Posts by Jerry Walker79

So, I’m currently on my fourth pack of Yasmin, and honestly? It’s the exact same story as before—if anything, it’s actually getting worse because now I’m dealing with these deep, painful cystic breakouts. I was told I’d see some real improvement after three months, but here we are. Even though I’m taking them for other reasons entirely, I can't ignore how much my skin has taken a hit lately.🙄

restlessmarlin6 said:Oh, please...
I’ve managed to drop five pounds of pure fat over the last four months.
And I’m not out here peddling those ridiculous seven-day crash diets or any of that nonsense.
Besides, you just need to understand basic math to see how it works. 🙂

That’s exactly my point! 😉

Ugh, maybe I should just stop inhaling bags of Lay's chips...

lonebadger6 said:Sure, the three-day crash diet works... you'll almost certainly lose those three pounds, but it’s definitely not healthy...

You don't even have to stick to cherries; you could do potatoes, bananas, bread, strawberries, bacon... whatever you want. As long as you eat nothing else and only drink water for three days, you'll drop the weight...

Just saying again—it's incredibly bad for you...

You aren't losing three pounds of fat; you're just flushing three pounds of water out of your system. To actually burn off three pounds of pure fat, you'd have to work your tail off at the gym!

Keith Chase62 said:Ugh, yeah, totally... I mean, do I really have to sit here and list out every single thing you aren't allowed to eat? Thanks a lot.

Look, it’s just not smart to just dump everything out of your diet and try to reinvent how you eat overnight. You need to figure out *why* your glucose levels are spiked in the first place. For all we know, there could be an underlying health issue that needs to be caught right now, rather than you just trying to mask the symptoms by changing your diet. Do it for your own sake.😉

I'm assuming they ran your bloodwork while you were fasting?

Keith Chase62 said:So, I was at my military physical today, right? And turns out my glucose levels are through the roof. Now I’ve gotta head back in a week for more bloodwork. Does anyone actually know how to get this back to normal? Like, how do I drop my blood sugar levels? It’s really stressing me out because I don't even eat much junk or sweets... help me out here, guys, I'm seriously freaking out... thanks

Look, it isn't just about the sugary stuff (I mean, you don't necessarily have to gorge yourself on donuts to see a spike), it's more about carbohydrates in general. You've got to cut back on the bread, pastries, cookies, pasta, potatoes, and all that other stuff that sends your blood sugar skyrocketing.

Honestly, I think the dermatologist over at the General Hospital (right across from Pfizer) is pretty solid.
You have to book an appointment ahead of time, but when I went, I managed to get in within just 3 or 4 days. Just a heads-up though—you’ll need a referral from your primary care doctor, otherwise you're probably looking at paying out of pocket.

I've also heard some really good things about the dermatologist at the other General Hospital, but I haven't actually sat in her chair myself. For her, the wait time is usually around 2 to 3 weeks.

If you're looking to go private, then yeah, prepare to be waiting forever for a response! 😉

-1 and -1.25, and honestly? It’s just not getting any better! 👎

Do me a favor and take a look at this: click

Kimberly Chase54 said:Seriously, where on earth are you getting that from?
I know for a fact they’re prescribing it to girls with perfectly normal weights too.

Look, at the end of the day, this is a diabetes medication. It makes zero sense to be handing it out to someone dealing with PCO if their blood sugar levels are actually fine.

The first thing you should always try is just focusing on shedding those extra pounds and staying at a healthy weight for as long as possible, just to see if there's any actual progress being made.

coppernomad7 said:I mean, what even is Metformin? I’m honestly surprised I haven't heard a peep about it—not even my doctor brought it up as a potential treatment option, which is weird, right? hmmm
Does it have nasty side effects like birth control does, or is it a bit more chill?

Look, they definitely aren't going to prescribe you Metformin if your weight isn't even an issue. Did you actually go through with that glucose tolerance test yet?

coppernomad7 said:I honestly think a huge part of this is mental. Believing in something—whether it’s God, some holistic ritual, or just drinking herbal tea—really makes a difference. Personally, I've been hyper-focused on tea lately, and it actually helped me drop quite a few unnecessary pounds. I'm currently in that awkward transition phase where I'm trying to move away from birth control toward a healthier lifestyle, so we'll see how it goes.
I really think this thread is going to stay active because there are so many of us dealing with this exact issue. We might as well use this space to swap advice and report back on what’s actually working for us.
What do you mean when you say you have hormonal issues?
My prolactin levels have been slightly elevated for years now, and I'm convinced it's just because I'm a high-stress person. That's just how I'm wired.😬

Look, I've always been pretty open to alternative methods. It makes zero sense to spend my entire life tethered to birth control pills. I'm definitely going to look into some of those options too. 😉

As for me, my testosterone and androstenedione levels are nearly double the upper limit! So, if I end up on Dianamam5, it's primarily because of that.

I've decided to tighten up my diet and try to lose about 10 or 15 pounds. That would be ideal. Even back when I was at my heaviest, I wasn't getting my period either.

coppernomad7 said:haha, maybe it really is time for a move🙂
I don't want to rain on your parade, but I seriously doubt Diane is going to fix your PCOS. Honestly, I know they aren't fixing mine either. Taking them for just three months is kind of pointless—you should probably stick with them for at least another three (so you're set through the summer😉 ) before you decide what your next move is.
Personally, I’m actually going to give herbal teas a shot since it seems like my syndrome isn't quite as severe; my gynecologist told me one of my ovaries is actually functioning perfectly fine.
Now I’m just stuck wondering if I should track down an old-school herbalist or just start buying and experimenting with different blends myself until I hit the jackpot...

My gynecologist and dermatologist both told me straight up that there’s no "cure" for this, only management, so I've basically accepted my fate. 😬
Since I'm dealing with hormonal imbalances too, I've got a whole host of other issues, so getting that part under control is my top priority right now. 👎

Wait, what do you mean one is working fine? Like, you only have cysts on one side? I've got them on both. 😢

Seriously, tell me more about which teas you're looking into. It definitely can't hurt to try! 😉

coppernomad7 said:Diane is amazing for acne, you just have to be patient. Don't expect your skin to clear up in a month or two, but once you hit that third cycle, things should really start looking up.
My biggest fear is actually stopping the Diane pills just because of my skin, but honestly, I figure since the weather is getting warmer and there's more sun—plus swimming season is right around the corner—that should naturally help my skin issues big time.
Even hitting up a tanning bed used to be a total lifesaver for me; if you aren't strictly against tanning, try going a few times and you'll probably see an improvement.
As for PCOS, I'm not even sure what to tell you. It took me forever to realize I even had it, mostly because being on the pill makes everything look totally perfect on an ultrasound.

I’m just hoping they leave me on the Diane for at least six months.

I honestly have no clue how long it'll take to see any real changes regarding my hormones. And obviously, I want all these side effects to disappear, too. Three months definitely doesn't feel like enough time...👎

Maybe I'll hit a tanning salon a couple of times before summer hits, and then I'll spend the whole summer down by the coast where it feels like a miracle—my period actually shows up regularly there! But as soon as I get back home to New York, it's gone again! Maybe it's just time for me to move! 😁

Amanda Thomas86 said:I've got PCOS too, and I've managed to pack on about 10 or 15 pounds. I've been on Diane for maybe eight months now. Right now, I'm sticking to a diet and trying to hit the elliptical every single day—fingers crossed I actually see some progress.

Look, I was hitting the elliptical every day for about two months and watching what I ate (nothing crazy, just eating cleaner and sticking to yogurt and granola for dinner), and let me tell you, the results were totally visible. Unfortunately, I completely lost my momentum and didn't have anything pushing me to keep it up. You’ve just gotta force yourself to get moving daily and watch your food intake. Just don't go expecting miracles in the first month.😬
I'm desperately looking for some kind of spark, but honestly, this time around, I just have zero motivation to even get off the couch... 😳

coppernomad7 said:I started on birth control back before I was even 15, which looking back, feels like such a massive mistake.
But I’ve had long breaks, sometimes up to a year at a time.
When I'm actually on the pill, everything seems fine—ultrasounds come back clear, everything is balanced—but the second I stop, the chaos starts. First, my cycle stretches out way too long, and then after a few months of periods, they just vanish entirely. I end up waiting six months or more without anything happening. Usually, during that nerve-wracking waiting game, I get so stressed out that I just give in and go back on the pill. It's this endless, exhausting loop.
So, now I've decided that while I'm still on them, I'm going to drop some extra weight and do a deep dive into herbal teas that might help, so I can try a different approach.
Honestly, I don't think there's a real cure for PCOS; the pills just mask the symptoms and keep things under wraps, but once you quit, everything just reverts to the old ways.👎

By the way, I've been on Diane for five months now (starting my sixth cycle soon) after a long break, and before that break, I was on Yasmin for a while.

I was on Cilest for about a year, and immediately after finishing that pack, I went in for an ultrasound and the cysts were still right there. 🙄
Plus, hormones just don't play nice with my body... at all. Now I'm giving Diane a shot. I finished the first pack and I'm currently on my break. My skin has never looked worse, and don't even get me started on the appetite! My endocrinologist told me I should take them for three months. I honestly don't know if that's even enough time to see any kind of shift. He just told me to monitor how I'm feeling.

And yeah, there's no magic fix. You just have to try to keep your weight in a normal range (or better yet, an ideal one) and commit to a healthy lifestyle. Other than that, there's nothing else...

coppernomad7 said:I'm actually on a diet right now too, mostly because I'm dealing with PCOS. It’s been such a struggle because I'm taking Diane at the moment, and man, that thing makes my appetite absolutely insane. I still have a whole month left until I hit my goal weight, but I've got so much bleeding to deal with and so many pills to swallow. I'm really holding out hope that cutting back on fats will help get my cycle back on track, and I'm planning to start drinking some herbal teas that are supposed to help ovarian function—apparently things like marigold and sage...

How long have you been on Diane? And have you had an ultrasound done recently?
I was on Cilest for a full year and honestly, it didn't do a single thing for me!

Nicholas Allen said:Wait, what exactly is Montignac?

Basically, the whole thing is built on cutting out anything with a high glycemic index. At least during that initial phase when you're trying to drop the weight. You also have to be smart about how you pair things up—you don't mix proteins and carbs in the same meal.

It’s not actually that hard, though I'll admit the first week was a total nightmare for me. But once I got past that? There was no way in hell I'd be reaching for a piece of chocolate. Honestly, I didn't even miss it.
And I am completely over bread and all those different pastries. Now, if I have to, I'll grab a little bit of whole grain toast with some yogurt in the morning, but that's about it.

I deal with PCOS myself, and honestly, I’ve always had such great luck using Montignac whenever I needed to drop some weight.

But now? I’ve been on Dianama for thirty-five months straight, and my appetite is absolutely out of control. I am eating everything in sight—it’s a total disaster!

Toast... I'm guessing you mean with some deli meat? Honestly, cheese isn't exactly the gold standard for a healthy breakfast if you ask me.

Cereal—probably the chocolate kind, right? If that's what we're dealing with, do yourself a favor and grab one of those granola blends with dried fruit and whole grains instead. It’s much better.

Milk chocolate bars... do I even need to go there?😉 (I mean, look, everything is fine in moderation, just don't go overboard with it.)

Dinner—look, deli meats and all those processed stuffings are light-years away from actual healthy food.

Rebecca Williams11 said:I get that weird feeling too sometimes—just this heavy fatigue mixed with irritability and tension. It usually hits me when I'm exhausted, had a few drinks, or if I haven't been eating properly.
Is it really just the diet though?

Honestly, I’ve been being super careful about what I eat lately. I haven't touched a single piece of junk food in over a month because my endocrinologist basically told me I can't afford to put on any weight right now. 😳

But man, this sensation is just so bizarre. Even right now, I'm starting to feel it again... it's not as intense as before, but it's definitely there. 👎