PCOS and Allergies

Life with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) has been an ongoing challenge, navigating through a maze of inadequate medical advice, or more accurately a lack of advice, and Google searches. This frustrating pattern also mirrors my family’s ongoing struggles with allergies. Fortunately, doctor Google led me to many resources.

PCOS affects many parts of the body, being an endocrine disease. Those pesky hormones responsible for sending important signals to the body somehow are a bit broken. For me my teen years were a struggle with horrible acne, stomach pain due to no appetite (under weight go figure), anxiety, depression, and irregular painful heavy periods. As an adult things shifted a bit struggling to get pregnant but also excess weight gain, continued acne and period issues, facial hair, insulin sensitivity, and escalating allergies. The only suggestions offered were to take birth control pills, lose weight (which was nearly impossible), and take Metformin for insulin sensitivity (nope not diabetic) with the unfortunate side effect of extreme hair loss (yes, it is on the list of side affects. My poor hair has borne the brunt of these struggles for the last 12 years.)

As I did research, words like “gut health” and “inflammation” kept popping up. It made me think of when my mom mentioned that I was allergic to dairy and soy as a baby. The assumption that those allergies had gone away as I grew up was at least part of why my PCOS got to be as bad as it way. Skin prick tests were useless with my sensitive skin that reacted to every prick. A few years later I came across a company called Everywell.

Everlywell sells a variety of test kits including a Food Sensitivity kit. I highly recommend giving it a try if you suspect you have allergies. My results came back with wheat, almonds and dairy being some of my top sensitivities. Other mild allergens were listed as well as those I didn’t react to at all.

Once those top reactors were removed from my diet, my life changed drastically for the better. My allergy bucket was not as full allowing me to loose 30lbs of histamine weight and my periods went from 3 a year to an almost normal cycle. While I still struggle with acne and facial hair, I’d gladly take these challenges over the heightened risks of cancer and enduring heavy, painful periods.

It’s been a while since my last test so I’ve ordered new kits for everyone in my family. I’ll share more once those results come back. It was also really fascinating for my neurodivergent brain.

*I do get a small incentive if you purchase through my link to Everlywell. The link will give you a 15% off discount.

**Keep in mind I am not a doctor or licensed in any medical treatments.