Metformin in the treatment of pcos
Common Questions and Answers about Metformin in the treatment of pcos
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I am 25 years old and have been on Metformin since I was 17 for treatment of PCOS. The side effects when you first take the medication isn't to pleasant. At least wasn't for me. I was sick a lot with diarrhea and nausea. But this will go away after about two weeks on the medication. I too got told to loose a few pounds and I would probably get pregnant rather easily. I weighed almost 400 pounds at the start of seeing this doctor. I now weight 328.8 with her encouragement and dieting.
Not all women with PCOS have cysts on there overies. I am currently on 500 mg BID of Metformin to help with the PCOS. I had some problems at first that lasted maybe the first week, but I am feeling better then ever!! You can never "cure" PCOS, but you can help it. With medication, being healthy by eating and loosing weight(not sure if you are overweight, or are dealing with weight problems). When TTC there are medications for example like Clomid to help a women ovulate.
Get some tests done and if they confirm its PCOS they might put you on metformin and that has got regular periods to some of PCOS women. Have you seen a doctor for this reason. Dont neglect your health. There might be complications in future. And yes it will not be easy to conceive if you have PCOS. See a doctor.
It's not only diet and exercise with pcos. I was diagnosed with atypical pcos and have never been overweight. I'm very active and eat healthy. Metformin has helped me have regular periods now for the last 5 months. Before taking it I was getting maybe one period a year.
These are the most common approaches and none of these will lead to weight gain. At the beginnig of the treatment I was put on Diane 35 (BCP) and Androcur (these are not available in the USA) and while they worked wonders for my hair I was starting to gain some weight - so I went off them. Maybe other girls here will tell you more about their treatments.
what Amanda said is right- i was suffering for PCOS, and was on Metformin 500 Mg- the doctor gives the prescribed doses as per the body type- usually they give 1000-1500 Mg (2-3 tabs) a day to see , but for me 500 Mg worked well to have regular periods and Ovulation. the time i got pregnant, my doctor took me off from Metformin and i am only taking prenatal..
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Women with PCOS who are insulin resistant are at high risk for the development of diabetes in pregnancy, and a possible role for metformin therapy may be the prevention of GDM. In a cohort of 33 women with PCOS taking metformin until delivery, GDM occurred in 3% compared with 23% in 39 women taking no medication.[4,6] However, given the lack of data from well-designed, prospective clinical trials, metformin is currently not indicated for the prevention of GDM.
The next task is for her to get other opinons, run tests and try to get treatment, but the problem is we live in the Caribbean and the few gyns on our island are not familiar with PCOS and they have not had experience with patients who have PCOS. By the way the doctor who diagnosed was neither a gyn or lived on the same island as us....
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the prime reasons many women gain weight/can't lose it. Very often, hypothyroidism and insulin resistance accompany PCOS; have you been tested for those? For hypothyroid, you need to be tested for TSH, Free T3 and Free T4. Monitoring blood sugar levels will help identify insulin resistance. Recommend that you get tested further.
Often metformin is prescribed for PCOS; has your doctor mentioned that?
Therefore, my partner and I decided to quit the medication. However, I was in metformin until date and I can see that my cycles are not getting regular. Finally, we decided to go to the doctor again coming Saturday.
I am depressed whether I can be pregnant or not? What will the doctor say?
Will they advice me to have an IVF? Because I cannot afford it right now.
There are so many questions popping immediately in my mind.
What do you say friends in your experience can I be pregnant?
But because metformin is only FDA-approved for the treatment of diabetes, you should talk with your doctor about the use of this medicine for reducing your risk for miscarriage or treating PCOS symptoms.
Side Effects
The most common side effects of metformin are:
Nausea.
Loss of appetite.
Diarrhea.
Increased abdominal gas.
A metallic taste.
These side effects occur 20% to 30% of the time. Side effects usually decrease over time.
HI,
Metformin is beneficial in women with PCOS, perhaps by reducing insulin resistance, and is often used if there are features such as insulin resistance, diabetes, or obesity. In a recent multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, metformin increased live-birth rates compared to placebo with the most beneficial effect seen in obese women.
Treatment should be taken in consultation with a gynaecologist and an endocrinologist. Hope this helps.
While the symptoms and the tests will definitely be very different for different women, there are some guidelines, it seems rather absurd to say that you have to rule out everything else to make a diagnosis. It is not such a mysterious condition after all. It's true that some women do not have the cysts, but what is actually important is the hormones. The cysts come and go, so they may not be there with the ultrasound. The hormones will always be out of balance, esp. without treatment.
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