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Need to shrink my ovaries...diet & PCOS??
This is a discussion on Need to shrink my ovaries...diet & PCOS?? within the PCOS forums, part of the Trying to Conceive - Issues category; Hey girls...I've got a situation. I went for an ultrasound yesterday and found out that my ovaries are ...
Hey girls...I've got a situation. I went for an ultrasound yesterday and found out that my ovaries are WAY too big!! They measured 16.33 & 18.33 (I think mm but I'm not sure) and they should only be about 4. They are almost the size of golf balls right now. She said my diet was the main cause and my family history of diabetes. I eat TONS of starches, carbs & sugars. I didn't realize that was especially bad for PCOS...I know it is bad to eat that way in general though. She said they are so big that they can't even ovulate. I am already on metformin but she said the "quick" fix would be to take birth control for 2 - 3mos to reduce the size and to get rid of the cysts (caused by PCOS). I am VERY BUMMED about having to go on the pill but without it she said it could take 8-9mos for them to shrink.
My question is this though...the ultrasound tech told me I had to go on a diet like Atkins, South Beach or Suzanne Somers' one. She said I was to have NO sugar and to cut my starches and carbs. She said NO pasta, NO cereals, NO oatmeal, NO sweet tea, NO softdrinks, etc etc. My concern is that I am one of the few people who do NOT want to lose weight. I am only 116lbs right now on a heavy day. All of my bloodwork is normal...including my sugar so do you really think it is necessary to cut our all sugars & starches? My thought is that if I "cut back" drastically on my sugar intake and on starches & carbs then that will be enough to help coupled with the fact that I am now on metformin which I wasn't taking before.
To give you an idea of how I "typically" eat...
I cooked Sun night and we had rotisserie chicken, homemade mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese and green beans and sweet tea. Technically the only thing I can "HAVE" according to my dr. is the chicken and green beans. My thought is that if I had of just had the potatoes and not the macaroni and had green beans then maybe it would have been okay.
I'm just confused. I am going to look into the diets she suggested but I feel like if I cut back on the "bad" stuff then maybe that will be enough. Like maybe just have one glass of sweet tea a day instead of several. And don't drink soft drinks, start drinking water and eat fruit. I also thought I'd try to sweeten my tea with splenda.
Has anyone else been in my situation where you really didn't need to lose weight but you were having to go on a "diet" anyways to control your PCOS symptoms?
Hi Stephany! When I was first diagnosed with PCOS, my ovaries were quite enlarged as well. In fact, I think they were about the same size as yours are! Anyway, I was told that reducing my starch and sugar intake would help, but I went ahead and went on the pill anyway. I really didn't need to lose weight (not overweight or obese, but I could spare to lose 10 pounds or so). I sorta halfway cut out the starches, but the pill and metformin REALLY did the trick.
I'm currently doing South Beach. I'm having trouble dropping that last 10 pounds (I'm down to my pre-preggo weight, but I carry my weight differently post baby). Really, it's not that bad. Instead of starches for snacks and sides at dinner, we rely on lots of veggies.
I was really bummed when my RE put me on bc. But, in the long run the 3 months I was on them is a drop in the bucket compared to the number of months we spent trying for our dd. It's probably the fastest way to get those ovaries down.
Good luck!
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Kristie (29)
DH (34)
DD, Grace 7.31.06 My Blog
I would not go on one of the diets she listed. I would get a copy of he diabetic diet and go on that. It is not necessarily geared to losing weight but eating to regulate the blood sugar levels of a diabetic. I have been on this since week 16 of my pregnacy. It didn't cute things out completely just had me eating more balanced meals and such.
I too had large ovaries for years and finally was dignosed with PSOC. At that time my OBGYN told me that I had to take bcp and get on one of the diets you mentioned. I am one that could use to loose a few lbs and have tried for years. The bcp did help along with glucophage. I also found that I feel alot better while eating healthier w/ more fruits and vegi's. The diets didn't work for me but I found that once you quit eating so much refined sugar your body tends to crave it less. I am curious about the diabetic diet though I will look into that~thanks Kricket.
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Justin~ 33 ~Nichole 30~ married 7/02 TTC since 2001
7 Laporoscopies '96-'04 for endo
Lupron 9mo in '96
11/19/02 HSG - normal; 11/22/02 Lap & hysteroscopy
1/3/05 Hysteroscopy and D&C; 2/23/07 D&C
12/05 Seman Analysis Good
Clomid#1 thru #6 50mg w/pregnol shot IUI= BFN
#3 & #5= cancelled cyst
Next 2yrs on own= BFN
DX PCOS 2004 put on glucophage 1500mg
Clomid#7 thru #10 50mg= BFN
Clomid#11 100mg IUI= BFN
Quit 1/06 gave up then naturally 1/07
3/96 Ectopic pg 2/07 M/C 8wks
3/19/07 1st RE appt for IVF (yet another chapter begins)
4/17/07 basline bw & u/s everything looks great
Thanks ladies for the suggestions. I think I am going to research diabetic diets this weekend and start one of those next week coupled with concentrating on reducing my starches & carbs intake along with drinking more water & eating more fruits/veggies.
Not sure if this is helpful, but I came across this article today.
Increasing Protein Intake and Restricting Simple Sugar Is Beneficial in PCOS Diet
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 27 - Increasing protein intake and restricting simple sugar intake can improve a number of physiologic signs of polycystic ovary syndrome, according to a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"Insulin resistance, infertility, and hirsutism, common characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), improve with even modest weight loss," Dr. Sidika E. Kasim-Karakas, of the University of California at Davis, Sacramento, and colleagues write. "Optimal dietary treatment for PCOS is not known."
The researchers examined the effects of acute protein administration versus those of glucose challenges on hormones related to obesity and insulin resistance (i.e., cortisol and insulin), hirsutism (i.e., dehydroepiandosterone [DHEA] and androstenedione), and hunger (i.e., ghrelin). A total of 28 PCOS patients underwent a 5-h oral-glucose-tolerance test (OGGT) and a euvolemic, euenergetic protein challenge. The subjects had a mean age of 26 years and a mean weight of 97.5 kg.
Larger fluctuations in blood glucose and more hyperinsulinemia were observed with glucose ingestion than with protein (p < 0.01, overall treatment-by-time interaction). Serum cortisol and DHEA declined over 5 h during the protein challenge. During OGGT, cortisol declined until the third hour and then increased. Significant divergence from protein was observed from the fourth hour (p < 0.01).
Eighteen subjects had a blood glucose nadir of less than 69 mg/dL during OGGT. These hypoglycemic subjects had elevated cortisol (baseline: 10.1; nadir: 5.9; peak: 12.7 mcg/dL) and DHEA (baseline: 15.6; nadir: 11.2; peak: 24.6 ng/mL) (p < 0.01). There were no increases in adrenal steroids in the 10 patients with a glucose nadir of 76 mg/dL.
Ghrelin was suppressed with both protein (from 935 to 777 pg/mL) and glucose (from 948 to 816 pg/mL). Ghrelin returned to baseline by 4 h after glucose ingestion and increased to 1094 pg/mL at 5 h. Ghrelin remained below baseline (872 pg/mL) after the protein challenge. The overall treatment effect was highly significant (p < 0.0001).
"These acute challenge studies showed that nutrients have significantly different endocrine effects and that protein may be a preferred nutrient over glucose for patients with PCOS," the authors conclude. "The findings of these acute studies need to be validated with the use of natural foods and carbohydrate-enriched rather than protein-enriched diets."
Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:688-694.
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*Jacqueline*
47, DH 48
Proud Momma to: Eric Taylor- 12 Alyssa Renee- 10 Emily Grace- 8 Kevin Matthew- 5
Where did I come from?" the baby asked its mother. She answered, half-crying, half-laughing, and clasping the baby to her breast: "You were hidden in my heart as its desire, my darling. You were in the dolls of all my childhood games. In all my hopes and my loves, in my life, in the life of my mother, and in her mother before her, you have lived."
--Rabindranath Tagore
Kricket- I searched the she knows forum to find diabetic diet and read this post. The last time I went to my doc my blood sugar was up for the first time in my life. They said you need to watch what you eat, but never said what to eat. Have you posted the diet somewhere that I can not find it? I would love and be greatful for a copy of your diabetic diet. I post with Brynn on the clomid board.
Prayers for everyone ttc!
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Becca(27)
Blood Test + on 10-30-07 and hcg is 308.6
Need to shrink my ovaries...diet & PCOS??
naturally 1/07
2/07 M/C 8wks 
