I remember there being a brief part of my early adolescence when I had what would be considered ‘normal’ periods. It didn’t last long though. Pretty soon after reaching puberty I was going for long stretches of time without having periods at all. The longest was 2 years, and this extended absence finally got me to go and see a doctor.

 

The doctor sent me for an ultra-sound scan and I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovaries. There were literally hundreds of tiny cysts on my ovaries. These cysts are a symptom of PCOS, not the cause…in fact, the more research you do on PCOS the more you find people talk a lot about symptoms, not causes, as no-one really knows that causes it.

 

What information there is leads us to insulin and the organ that produces insulin, the pancreas. Simply explained, the body uses insulin to carry the carbohydrate from the sugar in the foods you eat from the blood to the cells, so it can be used to give you energy. With PCOS the body cannot ‘use’ the insulin produced correctly (this is called ‘insulin resistance’), so the pancreas carries on producing insulin – too much of it. At the same time it makes too many male hormones. These male hormones produce many of the symptoms of PCOS. They interfere with the hormones that help create a regular menstrual cycle, resulting in irregular or absent periods and also causing acne and excess hair. In addition sufferers can experience fatigue and mood swings.

 

At the time when I was diagnosed with PCOS I was severely overweight. This is frequently the case with PCOS suffers – the high level of glucose circulating in the blood (that cannot be converted to energy) eventually gets sent to the liver and converted into body fat.

 

 

Shortly after my diagnosis, the doctor prescribed me the combined contraceptive pill, Femodene (later changed to Dianette) to give me monthly periods and to try and help with my acne. I was on this pill from my mid-teens for about 6 years. It did give me regular periods, but it did little to relieve my acne and I spent long stretches of time using a topical antibiotic lotion on my face to try to combat the misery of acne.

 

 

Between the ages of 20 and 21 I lost over 8 stone. Statistics say just a 5% reduction in weight can relieve a lot of the symptoms of PCOS, as when you are lighter your body can use insulin more effectively, but I was still plagued with symptoms. As I became healthier I became more conscious of popping the hormones in my contraceptive pill every day. I had read a lot about the negative effects of artificial hormones, on the individual and the environment in general, and I was curious to see what would happen if I stopped taking them, especially now that I had shed a lot of weight. So, one day I stopped.

 

 

Despite maintaining my weight loss, and following the low GI diet recommended for PCOS, I went 2 years without having a period. During that time I continued to have acne and excess hair. In September 2004 I went to see an acupuncturist. During our first treatment he nonchalantly commented that we could restart my periods…I almost did a double take! Amazingly, it happened though.

The ingredients in this recipe for change were the following:

My periods returned within 2 months of the changes and continued with a regularity of 4-7 weeks for about 8 months.

 

I went travelling for 3 months in 2005, and this time, with its enforced changes in diet and routine (along with me staring smoking again) saw my periods disappear again. They never recovered their previous regularity.

 

 

Following my travelling in 2005 I spent 2 years off the pill. At the start, I had very irregular periods, but as time went on and I got a little healthier they returned with a regularity of between 6 and 8 weeks.

 

Another problem spread its shadow over my health and my life at that time though: I would have sudden bouts of completely debilitating vertigo. Always unexpected, I’d suddenly feel off-balance, then in a short time my vision would lose its grounding and things would start to move around…literally. It was completely disorientating, with the whole room moving violently– spinning me with it. I wouldn’t be able to stand, would start having a cold flush and I’d feel incredibly sick. The only relief was to sit upright in bed for hours until I fell asleep. It was only sleep that stopped the symptoms.

 

These attacks became more regular, and I noticed that they generally occurred a couple of days before my period or within the week following it. More frighteningly, they left me with periods of dizziness and imbalance which often continued between attacks. I was also suffering from more and more migraine headaches.

 

I researched the symptoms widely on the internet, and after seeing several doctors, I finally got to see the consultant I wanted – a neurotologist (specialist in dizziness). She said that these attacks were hormone related migraine – causing a problem with the balance mechanism in my ear. She said the best way to regulate my fluctuating hormones was to go on the pill. I agreed, as my life was being made a complete misery by the symptoms – and went back on Femodene in summer 2007.

 

It took some time for things to normalise. I continued to get very bad migraines around the time of my period and for about six months I also took anti-migraine treatments daily as a precaution, as I was being plagued by headaches. By late 2007 the attacks became less severe and less often. I did some work to help retrain the balance mechanism in my ear, which meant on a daily basis I wasn’t feeling quite so disorientated.

 

 

At the beginning of 2008 another health problem came into my life. I injured my neck – something I was more susceptible to, due to being hypermobile. This injury caused me severe pain. I had to leave the college course I was on and  spent the best part of 4 months at home, bed-ridden.

 

At that time I researched hypermobility and found advice suggesting that people with collagen problems shouldn’t take the pill…and here I was, having recently gone back on the pill, to help with another health problem! After a lot of thought and with a great deal of trepidation I decided to stop taking the pill again in summer 2008.

 

Despite the fact that my periods have not yet returned, this was definitely the right decision to make. I felt better for having made it. I felt I was taking control rather than giving the control to drugs and doctors. My later discovery, in spring 2009, of having an imbalance of the yeast Candida, only convinced me further since the pill is a causal factor in this condition.

 

 

My quest to address my health problems naturally became more important to me as 2009 progressed and I read widely on nutrition. Since the beginning of 2009 I’ve been making changes to my diet and lifestyle to support my body and to help it return to the health I believe it should have. I cut meat and wheat out of my diet in January 2009. Since I hadn’t eaten dairy for some years, it wasn’t such a big step to go vegan, which I did in May 2009. I ate plenty of raw food – fabulous mixed salads, and fruit and vegetables in abundance.

 

Solely changing my diet resulted in me losing a stone. This surprised me as I had previously come to the conclusion that I wouldn’t be able to lose any further weight and I’d remain the shape I was forever. I wasn’t eating less – in fact, I was probably eating more food, and certainly being more excited and satisfied by my food than ever before. In addition my skin got clearer – my spots were far less frequent.

 

In summer 2009, due to my discovery of a Candida imbalance, I cut all processed sugars out of my diet. This step made a big different to my body. I lost another two stone, again, without even trying or intending to lose weight. My skin became radiant. Completely clear of spots and with a glow it had never had – people started to comment on it.

 

I see both of these things as really positive steps on the way to addressing my PCOS. Having less weight on my frame means my body has more energy to direct to its vital functions and also means I have less fat moving around my body and in my blood – which can only help the insulin I produce. My clear skin is a sure sign that my liver is not having to work as hard to clear toxins out of my body – and also shows me that my hormone levels must be better than they were previously.

 

 

I have been buoyed up by the changes that taking control of my diet and lifestyle has shown me – literally, I can feel and see the difference. I re-introduced fruit into my diet during Christmas 2009, and now also eat unpasturised dairy as well as wild fish and some meat.  Having been away from processed sugars for some time, they really seem unnatural to me now and I won't eat them again. The senses, particularly taste, respond so quickly to being treated well – I taste such sweetness and goodness in natural food now and it didn’t take long for my palate to adjust like this.

 

Since January 2010 I’ve been eating a varied diet high in unprocessed foods. I believe the closer we can get to our food sources, the better we will live, physically, emotionally and mentally. My focus on diet has produced the most vibrant health I’ve ever experienced and I remain determined to address my particular health issues through my diet and lifestyle; you can follow my journey through updates on this site.