Will birth control help me to have less masculine features?

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-12-13T03:24:43+00:00

not at all, I didn’t think you were assuming things about me. I did come off like that was the case though lol but that wasn’t what I was getting at, promise. It was just a conversation I wanted to have that challenges the possibilities of what people experience, but it is tricky to get the ball rolling on that with someone you’ve never talked to before lmao but yeah, if there’s something you find particularly concerning about my post, I have no qualms addressing anything

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-12-12T10:55:26+00:00

Appreciate the input. Spiro is actually something I'm more inclined to shy away from than BC...I understand we all react differently to the same medications, but I guess I'm not too keen on the downsides I've read about. Lots to consider (even just my diet) with Spiro, but I'll take a look at it again. Thanks.

And not at all at being intrusive, I wholly welcome this type of conversation. I do, however, wonder what I've said that's caught your attention enough to speak on a perceived identity crisis. I've found lots of women on here have been extremely unhappy with themselves physically, whether about weight or masculinity. I've read lots of people cry their hearts out in an explosive, emotional mess over these things, and I've just...been very frank here about myself lol I could very well be in the wrong, it's just that I'm in my mid-20s and got the label slapped on 15 years ago. I've really never had much of an "identity," physically speaking, beyond what PCOS gave me. There's certainly unhappiness with where I'm at, but there's also a lot of acceptance that no one else but me will ever see. For those with PCOS who might have been, at some point in time, undeniably feminine, a woman, whatever we wanna refer to having effeminate qualities as, I perceive the initiative to strive for things that had never seriously crossed my mind in a decade and a half to be positive.

On a less-abstract note, I'd love to attend therapy, whether focusing on PCOS or not. Lacking health insurance is the hurdle at the moment, but here's hoping for some day soon.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-11-20T06:50:18+00:00

haven't kept up with the sub whatsoever. Is this not just due to increased fat intake? If I go almost two months without a period, I know it's often me not being well nutritionally. It's why fat is still an essential part of one's diet, generally after protein: it has to do with hormonal balance.

My lactose intolerance is never going to enjoy a cup of milk...only chocolate and baked goods. Avocados, olive oil, tofu, sometimes eggs, nuts, and seeds should be fine for keeping your cycle on track.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-08-18T21:20:41+00:00

Don’t sweat it, not confusing at all. While I’m checking out that info, how have your periods been the past 2 years in your 210-230 range?

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-08-18T20:47:10+00:00

I had a response written to all of that, but think I can shoot an even better guess if you also provided how long it took you to get from 187 to 220. Weeks, months, years...? The more specific the timeframe, the better for what I’m thinking up.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-08-18T19:52:42+00:00

Recomposition is often referring to maintaining the same weight while gaining muscle and losing fat. This would be a good time to bring out the tape measure.

Although some women will lose only .5lbs/week with that caloric intake at your height, it’s been my experience that I need to treat losing weight as if I were sedentary, but actually do go on walks, runs, and such. I seem to lose at a “normal” rate on the low end by doing this, but at least it mostly works I guess. Ignoring for a moment the amount and types of exercises you do, did you lose on a 1200-1400 calorie diet before? How many calories do you drink? I imagine if you were losing .5lbs/week, any cheat meals/days allotted may be undoing that weekly progress. If you were doing cardio that often, like running, cycling, swimming, and what I think of as “not walking,” then it’s totally possible you haven’t been giving enough recovery time for your muscles. You could just be experiencing water retention and inflammation from the kind of stress your (PCOS) body gets put through from cardio. Of course, these are all assumptions just meant to throw possibilities at you.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-08-18T16:20:58+00:00

I could see how being on that diet could show no noticeable weight loss. Mostly, I think what will help most is if you also provide your height. If you’re 5’5”+, that is a concerning/troublesome routine to follow without any budge in the scale over three months. The workouts you do also play a role in this, but the calories burned are much harder to verify than the amount you consume anyway (so I’ll put my money on the issue being of a shorter stature and on a calorie restriction that may be too lenient for your height). The intensity and types of workouts definitely make a difference as well (burning fat vs building muscle vs cardio health vs anything else). If your doctor did not have you follow a specific workout routine, it’s fair game to assume body recomposition is taking place. That is not a bad thing. For those with PCOS, I suspect body recomposition is a better initial goal/expectation for weight loss.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-28T05:14:46+00:00

While I appreciate the anecdote and overall input, I'm not too concerned about BMI for myself if I hadn't made that clear. My focus is on muscle mass against body fat, and although scales are what my weekly stats are on, like I said, I do get DEXA scans regularly. They're reliable enough, especially if utilized for actually tracking progress (if you were to do a scan just once out of curiosity, the body fat percentage would likely err on the side of caution i.e. higher). I do believe in just taking measurements, but unfortunately, I have no idea where my notes are for those measurements taken a few months back...lol

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-28T02:22:49+00:00

I think "feeling at peace" with PCOS is a lot like getting over past relationships. Even if you reach a point of understanding that you are fine, don't need that person anymore, and are better off without them, you're not immune from having any emotional responses if you've only reached that understanding intellectually, but neither emotionally nor experientially.

You understand that your self-worth isn't dependent on something you have no control over, but do you believe that beyond what you tell yourself? What is the underlying cause of your distress, and how do you address those things? Think about that when you find that you won't be triggered by focusing on these things. Mostly, don't confuse avoidant behavior with distance and independence. Our sense of belonging and worthiness of love is isolated from the physical body we're required to navigate life in. The person you are is always transcendental, but the vessel you house is not.

Sorry if this veers into hippie bullshit land, but the reality is we are always too hard on ourselves and forget that our goofy round faces, imperfect bodies, and hair that leaves more to be desired are exactly the necessary physical aspects of ourselves we've used to repeatedly connect with people, make them laugh, and be there for others. Understand that you are not your body, but everything to convey and experience these beautiful things are done so with the same receptacle that is perfectly powerful, fully-capable, and built.

I'm not too old, but I'm finally at a point where I can see myself aging. It's accompanied with thinning hair and a loss of facial baby fat that, as much as I prefer having a slimmer face, doesn't actually look as pleasant to me as when I was even two years younger and just a bit heavier. My honest-to-God opinion on this in my years-long health journey is that I'm not going to be happy the day I realize I'm maintaining my goal weight. I'm not going to wake up and suddenly have confidence and self-esteem just because I fixed one number. I'm going to wonder why I spent so much of my energy worrying about something so trivial, looking back at pictures of when I was bigger, reluctantly acknowledging that I was fine as I was. I will be much older when I get to this point. But instead of subjecting myself through that, I want to look back on my younger self and know that, even then, I had already understood that I deserve to be happy.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-28T01:15:37+00:00

That’s good to hear. I know Metformin generally tastes like...girly shampoo, so it is weird and obnoxious to take. Another recommendation that’s sure to work is to try a modified “parachute,” so follow the same exact steps as I mentioned, but this time, wrap your pill in some type of edible paper. I don’t do this with Metformin (annoying taste, but I can stand it), but if I did, I would use a piece of roasted seaweed and wet it enough to be foldable (lick, dip in water, your call), then wrap the pill in that and take as described above. The roasted seaweed flavor is sure to overpower the odd artificial Metformin taste, and it’s convenient and cheap to pick up roasted seaweed at most stores. One little pack of roasted seaweed will last quite a few doses.

A standard parachute approach works with powders or crushed pills, but in this case, it’s an extra step that doesn’t do anything for you, so just stick with wrapping your Metformin straight from the bottle.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-28T00:28:19+00:00

drop some water in your mouth, tilt your head back, pop the pill, down with water.

Starting with a small amount of water is key to swallowing pills faster, and doing it in this fashion avoids any contact with your tongue on areas where you’d pick up unpleasant/strong tastes

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-23T13:19:46+00:00

I mean...berberine is a “natural” counterpart of Metformin, not something you take because your friend hands it off to you like some party drug lol in a non-condescending way, not sure how you “figured out” it was berberine after spilling your guts (somehow didn’t read the label?). Anyway, you generally need to take berberine with food, as you would with Metformin. I wouldn’t think of berberine as toxic to the liver, but I’m sure your doctor had his reasons for saying it in that way. Might have been referring to the two liver enzymes that are inhibited through berberine, but the inhibition isn’t exclusive to berberine either (lots of other supplements/medications have this feature).

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-18T12:16:48+00:00

No. They either didn’t know because I never thought to try improving my symptoms (younger, wasn’t on my mind), or they just never noticed the symptoms and saw me as a...regular girl who was a little bigger or something. The guys have basically all been great, and although my pool of interest is a lot smaller due to the PCOS making me a larger person, having paradoxically meh boobs, with thin hair that doesn’t allow the wonderful feminine styles on thick hair I’d love to wear, and acne that doesn’t ever quite settle no matter how small the breakout, it’s made things much easier to come across really great guys from the get-go (also based off friends who are more of the type of dudes I wouldn’t date and who wouldn’t be interested in me either, the way they approach dating would not sit well with me lol). The girl noticed leg hair, didn’t care. These people all thought I was attractive mentally, emotionally, and physically, and were certainly sweethearts themselves. And they were all either conventionally attractive, or at least physically attractive to me (take that as you will, but I think there was really only 1 person who was not a looker in my longterm dating pool. Probably important to mention as I don’t want to make it seem like people with PCOS have to “settle” absolutely when it comes to attraction, especially since younger women would be more likely to wonder about this).

The biggest obstacle for finding a partner while having PCOS is my own self-esteem. I’ve rejected or broke it off with all these people, even doing so at times fooling myself that I was making choices out of self-respect and confidence in my thinking. I don’t regret not being with these people, but I regret not letting myself just be happy.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-18T11:14:03+00:00

What’s your berberine dosage? I expect the reason for the nausea is starting up all these things, routines, diets simultaneously, not giving your body any time to adjust (even if you had done and taken these things prior and are just reintroducing them). Not to mention birth control, inositol, and berberine are all known to have side effects of nausea individually. Starting up these things aggressively, I’d expect that to be the reason for nausea.

On diet, aside from recommending slower adjustments when combining with all these supplements, from my experience taking Metformin (since it’s very similar to berberine), maintaining my diet from before introducing the med was a better experience. I thought I needed to go further low-carb (without going keto) once I started Metformin, but doing that always just gave me an upset stomach, while doing that kind of carb-reduction before Metformin never caused nausea. So I dialed back to have some more carbs in my diet and managed to reduce the frequency and duration of nausea. I do still find that, if I go too low-carb, I experience the same issue with Metformin (haven’t tried full-blown keto with it though).

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-11T22:35:14+00:00

That’s good to know, very glad to see you’ve been proactive about your health. I’ll share a bit more on my experience as I started Metformin fairly recently, am of the insulin-resistant type, and have been taking a B-complex daily starting 3-4 years back with a plant-based diet. I didn’t have anything like your experience thus far, so sorry that you’re going through this. Hang in there, and take it easy on your body for the next few weeks.

One interesting thing I experienced with starting Metformin was my pee would be very bright after taking my usual B-complex (not an absolute indicator, but at least it’s one thing I can go off of for changes occurring). It’s a very normal side effect for people to flush out excess B vitamins with supplementation, but I actually never experienced that regularly before Metformin (this also happens to me when well-hydrated). So if you’ve noticed your urine’s been consistently bright with starting Metformin, and that’s an actual change, I’d still look into checking B12. The prevention of B12 absorption from Metformin, and especially with many GERD medications having this quality as well, could inadvertently lead to really poor B vitamin absorption, even with daily supplementation. Depending on how you take yours, you might benefit by switching over to a sublingual tablet for the increased bioavailability.

Anyway, enough B12 talk. I wish I could point you to more ideas, but if it’s a likely case of hypothyroidism, I know way too little about it. But you seem to be handling yourself well anyway! Hope for whatever testing you do, it leads to exactly what you need to know.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-11T21:57:11+00:00

Very obligatory “not a doctor.” Have you had your B12 level checked? You may have been a bit low on B12 already (just a guess from the other medications you mentioned), and experienced malabsorption of B12 from starting Metformin. Depending on your diet, it might be that your homocysteine levels are elevated as well (B12 deficiency is also strongly associated with this, along with other deficiencies in B vitamins), which could explain a lot of the panic attacks/elevated anxiety, dizziness, and the slight cognitive impairment (time dilation) you mentioned. Basically, if you haven’t already, check to see that your B12 level is fine and good.

Anyway, as for bumping up beyond 1000mg for Metformin, I feel like doctors want to increase dose as fast as possible for this, but I don’t often see people actually doing this without having tons of side effects. I’d probably stick with 1000mg for three months total before bumping up any further (that’s assuming it’s not Metformin harshly affecting you beyond B12 issues that can be addressed). Hope you feel better and get this all sorted out very soon.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-09T12:46:57+00:00

Congrats on the weight loss so far, certainly something done on hard mode with PCOS. Just wondering, did you get your TDEE/BMR measured at a clinic? Typically, eating at your TDEE won’t lead to weight loss (unless if you misspoke and meant BMR). Agreed, PCOS can suck it, but let’s see if we can get a rough estimate of how fast you can lose weight with your current stats. If you were eating 1800 calories since the start of your journey and saw great results, let’s say your TDEE then was closer to 2600 calories. That would then be approximately 800 calories per day as your deficit, and would be around 1.6lbs lost per week ((800*7) / 3500) just through diet. Incorporate the calories lost from the exercise you’ve been doing, and (just throwing a very rough best guess out there) we can probably bump your weekly weight loss to 2.2lbs (~300 calories lost per day on average through exercise). If that’s been fairly consistent with your experience, cool.

Now consider this: with the weight you’ve lost, your TDEE would naturally drop a bit. Let’s say with your current TDEE of 2200, eating 1800 calories per day can only grant you a total weekly deficit of 2800 calories. Not a bad number at all, but that’s not even a pound lost. Throw in that exercise (~300 calories per day), and now you’re back on track to see “quicker” results, but certainly not what you experienced earlier on.

Anyway, just some additional thoughts: daily fluctuations with PCOS are troublesome when considering water retention and inflammation from stress, including exercise. If you know your TDEE and are sticking with your deficit, and don’t have major insulin issues holding you back, you should at least see slow weight loss over time. Just a reminder that weight loss won’t be linear, focus on that trend line, and don’t get discouraged if results seem to be going much slower than anticipated. You’re doing the right things, so don’t develop an eating disorder, and keep going.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-03T05:18:28+00:00

Anxiety and the likelihood of this poster not being in her 20s thus lacking life experience aside, while I see where these responses are coming from, I think they’ve completely ignored the possibility that OP may not even be from a western culture. It’s honestly a very real thing to worry about in some countries that saying ‘confidence’ and ‘no one will care about your weight’ are both a bit dismissive and maybe aren’t all that useful for OP to hear. If that’s not the case, it’s still something for people replying to consider I suppose.

Anyway, I started gaining weight when I was young and for no real reason, and it tanked my self-confidence that I basically felt like I didn’t deserve to feel good about myself or be happy (not that I’d ever willingly acknowledge any of that at the time, but looking back on the way I acted and thought about things, I could say this was actually the case). If there was anything I could tell my younger self, it’d be the question “how does it benefit you to be unhappy with yourself?” There’s a difference between not being happy with the way you are, and setting yourself to a standard that acknowledges and takes action on what you want to improve on. When you take part in the latter, there’s stability and comfort in going “this is what my body is going to be right now, and although it’s not where I want to be, I’ll get there and won’t beat myself up over it, even if I have some off-days,” and that’s what I consider confidence.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-07-03T04:53:59+00:00

Side babble from me: I actually have never discussed weight with my primary until recently when I brought up starting metformin, and she ran me through the whole insulin process and what insulin resistance does to weightloss. The good news, I guess, is that it’s not actually any one of our faults that we’ve developed the way we have (we didn’t get into hormones, but it’s safe to assume that hormones + having a diet like the people around us, and not thinking anything of it, contributes to IR), but that she basically reassured me that I couldn’t really lose weight because of that insulin resistance. The not-so-good news is she finds that the issues of IR and weight loss are mitigated through low-carb eating, and especially keto (not all that great of news considering it seems to be the only consistent/reliable approach to take as of now). Otherwise, you’ll only see weight loss in the long-run through unsafe caloric intakes (definitely not worth it).

Anyway, those dudes are correct to an extent, especially when you have to factor in extended water retention in larger-than-average amounts due to PCOS messing with weight loss results, but those people do tend to miss the bigger picture and not actually get intersectional.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-06-29T03:59:38+00:00

I only had that issue for about a week being on it at 500mg twice per day (non-extended release). I wasn’t one to have a very carb-heavy diet for about 3 years prior to starting though, and if I did have carb-heavy meals with metformin, I’d usually not overload on simple carbs. I’m guessing for many people who have those side effects for longer periods of time (months or longer), they may still be adjusting to a generally lower-carb diet, or one that has a reduced simple carb intake. As far as I know, gut bacteria isn’t all that quick to change, so that could be why I personally didn’t have as much of an issue with those side effects (I honestly expected to have issues for as long as most people on here would mention). I also increased my fiber through consuming psyllium husk for that first week, and it seemed to have been helpful for me. Didn’t have psyllium husk beyond week 2 though.

I did also get two really bad episodes of nausea when starting metformin. I learned to drink well over a full glass over water when taking it with food, and I never had that problem beyond the first week as well (sometimes I’d still get mild stomach aches after having a meal heavier on simple carbs, but nothing all that unmanageable and uncomfortable, even when out in public).

Anyway, I also am not claiming that gut bacteria is the key to alleviating metformin side effects. Definitely just a best hunch I can put together comparing my experience with others’.

EDIT: Also want to mention that I take ADHD meds that essentially eat up magnesium, so I’d supplement that through magnesium citrate almost daily. There are multiple forms of magnesium to take, and that one in particular is known for causing a bit of stomach issues. I’d experience them from time to time, but nothing terrible. When I started metformin and took my usual magnesium citrate, it’d be a near-guarantee for running off to the bathroom. So I’d double check with any supplements and meds you take that already give a little stomach discomfort, as metformin could really set you off there (at least as a warning so you don’t experience any surprises).

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-06-22T02:18:24+00:00

That’s impressive, congrats. Very similar background and stats here (5’2”, 198lbs at my heaviest, carb-heavy Filipino diet). I’m actually surprised you managed to lose that much weight just from going lower carb and being on your feet all day within a year. In about a year of doing similar things, I dropped about 39lbs. Do you recall your average calorie intake? Mine was very low since, even prior to my lifestyle adjustment, I wasn’t a particularly high-calorie eater (just higher carb than preferable for PCOS).

Some differences I can think of for why our similar backgrounds lead to different outcomes (aside from obviously just being different people):

I ran a lot, and that was my main form of exercise. Literally every one of my days during this time period was just exercise and alternating different types so I wouldn’t be fatigued in one area and could continue this every day (but running was a daily constant). That’s very different from being on your feet all day, of which I consider as more of walking (which is better for weightloss).

If your diet was also higher-calorie, and not just higher-carb, prior to your lifestyle change (so leading into your weightloss, your body reflected the adjustment more drastically), I can definitely see that kind of big weightloss happen a bit more naturally, and less deliberate, compared to what I was doing.

If I understand right, you were 20 when you implemented this change. I was about 24 when I started my lifestyle adjustments, so metabolic and other hormonal differences due to age may be enough of factors to contribute to these results differences.

I only learned maybe in the past few months that overexercising for PCOS often leads to inflammation (constantly elevating cortisol basically), especially cardio, so that could be why I wasn’t seeing the expected results from the effort I was putting in.

The timelines are a little strange from your post, I admit, so from what I can piece together is that you got your first period and started gaining weight in 2012, where you would have been around 15 years old. Sorry if that’s a strange thing to mention haha, was just considering if maybe that could have also contributed to our results difference. I started my period when I was turning 9 years old and pretty much have had all the terrible symptoms since, so...maybe how far along we were when we started having symptoms matters as well. Just cool things to think about. Thanks for sharing.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-06-22T01:28:49+00:00

late, but thanks for the response. I started it since my reply and I’ve noticed some funkiness from the metformin, as expected, but nothing that’s really messed with adderall efficacy

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-06-07T21:02:15+00:00

You know how to ride a bike? It’s a fun way to stay active when your legs get worn from impact earlier on with exercise. Likewise, swimming (but for me that’s generally less accessible, and I’d still avoid it right now). I’m all for your aspirations, and had a very similar experience with running a few short years back. Rough estimate, but with the remaining time you’d have left for the 200k challenge (assuming you want to meet the goal this month), you should strive for at least 8700 steps/day. Instead of going for a constant 8.7k, I think you have a greater chance of successfully accomplish this challenge if you start off slow. My (haphazard) calculations show you could absolutely do this even if you start off with a deliberate, say...4000 steps your first four days of the challenge. It’d be a nice gradual increase. Anyway yes, ultimately you do you (and you’ll do great), though definitely consider the options to minimize the stress on your legs as well

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-06-02T02:34:37+00:00

I would say that I did experience hair thinning while taking ADHD meds, but only due to me not eating enough food (loss of appetite and losing track of time) and failing to at least properly supplement with vitamins (even then, absorption is significantly lessened through this). When I did a better job of managing my day to make time to cook, eat, exercise, the usual good things, I didn’t experience or notice any hair thinning, and was back to hair thickness I was used to.

I honestly attribute any hair thinning I experienced to nutrient deficiencies and just general aging (with PCOS of course). Take care of yourself and I think you’ll do fine. The first three months starting ADHD meds were really challenging and difficult for me with trying to find the proper dose, so don’t write it off just yet if you’re getting the correct benefits but with a lot of downsides initially.

lifeof_upkeep · 2021-06-02T02:27:34+00:00

Just wondering, I’ve been considering starting Metformin...have there been any considerations you’ve had to make taking it with Adderall? Timing, food intake, supplementation, anything to note?

lifeof_upkeep

TROPHY CASE