The beginning...

New cycle began yesterday. I had another 16-day luteal phase with the help of hcg, which is great, whole cycle was 39 days long. We have decided to do a 3-month "break" during which I will use progesterone cream on days 7-26 of 3 cycles. It will help dissolve any cysts, reduce estrogen dominance and just give my body a break. This amount of progesterone will suppress ovulation (thus the break from ttc), when I stop the progesterone on cd26 it will induce a "period" (actually withdrawal bleed) and create a better pattern of shorter cycles. We will begin ttc again in December. I will also be working on exercising more and returning to better eating habits during this time. I hope to lose about 20# before December. This will also give us a financial break from the meds and appts. We may try to do a couple more diagnostic tests toward the end of the break to make sure things are clear and a "go" for December. Hopefully all will line up that month and we can have a fall 2012 baby!

Cycle update

Okay, so haven't updated here this cycle yet - in short, it's been disastrous!

I upped my dose of soy iso like I had planned and I have been spotting continually, estrogen has been spiking and plummeting making my bbt chart look like the rocky mountains. I so rarely have mid-cycle spotting that this has been very strange for me and discouraging. I literally have spotted 20 days out of the 26 days so far in this cycle, and am annovulatory so far.

I now feel guilty for taking the soy against my better judgement, it was a "compromise" to hopefully avoid the clomid or femara. It has really messed me up this cycle and I pray it clears quickly and we can move on. This has likely set me back with the Dr. at least 2 months as far as getting labs done and moving on... :-( He knew I was taking it and even said last month that it seemed to be helping along with the metformin, but it wasn't prescribed.

Today, I am very crampy and have leg aches and twinges in my R sciatica, I am very hopeful that this is the end of the cycle coming... but hard to say. I'll let you all know how next cycle works out.

Thanks for your prayers and hanging in here with me.

34 days!

That's how long this past cycle was (starting tonight). An improvement over 42 days for sure! I am encouraged by that and plan to up my soy isoflavones to 200mg and add royal jelly supplement this cycle to improve egg quality. Thankful for a fresh start! :-)

Day 1

A new cycle.  Adding cinnamon for further blood sugar control and ToCoQ10 to help lower cholesterol and give antioxidant protection.

Tom and I have also decided to try soy isoflavones this cycle.  We are concerned about the health risks of the long periods of unopposed estrogen with the long follicular phases.  We've read that taking soy isoflavones at twice the doseage of clomid for days 5-9 of the cycle can shorten follicular phases and strengthen ovulation.  We will see how it goes and report back.  I am not a fan of soy, but wasn't sure about clomid either and those were the only options I was getting.  I figure the risk was less, the cost was way less and we'd give it a try.

This also means I get to start journaling in my new printed journal - yippee!

B12 and Metformin

This article discusses the malabsorption of B12 that taking Metformin causes.  I am planning to start a sublingual B12 supplement to be sure this does not become an issue.

Lab results

Finally got my lab results from LapCorp over to Dr. Yeung.  He says that my kidney and liver panels were fine and I can go ahead and start on the Metformin, which I plan to do tomorrow.  My LDL (bad cholesterol) was 141 which he said wasn't high but on the higher end of normal and I need to improve it with diet and exercise and keep an eye on it.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

Reasons I choose to take Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) in my B-Complex supplement.


Recommended dosage:  500-1,000 mg for therapeutic dose / taking 500 mg


Reasons to take (pcos):  Deficiency in animal studies has been found to lead to sterility, or relative infertility. Helps to degrade excess estrogen.


Reasons to take (endo):  Women with endometriosis are found to have vitamin B complex deficiency during the menstrual cycle. It is not known if it is caused by unhealthy diet or the inability of digestive absorption.  It helps to reduce tension of the nervous system as a resulting of converting carbohydrates to energy which is necessary for the proper functions of the nervous system. Thereby it reduces symptoms of endometriosis in some women such as anxiety, depression, and mood swings.  Vitamin B1 helps to secrete hydrochloric acid in the stomach which is essential for the complete digestion of food particles and decreases the risk of nutrient deficiency causing hormone imbalance in the menstrual cycle.

Reasons to take (thyroid):  B vitamins are essential for energy production, mood, nervous system function and adrenals.


Warnings:  Water-soluble and generally non-toxic.  Overdose symptoms are: hypersensitivity, heart palpitation, agitation, high blood pressure and skin rashes.  This is why it is important to take B vitamins as a balanced complex.


Food Sources:  Germ and bran of wheat, brewer’s yeast, husk of rice, whole grains, peas, lentils, beans, sunflower and sesame seeds, nuts with the skin, peanut butter, liver, kidney, pork, ham, eggs, poultry, seafood.


My conclusions:  Taking a good dose, important to continue.

Vitamin A

The reasons that I take Vitamin A from fish oil.


Recommended dosage - 10,000 IU / Current dose:  10,000 IU


Reasons to take it (pcos):  maintenance of healthy skin and hormone balance, One of the lesser known facts about vitamin A is that it contributes to the development of sperm cells in males and eggs in women.


Reasons to take it (thyroid):  Individuals with low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) have a reduced ability to change beta-carotene into true vitamin A.  Vitamin A-deficient cattle and sheep show degeneration of the area of the pituitary gland where the TSH is synthesized.  Vitamin A intake also influences the thyroid gland in another way. Sufficient vitamin A -- not beta-carotene in this instance -- must be present for the thyroid gland to absorb enough iodine, upon which it depends for proper function.


Reasons to take it (endo):  Women with excessive blood flow during the menstrual cycle caused by endometrial implants or adhesion in the abdomen found to have low levels of vitamin A in there bloodstream. Together used with vitamin E will help to relieve menstrual bleeding and keep hormone balance in the body. Beta carotene is another form of vitamin A that also helps to enhance the immune system and protect against growth of endometriosis.


Warnings:  Symptoms of overdose include:  skin turning orange, nausea, hair loss, enlarged liver and spleen.  Higher than the RDA amount can cause birth defects if taken around conception.


Food Sources:  Animal sources - better for me - liver, milk, eggs
Plant sources - beta carotene - carrot, spinach, kale, cantaloupe, spinach, apricot, papaya, mango, oatmeal, peas, tomatoes, peaches, peppers.


My conclusions:  I am taking a good amount of Vit A from a good source.  Future considerations may be to take a fermented cod liver oil to get the right amount of A and D in a very usable format.

Changes in supplements

Here are the recent changes to my supplements:

Vitamin C - ran out of current bottle, haven't refilled

Cod Liver Oil - haven't refilled, am taking flax and EPO but should get a fish oil too...

Licorice Root - misplaced bottle? Will add back in if I locate it

Limcomin - ran out, may continue - not sure

Protease - digestive enzyme for digesting protein, really should refill this one!

Selenium - was taking an additional 200 mcg, stopped for right now due to nausea right when taken, reconsidering...

Supplements update

I am updating my sidebar with current supplements, but this post will contain a tally of what I am getting from taking these so I can evaluate. I am also hoping to do some posts soon on each one and why I am taking it, as a reminder to myself! :-) Blogging is my external brain!

So here goes, this will be long...

Vitamins

A (from fish liver oil) 11,000 IU

B1 520 mg (thiamine)

B2 24 mg (riboflavin)

B3 220 mg (niacin)

B5 220 mg (as pantothenic acid)

B6 210 mg (pyridoxine)

B8 20 mg (inositol)

B9 2000 mcg (folic acid)

B12 1050 mcg (cobalamin)

Biotin 1010 mcg

Bx 20 mg (PABA)

C 200 mg

D (as cholecacliciferol) 1000 IU

D (from fish oil) 50 IU

E 40 IU

Minerals

Calcium Formula (horsetail grass, oat straw, comfrey root, lobelia)

Chromium 200 mcg

Iodine (kelp) 1015 mcg

Iodine (angstrom) 15 ppm - 1 tsp

Magnesium 30 mg

Manganese 2 mg

Potassium 30 mg

Selenium 50 mcg

Zinc (chelated) 52 mg

Free Aminos

5-L-Hydroxytryptophan 20 mg

L-Alanine 82 mg

L-Arginine 124 mg

L-Cysteine 28 mg

L-Cystine 124 mg

L-Glutamine 56 mg

Glycine 56 mg

L-Histidine 98 mg

L-Isoleucine 138 mg

L-Leucine 138 mg

L-Lysine 196 mg

L-Methionine 28 mg

L-Phenylalanine 15 mg

L-Serine 28 mg

Taurine 1028 mg

L-Threonine 112 mg

L-Tyrosine 716 mg

L-Valine 56 mg

MSM 1000 mg

Glandulars

Raw Thyroid 60 mg

Raw Adrenal 30 mg

Raw Pituitary 10 mg

Raw Spleen 10 mg

Herbs

Blessed Thistle 180 mg

Digestive Bitters Tonic (cardamom, raspberry, stevia, dandelion, orange peel, gentian root) 5000 mg

Milk Thistle 175 mg

Motherwort 500 mg

Pine Bark Extract (Pycnogenol) 100 mg

Vitex (agnus castus) 2000 mg

Winter Cherry (Ashwagandha) 570 mg

Probiotics

Lactobacillus rhamnosus 1.6 billion

Bifidobacterium bifidum 1.2 billion

Lactobacillus acidophilus 1.2 billion

Lactobacillus brevis 1.2 billion

Lactobacillus bulgaricus 1.2 billion

Lactobacillus plantarum 1.2 billion

Stretococcus thermophilus 1.2 billion

Bifidobacterium infantis 800 million

Bifidobacterium longum 800 million

Lactobacillus casei 800 million

Lactobacillus salivarius 800 million

Other (Foods)

Coconut milk - 8 oz in smoothies

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp in smoothies, also for cooking

Flax oil (unref, org, omega 3/6/9) - 1 tbsp

Maca - 5 g gelatinized powder

Notes re: supplements from GAPS book

Liquid is better than powder, tablet or capsule. Fulvic acid added ensures a very high absorption rate, also a good chelation of heavy metals. A good probiotic taken with supplements may have this soil bacteria (fulvic acid).

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

New Year - something different

Our new year got off to a bit of an unexpected start and has delayed some of my intentions, but not stopped them all together. My grandmother died Jan 1st and we traveled this week for the funeral, it was a quick trip and involved lots of sitting and fast food. Needless to say, we are feeling bloated and blah...

I ordered the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) book and have been quickly reading it. I also joined the yahoo group. It deals with asthma, allergies, eczema, constipation, malnourishment and other auto-immune, digestive, behavioral issues that may all stem from the gut and our digestive systems not being able to function properly due to foods and medications and environmental issues that cause the balance of good and bad bacteria and flora and acids to not be able to digest foods and nourish our bodies properly.

It is not a whole lot different from what I have done with The McCombs Plan but starts a little more slowly and adds food in slowly. We will begin with soups and broths made from bones and meat and vegetables, also consuming fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir and kvass to help establish healthy gut flora. We will take probiotics also. Gradually we will add eggs, raw vegetables and raw fruits. I feel like the whole family needs this at this time, we have all had some digestive issues and the kids occasionally will get patches of eczema and I deal with yeast, so we will all begin this together and look for improvements and find out what we are allergic to individually also.

I have my shopping list ready and we will begin on Monday - stay tuned for more!

Been sick

Came down with a cold / cough / sinus infection Thanksgiving day, been pretty miserable. On top of that, started spotting and then full-blown cycle at the same time. Very short (16 day) cycle this month. :-( It wasn't too bad as far as sciatica pain, but the endo spot on my nose did flare up and bleed the last day of menses as usual. Not sure if the sciatica wasn't as bad because I was already in bed and not moving around on it or what. I have been taking my supplements this past week, but not my smoothies (just no energy to make them and keep forgetting to ask Heather to) and I have been eating poorly (whatever Tom brought home / felt like warming up). So... not feeling great still, but feel like it's improving slowly. I hope to get back to my good diet and all the supplements by this weekend at the latest, I will weigh on Monday and survey the damage.

I am contemplating starting the GAPS diet in the New Year. Any thought or experiences anyone?

New Supplements

Ordering some new supplements today:

Ashwagandha - 570 mg daily (T3 and T4 thyroid hormone booster)

Pycnogenol - 100 mg daily (menstrual disorders / endo)

EPO - 250 mg daily

Milk Thistle - 300 mg daily

Free form aminos - 1,000 mg daily

Licorice Root - 1 dropper full daily

Red Clover tincture - 1 dropper full daily

Vitex tincture - 60 drops daily

Magnesium - 500 mg daily

Reordering these that I was almost out of:

Selenium

B Complex

Vitamin A

Decided not to re-order:

Trace Mineral Maintenance

More endo info

Endometriosis develops when endometrial-like tissue starts growing in places where it shouldn’t be, away from the lining of the uterus, often in the abdominal cavity or pelvic region, but sometimes in lungs or arms, and elsewhere. These tissue growths respond to hormonal signals in the menstrual cycle in the same way that uterine lining does, building up and breaking down each month. But while the uterine lining can be flushed out of the body during menstruation, the tissue remains of endometrial growths have no place to go. Internal bleeding, inflammation and other problems result.

Conventional diagnosis is difficult because even using a technique such as laparoscopy, in which the abdominal cavity is inspected through a fibre-optic tube inserted through a small incision at the navel, in many cases the endometriosis cannot be seen. Often the first clue a doctor has, especially if there are no obvious symptoms, is when a woman complains of infertility.

But for most sufferers, the symptoms are obvious and painful. Since endometrial tissue responds to the same hormones as the uterus does at menstruation, the sufferer has the same cramping pains, bleeding and irritation that are a familiar part of a normal menstrual cycle. Imagine agonising period pains that spread throughout the abdominal cavity and you understand why some women with severe endometriosis faint with pain.

Orthodox treatment is with drugs that all have unpleasant side-effects. According to Merck Manual of Medical Information, danazol, one of the most common treatments, can lead to weight gain, acne, a lowered voice, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, muscle cramps, bleeding between periods, mood swings, hair growth, liver malfunction and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Some things I can do (many I am already doing):

• WATER - lots and lots of water!!! (see below post)
• Evening Primrose Oil
• Eat more salmon
• Magnesium
• Red and green veggies
• Berries (anti-inflammatory)

Some things I need to reduce or remove from my diet:

• Caffeine
• Chocolate
• Alcohol
• Wheat
• Dairy

Update on last couple weeks

A quick update... my cycle started again this past Friday, 29 days since the previous one - that is improvement! I was pretty tense the night before and very tense the morning of, but once started I felt much better. I don't know how my family lives with me some days. It was only about 12 hours this time with the horrible pms - that is a bit of improvement too. This cycle has been very light so far, not sure what that is about. No migraine - woo hoo!

I have had some pain in my thyroid over this weekend, Fri - Sun. Not sure if it was hormonal due to the cycle starting or what, but it has gone away now.

Two weeks ago (Oct 7-12) I had some very bad sciatica pain. It started out the first day in both sides and I was taking it easy, but able to function - the next day was in my right side, horrible pain and pinching and tightness - I could not sit up at all and being upright made it spasm. I was bed-ridden. The next day I forced myself to take the kids to classes, I took tylenol and got through the morning (though near tears for most of it) but was back in bed all afternoon once I got home. It improved quite a bit by Sunday and Monday I was pretty close to normal. I remembered Friday night that a homeopathic blend had been a help to me in the past for relaxing the muscles and allowing the nerve to move out of it's pinched position. I think that helped get me on the mend.

In other news, I am feeling pretty good about the weight loss so far, but definitely need to step up and exercise to get it moving a little faster. I am having very little to none of the panic/anxiety and have started taking 400mg of the SAMe and 1 tsp of the maca. I do think both of these "new additions" are helping me.

Current smoothie recipe

coconut milk kefir, frozen bananas, powdered MSM, powdered Taurine, powdered Tyrosine, probiotics, iodine, maca, colloidal minerals, calcium drops, cod liver oil, flax oil... and a bit of cocoa powder and stevia to help get it all down!

Just ordered more supplements

From www.iherb.com

Twinlab, Stress B-Complex Caps, 100 Capsules
$9.24

Jarrow Formulas, Sam-e, 200 mg, 20 Enteric-Coated Tablets
$9.63

Source Naturals, L-Tyrosine, Free-Form Powder, 3.53 oz (100 g)
$13.01

Navitas Naturals, Maca Power, Gelatinized Maca Powder, 16 oz (454 g)
$22.46

Didn't realize I ordered 2 of the Maca - I hope I like it! Thank you to my MIL for recommending the Sam-E, after looking into it I decided it was definitely worth a try for the anxiety/depression. The B vits are always a necessity for lifting my moods. I read a lot about the Maca at Nourishing Gourmet and other areas and am excited about the possibilities there for hormone balancing. The L-Tyrosine has been on my list for a while to try and help my thyroid function properly.

Update

I have had a couple busy weeks, went to mom's for a few days last week and have had school, classes, soccer, etc... but wanted to update a bit here.

I have had quite a bit of improvement. In mood and coping abilities and weight loss mostly.

* Anxiety - still dealing with this a bit, depending on the day, usually worse in afternoons and evenings.
* Back Pain - not bad
* Cycle - a week overdue ???
* Exercise - not last week but back to it daily this week
* Food - doing very well with my food choices, digestion and bloating improved
* Migraine - none since Aug 5
* Sleep - when having a bad anxiety night it is hard to fall asleep lying down, but sleeping pretty well otherwise
* Supplements - Pretty consistent, feel like what I am taking is helping, considering adding a couple things soon
* Thyroid - swelling seems to be going down a bit, still wear down quickly but it will take time
* Tonsil stones - pretty much gone, not an issue right now - yeah!
* Yeast - detoxing with diet is causing some itchy skin/scalp, I need to do more brushing and salt water soaks.

I have been feeling better about my attention span, ability to have conversations without losing track of what I was saying/hearing, also doing better with patience with the children and hubby, I find I am able to manage my time better also - don't get stuck doing one thing without being able to see the other things that need attention and how to accomplish them.

Symptoms today

I had a frustrating day. Frustrated with myself because the week had been going so well but I woke up this morning and just didn't have any motivation. I laid in bed too long, I didn't stay on schedule with the kids, didn't stay on top of meals or clean-up, didn't take my supplements or exercise. So... just kinda down this evening. Not feeling horrible, but need to pick myself up and get back to it Monday. We will be gone much of the weekend and are having company Fri/Sat, so will start afresh on Monday.

Breathing is more difficult in the evening as usual, but not too bad. My heart was racing before I even woke this morning. Tom could feel it and asked me about it. I have no idea what I was thinking about or dreaming about, but it was pounding. Stopped after a bit. Other than that... not much else to report for now.