Diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistance...?

Me and my fiance' have been trying to concieve a second child for 3 years now. I was diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistance. the Doc put me on metformin. But insulin resistance dosent actually mean i have diabetes does it? I read that it just puts you at a risk for type 2 by the time your forty. Could someone help me understand exactly what an insulin resistance actually is? diabetes or no? and what a good diet is for PCOS with insulin resistance? It seems rather strange to be put on a diabetic medication for someone who dosent have diabetes. If its diabeties why didnt he just say i have diabetes. It seems though most people with PCOS are put on Metformin to help ovulation because of the insulin resistance so im very confused.

Type two diabetes IS insulin resistance. PCOS and type two diabetes are both caused by the same thing. If you want to beat them both, you'd best learn how to optimize your health. Best bet is to start by getting Dr. Fuhrman's book, "Eat to Live...". Here's his site: http://www.drfuhrman.com/default.aspx

i dont think you have diabetes. it just means your body is resisting the insulin your making. i have diabetes and i havent had insulin resistance yet, but ive only had it 8 years.

Ok. There are two types of diabetes. Type one and type two. I can't remember which is which, but I think type one is the one that is the worst (your pancreas shuts down and you need insulin shots for life). When they put you on metformin you have type 2, also known as insulin resistance. Type 2 can lead up to type one, but can also be reversed with proper diet and exercise. All metformin is doing is regulating your blood sugar levels so you don't end up getting full blown diabetes. What happens is your blood sugar levels get too high, your pancreas pumps out too much insulin, and your body starts to get "immune" to it. Your pancreas gets overworked and will eventually shut down and then thats how you could end up on insulin shots. So you need metformin to level it all off. Hope this makes sense.


I had PCOS, was put on metformin, and couldn't take it because it gave me severe stomach problems. Going to the gym daily has helped me tremendously. I no longer get sharp pains in my ovaries and my skin has cleared up. All it takes is a half hour on the treamill. I walk for 20 minutes and run for 10. It also helps to get more protein in your diet to level off your blood sugar. I eat lean beef or chicken breast daily and snack on cottage cheese. Egg whites for breakfast. Switch to whole grain noodles and breads, eat protein with your carbs and say no to soda altogether. Aloe vera juice (health food stores) is also good for lowering blood sugar, as well as rotating between taking cinnamon and ginseng supplements. Hope this all helps, best of luck!

I was diagnosed with PCOS earlier this year. I asked my doctor if the reason he prescribed Metformin was because I had diabetes. He assured me that Insulin Resistance and Diabetes were not the same thing. If you are as confused as I was (and still am) check out www.soulcysters.net. It's basically a forum where women ask and answer questions about PCOS and things related to the disease. It's wonderful. Good luck!!

"Insulin is a hormone that carries glucose (sugar) from your blood into your cells so that it can be burned for energy. Insulin is produced by the pancreas.

Insulin resistance is a state in which your cells are not responding to insulin appropriately, so the sugar in your blood cannot get into your cells. To compensate, your pancreas pumps out more insulin to try to get the sugar out of your blood and into your cells. The hyperinsulinimia (high blood insulin) that results is able to maintain normal blood sugar levels and delay the onset of diabetes.

Diabetes is diagnosed when your fasting blood sugar level is >/= 126 mg/dL. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood and occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin. Insulin injections are required for life. Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed in adulthood. It occurs when the cells stop responding to insulin (often due to insulin resistance), and the pancreas is unable to keep compensating by producing more and more insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels."

I hope this helps!!