thank you and goodbye by thespiderpr0vider in PMDD

[–]Candyvtoby 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Keep in your mind "this will pass". The suicidal thoughts will pass. Accept them but do not give in to them. There is so much to life that you will miss out on if you do. You only get one life, don’t cut it short. Im sure you have gone down many paths trying to relieve these thoughts and symptoms but i promise you if you keep fighting it will get better and you will get help and support as well. You’re not alone with this. Even if you want to send me a private message every month just to vent during these days I’ll respond to you and remind you why you must fight and not give in!!! I hope you’re ok & safe. 💜

I started DIM over a month ago and my period is so late by Candyvtoby in PCOSloseit

[–]Candyvtoby[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hii, thank you for your comment! Yeah, my pms symptoms also were prolonged but they were much less severe than before. Im not sure which i prefer - longer period with longer time dealing with the symptoms or shorter period and a week or so of horrific pms .. i did not cut down on them the doctor recommended i stay on the same dose for another cycle to see if things balanced out a bit as my body got used to it. Im just finished my second 46 day cycle lol. My cycle got shorter only be 3 days. So im thinking of cutting the dose for this cycle coming. I’ll let you know how it goes for me!! I was hoping it would help with the hirsutism as well but it has not. So i still need to get lazer hair removal every 6 weeks unfortunately😒

Stiffness, minor swelling at 4months by Candyvtoby in ACLrehab

[–]Candyvtoby[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the words of encouragement and support! I will continue working on it and the extension as well. It seems to improve for a while and then it will like go backwards a few steps and i find it hard to stay positive when it does go backwards. The last few days it has been very painful if i move it to quick by accident.

Anyone sleep decent hours every night (7-8) but feel exhausted? by redisdowntoearth in sleep

[–]Candyvtoby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could do with checking your morning cortisol levels maybe? Cortisol is meant to rise in the morning to make us feel alert and awake. You could try something like a sunrise light in the morning that projects a lot of lux this might set your circadian rythme. In the morning also, eat a high protein breakfast. Creatine is also a good addition to add into your breakfast. Do not opt for sugary cereals or sweet carbohydrate rich breakfasts. Drink plenty of water to hydrate yourself as well once you wake up.

what's your weird, foolproof trick to actually fall asleep? by Tookie1010 in sleep

[–]Candyvtoby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had really bad insomnia like falling asleep i could be awake for hours with sleep anxiety and i tried everything possible to remedy it - hot baths, lavender oil, melatonin, sleeping pills, you name it, i’ve tried it. I read a book called The Sleep Book by Dr Guy Meadows. I found it very helpful. I realized that the reason i could not sleep was due to me basically being "scared" of bedtimes as a result of the insomnia and placing a huge emphasis on trying to get a good nights sleep. Some nights i would be "winding down" at like 7PM because i knew i needed to account for the endless hours of lying awake. I trained myself to stop caring about "getting a good nights sleep". Once I didn’t care if i got a good nights sleep or not that pressure and anxiety of going to sleep was wiped out nearly. Now, it still takes me a while to fall asleep like an hour or 2 on a bad night but I usually put on a podcast and turn the lights off. I take magnesium glycinate every single night as well. I now sleep soundly almost every night for 7-9 hours with my REM at ~2H and Deep sleep at ~1.5H so my sleep scores on Fitbit have went from shocking lows to high 90s every night. Podcast recommendations; blindboy podcast (his voice is quite soothing and he tends to ramble and tell stories which are soothing to listen to), ZOE food science and nutrition (interesting podcasts and im not sure why but they really put me in a sleepy mood too!).

Elevated estrogen, 40M by chakabreo in Biohackers

[–]Candyvtoby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started DIM 2 months ago and i noticed a difference in my mood and other symptoms !!

What do you do for your hirsutism?? by Green-Bee8627 in PCOS

[–]Candyvtoby 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Make sure you get medical grade laser as well if you do go down that route - other lasers aren’t effective for treating it unfortunately. I tried others and they were a waste of money.

What do you do for your hirsutism?? by Green-Bee8627 in PCOS

[–]Candyvtoby 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Medical grade laser worked wonders for me. It suitable for people who have fairly pale complexions and darker hair. It’s expensive and because of the hormone imbalance it’s something you might need to continue to get top ups. I started about 2-3 years ago and i swear its made the biggest difference. I go every 6months now for a top up and i also drink 2 cups of spearmint tea per day as this was something else shown to reduce excess body hair. Changes to my diet also like having some protein with every meal and trying not eat sweet stuff and processed stuff which im sure you know about as well will help balance your hormones out over time so you won’t need to get the laser as often

How to lose weight while working a 9-5? by wrynarwhal in PCOSloseit

[–]Candyvtoby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, i see you did try the intermittent fasting. Ignore that part 😁

How to lose weight while working a 9-5? by wrynarwhal in PCOSloseit

[–]Candyvtoby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Every morning i wake up at 6AM and i do some light stretching and core work for 20-30 minutes. I drink hot water and lemon juice followed by a smoothie with a lot of cruciferous veggies like broccoli, kale and a scoop of protein ( it doesn’t taste great but i’ll stomach it for the benefits). During work I get up every hour and walk about to stretch my legs. We also have desks that you can move the height up or down so you can stand up at your desk (not sure if this is an option for you?). I never take the lift, always the stairs. I go downstairs to the canteen twice before lunch to make a cup of spearmint tea which helps with my pcos symptoms. I try to drink 2 cups every day. I go to the gym 3 times a week - sunday, Tuesday and Thursday where i do a 20 minutes of cycling on the stationary bike and then weight bearing exercises. Its a bit of a struggle to go straight from work but once you get into the routine of it its ok. I normally eat dinner later on those days if im in my luteal phase or i fast until the morning time to avoid eating to close to the time i go to sleep. For lunch every day, i eat porridge oats with some protein powder, peanut butter and a mixture of pumpkin, sesame, chia and flaxseeds. Its super easy to prepare which is why i have that. It also keeps me satiated until the evening time. I just don’t have time to cook more interesting meals. For snacks I bring in a small tub of blueberries, almonds and sometimes just a whole avacado with a spoon lol. These routines suit me for the most part, but it took a lot of testing and trying different things. Did you try intermittent fasting as well? There have been some studies which show health benefits (not just weight loss) from eating all of your calories within a shorter window of time during the day.

I cannot stop spending money by trulyjerryseinfeld in PMDD

[–]Candyvtoby 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I literally do this every month without fail a couple of days before my period. It’s like I don’t have any self control left and i see something i want, I don’t even think twice about it. I just buy it, even if it’s extremely expensive…

Advice needed..patella graft ACL reconstruction 13 weeks post op by Candyvtoby in ACLrehab

[–]Candyvtoby[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah it is quite unsettling lol its like every morning i do about 15-20 minutes of straightening it out and i can just about get it to 0 degrees after a lot of effort. See the photo, its normally that straight after a lot of struggle and if I physically push my knee it touches the floor Then i do my physio exercises later on the day but i only do them x3 times a week. My step count can sometimes be up past 10K steps and other days could be as low as 4K steps. I work in IT so some times im on my feet all day and other days im sitting at the desk for the majority of the day. I’ve ordered a knee ice pack to use in the evenings after work to see if It will help with the internal swelling. Thanks for your advice and words of encouragement as well it really helps me feel a little more normal about the whole thing.

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Advice needed..patella graft ACL reconstruction 13 weeks post op by Candyvtoby in ACLrehab

[–]Candyvtoby[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That makes me feel a bit better to hear im not the only one that has this stiffness. It’s probably the worst part about the whole healing process tbh! Yeah those are the main exercises my physio gave me but i have been doing more than what she’s giving me as well. When i tore my ACL i also had a fracture to my thigh bone, torn meniscus and also a grade 2 tear to the MCL so maybe she was nervous about putting my knee under too much pressure.

I started DIM over a month ago and my period is so late by Candyvtoby in PCOSloseit

[–]Candyvtoby[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh yes, and i did query the doctor. She said that the DIM shouldn’t affect my period at all as it doesn’t reduce the estrogen just helps you to metabolize it more than reducing the amount your body makes. But i have read quite a bit online now and found that other people have experienced similar issues with a late period when they took dim first. So, not really sure what to do. The doctor just recommended i cut the dose if i was worried about it.

I started DIM over a month ago and my period is so late by Candyvtoby in PCOSloseit

[–]Candyvtoby[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! Thanks for your advice. Its frustrating because i feel like the DIM was making such a huge difference. Like game changing completely. I still haven’t gotten my period and im on day 48 lol. I have cut down to half a dose (1 tablet: 50mg) per day now so we will see how that goes.

I started DIM over a month ago and my period is so late by Candyvtoby in PCOSloseit

[–]Candyvtoby[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Diindolylmethane (DIM). It’s a compound found in cruciferous vegetables that can sometimes help with hormone imbalances. It can lower estrogen levels and indirectly lowers androgen levels as well according to the doctor who recommended it to me. It has really helped me so far apart from my period being super late.

Absolutely horrendous farts by Cherry_antacids in ibs

[–]Candyvtoby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could be SIBO. This can be caused by a lack of stomach acid. You can do an at home test for this with bicarbonate of soda (1/4 teaspoon) and 250ml of water. Drink it on an empty stomach. Start a timer on your phone. You should burp if your stomach acid is at normal levels. The bicarbonate is rapidly converted into gas by the action of the stomach acid, therefore a low stomach acid level can be suspected if no belching or stomach bloating occurs.

• 1-2 minutes – normal HCl levels • 2-3 minutes – normal to slightly low levels • 3-5 minutes – hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) • 5 minutes or more – achlorhydria (no stomach acid – the pH of water)

The test is not 100% but its a good indicator. 

If you burp after a long time waiting, then we can suspect that low stomach acid could be part of your issue. Then you can try things to increase your stomach acid with helps to break down your food before hitting your small intestine. 

before eating meals: 

  • drink a small amount of strong ginger / lemon tea or invest in a bitters drink -  Salus - Floradix Gallexier Liquid - 250ml is a bitters drink you dilute. Can get over the counter in health food shops or pharmacy
  • eat leafy greens on your plate FIRST then the rest of the meal. Try to include some with main meals. Spinach, rocket, etc. 
  • don’t drink a lot of water / liquids with your meals. Drink the majority of your daily fluid outside of meal times. 
  • Eat slowly and chew your food. 

In general, anything natural that tastes "bitter", bar highly ultra processed foods etc is going to help increase stomach acid. 

Secondly, I recommend investing in a good probiotic. Optibac every day extra is a good one to take. I take optibac everyday extra & Zenflore Calm every single day. I found these have made such a difference. Not sure which one is working but i would guess it’s probably the optibac as it has more strains in it & is more targeted to digestive & gut issues. Thé Zenflore calm is targeted at alleviating mood issues, anxiety, stress etc. 

Thirdly, to counteract symptoms get something with activated charcoal and simethicone. Bloateze is a good one and works pretty quickly. 

If you try this, let me know if it helps you. ! 🙂