If you are slim and have PCOS and/or insulin resistance would you mind stepping this way?

[YesVeryGoodVeryStrong]

Posting in here rather than health for traffic.

Went to see my GP about possible PCOS, but she didn't think it was worth pursuing/finding out whether I have it or not because I'm not trying to conceive. She also said that I can't be insulin resistant because I am not overweight. But I am sure I have read about people that are normal weight and insulin resistant. Maybe I am getting this mixed up. Would appreciate any advice from anyone with PCOS or insulin resistance or both.

I am normal
Weight bmi 24. Had pcos with terrible acne and was diagnosed via scan. A coupe of my friends have very bad pcos, don't ovulate at all and are very very slim, size 6. Known as lean pcos

sunseptember - I eat everyday between 2-8pm and that's it. I also don't eat much, if any, sugar, processed food, alcohol, bread, pasta, rice etc. I do eat potatoes and vegetable starches.

I don't find it particularly restrictive at all though, certainly once I got all the sugar out of my system I never crave anything!

Wow stroke! Did you build up to that?

I've been intermittent fasting for years now, generally don't eat until after midday most days - in the last couple of months cut out all processed foods etc.

It was my DS's birthday last weekend so after eating cake etc I went back to clearing out my system. For some reason I stumbled on a good read about fasting for 18 hours for health reasons and decided to try it on Monday. Been doing it each day since.

I didn't find it too difficult because I never ate until after midday anyway. And because I'd already cut out processed foods and sugar, I didn't have any cravings, just some minor hunger pangs. I'm happy eating after 2pm and will probably do so for another few days or so before I push to 4pm. The only issue I might have then is that I have to fit enough calories into 4 hours which proves trickier with young kids and a full time job.

If you're eating a standard diet, it's probably better to cut out all the processed food/carbs/sugar first and give your body a few days to get over the carb/sugar flu and see if that helps with your PCOS symptoms first. Definitely try a Whole30 (google), there's a good section about resetting hormone balances and PCOS through food.

This is exactly the same question I have been asking. I was diagnosed purely on an ovarian scan that showed my left ovary is covered in cysts. I am 42 and actually thought my symptoms were due to the menopause. I have actually lost 2 stone (now a size 12) this year, am not overly hairy either and have regular, periods but a 22 day cycle. I am seeing the gynaecologist in October but am thinking can I be diagnosed just on the scan alone?

@Mindfullness

See my post above

The diagnostic criteria for PCOS are the Rotterdam criteria - to have PCOS you have to have at least 2/3 of the following

1. Irregular or absent ovulation
2. Clinical or biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism (ie outward signs of excess testosterone like acne or facial hair and / or elevated androgen levels on blood test)
3. Polycystic ovaries on ultrasound

Polycystic ovaries means at least 12 antral follicles on each ovary, in a ring of pearls formation

They're not actually cysts, it's multiple follicles - very high ovarian reserve

I have severe PCOS, but am in the middle of the healthy BMI range. I have read that the weight-gain tendencies associated with PCOS are pretty marginal, so it's certainly not OK to assume that PCOS = overweight.

I'm slim, insulin resistant and have pcos. Main issue was acne.

Insulin resistance runs in my family- my Dad and Granddad both have it and were slim their whole lives. We've all followed healthy diets and exercised. We also have inherited high cholesterol, and seem to respond very well to limiting carbs in our diets. Carbs make me feel completely drained and breathless.

I read something a while back that a statistically significant proportion of slim women with insulin resistance and pcos preferentially metabolise protein over carbohydrate- not sure if there's anything in that (not a medical prof and can't remeber the source) but I know that cutting wayyyy down on my carbs has significantly reduced my total cholesterol and serum triglycerides.

Interesting stroke, I'll check out Whole30.

I might have to try a different GP and see if they are a bit more clued up, at least in terms of getting a diagnosis.

I have PCOS and I'm a size 8-10. I do gain weight easily however and have to calorie count strictly since having kids. Absent ovulation was my main symptom, although I was diagnosed during investigations for endometriosis, which I also have.
I naturally have 6 months between periods, but when I was TTC I took agnus castus and vitamin B12 and got it down to 6 weekly. Conceived within 4 months.

Can anyone tell me the symptoms of being insulin resistant? (as opposed to diabetic). If you are insulin resistant how did you get diagnosed?

@minipie your Dr should run a fasting glucose and glucose tolerance test to diagnose

I didn't have the test and we don't think I'm insulin resistant because I'm under rather than overweight, but I'm still on metformin to try and help me ovulate (also valuable for helping to mitigate increased risk of miscarriage due to PCOS - although my miscarriages weren't PCOS related) because PCOS is an endocrine disorder, and lean PCOS can still be associated with insulin sensitivity

Thanks bananafish. Makes me realise, I'm not sure I ever had the test I was supposed to after birth to check my GD had gone away. Pretty sure I'm not diabetic but I definitely do better on a low carbs/low GI diet. Hmmm.

I think you're only talking about PCOS. But wanted to share this. I haven't been diagnosed with that but I do have a form of diabetes called 'Maturity Onset Diabetes in the Young' (MODY) which is due to genetics and isn't Type 1 or 2.

Raised blood sugar and possible diabetes were first picked up on a hospital visit by nurses but when I visited my doctor I was told I couldn't possibly have diabetes because I was too slim.

I'm furious I could have been diagnosed and treated years before it was finally picked up at oregnancy. I'd switched doctors quite a few times due to house moves and at each registration told them I have many, many relatives with diabetes. But I couldn't be diabetic and nobody tested because, y'know, thin.

Thanks banana I haven't done either of those either. Would be interested to get them done.

Thanks for sharing Toast. on your behalf. That's what I want to avoid - a diabetes diagnosis 10 years down the line because I didn't know I had to be careful. (Obviously I know your diagnosis was not due to diet/lifestyle).

I think I am going to push for at least some tests. I suppose the worst they can say is that I'm just being a hypochondriac and worrying about nothing.

Hi folks,

We've had some great feedback about this thread and it has been requested that we move it to somewhere more permanent.

We're sending it over to general health but if that's an issue at all OP, please do get in touch!

Ooh, thanks Lorna

I've got it. Slim but facial hair no problems conceiving.

I also have PCOS and am relatively slim - my excess weight is on my middle. I'd also read somewhere that PCOS may be an adaptive feature to cope better with famine. It makes sense then that intermittent fasting would be a good way of eating. Following 5:2 and then 16:8 certainly regulated my periods and they have now been within 'normal' length for over 2 years. I have also cut down on carbs and save them for special occasions - meals out/birthdays.

What was Ur treatment

I’m having tests for PCOS. Only a few kilos overweight but all my excess weight is on my belly. Arms and legs are skinny. I find that it’s almost impossible to get to normal BMI for me unless I massively cut calories to under 1200 or even less a day or skip meals. Obviously this isn’t sustainable.

Am only mildly hairy but have had persistent acne for years, iffy periods and my hair is starting to thin. In all honesty it’s the hair loss that’s got me to push for tests as I’ll do anything to stop losing my hair (didn’t have thick hair to start with.)