#Weight gain and PCOS

[drasmitadongare]

PCOD and PCOS: Causes, Symptoms, Differences, and Treatment

Are you struggling with irregular periods, weight gain, or acne and suspect it might be more than just stress? You could be dealing with PCOD (Polycystic Ovary Disease) or PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), two common hormonal disorders affecting women worldwide. Though often used interchangeably, they’re not the same! This guide cuts through the confusion, giving you clear, updated insights into the causes, symptoms, and how they differ. Discover actionable solutions and treatment options available right here in Pune.

If you’re seeking expert care, look no further than Dr. Asmita Dongare, an experienced gynecologist at Cloverleaf Specialty Clinic and Jupiter Hospital in Baner, offering the best PCOD/PCOS treatment in Wakad, Pune. Let’s analyze PCOD and PCOS to help you regain control of your health and well-being.

Understanding PCOD and PCOS:

PCOD (Polycystic Ovary Disease)

What Happens: Immature eggs form cysts in the ovaries, enlarging them and triggering excess androgen (male hormone) production.

Prevalence: Affects ~33% of women worldwide.

Fertility Impact: 80% of women can conceive with medical guidance.

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

What Happens: A metabolic disorder causing insulin resistance, high androgen levels, and irregular ovulation. Cysts form but remain unruptured, leading to systemic issues like diabetes and heart disease.

Prevalence: Affects 4–20% of women, with severe symptoms

Common Symptoms:

Both conditions share symptoms, but severity varies:

Menstrual Irregularities: Delayed or absent periods.

Hormonal Imbalances: Excess facial/body hair (hirsutism), acne, male-pattern baldness.

Weight Gain: Linked to insulin resistance in PCOS.

Pelvic Discomfort: More common in PCOD.

Causes and Risk Factors:

Genetics: Family history increases risk.

Insulin Resistance: Central to PCOS, worsening androgen production.

Lifestyle: Sedentary habits, processed diets, and stress aggravate both conditions.

How is PCOD and PCOS Diagnosed?

Medical History and Symptoms

A gynecologist evaluates menstrual patterns, weight changes, and other symptoms.

Blood Tests

Hormone levels (testosterone, LH, FSH, insulin)

Glucose and lipid profile (to check for insulin resistance and cholesterol levels)

Ultrasound (Pelvic Scan)

Identifies multiple cysts on the ovaries

Checks for ovarian size and abnormalities

Early diagnosis enables timely treatment and reduces health risks.

Treatment and Management:

1. Lifestyle Modifications

Diet: Low glycemic index foods, balanced carbs/proteins.

Exercise: 150 mins/week of moderate activity to improve insulin sensitivity.

Stress Management: Yoga, meditation, or counseling.

2. Medical Interventions

PCOD: Birth control pills to regulate cycles; metformin for insulin resistance.

PCOS: Anti-androgen drugs (e.g., spironolactone), ovulation-inducing medications (e.g., clomiphene).

3. Fertility Support

Ovulation Induction: Letrozole or injectable hormones for PCOS.

IVF: Recommended if other treatments fail.

4. Symptom-Specific Care

Acne/Hair Growth: Topical creams, laser therapy.

Weight Management: Personalized plans with nutritionists.

PCOD, PCOS, and Pregnancy:

PCOD: Women with PCOD often conceive with minimal medical assistance

PCOS: PCOS can pose challenges to conception due to hormonal irregularities. Fertility treatments like ovulation induction or IVF may be recommended.

Why Choose a Specialist?

If you’re experiencing symptoms of PCOD or PCOS, consulting a qualified gynecologist is crucial. Managing these conditions demands expertise. In Pune, areas like Pashan, Aundh, and Wakad have reputable specialists. Dr. Asmita Dongare, a leading gynecologist in Pune with 15+ years of experience, offers tailored care at Cloverleaf Specialty Clinic, Wakad, and Jupiter Hospital Baner. Her approach includes:

Customized diet and exercise plans.

Advanced fertility treatments.

Regular monitoring to prevent complications

Conclusion:

Understanding PCOD and PCOS is the first step toward managing these conditions effectively. With the right lifestyle changes and medical treatment, women can lead a healthy life. If you are facing symptoms or have concerns, consider consulting a specialist. Dr. Asmita Dongare, available at Cloverleaf Specialty Clinic or Jupiter Hospital in Baner, is highly regarded as the Best Gynecologist in Pashan, Aundh, Wakad, and all over Pune and can guide you through your treatment journey.

Taking proactive steps today can improve your health tomorrow. Stay informed, stay healthy, and don’t hesitate to seek expert advice for managing PCOD or PCOS.

[clownboybebop]

I dress extra masc on my period

[vamptastic]

PCOS anon again, you might already know this but a lot of folks I've talked to don't so sharing in case it's helpful.

Pre-diabetes isn't a thing. Either your body has already started down the road of metabolic issues that lead to insulin resistance that eventually ends up as diagnosable type 2 diabetes, or it hasn't yet. You can have elevated blood sugars without insulin resistance/actual issues.

But most of the time if you have PCOS that's a sign that your body is on the road of metabolic issues that ends with type 2 diabetes. But a lot of the time doctors won't actually treat you in any way until your blood sugars are elevated to pre-diabetic levels and continuing to rise, which is absolute bullshit.

Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease, and the sooner you start treating it, the longer you can delay its progression and the less likely it is that you will have to deal with its more serious complications and symptoms.

Doctors tend to start with "eat healthy and exercise and lose weight and you'll slow/reverse the metabolic issues" but that's generally bullshit. Like yes eating healthy and exercising are generally good for people, but they will not undo or reverse the underlying metabolic processes causing the issues, it at most slows it down and only for a few years. I believe research shows that non-medical interventions like diet and exercise only stop you from getting diabetes for 5 years at most.

Medications like metformin and semaglutide are what you want. The more the body struggles using the insulin, the more insulin it makes, and eventually the insulin making part of you breaks and you need to take insulin shots to give your body the insulin it needs to function. Non-insulin diabetes medications help the body use insulin so that you get the energy you need and you avoid putting strain on the insulin making part because your body is using the insulin it's making and isn't asking for more.

Untreated diabetes is effectively your body slowly starving to death because it cannot use the insulin it makes and so cannot get and use the energy that is in the food you eat. With untreated and unmedicated diabetes you can eat and eat and eat and never feel full because regardless of how much you eat your body can't use it so it stores it as fat so you gain weight and get judged for overeating while effectively slowly starving to death.

Diabetes causes permanent nerve damage and chronic nerve pain because of that. It can lead to dysautonomic conditions like POTS by damaging your nerves. It can cause cataracts, and even blindness. It is the leading non-accident cause of foot and leg amputations. It kills you and makes you feel awful the entire time it does so.

Diabetes is not the "ha ha you ate too much sugar and now your getting the punishment you deserve" disorder. Whether or not you get type 2 diabetes is a mix of genetics and luck. Diabetes is a serious condition that people are misinformed about and don't take as seriously as they should because of that.

If you have PCOS and your blood sugars are going up but doctor is making you wait until your blood sugar rises to pre-diabetic or diabetic levels before treating you, that is either a bad doctor or one who doesn't actually understand diabetes and how it functions (unfortunately common). If you have PCOS and your blood sugars are rising you deserve treatment as soon as possible to help prevent you from developing full blown type 2 diabetes for as long as you possibly can.

If you, like me, are already diabetic, please know that it's not your fault. It's not a punishment for eating sweet things and I'm sorry if people make you feel like it is. I'm sorry that you are also suffering with the dual issues of Diabetes itself and the horrible stigma about having type 2 diabetes. Fellow diabetics and PCOS havers I love you all and do something nice for yourselves because you deserve it.

I appreciate the writeup, all of this is spot-on.

I started Metformin myself at 18 with an A1c and fasting glucose under the prediabetic range, because I had hyperinsulinemia. Given my extensive family history of Type 2 and other autoimmune diseases, I think if it had started to progress to the point of hyperglycemia it would have been Bad.

It really improved my health across the board. I didn't lose weight but I stopped gaining it for the first time in my life. Metabolic markers like my triglycerides and cholesterol have been steadily improving without any major changes to diet and exercise, my liver and kidneys stopped throwing up weird numbers (apparently that's related!), and the weird menopause-esque symptoms I used to get like hot flashes stopped.

I see it as preventative healthcare and I am supremely glad I started it early because I think if I waited for it to get worse I simply would've been stuck on the path to Type 2. Really really hope more endocrinologists take the preventative attitude of my doctor and also stop telling people to diet and exercise and bootstraps their way out of a fundamentally Fucked metabolic system. Turns out it's easier to eat healthy when your hunger signals aren't messed up as well.

[spiritedstars]

I love waiting 3 months to get an appointment with a doctor for them to tell me "everything looks fine" and "there isn't anything else I can suggest if you don't want to go on this specific medication" super fucken helpful 👍🏼👍🏼

[petrichorium]

I wish I cld find a nice pretty front closing bra again 😔

[shego1142]

Okay but like are there any resources out there about PCOS for nonbinary people?! Or for disabled people? Or people who want to adopt???

The vast overwhelming majority of pcos info is like:

“Oh you beautiful woman female girl who has horrible man making disease that makes you manly, you are afflicted with the man male drug testostepenis and it is so sad, but do not worry! With help and surgery and hormones you might still have a chance to look beautiful (and by beautiful we mean skinny and feminine) and you may even still get to make babies which is definitely something you can and should do! ☺️☺️☺️ we care about female women femininity issues!”

And what very very little info I’ve found on PCOS and trans peeps is like, written from a cis person’s viewpoint and it’s like “Lol why are you complaining, you’ll grow a beard! Isn’t that what you want?”

Like… what about the increased risk of ovarian or cervical cancer?! The increased risk of diabetes and diabetic like symptoms?

Why is the focus 90% on “don’t worry if you take these hormones we can make sure you’ll still have a baby”

That’s so not my concern right now.

[enigma-the-anomaly]

If the gynecologist tells me that I’m healthy and normal I may just sob

[letthebookbegin]

i have to say autumn/spring are the best seasons for my personal clothing taste

[vamptastic]

lost like ten pounds for no reason and im wondering if its testosterone or metformin. i know thats a not a lot considering my weight (250) but i have literally never lost that much weight in my entire life lmao, i basically constantly gained weight for no reason until i started treating my pcos. i started metformin a few months earlier, but it would make more sense since it initially halted my constant weight gain, maybe it just took a while for my blood sugar to get fully under control? when i last had bloodwork done, it'd been a few months on metformin and my blood sugar was better but my lipids were mostly the same. curious to see what my results will be when i get more bloodwork done in a couple weeks.

i also don't look/feel like ive lost any weight? ive put on a little fat on my upper abdomen, before T i had some fat on the lower stomach but my fat distribution was mostly butt, thighs, boobs, and hips, and my stomach was far from flat but relative to the rest of my body, not a lot of fat went there. if that's weight transferring from somewhere else on my body, can't really tell which part it's from cause my butt and thighs look and feel the same. think my face looks a bit slimmer, i was starting to form a little bit of a double chin before (my face was basically the last place for weight to start showing) and now the bit of fat under my chin is kinda still there but it feels like, tighter? and my face is looking a bit different, more masculine and older, but that could just be because i'm 18 and i'm still growing a bit.

anyway, whatever it is, i'm liking what t is doing for me appearance wise and it'd be nice to keep losing weight without doing anything. once i stopped constantly gaining weight and could just exist in my body and get used to it, i stopped caring so much and ive made peace with it. i still don't have the best body image, always hated seeing full body pictures of myself at every size i've been, but i'm not like, actively fighting off an eating disorder anymore. id basically just decided that every attempt to lose weight had failed and was miserable, and being fat was better than being slightly less fat and way unhealthier, so fuck it, let's learn how to be okay with what we've got. if i lose weight from T, cool, if i don't, this size is fine. probably always going to be medically "morbidly obese".

[a-chilleus]

email from my gp today saying btw these test results from october suggest you could have pcos. no need to do anything good luck do you have any questions

um

what the fuck, what do i do, how the fuck do i handle this

[thenarrativefoil]

pro tip: dont eat mastic gum and then take velvet bean on an empty stomach

[vvh0adie]

YALL IN 2021 I HAD ACUTE HEPATITIS A

AND DIDNT EVEN KNOW IT

THE FUCKING DOCTOR NEVER CALLED

AND HERE I WAS WITH MY SIDE HURTING WHERE MY LIVER AT

THATS WILD😭

[junkyoushas]

Woke up with the worst cramps

[pcod-symptoms]

How Common is Lean PCOS?

PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, is a relatively common condition that affects women across the world. If you’ve heard of PCOS, you may already know that the condition is caused by ovarian cysts that can affect hormone levels. PCOS also produces side effects like weight gain, and this common complaint among women with PCOS is one of the more challenging aspects of the condition.

What you may not have heard of is lean polycystic ovary syndrome. This is a type of PCOS in which ovarian cysts still cause hormone challenges, but in lean polycystic ovary syndrome, a woman’s weight is not affected.

Is Lean PCOS Less Impactful?

Although lean PCOS does not lead to weight gain, many of the same side effects found in traditional PCOS still affect those with the condition. Oily skin, thinning hair and infertility are healthcare challenges in lean PCOS just like in traditional PCOS. Both conditions are also caused by the same disruption in hormone production and regulation.

Why Does Lean PCOS Matter?

Because these two conditions are virtually identical, you may wonder why there’s even a need to differentiate between them. The issue with lean PCOS is that it can complicate a diagnosis, potentially leading to improper treatment.

As weight gain is a hallmark of traditional PCOS, women with lean PCOS may not be suspected of having the condition. A doctor who meets with a woman suffering from lean PCOS may overlook the other side effects and remove PCOS entirely from their differential diagnosis because weight gain is not present. They may even misdiagnose a woman with a different condition and even prescribe unnecessary medications.

Exercise and Diet Are Still Important

Even though a woman with lean PCOS may not experience weight gain, a proper diet and exercise remain important. Talk to your doctor if you suspect you have lean PCOS, and document your symptoms so you can keep track of changes. This documentation can be helpful if you have lean PCOS as it can direct your physician to the correct diagnosis.

Read a similar article about Glycomet Medication here at this page.

[massivestudentkitty]

I love how most of the books about pcos are about how to lose weight or on how to get pregnant

[border-collie]

My period is over a week late now and it would be an actual, biblical miracle for me to be pregnant. I was TRYING to find out when I need to actually bring this up to medical attention and most sources are like "period late, take pregnancy test!"