The most common medication used in women with PCOS is the insulin-sensitizer metformin. Research is strongly showing that long-term use of metformin and at high doses (1.5 mg or higher daily) can deplete levels of vitamin B12. A deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause permanent neurological and nerve damage as well as mood changes and decreased energy. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a vitamin B12 deficiency if you take metformin.
PCOS experts from around the globe met in Boston yesterday for the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society (AEPCOS) update meeting yesterday. If you aren’t familiar with AEPCOS, it is an elite group of health professionals made up of scientists, reproductive endocrinologists, endocrinologists, internists, psychologists, registered dietitians and other professions who treat or do research in PCOS. The focus on the meeting was on lifestyle and mood disorders for PCOS. Here are some of the main highlights from this informative meeting.
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Inositol is a member of the B-vitamins and a component of the cell membrane. Inositol is found in fruits, beans, grains, and nuts and is also made by the body. While there are nine forms of inositol, myo (MYO) and d-chiro-inositol (DCI) types have been well studied in women with PCOS, both showing good results. Here’s what you need to know.
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Until recently, the focus on PCOS has been during the childbearing years as PCOS has been primarily viewed as a reproductive disorder. Questions about what happens when women with PCOS age have remained elusive. For example, does the syndrome get worse and if so, how worse? Or, does PCOS get better after menopause? Could PCOS simply disappear altogether? We now have the answers to some of these questions as researchers are now exploring what happens when women with PCOS transition through menopause. The news is good and not so good.
Fermented foods are a natural way to improve and preserve a healthy gut flora. Find out what fermented foods are and other health benefits to women with PCOS.
As readers of this website undoubtedly know, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is defined as irregular or even absent ovulation resulting in long stretches of time between menstrual cycles. Often, women with irregular ovulation are given a diagnosis of PCOS, even if they are not insulin resistant. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) sees PCOS in a few different ways, depending on how it presents in your body. Western medicine tends to treat all PCOS patients in the same way, where TCM looks at each patient’s pattern of symptoms before making a diagnosis.
