PCOS

gem10

Member
Messages
11
Hi

I am looking for some advice.

I have PCOS so have been taking Inositol & Choline as I heard these were good vitamins for people with PCOS.

I have in 2 months lost 21 pounds which has been amazing as I have been struggling all year to loose weight and I feel fantastic. Last Thursday after a routine appointment with a bladder specialist they found ketones and glucose in my urine.

I think it is to do with the tablets as every doctor I have seen says how well I look but I have been referred to a diabetes specialist who recommended due to the high ketones that I inject insulin which I have been doing. They do not know if I have type 1 or type 2 diabetes (if at all) I think it is pure coincidence because of the tablets that my body could not cope with the rapid weight loss ! (just to let you know I had blood tests done and a urine sampe in August and everything was fine! I felt so good taking the tablets and now not sure what to do!

Any help wold be appreciated.

Thanks
Gemma
 

azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Hi @gem10 and welcome :)

Rapid weightloss is a possible symptom of Type 1 diabetes as are ketones and glucose, so,it's good you're being checked out.

Are you testing your blood sugar at home?

Did you ask your doctor about the tablets?
 

gem10

Member
Messages
11
Hi @gem10 and welcome :)

Rapid weightloss is a possible symptom of Type 1 diabetes as are ketones and glucose, so,it's good you're being checked out.

Are you testing your blood sugar at home?

Did you ask your doctor about the tablets?

Hi
Thanks for your reply. Yes I asked the doctor but they couldnt comment as they are vitamins! Yes testing blood sugar at home and ketones going down. I am Seeing specialist again tomorrow. just was trying to get more information as alot of the sites say Inositol (vitamins im taking) are good for diabetes too!.
Im so confused!
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
Have you changed your food intake at all at the same time as taking these tablets?

If you have been losing weight, then your body will have been releasing fat from storage into your blood stream - and your body will have been using that fat as fuel - in the form of ketones.

Obviously, at this stage, none of us can do more that make suggestions, and you need proper tests and diagnosis (which you seem to be getting :) ) so best wait for those results to come through.

In the meantime, I would do a bit of googling about the difference between 'nutritional ketosis' and 'ketoacidosis' so that when you get your results, and have a chat with your doc/specialist, you will be able to tell whether they know what they are talking about! :) I am amazed by the number of specialists who get mentioned on this forum who believe that ALL ketones are bad, and have a knee jerk reaction. The truth is that high levels of ketones are not great, and ketoacidosis is bad. However nutritional ketosis is great during weight loss.
http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/ketoacidosis.html

I have never experienced ketoacidosis (thankfully) but I understand that it makes people feel dreadful.
On the other hand, lots of people report that they feel great during nutritional ketosis.

Hope that helps. :)
 

azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Hi
Thanks for your reply. Yes I asked the doctor but they couldnt comment as they are vitamins! Yes testing blood sugar at home and ketones going down. I am Seeing specialist again tomorrow. just was trying to get more information as alot of the sites say Inositol (vitamins im taking) are good for diabetes too!.
Im so confused!

If it was me, I'd consider not taking them and seeing what the result was with regard to,your blood sugar. I've read about people taking inositol for fertility issues and it suited some and not others. We're all different. Stopping it would at least help answer your question :)
 

azure

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Type 1
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@Brunneria As the OP is being investigated for possible Type 1 and is currently on insulin, it would be best to await further information with regard to the ketones.
 

gem10

Member
Messages
11
Have you changed your food intake at all at the same time as taking these tablets?

If you have been losing weight, then your body will have been releasing fat from storage into your blood stream - and your body will have been using that fat as fuel - in the form of ketones.

Obviously, at this stage, none of us can do more that make suggestions, and you need proper tests and diagnosis (which you seem to be getting :) ) so best wait for those results to come through.

In the meantime, I would do a bit of googling about the difference between 'nutritional ketosis' and 'ketoacidosis' so that when you get your results, and have a chat with your doc/specialist, you will be able to tell whether they know what they are talking about! :) I am amazed by the number of specialists who get mentioned on this forum who believe that ALL ketones are bad, and have a knee jerk reaction. The truth is that high levels of ketones are not great, and ketoacidosis is bad. However nutritional ketosis is great during weight loss.
http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/ketoacidosis.html

I have never experienced ketoacidosis (thankfully) but I understand that it makes people feel dreadful.
On the other hand, lots of people report that they feel great during nutritional ketosis.

Hope that helps. :)
Hi

Thanks for your help. They have tested me for ketoaciddosis and I do not have that. Since coming off the inositol and Choline (only 1 week) I have put weight on (2lb) which again makes me think the tablets where helping with my weight loss which is what they are meant to do.
 
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azure

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Hi

Thanks for your help. They have tested me for ketoaciddosis and I do not have that. Since coming off the inositol and Choline (only 1 week) I have put weight on (2lb) which again makes me think the tablets where helping with my weight loss which is what they are meant to do.

That's more likely to be the insulin, I'd think, from what you've said.

If your body was unable to,use the food you were eating, then insulin would help it be able to do that again.

We don't know your diagnosis yet, but I have Type 1 and before diagnosis I lost a lot of weight very quickly and surprisingly because although I was eating fine, my body couldn't use the food so 'starved'. As soon as I started insulin, I put that weight back and then settled at my natural,weight.

When are you seeing the diabetes specialist? Is your doctor doing any more tests in the meantime?
 

gem10

Member
Messages
11
That's more likely to be the insulin, I'd think, from what you've said.

If your body was unable to,use the food you were eating, then insulin would help it be able to do that again.

We don't know your diagnosis yet, but I have Type 1 and before diagnosis I lost a lot of weight very quickly and surprisingly because although I was eating fine, my body couldn't use the food so 'starved'. As soon as I started insulin, I put that weight back and then settled at my natural,weight.

When are you seeing the diabetes specialist? Is your doctor doing any more tests in the meantime?
Im seeing the specialist tomorrow and no more tests from the doctors.
 
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azure

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Im seeing the specialist tomorrow and no more tests from the doctors.

That's great that you don't have to,wait too long :) Hopefully you'll get some answers then about what may or may not be the problem.

It's possible the specialist may be able to,answer your question about the inositol,,etc too :)
 

gem10

Member
Messages
11
That's more likely to be the insulin, I'd think, from what you've said.

If your body was unable to,use the food you were eating, then insulin would help it be able to do that again.

We don't know your diagnosis yet, but I have Type 1 and before diagnosis I lost a lot of weight very quickly and surprisingly because although I was eating fine, my body couldn't use the food so 'starved'. As soon as I started insulin, I put that weight back and then settled at my natural,weight.

When are you seeing the diabetes specialist? Is your doctor doing any more tests in the meantime?
Also Im still not at my healthy weight stIll have 9lbs to go !! The tablets where helping loose the weight (I didnt loose every week , I would have thought if I had Type 1 I would of lost every week yet some weeks i put on?)
 

azure

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Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Also Im still not at my healthy weight stIll have 9lbs to go !! The tablets where helping loose the weight (I didnt loose every week , I would have thought if I had Type 1 I would of lost every week yet some weeks i put on?)

Yes, there may be other metabolic things going on. PCOS is linked with insulin resistance in some cases, as you probably know.

The important thing is to get some answers as to what might be going on - for your peace of mind and so you can move forward.

Do let us know how,it goes.

Wishing you the best of health :)
 

gem10

Member
Messages
11
Yes, there may be other metabolic things going on. PCOS is linked with insulin resistance in some cases, as you probably know.

The important thing is to get some answers as to what might be going on - for your peace of mind and so you can move forward.

Do let us know how,it goes.

Wishing you the best of health :)
ah thank you
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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@Brunneria As the OP is being investigated for possible Type 1 and is currently on insulin, it would be best to await further information with regard to the ketones.

I posted an informative link, and the OP is being investigated for diabetes, any Type, not exclusively T1.
 

Brunneria

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Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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@gem10

Many of us PCOSers end up T2 (though that doesn't mean T1 is impossible.

There is a (very generic) figure that gets floated about that '50% of PCOSers develop T2 by the age of 50 yrs'. of course I have no idea how accurate that is! I got my PCOS diagnosis in my 30s after years of hormonal nonsense and insulin resistance, and hit T2 in my mid 40s.

Kudos to you for dieting to tackle any weight issues, as a preventative. :D

Pls come back and let us know how your appt goes!
 
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azure

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I posted an informative link, and the OP is being investigated for diabetes, any Type, not exclusively T1.

Yes, no diagnosis yet. But as we have many casual readers it's always best not to unwittingly minimise the presence of ketones :) Especially in cases where Type 1 hasn't been ruled out and where we have no information on the quantity of ketones or whether their presence contributed to the prescription of insulin.
 

Brunneria

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Retired Moderator
Messages
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Type of diabetes
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Yes, no diagnosis yet. But as we have many casual readers it's always best not to unwittingly minimise the presence of ketones :) Especially in cases where Type 1 hasn't been ruled out and where we have no information on the quantity of ketones or whether their presence contributed to the prescription of insulin.

Exactly. That is why pointing the OP and others to useful further information is a good idea :)
 

azure

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Exactly. That is why pointing the OP and others to useful further information is a good idea :)

Indeed but the presence of ketones should always be taken seriously until proven otherwise.

If/when it's shown that the ketones were there because of nutritional ketosis, then that's a different matter :)
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
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Over on the low carb forum there have been several people who have fallen pregnant after eating low carb despite a diagnosis of PCOS, or having resigned themselves to no children - which came as rather a shock to a couple of them.
If you have some sort of problem with regulating blood sugar then reducing the intake of carbs seems like a good idea, and will help with losing weight - though you might find ketones in your urine doing low carb. As long as it is from being in ketosis, where your blood glucose levels are low it is not dangerous, but you might need to point that out to health professionals.
 

azure

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Type 1
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But do not reduce carbs if you're on fixed doses of insulin without speaking to,your doctor or nurse.