PCOS SOS: A Gynecologist's Lifeline To Naturally Restore Your Rhythms, Hormones, and Happiness

I bought this book because I was looking for a doctor's take on PCOS in 2019. I'm not sure if that's what I got. I'ved been living with PCOS for about 20 years and followed the active research as much as possible in hopes that eventually there would be a breakthrough.While Dr. Gersh does include substantial citations and an index, I don't feel confident that all of this research is actually quality enough to support her conclusions. Some of the bigger claims she makes are not actually backed by citations at all, which concerned me. Those which are cited don't always cite quality studies, or human studies. I actually felt more confident reading Laura Briden's book (Period Repair Manual) than this one, which is awkward given she is an ND not an MD.I do think she has the right general idea about broken circadian rhythms being a huge causal factor for metabolic-reproductive syndrome. I'm not convinced by her arguments though that the things she's recommending are actually a solution for fixing them. Some of the reasons why: She recommends light therapy at certain times of the day, but doesn't talk about the fact that the day length changes year round, and says it is okay to take Vitamin D whenever you get around to it. One of the few for-sure things we know about sunlight is that it produces Vitamin D in your body. It would seem to me if we are making an effort to buy a light therapy lamp and use it at certain times, we should also take Vitamin D at very specific times, in the same way we do melatonin. But also: she recommends getting light in the morning while eating by a window: but you can't get Vitamin D through a window because the glass blocks the wavelengths that do that. Dr. Gersh talks a lot about blue light preventing melatonin from being produced in the evening, but what is it about light therapy in the morning that actually fixes this? Is it just an induced withdrawal? I don't feel convinced enough to shell out for new equipment. I do feel convinced to go outside: EXCEPT at my latitude I would never get enough sunlight. This makes me wonder too...If it is the case that a certain amount of sun exposure on the body is required for healthy living, how is it that communities that have lived for thousands of years at higher latitudes (where it is cold and they are usually covered!) could have survived and been healthy? If it is indeed the case that we require more sunlight exposure than we are getting with our modern lives then it would indicate no one should live at these latitudes except farmers.On to supplements: Dr. Gersh recommends many supplements in this book. I believe she actually believes in all of them. Some of them have extremely solid research behind them, such as inositol and melatonin. (Quick note: myo-inositol should not be delivered alone, but in a 40:1 ratio with d-chiro inositol. She does not mention this but should.) Others less. I'm not convinced on buying any of the other supplements at this time due to lack of quality research supporting their use. In addition, Briden's book has some better advice on taking supplements in a more cautious manner. Some of these supplements can be very strong and should only be taken for a while. (I was not convinced by Briden's book to purchase and use these supplements either, but I did feel more comfortable with her expertise in prescribing them.)Supplements may not be your typical FDA-regulated prescription-required medicine, but they are medicine. They need to be treated as such, especially in the quantities given.Dieting. I was ecstatic reading the first few chapters of this book, where she says she doesn't recommend dieting for health. Good! Dieting is generally unsafe, and even when it is safe, it's not something you can do long-term, so it doesn't make sense to me to lose weight with fad diets. Then I got to her chapter on nutrition. It's a diet. She recommends periodic fasting and veganism, along with no added sugars and no dairy, gluten, etc. The general gist: eat more plants! I think is great. The rest? Ugh. I don't think it's really inline with modern nutritional expertise, which admittedly changes every time someone sneezes. While I'm convinced by her arguments that fasting overnight for 12-14 is a good practice for your liver, the rest of her fasting advice is probably going to go in the bin for me.Estrogen deficiency as a root cause of PCOS. This is actually the biggest surprise for me. Most research that I've read previously talked about estrogen being too *high* (e.g., estrogen-dominant PCOS). They usually associated the symptoms of PCOS instead to progesterone deficiency because of lack of ovulation. She doesn't mention this at all. Dr. Gersh says that PCOS problems are caused by our aromatization of testosterone into estrogen being inefficient compared to non-PCOS women. I'm baffled by this claim as when she does get around to mentioning Letrozole, it's just a short footnote in the conception chapter. Letrozole is an aromatase inhibitor that is used off-label for induction of ovulation, and is known to be better than Clomid for high-BMI women with PCOS. She knows this as it's basically what she says, but doesn't then address the bigger question of why suppressing estrogen actually works so well. In her own studies, she's more interested in supplementing bio-identical estrogen.Inflammation. Okay, inflammation is a hot word for everyone. I wasn't convinced by any of her suggestions about how to manage it, like aromatherapy, supplements like turmeric, or hot baths. Do what makes you calm to reduce unnecessary stress-induced cortisol, exercise, and eat lots of plants. That I can get behind.Microbiome. I am not convinced to buy any probiotic supplements, but I agree with her recommendations to eat more fiber and exercise for your microbiome health. That's actually a novel way to think about it! I also liked that she addressed the -occasional- need for antibiotics. I do think the microbiome should have some interesting help for us in the future.After I finished this book, I have to admit I'm pretty surprised that an MD would have such holistic recommendations. Most of what she's talking about would have been considered quackery 10-20 years ago. Some of it still is. At the same time, I'm encouraged by the fact that we're beginning to bridge the gap between western and traditional medicine. I think there's a lot more we can learn from traditional medicine than we have really admitted to ourselves.

This book provides a novel protocol for treating PCOS. Each step of this protocol is backed by scientific research; Dr. Gersh presents highly technical material in language that's understandable and a pleasure to read. Within the book, each statement based on research has a footnote that links to that specific study, all of which are listed in the extensive References section - ideal for any follow-up reading you'd like to delve into.I remember wanting to die after reading "A Patient's Guide to PCOS: Understanding--and Reversing--Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" when I was a teenager. I never re-read that book, and although I'm 27 now, I've never wanted to - possibly because I was a teenager, the lifestyle changes recommended in that book seemed unfeasible to me at the time, and I remember them being presented in the unsympathetic manner of a man writing a book for women struggling with PCOS. (Apologies in advance if this is unfair, but my teenage self HATED that book - because the book left teenage-me feeling like I couldn't ever possibly get my PCOS in control, teenage-me who was bullied for hirsutism and acne, it made my depression worse.)PCOS SOS (this book) is TOTALLY DIFFERENT. Dr. Gersh's protocol is not only research-based, but reasonable, and written with empathy. You can feel that Dr. Gersh has a desire to encourage you along your path to healing. The author is a woman with PCOS, an integrative OB-GYN, and her protocol is realistic to implement. The book was a quick read for me - I'm eager to start my journey to implement her protocol to the best of my ability and see the impact on my health. For sure, you have to embrace lifestyle changes, but prior to reading Gersh's book, what I had researched on my own to treat my PCOS made me feel hopeless (e.g. paleo diet was too strict, setting me up for failure). Dr. Gersh presents her protocol in a manner that leaves you with a sense of empowerment and confidence to make the changes that will heal you. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with PCOS.

Drawing from nearly 40 years of clinical experience in gynecology, Dr. Gersh writes beautifully to reveal extraordinary ways in which the body can heal itself from PCOS. In PCOS SOS, A Gynecologist’s Lifeline to Naturally Restore Your Rhythms, Hormones, and Happiness, Dr. Gersh brings forth the protocol that prioritizes supporting the body’s normal rhythms and processes. This book is a culmination of years of work, the product of real passion and commitment to understand the underlying mechanisms behind PCOS, transcending conventional approaches. PCOS SOS blends clinical innovation with a clear and powerful writing style to achieve perfection in combining cutting-edge research publications with a clinically actionable road map to create comprehensive, inspiring and practical health strategies that patients can implement immediately.PCOS SOS is a ground-breaking work that will endure as a paramount read for anyone who wants to understand, approach and heal from PCOS. I hope this book is as widely read as it deserves to be. I expect the number of transformative success stories will be remarkable.

This book told me more about PCOS than my doctor did. I love that she tries to encourage natural management before relying on a pharmaceutical product.

Absolutely the best book we have personally read on the subject. Dr. Gersh lays out clear information in a way a non-clinician would understand. That’s what makes this book so unique. As a clinician, I want my patients to understand the WHY and HOW. Dr. Gersh does just that. Both my wife (who is also a clinician) and I wholeheartedly recommend.