I haven't been diagnosed with this but I strongly believe I have it. I'm wondering if those with PCOS are able to lose weight with the band? I've been on WW and lost about 6 lbs in 3 months, went of vacation and gained 3 in a week. I then quit. I've been exercising for a month, removed all junk food from our house and haven't lost a pound. Will the band work for me? I need some kind of help.

Misty,

I haven't been banded yet (2 weeks to go) but I do have PCOS. If you feel you have PCOS, you should try to get it diagnosed! I was diagnosed 15 years ago but was never treated.

One of the complications of PCOS is insulin resistance. THis means you make enough insulin but your cells are resistant to it. This is ONE of the reasons we have difficulty loosing weight. About a year and a half ago, I was treated for my insulin resistance (I was given metformin twice a day) I lost about 25 lbs very quickly without changing my diet or increasing exercise.

I've been stuck at my current weight for over a year now and decided to get a band to help me out. I'll let you know how I do!

Marsha

Thanks Marsha, best of luck to you. Dr. Kuri is who I'm considering for surgery as well. How do they determine insulin resistance?

Misty,

I was not diagnosed with PCOS but Insulin Resistance...one of the lucky few who has regular periods...

I've been banded a little over 3 months and am down 41 lbs...this has been the easiest thing I've ever done to lose weight...I just don't have the appetite, especially for carbs as I did before I was banded.

To get diagnosed with PCOS or IR, most likely your physician will take a fasting insulin...if you exhibit any other of the signs, weight gain (which we all have) skin tags, excessive hair growth, acne, messed up cycles, etc, you most likely have it if your results come back with impaired fasting glucose.

I was being treated with Glucophage XR (brand name of metformin) and that was working well for me...lost a few lbs in the three months I was on it but felt 100% better...I was having dizzy, sweaty, nauseaous episodes everytime I ate something...

Just so you know PCOS goes hand in hand with obesity...it's the chicken and the egg syndrome...your more prone to PCOS or IR if you are obese and vice versa PCOS and IR could make you overweight...generally losing a small amount of weight can help resolve many if not all the symptoms of PCOS and IR.

If you have more questions on PCOS or IR I highly recommend the website www.soulcysters.com. There is tons of information and extremely helpful people on this website for those of use who deal with PCOS and IR.

I would also highly recommend you contact your physician to run some basic labs on you to determine if you have PCOS.

Good Luck!

Misty,

I have PCOS and got banded 3 weeks ago today. For years I went from one doctor to another until finaly a colegue of mine figured out that it is PCOS. I was seeing endocrinologist who prescribed Glocophage XR. I lost 20 pounds but basically ate very little and had constant runs, hence 20 pounds of Water weight.

My frustration boiled over once I realized I'm in the gym almost every lunch hour, at least 3 nights and still ended up gaining weigt. My skin was itching (stretch marks!!!), clothes were tightet and tighter and i was misearable. I got pregnant, which is a small miracle when you have PCOS and gave birth to a still born baby boy (my angel Lucas ~i~). I decide to get as healthy as possible and make sure I can one day be the mommy I want to be. Healthy, attractive (well, yes I suppose I'm vain but aren't we all) and happy with my body and everything else.

I'm at the beginning of this journey. My first fill will be in the next couple of weeks and I'm still eating soft foods. I lost 18 pounds to date, which makes me very happy, although some of it will probably come back once I can eat a little more than pureed Soups.

Hope you'll make the right decision for yourself. I'm hoping that with the right diet (very little carbs) and the band, I will be at my goal of 135 within 10 months. I am working very hard to get there!

Renata

banded 02/06/04

Dr. Artuso

205/187/135

I have PCOS and have had the band almost 6 months. I was not on any blood sugar medicine before. (Maybe should have been, but, I felt drugs made me feel weird........my doctor did blood sugar test and said I was in the normal range) I had other PCOS symptoms though. Including no period for months. I too did not know about PCOS until my third gynegologist (sp) and years of wondering why I wasn't having a regular period and hormonal problems. I have my period now a little more regularly but, I have noticed it has been real light and dark colored. (I guess I need to get that checked) My hormones have been crazy too. I have only lost 35 pounds, I don't know if that is because of PCOS or maybe I just need to excercise more