Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome treated with Metformin?

[ickle-duckling]

A bit of a shot in the dark I know, but I had a hospital appointment today and they've diagnosed me (pending a couple of additional blood test results) with PCOS and given me pretty much three options...

1. To do nothing about it, and to see my doctor if the gaps in my (existing) periods get longer
2. To go on the contraceptive pill (which I really don't want to do because of the weight gain side-effects)
3. To take Metformin for it, which is a drug for diabetics which helps lower insulin levels (with PCOS, as far as I understand, insulin levels are too high and that causes excess testosterone to be produced and creates the irregular periods)

If I'm honest, I quite like the sound of Metformin simply because it helps with weight loss, but has anyone taken it before or had any experience of PCOS? The guy did say that it can have 'stomach upsetting' side-effects which obviously aren't great but I thought it might be worth trying anyway ... what do you think?

Cheers guys and I understand if no-one replies to this, it's a bit obscure!!

Em x

[Aidee]

From what I understand about PCOS, the Metformin will treat the underlying causes. I hope I don't sound insensitive, but current research suggests that being overweight contributes to the severity of PCOS and healthy weight loss is often recommended. (I have no idea how much you weigh, I'm not trying to make assumptions or be insensitive)

Women with PCOS have a much increased risk for diabetes, and taking the Metformin may help prevent that.

You could always take the Metformin for a month or two, see how you like it and how you feel, and decide if you want to stay on it or go off it then.

[Ami]

The pill im on is used to treat PCOS.. its alright from your skin but gives you beastly **** off headaches, so i wouldnt recomment it if you feel Metformin is best, even though i dont really know what its like!! x

[ickle-duckling]

That's cool AD! I'm not clinically overweight at the moment and don't think I have ever been (BMi of roughly 23 or so; was 21 before South Africa and three months spent eating steak!) but obviously losing weight would be good.

I just really don't want to go on the contraceptive pill because of weight gain.

[Aidee]

If it was me personally I would take the Metformin because it's treating the underlying causes, while the pill is just treating the symptoms. The pill may balance out your hormones and make your periods come back, but it won't help with the insulin resistance at all like the Metformin will.

[ickle-duckling]

I'm actually really glad you said that because I got the impression that he didn't really want me to go on the Metformin (that he was just giving me all the options). I'm going to see my GP about it in a couple of weeks once she's received the letter from the hospital and the confirmation blood tests to (probably) confirm the PCOS, so I'll discuss it with her.

I don't need the pill for contraception reasons and I've got no desperate desire to regulate my periods. Plus I suspect my depression (such that it is) would get a lot worse if I gained weight from the pill especially seeing as I can't control it!!

Sorry this was a bit of a 'thinking to myself' post but I feel a lot clearer in my head now - cheers Aidey! :)

[surprising mystery]

I would try the stuff beginning with M, it sounds like a better option, as the contraceptive pill can cause changes in mood and its not something else you want to risk if you already have depression. xx

[Mandimoo]

metformin doesnt always work.
can have horrible side effects
and ultimatley can be a waste of time.

There is a forum i'm a member of exclusively for PCOS girls if you wanna join up PM me and I'll give you the URL and my username there, there's a whole forum on Med uses. I was on the pill which made my depression worse. Metformin didn't do anything and depending on which type of PCOS you have can have varying results.

Your type of PCOS is the combination of symtoms, obesity, irregular blood tests (hormones), glucose tolerance, cysts on the ovaries (and i'm sure there are more!).

the forum has all the info you could possibly dream of. mand x

[akita]

A friend of mine who was on it just told me it doesnt help with weightloss unless u follow a low gi diet still and excersise , its not a diet pill.

[Mandimoo]

that's right. it can help, but lots of girls find they only lose weight through the constant sickness/upset stomach side effect with it. mand x

ps different diets can help, low GI, low carb - there's a few different ones.

[Protector]

I have the same syndrome and I decided on taking the pill not for the contraceptive reason but b/c it does regulate my period a little bit more but the periods that I get are now shorter (usally lasting between 24-36 hours) but I do like the fact that I feel healthier getting it every month. I did not notice the weight gain that usually acompanies it and the thing w/ sideaffects is that they are not universal accross the board.

I just feel alot better w/ some more balanced hormones :P

Sarai

[Mandimoo]

The pill can be good to get your body on a regular cycle and can promote ovulation when you come off it. But it can have some nasty side-effects, one of them being depression and it can make existing depression/psychosis/hallucinations worse. I had that on the 2 i tried, dianette (diane35) and mycrogynon.

[ickle-duckling]

If it can contribute to depression then that's maybe something to bear in mind, especially with the stresses of starting uni and similar. I'm seeing my GP on the 25th, so I'll ask her what she thinks and go from there, really. I don't know if she'll prescribe me Metformin (the consultant at the hospital looked like he didn't really want to) as I'm not clinically overweight or suffering from diabetes, but I don't really know how they decide to prescribe these things so I'll wait and see what she says, really. Not having periods doesn't bother me but obviously if it made me lose weight as well as regulating them, then that would be rather nice.

[Mandimoo]

it'd best to stick with what your consultant says, metformin is usually only prescribed to help people lose weight. have you had a scan to see if your ovaries are cysted or not? (mine aren't, but the thought that was because i plain didn't ovulate).

that website i sent to you coupld probably answer your questions more, there's a whole board on metformin use. mand x

[ickle-duckling]

I haven't had a scan, nope. Just waiting for the blood test results to even confirm the PCOS diagnosis!!

I'll take another look at that website, cheers Mand - was slightly overwhelmed with information the first time round but when I've got a bit more time I'll read through it properly!

Em x

[cry4hlp]

Hey...well its nice to see and hear other people talking about having PCOS...i didnt know anyone else with it...i was diagnosed at like 13years old...it sucked. I was put on Birth control and took it for 5 years but it didnt really help me...it actually made my periods more irregular...weird. And my Dr did put me on Metformin...but i didnt like the whole upset stomach thing. So i just basically gave up on it. And i stopped goin to the Dr because i didnt want him to notice my scars. But yeahi think The pill did contribute a lot to my depression. Thats when it really got bad, when i was on the pill. Hey can you PM me with that website on PCOS? im interested.

[Mandimoo]

yeah sure, also something to consider is the slow release metformin, whilst it didnt actually do anything for me, it didn't give the same side-effects ad the regular met did.

[Yesterday's Majic]

I have been on several different medications for my PCOS. Metformin: I lost 7 lbs immediately and then never again. There is a pill known as the "mini-pill" where you will not gain weight. It is estrogen free pill and is very helpful at regulating your cycle. You also will not experience the same weight gain, depression, or hormonal swings as you would with regular BC pills. There are also medications that will slow hair growth. i do not know about you guys but my testosterone causes quite a beard!
I have had positive responses on all the medications except the ones for hair growth, but65 stopped taking all my pills when my husband and I began to try and get pregnant. Ohh also now that I miscarried the doctor suggests i restart the metformin because it increases fertility especially in PCOS clients so if you do not want to get pregnant use the mini pill as well.

[Mandimoo]

*is pcos (non ovulatory) PREGNANT, no meds!!* *pms Yesterday's Majic*