Does anyone know if a person is PCOS does it mean that they are Insulin Resistant for sure or just on there way to becoming insulin Resistant?

I think the current theory holds that insulin resistance is a side effect of the PCOS. So you could have PCOS without insulin resistance, perhaps, but I would look out for it developing.

One theory is just that aeons of starvation cycles developed some of us who could lay down fat with just a little bit of food, hence keeping body fat into the range where conception can take place and the species continues on. When you think about it, generating insulin easily/too much helps keep the fat on.

Can we help it if we're highly evolved?

My doctor told my that I am hyper-insulin-emic....????? whatever that means. This was told to me over the phone by a nurse. I'm still trying to get straight answers from them, I am also looking for a new doctor.

I have never heard the term hyper-insulin-emic... the nurse may have dreamed that one up, lol. I was reading that the doctors are yet unsure if insulin resistance is a side effect of PCOS or a possible cause of it? I am insulin resistant too and tried Avandia for several months, but was not pleased with no wt loss, so I am new on glucophage as of 5 days ago. I know that you need to be on the low carb diet and on an oral hypoglycemic to prevent high blood sugars which can lead to permanant damage to alot of your body systems. Good luck to you and I agree, if you do not get good answers from your MD and nurses, go to another. And if they start speaking medical mumbo-jumbo that you do not quite understand or have never heard of, ask right away, what is that or could you explain that in English? Lol, that is what I do, and I am a nurse. None of them know everything. Have a great night.

Hyperinsulinemia is just the medical term for elevated insulin levels in the blood. In other words, you're Insulin Resisitant.

I disagree that being IR is a side effect of PCOS, though. The research I've read has convinced me that it's the other way around. To me, that's good news though, since it means I'm on the right track with low carbing - because if I manage my underlying problem, IR, the PCOS will resolve itself as well.

The problem is, getting an *accurate* diagnosis for insulin resistance is difficult if your fasting insulin doesn't come back through the roof. PCOS markers are a lot easier to test for.

Anywho, that's my .02

Mara

Thanks Mara. That's what I thought and had read, but wasn't certain about. My DR diagnosised me with PCOS but never did any insulin test and didn't really explain things. Gave no suggestions on what to do. By PCOS marker, do you mean PCOS symptoms?

Thanks, Piano

Sorry if I wasn't clear - by markers I meant hormone levels, like your LH:FSH ratios, testosterone, etc, which are easily checked by a quick blood test. Unfortunately for IR, fasting insulin levels aren't a good predictor of your overall insulin resistance, neither is the 3 hour oral glucose tolerance test, unless, like I said before, your levels are through the roof.

Mara

Not everyone with PCOS gets to be insulin resistant so therefore having PCOS does not automatically mean you are insulin resistant, for that you need to take blood test. See your doctor about it.

OK, I have now been diagnosed with IR. Insulin works well. Had 2 HR glucose tolerance test. Sugar rose well and fell appropriately. My insulin levels were totally abnormal. I have been soo tired for about a year, depressed, not focused......gain-not losing weight. I went to an endocrinologist who said I might need Human Growth Hormone (I am 40 years old now) and she did some blood work and notice insulin levels abnormal, then had the GTT and thus...here I am. I am very nervous about all this. She has started me on Glucophage XR. Anyone else have any results with this? She said that the weight should just fall off and all my symptoms should turn around. (that is her hope anyway as well as mine... )
I may not need to be on it forever either which is a bonus. No need for oral medication either for my insulin works well...just gotta get it into the cell to work appropriately.

Glucophage and Glucophage XR along with many other diabetic meds are used to treat PCO & IR. Been there, did it. Please also be aware......if you have had a fertility problem and you are taking diabetic meds to treat these maladie.......your fertility problem may be cured quickly. Women in this area with fertility problems have been flocking to the Endo docs and are all getting PREGNANT. LOL!!

I had total Hysto in 3/04, so no more PCO, but still have IR. I have appt. with Endo Doc next week. I have questions. I want to know if I am now Diabetic. If I am not and since the Hysto took care of the PCO AND I am LC'g I might want to get off of the Actos(diabetic med). If I'm correct, I remember Dr. A mentioning these meds slowing down weight loss. Also, IR does slow down weight loss as well. I'll let you know what I find out. LOL to you all!!

Thanks for the reply MayMay. From what I understand....you don't have to be diabetic to be IR. I am not. My BS rose and fell appropriately but the amount of insulin released was more than enough to bring down my sugar so it just circulates and forms sugar and stored in my fat areas. IR does slow your metabolism down and cause you to gain weight.

I too had a total Hysto 2 years ago. No worries on this end about the cause and effect of birthcontrol. LOL My endocrinologist told me that if I don't treat the IR NOW, within 5-10 years, I will become a Type II diabetic. This is the first stage but usually goes undetected until it is too late. We don't have a problem with the insulin production, we have a problem with the insulin receptor sites that don't grab the insulin that is being made and brought into the cell to drop the sugar. The less receptor sites, the higher your sugar, the higher the amt of insulin produced to lower your sugar levels. All this until one day, your pancrease kinda gives up and then you have less receptor sites and less insulin production, then causing higher sugar levels. Does this make sense? LOL I think that is how I understand it.

My doc said most people who start treatment of IR begin to lose weight. Some docs are even using it as the latest weight loss craze.....She said I should drop the pounds now with appropriate food and regime of exercise. I was working out and eating fairly well and actually gaining and starting to see my middle area get bigger. It wasn't muscle ladies, LOL I have been on it for a few days now and I have more energy than I have had in a long time. Usually around 4 pm, I would litterally crump. I was so tired, I couldn't do a thing and chasing 3 kids around was not good timing, LOL I have energy and alittle more motivated than usual. It is a start......please let me know what you find out with your doc as well.

Thanks for the post.

You know, I never heard of an actual IR Diet till I checked this special forum. Where did you all get this? My Endo Doc knows I'm lc'g, but he's never told me anything about as IR diet. I'm not really crazy about this doc to begin with, this might be my last appt. with him. Maybe it's time to go to a bigger hospital, like New Orleans. Please advise about the IR Diet. THANKS!!

IR diet? no no no. The diet craze meaning people (normal, overweight people) are trying glucophage as a diet pill. As far as I know, as long as you watch what you eat and your blood sugars arent' affected...there is NO diet.

THIS is the IR Diet Book.

The vast majority of the medical community is now in agreement that PCOS is CAUSED by insulin resistance; therefore, everyone with PCOS IS insulin resistant. There are varying degrees of this however, from mild to diabetes.

HTH

If the "vast majority" of the medical community beleives PCOS is caused by insulin resistance then they are wrong. I had PCOS and had it cured (yes I no longer have it) by getting myself out of estrogen dominance, which is estrogen being dominant in relation to progesterone. This can occur whether you have too much, too little, or the proper amount of estrogen in the body. Only a multiple sample saliva test can detect this condition. Blood tests are useless as they are only done once and estrogen/progesterone levels vary throughout the monthly cycle.

Oh, and I've never had any form of insulin resistance. But estrogen dominance can lead to that problem as well. MD's always seem to think that if two things happen to commonly but certainly not always coincide that one must cause the other. Doesn't work that way.

PCOS is a hormonal imbalance problem. Cutting carbs may ease some of the PCOS symptoms in some cases, but only by balancing the estrogen/progesterone ratio is a cure possible.

And I'm not the only one cured by balancing the hormones. I know many others who have experienced the same thing I did.