4 Types of PCOS

31 flavors of ice cream and 4 types of PCOS. I’ll take the ice cream options thanks but as far as everything else… I’d rather not! Alas, life with its choices or lack of choices is just part of the cycle. So lets make this fun and pretend each type of PCOS is an ice cream flavor. ;) 

Keep in mind you can get a single, double or even a triple scoop of ice cream, different kinds, different mixes… isn’t that fun?! Note: When I say this, it’s a metaphor for the overlapping symptoms and various types of PCOS. That’s right, you might be a double scoop butter pecan with chocolate swirl and that’s just life.

Butter Pecan 
This hasn’t ever been my top ice cream pick… which is why I’m pairing it with Insulin Resistant (IR) PCOS. It’s the most common type of PCOS so maybe I should have made it’s ice cream flavor cookies and cream. Oh well, so back to my story. IR PCOS affects 70% of all women with PCOS with symptoms like acne, hair growth on the face, back and chest, balding on the top of your head and irregular periods. It’s also fairly common to have excess weight that is super hard to lose.

Treatment of this butter pecan type of PCOS is treating insulin resistance. This can be achieved through exercise, having a healthy diet, and maintaining a healthy weight. In some cases even a 10% loss of body weight can restore ovulation in some women. Also the use of some products like S’moo have been known to help balance hormones and make it easier for women to achieve these goals. 

Chocolate Swirl 
Digestive issues like IBS (irritable bowl syndrome), unexplained fatigue, headaches, joint pain, skin conditions and even food sensitivities can all be caused from Inflammatory PCOS or in this cause, your scoop of chocolate swirl ice cream! This type of PCOS is long-term chronic inflammation, causing your body to be on alert 24/7. Where as normally, your body releases short-bursts of inflammation to counter wounds and protects your body from infection. There is a way to test for this, you’d see it in a blood test which would show a high level of CRP (C-reactive protein).

Useful things you can do to control chocolate swirl (aka Inflammatory PCOS) is to reduce gluten in your diet, reduce exposure to environmental toxins (properly wash your vegetables). Take supplements like vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, probiotics or a daily scoop of S’moo.

Mint Chocolate Chip (the green kind) 
Adrenal PCOS seems a lot like butter pecan (Insulin Resistant PCOS) but honestly we all know how different mint chocolate chip and butter pecan are. In the end the symptoms might be the same but when tested for elevated testosterone, androstenedione (from your ovaries) and DHEAS (from adrenal glands) — which most women with PCOS will have. Your mint chocolate chip kind of PCOS will only test for elevated DHEAS while having normal levels of testosterone and androstenedione. Fun huh? It’s like the same, but different. Which is actually the case for about 10% of women who are diagnosed with PCOS, they get the mint chocolate chip! 

Rocky-Road 
Pill, no pill. Post-pill PCOS, our rocky-road of the bunch is our 4th type of PCOS. Interesting enough, the temporary surge in androgens post-birth control pill is enough to qualify for a PCOS diagnosis. The best part of this is your symptoms are temporary and part of your bodies reaction to a withdrawal of drugs (your birth control). Things that can help you get back on track can be a natural anti-androgen supplement like zinc or a peony and licorice formula you can find on Amazon or any natural grocer. You can also get help from taking a daily scoop of S’moo to get back on track. 

How do you know if you have rocky-road (post-pill PCOS)? You won’t have insulin resistance, or excess androgen. It’s important to monitor your process for a few months to see if things go back to normal, if not you might have a few scoops of ice cream and consider another type of PCOS. 

Don’t let PCOS get you down, just remember that it’s just a bunch of different flavors of ice cream that you really wouldn’t want to mix but it’s all part of the learning curve in life. Plus with S’moo Babes by your side, you can get through anything. 

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Medical Disclaimer

This content is strictly the opinion of S'moo and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither S'moo nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.