PCOS plus more

Okay, I was totally wrong.

1. Less scabs and more bruising and redness. I don’t even think there are scabs. That’s even better, at least there will be no marks.

2. This is NOT a procedure to be done over the weekend. I thought it can be done on Saturday and I can go to work on Monday normally. I thought it can be easily covered by makeup. Wrong. Makeup helps maybe for day 4 but not for day 2 and 3. But maybe it’s non-existing talent in makeup. Maybe there are girls who can actually cover bruising this bad.

DAY 2 - The redness and bruising became more visible and some indented parts. Small lumps but barely noticeable.

DAY 3 - The small lumps are starting to disappear. Less bruises and redness.

DAY 4 - Okay, by day 3 I was starting to doubt my decision, but day 4 is just unbelievable. Totally zero lumps! The bruising is starting to fade away, it’s easier to conceal. I still have acne marks but look at that skin! It’s not smooth but better than before. If not for the bruising, it would be hard to tell there were pitted scars there. I can only see 2 or 3, and they are shallower compared before.

I don’t if this is still part of inflammation. Some reviews says there’s improvement but some pitted scars will be noticeable again after the inflammation is gone. Well, I hope that ain’t happening to me! It’s almost like I don’t need another session of subcision. Hopefully, the PRP and microneedling can handle what will be left of my scars.

And keeping my fingers crossed! I hope this will be permanent!

I’ve been contemplating to take this for so long, finally, I did. My circadian rhythm is just so messed up that I have to do it. At first I was hesitant because I’m always groggy when I wake up, I thought this will make me more groggy.

But I couldn’t be more thankful for melatonin. I just feel like a normal person now.

This wouldn’t totally knock me out, just a normal sleepiness. I can stay awake If I want to. Others have reported that it works within 20 mins. I don’t know if it’s just the brand that I bought but it takes an hour or two for it to kick in.

Now, here’s the most surprising part. I am not groggy when I wake up. No, far from it, actually. It’s just so easy to wake up even if I just had 5 hours of sleep. Not only that, I also feel well-rested. I used to feel really tired when I wake up even if I had 10 hours of sleep. I thought I was just normally lazy that I can’t get out of my bed. I will still feel sleepy in the afternoon, I guess that’s just normal when you get less than 8 hours of sleep, but this time, I don’t even need more than an hour of nap, and again, easy to wake up from my nap.

This is just what sleep should feel like.

About dreams; others have reported that Melatonin makes them have vivid dreams or nightmares that it becomes so scary. Some even stops taking it. I don’t think it has the same effect on me because I always have vivid dreams that I can remember it when I wake up. I even wake up crying  sometimes. Of course, sometimes I also get dreams that are not vivid, but what I’m saying is that Melatonin didn’t make my dreams more vivid than they already are. Although I do get dreams regularly when I started taking them. One time, I was feeling sad in my dream but when I woke up, I don’t feel it anymore, that is actually rare because when I have nightmares, the emotion stays with me until I wake up or maybe even for the whole day.

The effect of Melatonin is just 24 hours, not just when trying to sleep or waking up. I feel good the whole day. No bad moods. No overthinking! How awesome is that?! I’m an over-thinker person, and I’m telling you, it’s not a wonderful characteristic. No anxiety or nervousness. Just calmness and happiness.

Is this what a normal person feels like? I mean, I’ve always wondered why it is so easy for others to wake up in the morning, have energy the whole day and then easily fall asleep at night. Something is messed up inside my body, no?

I just don’t know if I can take this for a lifetime. I just read somewhere that you can’t take it for a long period of time. Obviously, it’s not just the circadian rhythm I’m aiming for so I’m wishing that this could be just another vitamin you can take everyday.

Edit: I have 5 mg of melatonin. I break it in half and take only the other half. Last night, I was too lazy to break it in half so I took the whole 5mg. I woke up having heart palpitation. I was scared as shit and thankful nothing happened to me while sleeping. Although it is still easy to wakee up, no groggy feeling, I also felt sleepy during the day. I’ll break the tablet in 4 pieces, not just in half, just to be safe.

Our dog will not leave alone me all of a sudden. He likes me, but from the very start, he treats my sister as his mother/master. My sister is the pack leader for him. He can leave the house without me but he cannot leave the house without my sister.

It is odd though that since last week, he will follow me around. I stand up, he stands up. I walk, he walks. I sit, he sits. He will even follow me to the loo. And... He even sleeps beside me at night. He’s not like this before. He sleeps beside my sister. ALWAYS.

My sister hasn’t done anything with him or treat him in a bad way, and he still thinks she is his master, but he follows me everywhere I go.

He also likes to hump most of the time.

We suspect one of these:

1. We have a female dog and we think she’s in heat that’s why our male dog wants to hump all the time. But why is he following me instead of our female dog?

2. I am on my period. Maybe he thinks I’m in heat? He started acting like this just before my period started. But I have had my period before and he wasn’t like this.

3. He thinks I’m pregnant? He has become very protective. But I’m not pregnant.

4. He thinks I’m his mate?

I was researching about magnesium and I found this:

Too much magnesium can cause serious health problems, including:

Nausea

Vomiting

Severely lowered blood pressure

Confusion

Slowed heart rate

Respiratory paralysis

Deficiencies of other minerals

Coma

Cardiac arrhythmias

Cardiac arrest

Death

I’m starting my PCOS treatment again. I kind of gave up on pcos almost a year ago due to depression. So here’s a list of what I take right now.

Zinc Picolinate - I never stopped taking these. When I startedtaking this, I saw and felt the results immediately. That might be due to the fact that I was so deficient in Zinc that time. Now, I’m not so sure if it’s still effective. I guess it was since I don’t want to stop taking it.

Usana Coquinone - it contains Coenzyme Q10 and Alpha Lipoic Acid. I so love this! It brightens my mood and skin. I’m a happy person when I take this. It helps to lessen the acne although not as fast the DIM I used to take. I also have more energy when using it. Although I think for it to be really effective for women with pcos is to take it twice a day. I can’t afford that. I can’t even take it everyday, only in days I really need it. It costs $43 and has 50 softgels only. $43 in 25 days? No, I can’t afford it. It’s too expensive. Probably when I am earning more money in the future.

I am looking at the Solgar Nutri-Nano CoQ-10 Alpha Lipoic Acid Supplement. It has the same ingredients, just not sure if it’s as effective as usana. Will definitely try that one, a bit cheaper compared to usana. Maybe I can alternate them.

Cinnamon - I was not expecting it to give good results. It’s a slow worker but definitely good results. I think it also lessens the acne but like you need a month to see it and I don’t think it can work on its own. Not so much help on my mood though. I just have to take it regularly for it to actually work.

Progesterone cream - This one is also hard to come by. Have to order it online and wait weeks for it so I am really careful when to use it. I use it 2 weeks or a week before my menstruation. I also use it on my acne everyday, it definitely helps. It’s something I can’t live without.

Right now, I am a week away from menstruation and I should be bloated and full of acne by now. Bad mood, depression and headache too. I am thankful for these supplements, I don’t have cystic acne yet, just small ones. That’s a big change for me. Migraine still there but not as bad like wanting to go to the emergency room. Yes, my migraine can get that bad. Actually, I get migraine almost everyday, not just when my mens is approaching so I am just really happy that I experience it less now. Bad mood and depression, still there but not crying my heart out anymore.

I haven’t started using progesterone cream yet even though I should already so I’m thinking that cinnamon and usana coquinone are really helpful.

Hmm I’m thinking of trying other brands of Natural Progesterone Cream. I’m currently using NOW Progesterone cream. It works and affordable but I’m wondering if other brands can work better. I want to try Life-Flo Progesta-care, Emerita Progest and Progestelle.

Life-Flo gas a lot of positive feedbacks in Amazon. Emerita is the bestseller but it’s a bit expensive for me, plus its packaging is tube so I still have to measure it unlike the pump of Now. They have measured packets but that’s even more expensive than the tube. Progestelle is also expensive but I see a lot of positive feedbacks, but the oil might leak while being shipped and I live overseas. There’s also the new Natural Progesterone Gel but it doesn’t have a lot of reviews yet so I’m not sure if I’m willing to risk it.

I’m just a bit scared to try something new. Last year I tried Natural Source Progesterone cream and it ended up giving me more acne and rashes. What’s up with that?!

Anyone know another brand of DIM that works? I used to love Nature’s Way DIM until they changed the formula. I’m just really desperate right now because my derma wouldn’t let me go under fractional laser without totally getting rid of my acne. Like zero-never-ever acne, which is totally impossible because it is already in our genes. My mom still gets it from time to time. I’m just lucky that I can lessen it now. 

OMG. Shit! Okay, this is TMi but I’m back to every other week menstruation. I also got a lot of acne on my chin to deal with. I am also losing a lot of hair everyday, my hair is so thin now. Out of all the months, pcos chose to attack on December. December! I have a lot of events to attend to this december until February. This is so frustrating and depressing! Why now?! I don’t even have vacant weekends for the whole month, you bitch!

I was already acne-free for 2 years!!!

Well, I have no one to blame but myself. Since October, I’ve been binge eating junk foods and chocolates. I tried to avoid it! But no, this will stop! I will not take another bite of chocolate and junk foods. *I am doubting myself*

I don’t know if I should opt for BCP just for the months of December and January. I don’t like it but I’m panicking. It’s my last resort. I just need to get rid of my acne and every other week cramps for awhile, until I find another solution.  I also need my energy, I can’t be sleeping while attending parties and such. If only Nature’s Way DIM still works the way it used to then I wouldn’t be having this problem.

I find it really troublesome especially when I’m driving. To be honest, it’s kind of scary. I’m serious. That’s why I don’t drive when I know that my hormones are so out of whack, like I can tell there are days that it is getting worse. And when I drive, I drive slowly. I am very careful now than I have ever been. A few days ago, I almost hit someone. Good thing it was traffic and I was driving at the speed of 5-10kph. It was frightening.

I am happy to report that I still don’t get cystic acne despite not using DIM anymore. Some reasons I could think of:

1. I guess my hormone adjusted pretty well after that damn nature’s way DIM.

2. Maybe it’s because of the kojic soap I am using which is so drying. I don’t like dry skin but I’d take it any day over oily skin which will cause acne. I just know that this soap is one of the reasons.

3. I also read somewhere that the estrogen starts to fluctuate in late 20s so that can also be it?

4. My blood sugar is under control. I am already on the edge of having diabetes. I read controlling your sugar intake can really affect pcos/acne. I am taking moringa, which is very popular in my country because it is a common plant here, to lower my blood sugar. It is effective and gives me more energy. My energy fluctuated when I stopped using dim, but it’s all good now.

I am still getting some pimple but they’re small. Again, when I see a cystic acne trying to show up on my face, I quickly apply a small amount of natural progesterone cream on it. I am still getting migraine and flaky skin on my head, though.

For anyone who ask; I am using Now Foods Natural Progesterone Cream. It is the brand that works best for me. Source Naturals is cheaper but I only got more acne from it. I can’t try Emerita because it’s too expensive. Now Foods also has a pump for easier application. I am lazy like that. I am not advertising it (and I won’t because it’s also kind of expensive) but it’s the only brand right now that is working for me and within my budget.

I also watch out what I’m eating now. As much as possible, I avoid coffee, chocolate, instant noodles, junk foods, sugary foods or anything that has too much preservatives. I also drink fruit juice. Thank God it’s available near my workplace.

So here’s how it’s helping me with my acne.

Okay, so I put it for like a week or two and then sop 2 days before my menstruation starts so I will still have regular mens. For the following days, I only put small amount of progesterone cream on my acne. The next day, my acne will become smaller. Some just wouldn’t get as big as how my acne wants to be.