by Chira
Depression is a prominent characteristic of women who have polycystic ovary syndrome. Some of our depression stems from the emotional difficulty of being, overweight, hairy, infertile or having acne, hair loss or some other horrible symptom. However, the primary cause of depression in PCOS appears to be hormonal. A number of studies have shown a connection between a negative mood and elevated androgens, which are male hormones such as testosterone.
Of course, depression is not limited to elevated testosterone. Depression has also been associated with insulin resistance and depressed thyroid function. Disturbed LH (luteinizing hormone) levels and rhythms have been found in depressed women compared to women who are not depressed. Disturbed LH is a primary reason why you don't ovulate. Abnormal estrogen and cortisol are additional hormonal factors connected to depression.
Women with mixed anxiety-depression disorder have high levels of homocysteine in the follicular and luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, and they have higher blood homocysteine levels as compared to healthy women. Women with PCOS commonly have elevated homocysteine, which is a byproduct of metabolic activity. Normally, homocysteine is broken down and made harmless. However, a poor diet that is deficient in calcium and B vitamins, and drugs such as metformin (Glucophage) help to elevate homocysteine.
All of the above factors for depression are common in PCOS women. There are additional factors. But you can see that if you have PCOS and depression, you have a complex situation you are dealing with, a situation that does not have an easy solution. The good news is that you can favorably alter your hormones and thus lift your depression at least to some extent with a healthy diet, regular exercise, stress management, selected nutritional supplements, and possibly medications. The diet would include plenty of whole, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit in moderation, fish, poultry, limit other meats, nuts and seeds in moderation, reduced consumption of grain products, and possible reduction of some legumes. As for nutritional supplements, a high quality multi-vitamin/mineral would be a good place to start.
The women to women website has a very good artcle on depression and pcos. This website has been a gift to me. It is very informative and helpful. They do sell their personal wellness program on the site but the information is free. I have personally used their program and it helped me feel better. It was expensive so I had to go back to taking my regular vitamins.
www.womentowomen.com/insulinresistance/pcos
Sources:Rasgon NL et al, Depression in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: clinical and biochemical correlates, J Affect Disord. 2003 May;74(3):299-304Tallova J, et al, Homocysteine During the Menstrual Cycle in Depressive Women, Eur J Clin Invest, 2003;33(3):268-273Grambsch, P et al, Pulsatile luteinizing hormone disruption in depression. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2004 Aug;29(7):825-9 Top
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