PCOS, Eating Disorders and Diabetes

[LittleWolf]

I just found this article...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex female endocrine disorder affecting approximately 5% to 10% of women of reproductive age. PCOS causes elevated levels of reproductive hormones like follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) which create tiny cysts that surround the ovaries. Other symptoms of PCOS include anovulation (failure to ovulate), irregular menstruation, excess androgen (which in turn results in increased body hair and acne) and insulin resistance (which often results in obesity.)


The insulin resistance caused by PCOS might be responsible for the onset of eating disorders. When the body becomes resistant to insulin, women often experience weight gain in the abdomen, cravings for carbohydrates and hypoglycemic episodes—having low blood sugar can often cause women to binge eat. These physical effects, coupled with the toll that this disease can have on a woman’s body image can possibly lead to the development of eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and compulsive overeating.

The effects of PCOS often begin to occur around puberty, one of the most emotionally precarious times in a woman’s life. At that time, a woman may not know that she has PCOS . She may begin taking drastic measures, engaging in disordered eating behavior in an attempt to lose the weight that she is putting on.

There is also a risk of eating disorders exacerbating a woman’s PCOS. Since binge eating can raise insulin levels which can, in turn, raise androgen levels and increase the effects of PCOS. It’s therefore extremely important that women who are suffering from eating disorders and PCOS identify their PCOS and take it into consideration when planning a treatment program. Restoring normal eating patterns can not only help to treat eating disorders but they can also help with PCOS symptoms.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with PCOS and eating disorders, hope is available. At Rader Programs we can help women with PCOS develop healthy eating habits by treating the physical and psychological causes of the eating disorder.

I myself had anorexia/bulimia, am apparently diabetic and was found to have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome last year. My situation seemed to run like the article described

-Put on a lot of weight at puberty (possible PCOS onset)
-Subsequently freaked out and starved/purged, having hypoglycemic episodes then craving/binging on sugar then purging again through my teens
-Had a lot of reactive glycemia and now frank hyperglycaemia at 20

I think this may explain a lot of young female T2s at normal weight or under. (and want GPs to consider this instead of ruling out all non obese young women for T2) I'm sure the patterns of erratic eating would mess up one's metabolism anyway even without PCOS instigating, exacerbating and being exacerbated by the crazy eating.

So how many of you had / have an eating disorder and/or PCOS and what do you think it had to do with your diabetes? I think my PCOS only showed its head(apart from the weight gain at puberty and struggle to lose it) once I hit normal weight range, which is the point my periods went from just absent when I was underweight to erratic and hugely heavy when they did come.

I never got any follow up when my PCOS was found. It was through self testing I found odd blood sugar levels... I think all PCOS sufferers should get screened for diabetes (seeing as it is accepted as coming with insulin resistance) and anyone recovering from an eating disorder should have their metabolic/pancreatic function checked. Makes sense if you have dangerous eating patterns, no? Kind of a no brainer?

Please do share your experiences...


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[Elc1112]

I have type 1 diabetes and was diagnosed with PCOS in my early twenties. I suffered from an eating disorder when I was a teenager. The insulin (and probably the undianosed PCOS) meant that it was very difficult for me to lose weight. My weight kept creeping up and, to combat it, I started restricting my calories.

So, the eating disorder came before the PCOS diagnosis but they were both still evident.

Interesting article!