#so. i was warned that increasing my one med would cause my estrogen levels to drop

[happywitch416]

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[rolypolywl]

Welcome to day 23!

Today is a weigh in day!

So, not ideal, but not too bad. I can live with that.

Today we’re going to talk about medications. And not those “lose weight fast” pills they advertise in checkstand magazines, but actual doctor-prescribed medications.

At this point, every medication seems to come with half a commercial's worth of side effects. So, this lead me to wonder, what medications could actually cause substantial weight gain?

Well, according to this WebMD article, those numbers might be higher than you think. ““As many as 10% to 15% of weight issues are related to medications,” says Louis Aronne, MD, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medical College.”

So one or two in ten of us might have medications complicating our weight gain and loss. That’s pretty high!

Now, and I promise not to get into gross details, but I’m going to give you a little backstory. In high school and college, I had really bad period symptoms - migraines, pain, etc - that would cause me to miss school and work every month. In college, I was put on birth control as a means of fixing that. And it worked!

Now, when I was given it, I was warned that it could cause weight gain, or sometimes weight loss. Already roly poly at that point, I had my fingers crossed for ‘weight loss.’

When I didn’t lose weight, but continued to gain it over my college career, I blamed it on the pills. Now, I had already been gaining weight, and I had done nothing to change my food or living habits, but the pills were the reason for the continued weight gain.

Unfortunately, I kind of needed to keep on them to continue to be a functioning adult all month long.

And, I have realized, that medicine can be used as something of a crutch, the same way that we talk about having a “problem with our metabolism.” It is very easy to say “my medications affect my weight.”

But here’s the thing. I was doing research for this episode, and I found this article from WebMD, which blew some of my notions out of the water.

“It’s rare, but some women do gain a little bit of weight when they start taking birth control pills. It’s often a temporary side effect that’s due to fluid retention, not extra fat.  A review of 44 studies showed no evidence that birth control pills caused weight gain in most women. And, as with other possible side effects of the pill, any weight gain is generally minimal and goes away within 2 to 3 months.”

That’s right. Any weight gain I experienced was likely only three pounds and only temporary! That blew my mind! Why do we get these warnings, then? Leading us to think that we can gain a lot of weight long term?

Well, WebMD has an explanation. “When birth control pills were first sold in the early 1960s, they had very high levels of estrogen and progestin. Estrogen in high doses can cause weight gain due to increased appetite and fluid retention. So, 50 years ago they may indeed have caused weight gain in some women. Current birth control pills have much lower amounts of hormones. So weight gain is not likely to be a problem.”

That’s right, because the old ones used to. But we still have that mindset that they will.

So, what modern medications actual can cause weight gain?

The list is, in some respects, short, and seems fairly consistent across sources.

The University of Rochester Medical Center provides a concise list:

So basically, diabetes, epilepsy, and blood pressure medications, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and steroid medicines. There is one other category, which Rochester doesn’t list, but the other sources do, and that is allergy medications.

So my birth control isn’t necessarily making me gain weight, but my allergy meds and antidepressants might be! Joy!

Now, not all medications in a category have the same effects, Rochester notes. “It’s important to note that not all medicines of these types cause weight gain. For example, the diabetes medicine metformin might make you lose weight instead of gain it. Topiramate (a medicine used for seizures and migraines) also can help a person lose weight.”

The Obesity Action Coalition actually put it all into a great chart, at this link. They include not only the category of medications, but both the common and generic names, and also some alternatives.

Now, you will note that birth control is still mentioned on these lists, even though we know that, generally speaking, its weight gain effects are minimal. So before we go instantly proclaiming that every other medicine there will instantly gain us 20 pounds, let’s look at *how* medications make us gain weight.

Rochester sums it up pretty well, “Medicine-related weight gain can have many causes. Some medicines might stimulate your appetite. This causes you to eat more and gain extra weight. Some medicines might affect your body’s metabolism. This causes your body to burn calories at a slower rate. Other medicines might affect how your body stores and absorbs sugars and other nutrients. If a medicine causes you to be tired or have shortness of breath, you might be less likely to exercise. This can cause you to gain weight. Other medicines might cause you to retain water. This makes you weigh more even if you don’t put on extra fat. For certain medicines, researchers aren’t exactly sure what triggers the weight gain.”

We now know that birth control generally falls into that “retain water” category, but other medicines can have other effects from this list. And they can just be a mystery!

The OAC adds, “How much weight is gained varies from person-to-person and from drug-to-drug. Some people may gain a few pounds throughout the course of a year, while other people can gain 10, 20 or more pounds in just a few months. Because many of these medications are taken for chronic conditions, you may use them for several years with their use contributing to significant weight gain throughout time.”

They also note that “You should also be aware that while some medications don’t cause you to gain weight, they may make it more difficult to lose excess weight.”

So other medications can be sabotaging us on the other side!

So, if you are taking a medication that can potentially be affecting your weight, what do you do?

Well first of all, don’t stop!

“If you suspect the medicines that you take are behind your weight gain, don’t go off them before you talk to your doctor. “You might need to be on that drug to save your life,” says Donald Waldrep, MD, co-director of The Center for Weight Loss Surgery at Los Robles Hospital.”

Rochester, like the others, recommends talking to your doctor. “Treatment will depend on the situation. In some cases, your healthcare provider will recommend switching to another medicine that’s not as likely to cause weight gain. This is especially likely if you have gained a lot of weight and your health is affected.  In other cases, it may not be possible to stop taking the medicine that is causing your weight gain. There might not be another medicine available that can effectively treat your symptoms. For example, people with certain mental health problems might do well with only 1 or 2 medicines. In that case, you might be able to switch to a lower dose of the medicine.”

Now, one thing to be aware of is that different versions of a drug; different generics, can have different effects on you. I ran into this with my birth control. My pharmacy started carrying a different generic than the one I had been taking, and when I switched to it, it started screwing with my mind. I didn’t realize that was the cause, at the time, until my doctor explained.

Medicine.Net  breaks it down. “Sometimes, generic versions of a drug have different colors, flavors, or combinations of inactive ingredients than the original medications. Trademark laws in the United States do not allow the generic drugs to look exactly like the brand-name preparation, but the active ingredients must be the same in both preparations, ensuring that both have the same medicinal effects.”

Now, that doesn’t sound so bad, right? The “active” stuff is the same, and the rest is “inactive.”

Well, Drugs.com explains that that isn’t exactly true.

“Not all inactive ingredients are always inactive. Alcohol is one example of an ingredient that may be active or inactive based on the specific formulation of the medication. Patients may have allergic reactions or other adverse effects to inactive ingredients.”

This is what I ran into. I had an adverse reaction to an inactive ingredient in the new generic. I was able to switch back to my old one for a while, before it was discontinued, and now my only option is the super expensive brand name.

And Science Alert gets into even more detail. A group of researchers went through a pill database, looking at the actual inactive ingredients in pills. They had the idea because a patient with celiac disease (an allergy to gluten) was given a medication to treat their disease symptoms, but it had gluten as a binder!

So, you know, let’s give them more of the thing their allergic to to fix the side effects of their allergy!

So far, this is what they’ve found. “On average, tablets or capsules contain 8.8 inactive ingredients, but hundreds have 20 or more, the researchers say, and sometimes over 30. [...] Usually, inactive ingredients make up over 50 percent of a pill, but sometimes it's as much as 99 percent”

And, as we’ve learned, those inactive ingredients aren’t always so inactive! “Specifically, 38 of the inactive ingredients identified by the team have been reported as causing allergic symptoms in the past, and 92.8 percent of all the oral medications in Pillbox contain at least one potential allergen, while 55 percent contain at least one FODMAP sugar.”

So, why does this matter to us? Well aside from the fact that if you are looking to switch a medication, you should be on the lookout for adverse reactions to the new formula, you should be aware that it isn’t just the active ingredient in your medication that could be affecting you.

And inactive ingredients crop up in over the counter medications, vitamins, and supplements. It isn’t just your major medications you should give a once over.

So, if you are taking a medication that can cause weight gain, and you want to switch things around, talk to your doctor, and also check out the alternative versions of the medication, but look into them thoroughly.

But, aside from switching medications, is there anything you can do?

Well, Healthline has a great article on this.

Their first recommendation is pretty obvious. “To curb weight, use the same strategies you’d use to control weight with or without the added effects of medication. Choose low-calorie foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, eat fiber-rich and slow-to-digest complex carbohydrates, and drink lots of water.”

In particular, they note, sodium can be a culprit in these medications, and choosing low sodium options can help. Similarly, eating foods high in potassium can help, as it flushes sodium.

Next, they recommend eating more frequently. “Your appetite can increase while taking specific medications, so you may be tempted to eat more. Instead of having three massive meals throughout the day, breaking up your food into smaller, more frequent meals can make you feel like you’re consuming more calories because you have little time between snacks to be hungry.”

One thing from their list that you should talk to your doctor about is intermittent fasting. “For people who have come off medication, intermittent fasting can be an effective way to lose weight, provided it’s recommended by your doctors.”

Finally, they recommend more common sense suggestions, such as being more active and getting good sleep. Basically, all the things you would want to do to lose weight anyway.

So, that is it!

I hope you found that information as eye-opening as I did! But remember not to let you medications become your excuse!

This has been Roly Poly Weight loss. As always, I am your host, Roly Poly. If you feel comfortable, please share your experiences with the hashtag #Medication. Have you had problems switching between generics? Are you surprised to see something you take on the chart? Have you gotten any great advice from your doctor? Please share!

And please join me next time!

[ladywithoutababy]

IVF Transfer #1: 7 weeks, 5 days (?) pregnant

There’s a lot that’s weird about trying to get pregnant, and there’s a lot that’s weird about being pregnant. I feel like every day there’s something new that no one warned me about. Mostly it’s the surprising (to me, anyway) CONSTANT fear that I’m not actually pregnant – either that I never was, somehow, or that everything has just evaporated since the last time I saw a doctor and got some factual evidence of a little cellular alien growing inside me. I just never thought about this before. My husband and I were talking yesterday about how weird it is that you just assume – I guess because we’re constantly told this is how it goes – that once you get a positive pregnancy test right after missing your period, that’s it, you’re definitely having a baby in 9 months. The reality is that it feels SO incredibly tenuous, all the time, every step of the way. I’m afraid to eat anything that might have bacteria on it. I’m afraid to miss one dose of one medication. I’m afraid that if I lean too hard on a countertop it’ll somehow collapse my uterus. (I don’t know.)

I think, for me at least, this is tied to two things:

Having gone through two and a half years of trying, and failing, to get pregnant, it just seems too miraculous to be true. I keep waiting for the universe to be like “OH, haha, that one slipped through, but no, you are definitely not allowed to have a baby.”

I still don’t have any sign of morning sickness. Not a peep! I have at this point gotten reassurance from multiple doctors, and multiple women who’ve been pregnant without any nausea, that it’s totally normal to not have it. Still makes me feel weird! I realize it’s strange to be wishing to be incapacitated by nausea and/or vomiting, but it would be reassuring to have a “typical” pregnancy symptom so I know there’s something going on in there.

But I keep telling myself (dozens of times a day, really) that we’re in a really good place. We know the embryo is genetically normal, because we did PGS testing (and genetic abnormalities are the #1 cause of miscarriages). We know everything is in the right place, because we saw it on an ultrasound last week. And we know that there’s nothing medically wrong with either one of us, because we did a billion tests and all of them came back good. Also, I’m 34 and that’s still PRETTY young, at least as far as “infertility” goes. So yeah. It should be fine. (Right?)

(It also reassures me thinking about those obese teens who get pregnant and don’t realize it until they give birth at prom. If their bodies can do it, surely mine can. Even though I’m uh 20 years older. Nevermind about that one maybe.)

Anyway. I found an OB to go to (had to find a new one because we just moved out of the city and up into the Northern Catskills), and had my first non-fertility appointment yesterday. It was harder than I thought to find and choose a place. The closest hospitals to us are in the Albany area – there are two, Albany Med and St Peters. I really wanted Albany Med because they’re supposed to have the better doctors (also, my grandfather was a chaplain there!), but I literally could not get anyone to call me back – I tried for about a week before giving up and calling the OB associated with St Peters. The problem is that St Peters (while it does have really good reviews for patient care) is a Catholic hospital. So I spent a bunch of time in my appointment awkwardly asking the doctor if delivering there would mean that I couldn’t have an epidural, or that a priest would be anywhere near me, or that anyone would give me a hard time about... anything. The short answer is no (although she did say that St Peters can’t do abortions). She was really nice and funny about it (she said if it actually was actively Catholic, she’d burst into flames every time she walked through the doors), so I think I feel ok about it. Oh, the other weird thing is that most of the low-risk deliveries are actually done by midwives instead of doctors. I need to do some research on this to make sure I’m comfortable with it, but she reassured me that if anything tricky comes up, there’s an on-call doctor for deliveries, and/or they can transfer me to Albany Med in an extreme situation, like if they know ahead of time that the baby will need surgery.

Overall, the doctor was amazing, and took a lot of time to learn everything about my history and explain everything I need to know about transitioning from the fertility clinic to normal pregnancy monitoring. She acknowledged how hard it can be for fertility patients to suddenly become normal, low-risk pregnancy patients, especially when it comes to the frequency of visits: this practice only sees people ONCE A MONTH until you’re at 28 weeks. I’m trying not to think too much about how brutal it’s going to be going that long without any information.

I didn’t get an ultrasound yesterday, but she did a quick exam and said my uterus feels slightly enlarged, which is “exactly what she’d expect” for around 7-8 weeks. So that’s something. When I told her I didn’t have any nausea, she said that that’s totally fine, and it’s perfectly normal to not have any, but that the one thing that 100% of pregnant women have in their first trimester is EXTREME FATIGUE. “You know, like you wake up in the morning and want to immediately go back to sleep, and then when you’re done with work all you want to do is lie down on the couch.” Yes, that is me. I am extremely fatigued. My husband keeps making fun of me because I go to bed earlier and earlier every night (I think last night I got in bed at like 8:15), but it genuinely feels like I’m not getting any sleep no matter how many hours I pass out for. To be clear, I’m not resentful about this; I’m grateful to have what seems like an actual symptom.

The doctor and I also talked about the fact that I am hiccuping constantly – just all the time. She said this is really common, and is probably due to increased levels of progesterone. Apparently (for some reason) progesterone loosens the lower esophageal sphincter, which allows some stomach acid to back up into the esophagus, which causes things like acid reflux and heartburn and hiccups. Pretty gross!

Speaking of progesterone, WE’RE DONE WITH INJECTIONS!!! Officially. Did our last one on Tuesday. My husband is much happier than I am – I’ve sort of gotten used to the inconvenience and the pain and the soreness, but it’s never stopped being traumatizing for him to stick a giant needle in my already bruised butt and then have to stop the resulting bleeding. I’m still taking the dreaded suppositories and the daily estrogen pills, but I get to reduce those in a week and then stop them completely the week after.

Oh, and I’ve been telling a few people about the pregnancy (like, people who weren’t already following my IVF every step of the way). It’s a little weird because then they ask me how far along I am, and I say 7 weeks or whatever, and then they’re kind of like “Ohhhhh, ok, that’s really early.” My husband and I feel somewhat confident – given our situation, if something goes wrong, it’s going to be really wrong, not just like a random first trimester miscarriage – but I can’t always explain that to these people. I know that doesn’t really matter, but it’s hard not to worry that they think I’m being irresponsible or ignorant or something. I’m also, obviously, a tiny bit worried about having to walk it back if god forbid something does go wrong. Then I will feel very stupid for telling anyone before the 2nd trimester.

Next steps: we get to do an ultrasound next week! I’m hoping it looks more like the beginnings of a baby and less like an incomprehensible blob.

My hiccups are back, by the way.

[easyweight101]

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca Review (UPDATED 2017): Don’t Buy Before You Read This!

What is it?

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca is a natural supplement designed to improve sexual function in both men and women. This herb is known for its ability to stimulate arousal, as well as open blood vessels in the body — increasing energy, brain power and physical fitness.

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca is made exclusively from the herbs, epimedium and maca. The former is generally used in men with erectile dysfunction, while maca is known for improving energy, sexual function and more in both sexes.

Femmetrinol is the highest performing menopause solution around. Made with known menopause-supportive herbs, this product helps users fight hot flashes and mood swings and improves libido, energy levels and vaginal moisture levels. Need more info? Click here to learn more about why you need Femmetrinol in your life now.

Top Rated Menopause Supplements of 2017

Do you know the Best Menopause Supplements of 2017?

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca Ingredients and Side Effects

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca is a product that centers around the herbs, maca and epimedium (otherwise known as horny goat weed).

While this supplement is actually marketed as a male enhancement supplement, it may also have some benefits for women looking to enhance their libidos. Here is a brief overview of the use of epimedium, as well as the potential risks:

Epimedium Maca Root

Maca Root: Maca is used for a number of reasons. It’s rich in nutrients and has become popular as of late, due to its ability to provide energy, sexual arousal and performance, and an improved athletic ability.

Some strains of maca (they differ based on climate and time of harvest) may help with hormone-related conditions in women from menopause symptoms to irregular periods and PMS.

Epimedium: An herb often marketed as horny goat weed, this herb has long been a staple in traditional Chinese herbology. This particular herb contains substances thought to boost blood flow to the brain, genitals and extremities — boosting libido and sexual function.

Epimedium is most often used as a natural solution to erectile dysfunction in men, but it might also have an estrogenic effect on women.

Side effects may include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, dry mouth, nose bleeds, breathing problems, muscle spasms and more.

Click here to learn more about using herbal ingredients to keep your body running smoothly during menopause.

EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this supplement with a proven menopause pill such as Femmetrinol for better results.

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca Quality of Ingredients

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed is made from just two ingredients, both of which hold some potential, especially when it comes to the potential to deliver key benefits to men looking to treat their erectile dysfunction with herbal ingredients rather than prescription meds.

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca, as the name suggest, relies primarily on the presence of epimedium to deliver results. The problem is, this product doesn’t contain any women specific ingredients.

Maca may have some really great benefits for women at all stages of reproduction, but maca needs to be grown under certain conditions and harvested at a specific time to ensure it provides the hormone balancing benefits so helpful for women’s health concerns.

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca is neither a menopause product, nor a product made for women. The official website even clearly states that this product is for men.

Check our website for the latest reviews on the menopause products you need in your life.

The Price and Quality of Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca is not available directly from the retailer, as Nature’s Bounty only sells their wares to retailers.

The official website steers consumers to Jet and iHerb, who both offer this product at $17.14 and $14.35, respectively. Amazon features this product from multiple sellers, who stay within a similar price range. A few sellers offer a two pack of the supplement for around $25.

This supplement seems relatively affordable, especially when compared to other sexual enhancement products — many of which are priced upwards of $50 a bottle.

It is worth noting, however, Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca is not a menopause product, and therefore, our readers may not get as much value out of this product as the males this was made for.

Our advice is to focus more on getting hormones in balance with a product made with women in mind.

Check it out! We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 menopause supplements designed to get your body back on track.

Business of Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca is made by a company known as Rainbow Light — a supplements maker known for their vegetarian-friendly, vitamins and herbal remedies. Here’s a little background:

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed is made by the supplements maker, Nature’s Bounty — a drugstore and natural foods staple with a wide range of products.

The Nature’s Bounty website, looks pretty good overall. It’s easy to navigate, and the product descriptions provide sufficient information for most consumers. While the site does feel a little clinical, and some of the statements read as being somewhat “canned” or generic — we don’t have any complaints.

While the official website is generally pretty good, the description for Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca is a little thin when it comes to providing information to consumers.

For example, the page features an FAQ tab, but there aren’t any questions or answers printed, and the only description for the product is “men have used horny goat weed for centuries.” It doesn’t say what for, who should use it, or whether or not there are side effects consumers should be aware of before using.

Yes, epimedium and maca are well-known ingredients, but let’s not assume everyone is aware of the full scope of the risks and benefits associated with these herbs. The company could clearly do better when it comes to educating the public about their offerings.

Customer Opinions of Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca isn’t really intended for use by women, so naturally, nearly all the reviews posted are from men who have experienced some kind of erectile difficulty. Regardless, here is a quick look at what past users have said about their experience with this product:

“It works! I mean, it’s not the most effective product out there, but it gets the job done — I’m definitely more interested in sex. Be warned, however, this product seems to cause headaches with use.”

“Completely worthless. Purchased it for both myself and my husband, and after about 2 months of taking this product neither of us saw any improvements. No increase in energy, desire or anything.”

“Definitely works ot increase libido, plus I feel a little more aggressive during my workouts. I’ve noticed stronger erections and better sensations during sex, too. Overall, it’s a pretty good little pill.”

“I thought the addition of maca would make this version better than the straight up horny goat weed supplements. It doesn’t seem to be any more potent. It’s a waste of money, to be honest.”

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca has mixed reviews that include people who loved the product and though it provided what they were looking for, as well as those who felt this either didn’t work or gave them a headache with use.

Unfortunately, the one woman we found who documented her experience only offered a vague mention that this product just didn’t work. Little else was said, and we didn’t see any other women who tried the supplement — menopausal or not.

Click here to read about which type of menopause product works best with your body chemistry.

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Conclusion – Does Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca Work?

Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca is not the supplement our readers are looking for. It was not made with women in mind, and us sold as a natural male enhancement product.

While the ingredients used to make this product way well give women an improved libido, we have almost no evidence that this supplement is effective in women. We don’t know anything about the maca Nature’s Bounty used to make the product, and epimedium as a women’s sexual enhancement herb has not been studied in great detail.

In the end, we’d advise our readers to skip Nature’s Bounty Horny Goat Weed with Maca in favor of a product that supports overall health through hormone balancing herbs and key nutrients.

Femmetrinol continues to bring women meaningful relief from even the worst menopause symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings. Herbs such as damiana, black cohosh, chasteberry and wild yam each offer something different — whether that’s estrogen, progesterone or a little libido boost.

Femmetrinol is created by a team dedicated to providing consumers with the safest, most effective solutions. This supplement has been subject to testing and stringent evolutions from outside parties. Click the link for more on the herbs that make Femmetrinol a formidable menopause foe.

from Easy Weight Loss 101 http://ift.tt/2tBd1nj via The Best Weight Loss Diet In The World