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PCOS and not sure if I'm using Natpro right ...

by Kari
(Philadelphia, PA)

Hi Wray -

My name is Kari. First, thank you so much for providing this site and using your valuable time to provide all of this information to people like me :)

I have been suffering from PCOS symptoms since nearly since puberty (I am 28 now). When I was young, my family doctor brushed it off as being "not that bad" and assured me that it would "work itself out" and so I never had any treatment for the disorder. Since graduating college at 22, I have not had health insurance, and just as well, since the medical community seems to prescribe lots of drugs and chemicals, none of which I will take. But, as such, I have not had any tests done. I have no idea what any of my levels are and never received an official PCOS diagnosis - however, I am about 45 lbs overweight - despite any efforts otherwise, and have been for a long time - most of my weight is around my mid section and tummy, I have terrible cravings if I eat even the slightest bit badly, excess body hair (face, chest, etc) and was without a period for most of my twenties. Two years ago, I went through a series of energy healing sessions that concentrated on my ovaries and reproductive system - since then, I have had a period, though I would still skip months. This past December, I bled for 45 days straight. That had never happened to me before, and so I searched for answers. I was able to get the bleeding to slow significantly (it was EXTREMELY heavy) by taking cod liver oil, and soon after, found your site.

When I got my first order of Natpro, I stopped bleeding within two days of taking it, though I quickly discovered that my dosage was too low (I was so moody and immediately put on a bunch of water weight after the first week of using it). I upped my dosage according to the chart you provide on the site and used 1 - 1.5 tsp per day in two doses. (I use a range because I haven't been diligent about measuring exactly...). For the first month, I used the cream for 30 days without stopping. On the higher dosage, I did not bleed at all. In the second month, I used it for a week and then, when I noticed some spotting, stopped and "gave" myself a period. It lasted for 7 days, I counted the first day of bleeding as "one" and counted from there. I started progesterone again on the 12th day and used it until the 27th day. At the end of the 27th day, I noticed spotting, stopped, and had a second period that lasted for 5 days. This is now my fourth month of using natpro - this month the spotting came about a week earlier than the previous three (on the 21st day instead of the end of the 27th) and I bled for 4 days.

My questions are ---- should I treat this shift as my body "adjusting"? The first three months are the ONLY months in my ENTIRE life that I have had a "normal" period experience -- when the spotting started on the 21st day, I stopped the natpro and counted that as day 1 - should I have increased my dosage and held out for the 27th day, or was I right to stop? Should I be concerned that my periods seem to be progressively shortening? Is that normal?

I currently eat a vegan diet, as low as possible in processed and refined foods, take 5,000 ius of vitamin D, along with cinnamon, inositol, vitamin B and Biotin, and chromium & magnesium. I have not gotten the amino acids listed on the pcos page yet, I am saving up $ to be able to find and get them, but hope to do so soon!

Am I on the right track? I would love to lost the excess weight (I am encouraged by some of the other posts saying that some of the weight issues were resolved after the 6th month), and am getting married this fall and would love to be able to get pregnant ...

Thank you!

Kari

Comments for PCOS and not sure if I'm using Natpro right ...

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Apr 18, 2013
 PCOS and not sure if I'm using Natpro right ...
by: JL

Hi Kari

Don't you just love Doctors? How could he say "it will work itself out"? Just shows you what he knows!! Judging by your symptoms it is clear that things have not "worked themselves out"!

PCOS is caused by oxidative stress and needs anti-oxidants to help it, progesterone alone will not help although it does play a huge part. You need to treat the oxidative stress by taking the nutrients suggested by Wray. Have you considered trying the PCO Formula on her website, see here.

I don't think that the 5000iu's of vitamin D that you are taking is enough, I think you should use 10000iu's per day and have a vitamin D test done in another 3 months. Both vitamin D and an amino acid called N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) are excellent anti-oxidants which will help you greatly. Wray does get positive feedback from those using the PCO Formula though.

Have you been tested for insulin resistance - see here Your cravings and weight gain etc could be that you have it, most PCO sufferers do. Facial hair means you have an excess of free testosterone, your free testosterone level needs to be tested too.

Regarding progesterone, you should be using nothing less than 200mg/6ml per day possibly more depending on how severe your PCOS is, it should be used a minimum of twice a day as progesterone levels drop after 13 hours. I also suggest that you use the cream daily through any bleeding for 1-3 months, possibly longer.

Treating PCOS is not an overnight fix it does take time and this will depend on whether the correct nutrients etc are used.

I hope this has helped you.
Apr 19, 2013
 PCOS and not sure if I'm using Natpro right ...
by: Wray

Hi Kari Bless you for reading the site and taking note of what's said! I see you've read the PCOS page, you do have a few of the symptoms listed. Can you afford the formula we have, which I know works. One woman I'm corresponding with is now pregnant with her second child, after struggling for some years to do so, she also had PCOS. If you can't, then the most important nutrients to take are the inositol, the vitamin D and the NAC. I see you are taking the two vitamins, but the inositol must be no less than 4000mg/day, each study done with this nutrient used this amount successfully. Please have a vitamin D test done, this is so important, 5000iu per day is a good amount, but if your level is low, it raises it too slowly. In which case you would need at least 10,000iu per day. A lack not only reduces the benefits of progesterone, but it's vital for a successful Pregnancy and for breast feeding. There are some excellent videos at the end of the pregnancy page on vitamin D, please take time to watch them. I can't tell you how delighted I am the progesterone has helped you! And that you are using it correctly too, bless you for that, it makes my life so much easier. Don't be concerned about the odd lengths of cycle you are having, the adjustment does take time. It could well be you do have a 21 day cycle, my daughter does, she's 31. Unfortunately the drug companies did a great disservice by packing their pills in 28 day cycles. This has given the impression that all women should have 28 day cycles, even the medical profession seem to believe this. Nothing could be further from the truth. The normal range varies from 21 to 35 days, making 28 days the average only, hence all Contraceptives follow this for convenience! The weight over your tummy is indicative of high testosterone, it's notorious at increasing visceral fat, see here and here. So too of course is the excess body hair. Luckily progesterone does correct this, but don't expect miracles over night. If bound to SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) testosterone becomes inactive, progesterone raises levels of SHBG, see here, so preventing the rise of free testosterone and possible severe PMS. SHBG drops if sugars are eaten, even those found in all grains, legumes, processed milk and sweet starchy fruits and vegetables. Continued below
Apr 19, 2013
 PCOS and not sure if I'm using Natpro right ... Part 2
by: Wray

Hi Kari Fructose, sucrose and glucose, reduce SHBG by 80, 50 and 40% respectively, see here. Thereby allowing testosterone to rise. It's best to avoid all the foods and sugars mentioned. Wine and beers contain carbs, so it's best to avoid those too. Plus alcohol affects hormone levels in women, see here and here. It decreases progesterone levels and increases androgen levels, both the total testosterone and free testosterone become higher. The lowered progesterone, higher testosterone probably accounts for the increased risk in breast cancer risk among women, see here and here. Higher testosterone is also associated with an increased risk for Insulin Resistance and heart disease, see here. Sugars and large meals also drop progesterone levels, see here. Plus insulin drops levels too, see here. This means SHBG also drops, testosterone rises, another vicious cycle. I'm not going to try to dissuade you from being a vegan, I was once an overly passionate veggie for four years, but you do need to watch the carbs. I also believe you need more protein than you're getting. There is an excellent organic rice protein powder you could try, you'd have to contact the manufacturer to find retail outlets, see here. Another thing I suggest you add to your diet is MCT oil, it's an extract of coconut oil. It's the only fat/oil that goes directly to the liver, and thence to the cells where it's burnt as energy, much as a carb is. But without the sugar shock those give. It does not get deposited as fat either. It's efficiently broken down into ketones, which the body can use as an energy source, in fact the brain does better on ketones than glucose, although it still needs a small amount. It's remarkable at stopping cravings too, you never feel tired on it, and have a clear brain. I use it for all my cooking, on salads and veggies, in smoothies etc. Continued below
Apr 19, 2013
 PCOS and not sure if I'm using Natpro right ... Part 3
by: Wray

Hi Kari I'm experimenting with it as I've asked a number of people try the ketogenic diet so thought I should. It is a mild laxative, well the amount I was consuming cleaned me out! If interested you could look at the Ketogenic Diet, you'd have to modify it to suit being a vegan. These are a few studies using MCT oil and weight loss, see here, here and here. Please be aware it does kill fungi and bacteria, so it is possible when starting it you could have a Herx reaction, see here and here. There's also more info on our Candida page. One word of caution, you used cod liver oil which helped the bleeding. It contains high levels of vitamin A, low vitamin D. Vitamin A inhibits the uptake of vitamin D, see here, here and here. It's best to get your vitamin A via beta-carotene. I see JL has commented too, she always has good things to say. Let me know how you get on. Take care Wray

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