CRAZY!!!!

[CarlyQ]

Hello Everybody....

I am 14 years old and I was diagnosed with PCOS last November.... they put me on Medformin.... It is a HORRIBLE medicine.... it made me cramp and have VERY BAD diarrea!!!! I havent been back to the doctor because I have been having other health problems!!!! I CANT lose any weight I have tried it all..... I exercise A LOT!!!! This is VERY embarrassed to say but I am at my HEAVYIST... I am at a WHOPPING 280 Ibs.!!!! I cant lose NOTHING and my weight problem is causing my other doctors to tell me that nothing is wrong that I am just REALLY over weight!!! I have MANY other stomach problems that they WONT treat cause they think the problems are being caused by me being over weight!!!! And resently a guy used me to get my MUCH skinner cousin which she only weighs 90 Ibs. at 14 years old..... he asked me for my number only to get to my cousin!!!! I have been having VERY BAD self-esteem issues..... which is leading to depression.... but I cant be treated for depression because my parents insurence dont cover depression medicine so I am trying to cope with that the best I can!!! I NEED LOTS OF ADVICE!!!!!

Thanks,
Carly

[katiejill]

Hi Carly,

I lurk on these teen boards every so often. I was just diagnosed at 24. I know it is hard...I was there not to long ago. I had terrible depression, could not lose weight and no doctor ever took the time to diagnose me. One bright side that you have is knowing and being able to research. I have never been on Metaformin, but I started taking Cinnamon in capsule form. It does the same thing as met but without the nasty side affects. I take 2000 mg daily. I feel wonderful. It is not a miracle drug and won't make you lose weight overnight, but I have noticed my body slowly proportioning out. My pants actually fell loose on me.
Ask your doctor about cinnamon. You probably don't want to take it the same time you are taking Met because it may lower your blood sugar level to much.

As far as losing weight you can do it. I was overweight my whole life. It is not easy, but possible. I weight 170 and only 5'2. If you cut out the bad carbs and put good carbs in with protein you will feel a lot better. Do some research on the GI diet...a lot of us cysters here follow that. It is going to take a lot of discipline, but if you are ready to make lifestyle changes it will come easy for you to follow. I am currently 150 (not great, but I am going back down) because I am on a strict diet, excercise, and am taking cinnamon.

HTH
Katie

P.S.- you can get cinnamon at walmart or a local pharmacy store. It is a lot cheaper than any prescription. I got 100 (1000mg) capsules for $7.99

[Ara]

Hey Carly~

I started out over 280 when I was diagnosed, and though I'm a bit older than you, I know exactly what you're talking about. It's hard going from day to day with self esteem issues because of weight.

One thing that really helped me was going to fast food places. Yeah, I still go, but not half as much as I used to. And when I do go, I onlly order one thing instead of the entre menu, like I used to.

another thing is, whenever possible, eat whole wheat products. This has also helped me.

My one peice of advice on the self-esteem is take a deep breath and know that you are gorgeous. As long as you believe it, no man, woman, or child can tell you otherwise.

My philosophy is "as long as I don't look in a mirror, I'm the hottest thing in the room." and I've got the attitude to match.

Best of luck, we can do it together ^^

~Ara

[Brokendreams490]

I'm sorry about what that guy did. Sometimes people are just so stupid. Maybe you could talk to a close friend or family member? Sometimes that helps me. I was on anti depressents for a month and it helped me, but then I got sick of taking them and stopped and now well i am back to being depressed. And dont worry about the guy thing, one day we will all find our loves. lol as corny as it sounds. Plus everyone is beautiful in there very own ways.

I hope you feel better
:D

[CarlyQ]

Thanks everybody for all of yalls help!!!! I am over the guy..... I just figured I starting High School and there is the perfect guy out there for me....... God made me the PERFECT person and he is out there waiting for me to come along!!!! The weight thing...... I am VERY SLOWLY losing some weight...... but if they dont like me they dont have to look at me!!!! When I return to the doctor..... I will definatly tell him to take me off Medformin cuz it is causing CRAZY side effects on my body!!!!! Thanks Again for ALL of yalls help!!!!



Carly

[daybyday]

PCOS is not easy for anyone, overweight or not. It affects so much of our body and mind. The metformin that you doctor put you on, what is the dose? Met (metformin) does have a lot of gastric (stomach) side effects, but they do go away for most people. Give it 6 weeks to 2 months. Met also helps many PCOSers whom are overweight to lose weight because it battles insulin resistance (the underlying cause of PCOS). I encourage you to stay on it, you may be happier in the near future. Met also helps reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in the future which is a chronic disease and can lead to other chronic conditions such as heart disease and vision problems! In addition Met may also help with out of control hair growth, dark patches on the skin, hair loss on the scalp, depression etc. Treating the underlying cause of PCOS is the best thing you can do for yourself, it may help everything else just fall into a better place. If you are taking more than 1000 mg of met a day, I would call your doc or his nurse and see if it would be better to just do 500 for now and SLOWLY increase your dose. I think people usually add 500 mg to their dose every week or two weeks. Don't be afraid to call and ask questions. It's your health so be proactive! This is a great site to do some research on and get to know your diagnosis. Good luck darlin'.

[CarlyQ]

I think I am on the LOWEST dose..... I have been takin it for 9 months and I still have HORRIBLE side effects..... diarrhea, cramps, nausea, & sometimes even vomitting...... I am REALLY goin to have to get off Metformin.... its REALLY makin me feel constantly SICK....... he said if that didnt work he would put me on birthcontrol so I am gonna go back and ask him..... I just DONT know what to do!!!!!!


Thanks,

Carly

[JenP]

but I cant be treated for depression because my parents insurence dont cover depression medicine so I am trying to cope with that the best I can!!!

What you can try is taking St Johns Wort which is an herb you can buy at any pharmacy. You can also take a look at a book of homeopathic remedies at Barnes and Noble and see what they might recommend for depression. If you have anxiety as well, you might want to try Valerian Root, which is also an herbal supplement.

I am 26 now. I was diagnosed at age 23. When I was 14 I was completely out of my mind. My mother thought I was insane. She dragged me to all these different doctors who couldnt come up with any good reason as to why i was so wild and crazy like. THey thought that I needed an exorcism! They put me on Paxil for a little while which did calm me down even though i only took it for a short while.

Even though the Metformin is awful, you will eventually start to feel better once you give it a chance to do its thing and straighten you out.

I know you are only 14and i shouldnt be telling you to take any kinds of herbal remedies. Talk to your doctor or your parents and make sure they think its a good idea too.