So for the last couple of years I've been noticing weight problems and trouble with my fertility so I finally went to the Dr at the beginning of this year and I was diagnosed with PCOS. The Dr has put me on a wonderful cocktail of pills to combat that and my severe depression but the problem is I've noticed my sex drive has dropped tremendously. Between my worrying over what's going to happen between my boyfriend and I as a result of a serious drop off in sex, the Dr harping on my need to lose about thirty pounds, and other personal issues my depression has come back as bad as ever despite the meds. So I guess my question is it's the drop off in sex drive normal to the medications or the PCOS itself? Are there any other fun surprises I need to worry about as well? I don't really have anyone that's ever dealt with this before so I haven't really had anyone to discuss this with.
How to cope with my PCOS?
- Thread starter Kaarnanyx
- Start date
Drug Holiday
Both my SO and I take anti-depressants and they affect our sex drives. Mine is pretty high and tends to "burn through" but her is more problematic. At her doctor's advice she goes on a drug holiday for a day or so before we have sex. It seems to really help, I mean really help.
I think reduced sex drive is a pretty common side-effect of psychiatric drugs, so you're not alone. I wouldn't try the "drug holiday" approach without the prescriber's input.
Good luck.
Both my SO and I take anti-depressants and they affect our sex drives. Mine is pretty high and tends to "burn through" but her is more problematic. At her doctor's advice she goes on a drug holiday for a day or so before we have sex. It seems to really help, I mean really help.
I think reduced sex drive is a pretty common side-effect of psychiatric drugs, so you're not alone. I wouldn't try the "drug holiday" approach without the prescriber's input.
Good luck.
patientlee
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When I was trying to get pregnant 13 years ago, I frequented the ivillage.com message boards. I know there have been a lot of changes over there since then, but a lot of the women there had PCOS. You will get much better support there than here, I think. The board I posted on was Preparing for Pregnancy. I don't know if it's still there (I think they consolidated some of the boards just after I left.), but I'm sure you can find something in the areas of trying to conceive, infertility issues, depression, pcos, etc.
Depression is a mood killer by itself. (That one I know firsthand.) Depression meds can squelch a sex drive. (I'm married to that one.)
Good luck to you.
fire_breeze
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I am sorry to hear about your health troubles. I am not a doctor or a nurse and I do not have PCOS, so my advice is much more general, but I do know that there are many Lit ladies who will be able to impart more specific advice based on their experience.
It sounds like you are caught in a vicious cycle of depression, weight gain, anxiety and loss of libido. Have you considered some talk therapy to help you deal with your depression, or any other alternative paths, such as yoga, acupuncture or tai chi (or any combination along with your medication)? It may help with your depression, but here is the downside: you have to consistent.
Also, I suggest that you speak to your doctor about the side effects of your medication, both for PCOS and for depression. It is very possible - although if I am wrong, I will stand corrected - that your endocrine and nervous system got a huge shock and is trying to figure which way is up. A frank conversation with the doc can possibly help with the roller coaster that you are on.
For the weight issues, I can relate to. What worked for me is not focusing on the scale (I haven't stepped on one in years as for me, number on the scale means absolutely nothing), but rather concentrating on portion control and exercise. Using Sparkpeople, I received a daily recommended calorie range, and it really helped me to stay on track. Also, there is a huge community, so you may find suggestions on helping you manage PCOS (such as here and here). I've also heard positive feedback from friends who have used my fitness pal, which is similar to the programme I used and has boards dedicated to PCOS here here and here.
Also, when you slip - because you will, forgive yourself and get right back on track. If you focus on being 'good' 80% of the time, then yore definitely doing an excellent job! No one is on track 100% of the time.
And finally, this is key: you have to want to lose weight for you. Your doctor can harangue you until s/he is blue in the face, your boyfriend can bribe you, you can even receive a million dollars if you lost weight, but unless you want to, it's near impossible to stay on track to be a healthier you. You have to really want to lose weight.
Just a word of caution though: if PCOS is anything like hypothyroidism, weight will come off slower than most people, so it can be frustrating. Like, really really frustrating. But it's worth it.
Good luck
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Thanks for the advice. I've forgotten about my antidepressants and just was putting the blame on the other meds. As for trying to get pregnant that's no longer in my cards I think. I'm starting accept the fact that two legged babies are never going to be in my cards.
fire_breeze
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^^
And this is why I love the How-To: the compassion and the honesty without white gloves and without brutality.
I think I might look into yoga but I'll have to do it from home as the other issues I've been dealing with is we are literally living paycheck to paycheck right now so clubs etc are very much out of the question. I recently adopted three ferrets and we go on walks after work ( trust me the reactions I've gotten out of this are worth half the walk alone) usually 3-4 times a week but even adding that bit of cardio isn't helping and the frustration is mounting..
I am sorry to hear about your health troubles. I am not a doctor or a nurse and I do not have PCOS, so my advice is much more general, but I do know that there are many Lit ladies who will be able to impart more specific advice based on their experience.
It sounds like you are caught in a vicious cycle of depression, weight gain, anxiety and loss of libido. Have you considered some talk therapy to help you deal with your depression, or any other alternative paths, such as yoga, acupuncture or tai chi (or any combination along with your medication)? It may help with your depression, but here is the downside: you have to consistent.
Also, I suggest that you speak to your doctor about the side effects of your medication, both for PCOS and for depression. It is very possible - although if I am wrong, I will stand corrected - that your endocrine and nervous system got a huge shock and is trying to figure which way is up. A frank conversation with the doc can possibly help with the roller coaster that you are on.
For the weight issues, I can relate to. What worked for me is not focusing on the scale (I haven't stepped on one in years as for me, number on the scale means absolutely nothing), but rather concentrating on portion control and exercise. Using Sparkpeople, I received a daily recommended calorie range, and it really helped me to stay on track. Also, there is a huge community, so you may find suggestions on helping you manage PCOS (such as here and here). I've also heard positive feedback from friends who have used my fitness pal, which is similar to the programme I used and has boards dedicated to PCOS here here and here.
Also, when you slip - because you will, forgive yourself and get right back on track. If you focus on being 'good' 80% of the time, then yore definitely doing an excellent job! No one is on track 100% of the time.
And finally, this is key: you have to want to lose weight for you. Your doctor can harangue you until s/he is blue in the face, your boyfriend can bribe you, you can even receive a million dollars if you lost weight, but unless you want to, it's near impossible to stay on track to be a healthier you. You have to really want to lose weight.
Just a word of caution though: if PCOS is anything like hypothyroidism, weight will come off slower than most people, so it can be frustrating. Like, really really frustrating. But it's worth it.
Good luck
spironolactin or however it's spelled plus a bc pill that I can't remember. my symptoms include the weight gain the fertility issues and the constant need to wax (which for as often as I wax you'd think I wouldn't feel it anymore....)
^^
And this is why I love the How-To: the compassion and the honesty without white gloves and without brutality.
Also why I came here instead trying to find some other forum. I normally don't put my input in and rarely ask questions but what I have seen has always been rather polite and helpful and non- judgemental
fire_breeze
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Have you looked into your local Y, or Everyday People Yoga, People's Yoga or other free/donation based yoga studios? They operate on the philosophy that yoga should be accessible to all and you give what you can, if that means a dollar or nothing then so be it. It may help.
And try to take a walk everyday; for me, walks help to clear my mind and to get it away from it all
Good luck
NotHisLady
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Of PCOS I know less than zip. Listen to Rainshine, she sounds like she knows enough to make up for my ignorance and then some.
Depression however, whoo whee
I could write a book nobody would want to read.
Mine is depression and anxiety plus adult ADD. Yeah, I'm fun at a party. If you're on a combination of meds that helps that don't mess around with it because I seriously doubt you hit the lotto on the first try. I know I didn't. It took a couple of years and then some refining and tweaking even after that (it still gets changed a bit here and there.)
People hate the phrase 'my psychiatrist' but if you've got a family doctor writing your Rx for depression you'd be doing yourself a favor moving that over to a specialist (the dreaded shrink) because they have a deeper understanding of the illness and the treatments.
I second the idea of talk therapy too. The things I've learned there are the ones that don't have to be refilled and don't run out at the end of the month. If you are considering kids those cognitive therapy skills are going to be what you rely on because most depression meds and pregnancy don't mix.
According to my psychiatrist (we had a long talk about this ages ago) for someone like me who's taking meds babies mean getting off them while I do that. That sounds bad but it's worse than it sounds. Coming off meds you've been taking long term isn't easy. Living without them when your body is under stress isn't easy. The risk for post partum depression sky-rockets and there are no pills allowed until baby is not going to be ingesting them.
Those are things people don't understand when I tell them that my depression was the deciding factor for me when it came to not having kids. Your situation may be different but be cautious and careful where pregnancy and drugs go together.
Depression also impacts your metabolism so trying to lose weight by any of the traditional ways when you're in a depressive phase will probably fail. I'm not saying it can't be done (trust me, I've done it) but it has to be done a bit differently.
When you're depressed your metabolism tanks, stress makes that worse so any kind of program that puts stress on you to count calories or do something that makes you miserable sets up a cycle. The good part is that anything that makes you feel good pushes your metabolism up. Find some sort of activity that you enjoy doing just for the sake of doing it and forget the damn 30 lbs. Don't go for I'll be happy when I lose weight. You'll lose weight when you're happy.
Look hard at why you eat, too. I was a stress eater--did it to comfort myself and to fill in for affection or recognition. For one whole week I ate anything I wanted whenever I wanted the only catch being I wrote everything down--what it was and WHY I was eating it. Three days in I noticed that not once had I written "because I was hungry" next to anything.
Sex drive hasn't been hit that hard for me other than sometimes I'm a slow starter. Sometimes you have to push a car to get the motor to turn over I guess. Once I'm going I'm up to highway speed in no time. I've wondered in passing if some of the people who say they don't have any 'go' just aren't getting that push. Don't be afraid of warming up slow, if you head knows you want then it may just take a little while for the message to get to your body.
Classes and stuff have never been my thing. I took a tai chi class once but the friend who took it with me never shut up once so I don't remember much of it. I'm in a bitty little place too but let me suggest checking with the local high school or calling the library. Around here, in the summer both host community education programs. Granted they aren't long term things but they can be a good way to get a taste of something to see if you like it or to have a little fun with some other beginners. You could take a look at MeetUp.com too. There may be more in your area than you think.
I know you were mostly asking about the PCOS but if you have both going on then you'll be juggling them both which means there's no such thing as wasted information.
That said, all of that is based on my experience. Everyone's experience is different so maybe you can take some little bit of it and make it useful. If not then know that you are far from alone where dealing with mysterious demons visited upon us by our bodies and minds is concerned.
Warm hugs and many blessings
Depression however, whoo whee
I could write a book nobody would want to read.
Mine is depression and anxiety plus adult ADD. Yeah, I'm fun at a party. If you're on a combination of meds that helps that don't mess around with it because I seriously doubt you hit the lotto on the first try. I know I didn't. It took a couple of years and then some refining and tweaking even after that (it still gets changed a bit here and there.)
People hate the phrase 'my psychiatrist' but if you've got a family doctor writing your Rx for depression you'd be doing yourself a favor moving that over to a specialist (the dreaded shrink) because they have a deeper understanding of the illness and the treatments.
I second the idea of talk therapy too. The things I've learned there are the ones that don't have to be refilled and don't run out at the end of the month. If you are considering kids those cognitive therapy skills are going to be what you rely on because most depression meds and pregnancy don't mix.
According to my psychiatrist (we had a long talk about this ages ago) for someone like me who's taking meds babies mean getting off them while I do that. That sounds bad but it's worse than it sounds. Coming off meds you've been taking long term isn't easy. Living without them when your body is under stress isn't easy. The risk for post partum depression sky-rockets and there are no pills allowed until baby is not going to be ingesting them.
Those are things people don't understand when I tell them that my depression was the deciding factor for me when it came to not having kids. Your situation may be different but be cautious and careful where pregnancy and drugs go together.
Depression also impacts your metabolism so trying to lose weight by any of the traditional ways when you're in a depressive phase will probably fail. I'm not saying it can't be done (trust me, I've done it) but it has to be done a bit differently.
When you're depressed your metabolism tanks, stress makes that worse so any kind of program that puts stress on you to count calories or do something that makes you miserable sets up a cycle. The good part is that anything that makes you feel good pushes your metabolism up. Find some sort of activity that you enjoy doing just for the sake of doing it and forget the damn 30 lbs. Don't go for I'll be happy when I lose weight. You'll lose weight when you're happy.
Look hard at why you eat, too. I was a stress eater--did it to comfort myself and to fill in for affection or recognition. For one whole week I ate anything I wanted whenever I wanted the only catch being I wrote everything down--what it was and WHY I was eating it. Three days in I noticed that not once had I written "because I was hungry" next to anything.
Sex drive hasn't been hit that hard for me other than sometimes I'm a slow starter. Sometimes you have to push a car to get the motor to turn over I guess. Once I'm going I'm up to highway speed in no time. I've wondered in passing if some of the people who say they don't have any 'go' just aren't getting that push. Don't be afraid of warming up slow, if you head knows you want then it may just take a little while for the message to get to your body.
Classes and stuff have never been my thing. I took a tai chi class once but the friend who took it with me never shut up once so I don't remember much of it. I'm in a bitty little place too but let me suggest checking with the local high school or calling the library. Around here, in the summer both host community education programs. Granted they aren't long term things but they can be a good way to get a taste of something to see if you like it or to have a little fun with some other beginners. You could take a look at MeetUp.com too. There may be more in your area than you think.
I know you were mostly asking about the PCOS but if you have both going on then you'll be juggling them both which means there's no such thing as wasted information.
That said, all of that is based on my experience. Everyone's experience is different so maybe you can take some little bit of it and make it useful. If not then know that you are far from alone where dealing with mysterious demons visited upon us by our bodies and minds is concerned.
Warm hugs and many blessings
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sunandshadow
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If you're on spironolactone, I'd assume that when they did bloodwork to check your hormones your testosterone was elevated. Spironolactone doesn't treat PCOS directly, it's a diuretic that flushes excess testosterone from the body, with the mainly cosmetic effect of reducing hirsutism. That's the "constant need to wax". Personally I think treating body hair issues with a permanent solution like laser hair removal is a better option than combining medication and waxing, but that's just a personal opinion.
BC pills definitely can mess with your sex drive; there are different formulations, if you decide the BC is the cause of your problem you can try a different one, but generally you want to give it a full two months, the first month of any BC pill your body is still going to be adapting to it. At one point in the past the pill I was on was discontinued and the new one they switched me to made me feel as if I had been neutered, so they switched again and the next one did not cause the same problem.
Did your doctor tell you why he or she wasn't recommending metformin? If there is a reason I would imagine it was that you did well on your type II diabetes screening. But personally, I wish that when I had first been diagnosed with PCOS they would have prescribed me metformin instead of birth control. (Metformin is what I'm on now, plus glipizide which is a secondary-resort diabetes drug.) The birth control pills can get rid of cysts, but the don't treat the underlying cause of PCOS, which is the inability to digest certain types of sugar properly. The most important part of treating PCOS is the low-starch, low-sugar diet, which gynecologists may ignore in patients who don't yet have diabetes.
But on the pregnancy side of things, many women with PCOS have successful pregnancies. PCOS is a very slow disease; once medication has gotten rid of the cysts and if you don't have strong diabetes symptoms and are following a PCOS friendly diet, you are likely to be able to go off the medication for a year of regular, natural periods, where you can make attempts at getting pregnant. If the cysts come back, you repeat the cycle.
Bramblethorn
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FWIW, scales are a lousy way to measure the results from exercise. Somebody who gets plenty of exercise yet remains "overweight" by medical definitions is likely to be a lot healthier in real terms than somebody who manages to stay "healthy weight" without exercise.
So don't get disheartened if your weight isn't changing; it's still probably doing you good.
patientlee
I won't tell!
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Yeah. My eleven year old daughter came home with the school health assessment telling her that she is .01 percent from being overweight. She figure skates 3 times a week and has a skater's butt. She is long and lean and muscly. I'm just glad she didn't see the letter. That's the stuff that eating disorders are made of.
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sunandshadow
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I have that issue too, though I'm not really sure why PCOS would cause insomnia and fatigue. Maybe something to do with circadian rhythms? I often get the feeling the day is just the wrong length for my natural sleep cycles. I should research it rather than guessing randomly though, lol.
SweetErika
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I was diagnosed with PCOS about 16 years ago, following an emergency appendectomy and laparoscopy for what turned out to be a large ruptured ovarian cyst. 
Do yourself a favor by researching PCOS, potential treatments, and seeing a specialist, or at least a good OBGYN who has a lot of experience treating PCOS.
If you're not on Metformin, you probably should be, barring contraindications. Yes, the adjustment period can be terrible GI-wise, although I switched to the extended-release version a few years ago, and I find it much better (provided I take it with enough food). It's actually the only medication I take for the PCOS, as BCP don't agree with me and it seems to do a fairly good job of managing my symptoms. I ran out of metformin last month, and my weight loss came to a complete standstill, so it's absolutely a critical med for me.
Also do some research on non-bloodwork thyroid testing, as hypothyroidism and PCOS are often coexisting conditions. You can find free info and charts online to track your temperature and symptoms at various times throughout the day. My thyroid issues went undiagnosed for many years until I started tracking my temps and found them to be consistently 1.5-2.5 degrees below normal, in spite of "normal" bloodwork.
Weight loss is extremely difficult for many women with PCOS. Do some research on the issue, although I've found a protein-rich diet of whole foods in the form of small, frequent meals to be my best bet for feeling better and losing weight. South Beach, Body for Life and Paleo have good basic principles for eating well with PCOS, in my experience. Exercise is absolutely critical, as well. If you're not exercising, start with committing to 10 minutes a day, or whatever you can stick to everyday, then increase it until you build some endurance and make it a habit. I started with water walking/jogging this winter, progressed to swimming laps for an hour at least 4 times a week, and the weight started coming off, I began feeling much better, my bedtime and sleep improved, etc. Basically, I have to have the diet and exercise components just right to lose more than 5 pounds. It sucks, but I wish I had accepted that and gotten with the program years ago because it's so damn tough for me to lose weight once it's on.
Finally, I'll echo what's been said about fertility. I had our son after many years of trying, failing and miscarrying. I was actually starting to look at becoming a foster parent and adoption when that last pregnancy stuck. If you're off of BCP (and, yes, it can take a year or so for your cycle to normalize after you stop) read Taking Charge of Your Fertility and have fun trying with the thought that it could be a very rocky road. My personal rule after so many miscarriages is to not test until I've missed an entire cycle - that eliminates about the heartache from very early miscarriages for me. Relax, and just see what happens now that you're treating the PCOS.
Do yourself a favor by researching PCOS, potential treatments, and seeing a specialist, or at least a good OBGYN who has a lot of experience treating PCOS.
If you're not on Metformin, you probably should be, barring contraindications. Yes, the adjustment period can be terrible GI-wise, although I switched to the extended-release version a few years ago, and I find it much better (provided I take it with enough food). It's actually the only medication I take for the PCOS, as BCP don't agree with me and it seems to do a fairly good job of managing my symptoms. I ran out of metformin last month, and my weight loss came to a complete standstill, so it's absolutely a critical med for me.
Also do some research on non-bloodwork thyroid testing, as hypothyroidism and PCOS are often coexisting conditions. You can find free info and charts online to track your temperature and symptoms at various times throughout the day. My thyroid issues went undiagnosed for many years until I started tracking my temps and found them to be consistently 1.5-2.5 degrees below normal, in spite of "normal" bloodwork.
Weight loss is extremely difficult for many women with PCOS. Do some research on the issue, although I've found a protein-rich diet of whole foods in the form of small, frequent meals to be my best bet for feeling better and losing weight. South Beach, Body for Life and Paleo have good basic principles for eating well with PCOS, in my experience. Exercise is absolutely critical, as well. If you're not exercising, start with committing to 10 minutes a day, or whatever you can stick to everyday, then increase it until you build some endurance and make it a habit. I started with water walking/jogging this winter, progressed to swimming laps for an hour at least 4 times a week, and the weight started coming off, I began feeling much better, my bedtime and sleep improved, etc. Basically, I have to have the diet and exercise components just right to lose more than 5 pounds. It sucks, but I wish I had accepted that and gotten with the program years ago because it's so damn tough for me to lose weight once it's on.
Finally, I'll echo what's been said about fertility. I had our son after many years of trying, failing and miscarrying. I was actually starting to look at becoming a foster parent and adoption when that last pregnancy stuck. If you're off of BCP (and, yes, it can take a year or so for your cycle to normalize after you stop) read Taking Charge of Your Fertility and have fun trying with the thought that it could be a very rocky road. My personal rule after so many miscarriages is to not test until I've missed an entire cycle - that eliminates about the heartache from very early miscarriages for me. Relax, and just see what happens now that you're treating the PCOS.
NotHisLady
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Oh I hate to be the downer here but I feel like I need to say this again because the consequences can be so major.
Any woman taking antidepressants needs to talk to her doctor if she's considering trying to get pregnant.
Nearly all of those drugs have some fairly major issues where pregnancy and babies are concerned so just going for it while your on those meds is taking a chance. Talk to the doc writing the Rx for your depression meds. He/she will be able to give you info and options so that you aren't flying blind.
Any woman taking antidepressants needs to talk to her doctor if she's considering trying to get pregnant.
Nearly all of those drugs have some fairly major issues where pregnancy and babies are concerned so just going for it while your on those meds is taking a chance. Talk to the doc writing the Rx for your depression meds. He/she will be able to give you info and options so that you aren't flying blind.
GiggLeGasm
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I'm not sure how much is too much for you.
I enjoy yogaglo and yogadownload. Both are dot coms that are relatively cheap and available as a monthly subscription. I justify the cost of my fitness addictions by reminding myself that my insurance costs me $1200/year more if I do not maintain a healthy weight. I also recognize great emotional health benefits, which is what I assume you're seeking.
Good luck to you.
Update: had a Dr appt today. Turns out it isn't my pcos and meds that's killing my sex drive as much as it is my depression which has seriously flared up and out pacing, I guess is what I would say, my medication. The Dr has increased my depression meds and told me I need to cut down my stress levels before it quite literally kills me. While I was there I had her remind me of why we didn't choose metformin as it had been mentioned here and we are taking this set up I'm on to help with my hirutsim (sp) because I'm not ready for babies. She says that when my stress levels are lower, my depression is better in check them she'll switch me to metformin. Thanks for all the advice and sorry I started a thread for the wrong problem.
fire_breeze
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Never apologise. Without this thread you probably wouldn't have asked your doctor about metformin, about your depression, and your libido. Now that you know what is causing your lack of drive, you can do something about it. That is nothing to be sorry about and is success in my book.
As for stress levels, I can totally relate - I underwent extensive tests for tumours and cancers. The blood-tests said one thing, all the MRI, CAT scans, ultrasounds, etc etc said nothing. Turns out it was stress that caused all sorts of endocrine imbalances. Not fun with someone with a thyroid disorder, and after almost 6 months, I'm sort of back on normal track.
If your stress is killing you, as it did with me, I strongly suggest cognitive-bahviour therapy along with regular cardio exercise and yoga/tai chi. Acupuncture, believe it or not, helps A LOT. CBT (I always chuckle at that acronym
) helps to retrain your thoughts so you don't go into a downward spiral. Although it tends to be geared towards those who have anxiety, I know many people with depression who greatly benefitted from CBT.I know that you said that you are low in cash, but many cities have free or inexpensive mental health services. Yes, you live in a small town, but look up nearby cities. Also, most, if not all universities and colleges have inexpensive health services open to the general public. Research universities will have free or low services for research or training purposes - and they are actually very very very good as they will take their time, and are often supervised by experts in the field; it's like having one of Stephen Hawkins' student tutor you in physics, but Stephen Hawkins himself is supervising and is correcting your homework.
Also, check out places of worship. They too often have community outreach programmes, or are partnered with various free/low cost clinics or often members of their congregation volunteers their services. In the majority of cases, you don't even have to belong to the congregation.
I will echo SweetErika
and say get a thorough thyroid cascade, including an antibody test as well as radioactive iodine uptake, and a saliva tests, which can detect T4 imbalance better than blood-tests. Temperature charting is also helpful, along with fatigue and cold tolerance charts. If you have hirsutism, you probably have had a TSH workup and are working with a endocrinologist. Getting your thyroid in check - if you do have low thyroid - will help tremendously! Trust me on this. Even slightly off can be devastating. Controlling stress IS difficult, and can be stress inducing. But when you do something that works - for me, it is regular exercise, regular weights, nightly yoga, and surrounding myself with supportive friends as well as some CBT - that fog starts to lift and you can breathe. Like you, I had the shock of a lifetime when both my GP and endocrinologist told me that my health issues are caused by stress, and my endo flatly stated that it will kill me in a few years if I don't do anything. The thing is with stress, if you don't do anything about it, it will kill you. But you can quickly reverse the damage if you take control. It's scary, it's difficult, and it's worth it.
bailadora
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It's quite possible to have your thyroid come back within the "normal" range, and still have it be off kilter for your body. My hypothyroidism was finally diagnosed after charting low temps for quite awhile, and after the performance of a TRH test.
I don't have PCOS, so I can't comment there. But a whacked out thyroid can cause definite havoc with your system. It might be worth your while to get it checked again.
NotHisLady
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Stress and depression are an awful combination. One just seems to keep making the other worse. ((hugs))
Meds for depression can be pretty complicated, if you're like me you don't take just one but rather a combination. The best thing I ever did was take that responsibility away from my regular doctor and put it into the hands of a specialist. Yes it was weird for a while thinking that I could now use sentences with the words "my psychiatrist" in them but he understands it all so much better. I wouldn't let my GP treat cancer if I had it--I'd find an oncologist. It's the same principle.
With the new rules insurance is supposed to have more coverage for that sort of thing. You may find that it will cover a therapist as well.
Amen and then some to everything that's been said about therapy, it's helped me every bit as much as the drugs.
Meds for depression can be pretty complicated, if you're like me you don't take just one but rather a combination. The best thing I ever did was take that responsibility away from my regular doctor and put it into the hands of a specialist. Yes it was weird for a while thinking that I could now use sentences with the words "my psychiatrist" in them but he understands it all so much better. I wouldn't let my GP treat cancer if I had it--I'd find an oncologist. It's the same principle.
With the new rules insurance is supposed to have more coverage for that sort of thing. You may find that it will cover a therapist as well.
Amen and then some to everything that's been said about therapy, it's helped me every bit as much as the drugs.
J
JAMESBJOHNSON
Guest
That's about to change.
