Hi

I'm afraid nothing is going to eradicate PCOS - we can only hope to manage our symptoms as much as possible.

I am not on this one but I do take Dianette ( Diane 35 in USA) and have had reasonable success with weight loss - 12 lbs in 4 months.

Cheers
Clodagh

hi wanjiku,

I've redirected this question from the journals section here to our PCOS forum ... and removed the duplicated post, just to avoid confusion

From what I've read about Norplant, weight GAIN happens to a significant % of women. Usually this is due to fluid retention; but I did read a few reports that Norplant, like Depo-Provera CAN cause decreased sensitivity to insulin (ie, insulin resistance) and altered glucose metabolism. There is a caution for women with diabetes to be closely monitored by their dr. Norplant is also associated with increased incidence of benign ovarian cysts, which appear to come and go sponataneously. I couldn't find any info. showing a link with PCOS though, whether its helpful or not.

How will it affect low-carbing? My thought is that ANY woman using Norplant would be well-served to follow a low-carb diet whether weight loss is a concern or not, because of the potential of decreased insulin sensitivity. If you've already been diagnosed with PCOS, then it becomes doubly imperative that you restrict the carbs in your diet and take other measures to reduce the insulin resistance. Such as exercise, and possibly insulin-sensitizing drugs like metformin/ glucophage .. your dr. should provide guidance with this.

hope this has been helpful

Doreen

I have read virtually every book out there on PCOS and I have never heard of an intervention specifically mentioning Norplant. Is this something you discussed with your gyno or endocrinologist? Four months ago I went on Yasmine and Metformin simultaneously and this month I ovulated for the first time in years. Yeah! Yasmine is fairly new (has a spironolactone type medication in it along with birth control)...might want to check it out with your M.D. Also, you might want to pick up a book or two that discusses the different approaches to treatment (there is a great one by Samuel Thatcher). It really depends what your goals are as to which treatment is best for you. Good luck and I hope you get releif from your symptoms soon.

Betsy