend who has Celiac’s Disease. I have often wondered if gluten free would help me too. I am preparing my grocerly list for the week, and I am gonna switch GF for a month or so and see what happens…definitely won’t hurt anything that’s for sure. I’ve got my fingers crossed!
I have always had unexplained joint (mostly knee) pains since I was three, and developed PCOS in my teen years that went undiagnosed until I was 28. I have been on metformin and my cycles did regulate that way and some symptoms did alleviate but I was left with the gluten intolerance issues that I was unaware of. Lo and behold, I got pregnant, and was gleeful because I had conquered the infertility issue. However, in week 17, I had a placental abruption and after 3 weeks of bedrest had a still birth. I just want to thank Amy for these articles on gluten intolerance because it made me aware that there is another issue going on. I followed your advice and found out quickly after a month of gluten free eating exactly why I had always had joint pain and the need to pop immodium as candy. I also did some research on gluten intolerance and placenta abruption, and the diet deficiency that is caused by eating gluten will cause the placenta to abrupt. We tried to get pregnant right after I stopped eating gluten, and lo and behold… it was simple! I am currently week 24 and I am confident that I will be holding a living child in my arms this time. By the way, Amy is right about doctors… they will not take you all that seriously when it comes to gluten issues without a celiac diagnosis. I have also seen inflammation go down and I actually have more energy now than before I was pregnant. Thanks, Amy for your wealth of knowledge.
Anna-
Thanks for sharing your story. I am so happy for you! Many blessings!
-Amy
I am 32 years old, and was told that I had PCOS as a teenager. I have never had a regular period, usually only have a couple each year. I have been to a few doctors that always claim they want to “fix” me and my problems. They end up putting me on Metformin, and the same thing happens each time…I start bleeding, but never stop. I have read several comments and posts about Metformin and it making people feel sick, but I haven’t read anything about it making them bleed…has anyone experienced this? In 2004 I was given Metformin, started to bleed, bled for 66 days. Not small amounts of blood, I poured. Had to go to the DR 2 times a week and be checked for anemia, wore heating pads on my stomach each day to help with the pain, wore pads that felt like diapers, and still would need to be changed almost every hour, woke up each morning in pools of blood & passed clots that were golf ball sized and bigger each day…felt miserable and drained, literally. Had to have surgery to stop the bleeding when different birth controls didn’t work…after surgery, I stopped and didn’t take Metformin again. I went to a new doctor in 2012, he asked me to try Metformin again and said it shouldn’t make a person bleed…I agreed to try it, and have been bleeding for over a year. I can’t afford to go back to the doctor or to have surgery, so I deal with it, bleeding is extremely heavy and has only let up about 5 days in the last year. I am extremely sensitive to several pads and tampons, and have to wear them at all times…lot’s of clots, etc…just like the time in 2004. I don’t know what to do! I am overweight, and have tried weight watchers, atkins, no carb, low carb, slim fast, and several other diets…the most I ever lost was 30lbs…and of course I have gained it all back and then some. I am 5ft 4inches, and weigh the most ever at 273lbs. I have tried to eliminate most processed foods, and eat more fruits & veggies which was extremely hard because my mind was trained to not eat carbs (veggies) from various doctors, but I am not counting carbs anymore! I have the excessive hair growth, which is the most embarrassing thing ever…I am light of light skin with blonde hair and blue eyes…but the hair that grows on my chin and neck or sides of my face is jet black and very course! Also, in the last year I have clumps of hair that comes out when I shower…so scary…way too much! I have never been pregnant, and fear that I never will. I want//need help…and want to eliminate gluten from my diet. What is the main difference between the meal plans and Jumpstart? I don’t earn a lot of money, and have less to spare, I could afford the meal plan, but wonder if I need the jumpstart…please advise. And wow, gluten is everywhere!
Hey Amy,
Great article. Just stumbled on it. I have been diagnosed with PCOS 2 years ago and suffered from IBS from a year prior to that. I exercise, eat well and somehow never thought along the lines of food intolerance. I suffer from gas, bloating, depression (as per my cycles), constipation/diarrhea, severe back pain (due to which I often have to curb my weight training), I have been exercising for almost a decade now and always look like the chubby girl – I never understood it. Am thinking of going gf now – has anyone you know suffered from severe hair fall (have lost almost all my gorgeous hair in 6 short years) hair dryness, thinning and also facial skin changes, like a sudden outburst (I’ve been blaming all this on my hormones so far!)
I read Manaka’s comment (July 10, 2013) about of her symptoms and felt like I was reading about myself!
1st a little background: I turned 27 this year. I started taking birth control (Yasmin for many years, then Ocella I think) at 15 yrs old and stopped taking it around when I turned 25. I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16 yrs old I think. I had never tried being GF until this week (after my bf suggested I try it after I had been nauseous for the entire past month)…
Hair Loss: I used to have beautiful thick hair I was so proud of, and in the last 5 yrs or so my hair has become so thin, limp and something I’ve become really self-conscious about (that was NEVER a prob in the past, it used to be thick, shiny and strong)… I don’t even like putting it in a pony tail anymore bc you can see my scalp so easily, especially on the sides.
Weight Issues: I am not overweight currently, (I have been though, many times in the past– lots of up/down weight changes constantly). Up until a month ago (when my weird constant nausea began) I was exercising regularly and didn’t eat much bc I gain weight so easily. (I also struggled with depression and binge eating/purging for many years). I’ve always had trouble with my weight, but reg exercise usually showed results as it should for people up until a few yrs ago. Over the past 3 yrs, I’ve had HUGE issues with losing weight, even with regular exercise and watching what I eat. I would just GAIN weight. It seems to have coincided with me getting off the birth control. But seriously, I was exercising more than I ever had in the past for a consistent period, with combination of healthy eating… or what I thought was healthy eating (whole grains, good meats/cheeses, veggies, etc.). The pounds kept packing on.
For the past month or so, I have been so nauseous that I’ve had to force myself to eat (prob was getting ~500 or so cal/day) and lost ~5lbs, that’s after a MONTH. I wasn’t trying to lose weight (I’m 5’4″ and was ~135lbs before this month of nausea, now I’m 130lb — so obviously it doesn’t “look” like I have weight issues, but I do. Like I can LITERALLY– yes literally- gain several pounds over night. I know this, because I regularly measure myself with a tape measure, weigh myself, and write down all that info to keep track of it. (just a note: some times I even LOST a couple pounds over night– this would usually happen after drinking mostly water all day with mainly non-grain foods.. I know it may not sound too crazy or unusual, knowing about gluten intolerance now, but at the time it was weird to me).
So yeah, I’m right with you there. Even the back pain. It would happen pretty often the past couple years, at least once a month for about a week or so– I always thought it was just PMS but after reading your post I’m starting to think it’s related to the PCOS and perhaps even the gluten.
Oh yea, so after that month of nausea, for the past few days I’ve been avoiding gluten and almost all the symptoms of the last month have already subsided! My appetite is not really back yet, but I’ve only been nauseous 2-3 times/day compared to 20 out of the 24 hrs (the nausea would wake me up from sleep). I’m not constipated anymore, much less gas, no vomiting, My skin is looking a little better already even! I have had soft stools (not watery) but I attribute that part to the wine party my friends and I had last night, lol.
Gosh, I could go on and on… just wanted to comment about it bc our symptoms are so similar! I’ve decided to keep trying to avoid gluten to see how I feel after a few weeks, then try some bread or something to see how I react to it. I love wheat products, but man do I feel better already without it! May not even be worth it just for that delicious taste lol!
Sorry if this was all confusing and all over the place lol! I get all excited when I read about people having similar things happening to them that I have happen to me and that no one else I know experiences. Not that I want other people to suffer from it too, it’s just sort of nice knowing I’m not alone or crazy, or a hypochondriac (which I’ve been accused of being by my bf– and which I know is BS, now especially since I’ve been reading about all these other women experiencing the SAME things!!)!
I’m going to keep trying to avoid gluten and hopefully everything will even out over time!! I don’t want to take birth control again and I don’t want to take other pills! The only other medication I took and currently take is adderall (other than vitamin supplements). I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 18 or 19, but honestly I think it’s just the others issues that make feel that way. Anyway, it helps with the chronic fatigue feelings I’ve experienced since high school (I’ve never been diagnosed with CFS, but I know how I feel and I know it’s not normal to sleep (or want to, and feel like I could sleep) for more than half of the day and then be foggy headed during my waking hours not matter how much sleep I got or didn’t get)!
Anyway, I wish you all the best of luck in overcoming PCOS and gluten allergies, at least enough to feel somewhat “normal” :)! I’ll keep checking back on this site, thank you to the author btw! I’m so happy to have found your website! I bookmarked almost right away, lol!
(originally IN RESPONSE TO):
Manaka says:
July 10, 2013 at 10:21 am
Hey Amy,
Great article. Just stumbled on it. I have been diagnosed with PCOS 2 years ago and suffered from IBS from a year prior to that. I exercise, eat well and somehow never thought along the lines of food intolerance. I suffer from gas, bloating, depression (as per my cycles), constipation/diarrhea, severe back pain (due to which I often have to curb my weight training), I have been exercising for almost a decade now and always look like the chubby girl – I never understood it. Am thinking of going gf now – has anyone you know suffered from severe hair fall (have lost almost all my gorgeous hair in 6 short years) hair dryness, thinning and also facial skin changes, like a sudden outburst (I’ve been blaming all this on my hormones so far!)
I have been gluten free for 2 mons now and also taking vit d. I am coming off the metformin cuz it has been flat out tanking my sugar. I feel a lot better, but I still haven’t gotten a cycle on my own yet. but I am also still breast feeding my 6mon old. I am praying that I get a cycle on my own. but just the increase in energy levels and decrease in bloating is worth it. my bowels are actually working again which is amazing as well.
I was diagnosed with PCOS back in 2007 but like many women I was not told exactly what I should be doing to improve my health in relation to it. At the time I did not have insurance and I went to a free clinic. They told me “You have PCOS and may not be able to have children.” Then I was rushed out the door. I sat outside the doctor’s office for about half an hour crying. Alone. Back then I did not have the proper support system either.
Eventually I became proactive about my health and read up as much as I could about PCOS.
Flash forward to present day, the last couple years (since about 2010/11) I have slowly but surely changed my entire eating habits and lifestyle. Recently (Feb. 10, 2014) I made the decision to go vegan and gluten-free. I feel great, not as bloated, more energized and some of my symptoms (I get androgenic alopecia and hirisutism) are getting better (slowly but surely).
I have jumped around different doctors and now I have insurance so I am seeing a specialist here in Chicago. I tried metformin (2000–half in morning and half in evening) and at first it worked but I felt like it was making me way too sick and I opted out. I tried it once more but to be honest I was not eating right so I think that contributed to it not working as efficiently. I attempted to try spiro and birth control but I got extreme anxiety over the possible side effects and I am not ready to let go of the possibility of having kids with my husband just yet and since being on spiro and BC prohibits having children I opted out.
I am hoping my lifestyle change will improve my pcos but at the same time I am coming to terms that there are just certain things about it I will have to learn to accept. It’s a long road with many obstacles but I am not in a better place and have a great support system.
Sorry for the long message! But I do have a question too LOL Should we be eliminating corn from our diet? I don’t really eat it but my go to snack has been blue corn chips (gluten-free) and hummus. Is this ok?
pcos cysters unite and fight back! 🙂
My diet is now Gluten Free & Dairy Free & Flesh Free. I have mostly a fishetarian diet, although I eat fish maybe once or twice a week, the other days my protein sources ares beans and eggs, I eat plenty of fruits and veggies and roots, and now my ovarian Cysts are gone, I have much less mood changes and my menstrual cycles are normalized again (i went on a 6 month pill cycle because I was having so much acne before going gluten-free. I’ve been now for 6 months without the pill and my skin has some acne, but much less than before). Now I will try to control my hormonal acne with cosmetics and through my new found diet, and I feel so much better, I think I may well be gluten sensitive (as well as lactose intolerant). I think my body is self-regulative, as it lead me to my new lifestyle and diet. Thank you for sharing those tips, very usefull as there is little research in those topics.
Melissa, your experience sounds so isolating and discouraging! My personal opinion, no firsthand experience, is that bleeding for a year straight is NOT normal and should have stabilized by now if it was going to stabilize. Have you joined the SoulCysters forum? There is so much research and also others with varied experiences, I highly recommend asking if anyone else has run into your same issue and how they dealt with it. PCOS treatment can often be very different for each woman, don’t give up! Find a doctor who believes you and listens when you say Metformin is not working for you.
The meal plans are just that, meal plans. Jumpstart is a learning program, support, meal plan, and guided step by step start into a PCOS eating and lifestyle.
In the celiac world, I’ve heard it called a “glutening” and even people who are simply gluten sensitive do often notice issues very quickly. I’ve noticed my lactose intolerance flares up with particular symptoms each time, usually intestinal, maybe you could conduct a controlled “trial” and eat something just with dairy and see what reactions you get, then a couple days later eat something just with gluten and do likewise?
I am 28 years old and have been diagnosed with PCOS when I was 13- I was on birth control for a while but then was put in the hormone progesterone. I was put on this progesterone pill (200 mg 2x day till recently) by a gyno/ endocrinologist and her husband was a neurologist treating me for seizures (started in college a few years later than PCOS diagnosis. I was told that this progesterone would lower my chances of seizures by keeping it higher than my estrogen level as well as keeping my uterus lining thin and being a replacement for birth control. All was well- or so i thought- till recently when I was diagnosed as a celiac. I also have hyothyroidism…needless to say I can’t believe that all these health issues are probably RELATED! I am so frustrated because it is a nightmare to loose weight! After being gluten free for over a year I still have not shed this stubborn weight. I was told by this gyno / neurologist Dr couple that he thinks seizure activity and PCOS are related by the amount of clients they have seen with similar issues- HOWEVER- I recently tried to come off the progesterone (bc it was expensive) and i had no idea that the side effects was INSOMIA! i could not sleep without a shitload of drugs on board. Total nightmare- and so now i am seeing new doctors to try and remedy this situation. I came here to see other peoples stories and try to get some new ideas on how to improve my body condition….seems like a never ending battle!