I have the best cramps remedy!

it was a similar type of pain that got me the ultrasound that diagnosed my pcos in the first place. when i'm not well controlled the pain comes back. for me, it was because my ovaries were so heavy with cysts that they had fallen down low in my pelvis and were getting squished all the time. probably the equivalent kind of pain as a guy getting kicked in the nuts, i figure, except that i had it all the time.

 

I limit my carbs, and eat as much fresh veg and healthy protein as I can get. I don't eat meat (well, I've been attacked for saying this before, so I will qualify: Once in a blue moon (usually when I feel I need a good protein boost) I will eat an organic egg, or salmon. I still eat cheese on occasion, butter very rarely, and milk on the rare occasion that I drink coffee. (I also bake with these things...) I eat all whole grains pretty much whenever I stoop to carbs - brown rice, whole wheat bread/pasta...

I think it's the exercise that's getting me. I've not been getting as much, since we've been settled and I'm working again. I'll wear myself out sewing or blowing glass, even though most of that time I'm just sitting on my butt! And since we've got a big yard, that's fenced in now, the dogs aren't so desparate for nightly long walks!

I haven't tried much in the way of the natural remedies you mentioned. Mostly for the same reason I haven't seen a doc - can't afford it. Can you refer me to a good site with a well-rounded synopsis of each, and how they help PCO?

I guess it's a really good thing this came on when it did. As much as I'm hating life right now, it's been increasingly easier to ignore my health while I haven't been menstruating. The occasional cramps I got were still nothing compared to this... I could drink a glass of water and take an Ibuprofen, etc. and it would usually go away soon... Not so much this time!

 

imho, you need a lot more protein. it helps stabilize blood sugars.

my number one book recommendation for women with pcos is anything by diana schwarzbein. start with 'the schwartzbein principle'~~your library should have it. schwarzbein is an endocrinologist, and she's a woman with pcos.

and re supplements: http://www.soulcysters.net/personal-recommendation-treating-pcos-39425/

try that thread, i really liked emmanuelle's info, and value her opinion. there's a lot of fluff on the alternative remedies board at souldcysters, so you've really got to keep your critical thinking cap on and make sure that you're looking at good sources of info, but give it a lookthru and see what rings true for you. you know your own body better than anyone else.

 

advil works fine for me.

 

some women do have both PCOS and endo. It is entirely possible. But I would say it's more likely, from the cysts and previous surgery, that adhesions (scar tissue) is causing your current pain. It still takes the same surgery to correct adhesions that it does to remove endometrial implants, and it still requires the same level of skill to do it without causing even more damage in the process. vaginal pain is sometimes called vulvodynia (I think that's right) and it can be caused by endo, by adhesions, by bladder problems like intersticial cystitis, but usually the cause is never known. But all those things are related, somehow, they just don't know enough about it yet. I know that for me, all my health problems stem from some sort of damage to my immune system from overexposure to certain toxins. first, my father's family has a history of autoimmune disorders related to their body's inability to rid themselves of certain toxins. Then there's the fact that I had majorly horrible reaction to vaccines, and have recently become aware that I am probably autistic (on a highly functional level, but it's still there) which is also related somehow to vaccine injury. Anyway, the best thing I have ever done is to modify my diet and elminate foods that cause me problems. Second best is to drink lots of water. Lots and lots of water, to help my body get rid of toxins. When I am no longer breastfeeding, I will look into chelation and take the detox a step further, but it just isn't safe to do it right now.

Symptoms of endo are tricky. It doesn't effect two women the same. Pain during intercourse, painful menstruation, painful bowel movements and/or urination are just some of the symptoms. some women never have any pain, even if they have really severe endo. Some women have extreme pain with very minimal endo. some women, like myself, have very severe endo and very severe pain. It follows no logical rhyme or reason. Endo breaks all the rules. It's usually associated with other auto-immune problems, but not always. Most women with endo also have allergies, many have migraines (which are caused by the hormonal imbalance). Doctors will still tell most women that their other symptoms are not related. I've been told that myself, but when the migraines and bladder and bowel pain went away after the first time I had all my endo removed, I know better.

There is much information online, I'm becoming sceptical of some of my former favorite links, as the endo association (and most all the other organizations researching endo) has recently accepted sponsorship and money from TAP pharmaceuticals (the makers of Lupron, the most evil drug ever devised), but their website is still informative and so far has not turned into a big ad for Lupron like some of the other sites I got info from back when I was first diagnosed seven years ago. http://www.endometriosisassn.org/endo.html My surgeon's website, with some good information about endo and the current treatment options is www.womenssurgerygroup.com and for info about adhesions, go to www.adhesions.org