PCOS

chelsea13elyse · July 2014

I have PCOS and have been trying to get pregnant for 18 months. Soon I will start a diabetes prescription to help my ovulation and cycle to help me get pregnant. Has anyone been prescribed Metformin or a different diabetes medicine to help get pregnant with PCOS? If so which one and how long did it take to conceive? Did you have any side effects?

AnnaClaire256 · July 2014

Hey there. Welcome to 3T. I have PCOS as well and have been taking metformin for about two years. It does give me lots of tummy issues so I have to remember to take it right before I eat.

I second the recommendation for an RE. They're the experts needed to get you KU!

Just a heads up, the vast majority of women here are still still to conceive their first so we won't be able to tell you any success stories.

I hope you find an RE that can help you with your journey!

LindseyM2012 · July 2014

I also have PCOS, but am not insulin resistant (pre-diabetic) nor do I have weight issues. My RE is still going to put me on Metformin soon because insulin apparently can play a role in inhibiting ovulation (who knew!).

I hope I'm not annoying anyone with my links to medical stuff, but this is worth a read if you're considering starting Metformin: https://www.infertilityspecialist.com/metformin_kutner.html

Helpful Excerpt: "Numerous studies have shown that metformin is effective in both obese and thin women correcting insulin metabolism, endocrine parameters or both. Some studies on the effects of metformin have revealed positive trends without achieving statistical significances. This may imply there are subsets of PCOS patients that may not benefit from metformin use."

I like knowing why I'm putting things in my body. My RE is very confident that Metformin and Letrozole will be a successful treatment for my particular PCOS. Everyone is different, but Metformin paired with Letrozole (aka Femera - newer drug with less reported side effects) or Clomid is considered Treatment-As-Usual for PCOS.

I hope this is helpful. Good luck and welcome.

chelsea13elyse · July 2014

I am not prediabetic and I don't have weight issues either so I was really surprised that they use the diabetes medication to regulate ovulation. I go for my appt on August 4th when he will prescribe me a medication so I just thought I'd see what kind of experiences others are having with these prescriptions

chelsea13elyse · July 2014

Idk what I was thinking when I posted originally. I didn't mean to offend I just wasn't thinking when I asked how long it took to conceive, my apologies. I'm new to this board and it might sound silly but what is an RE? And also can anyone tell me what KU means or if there's somewhere I can reference to find out what these abbreviations mean?

Chasity08 · July 2014

I have PCOS as well. I actually went off of my Metformin and am getting a new CD3 blood draw done next month as I found the Metformin was making me very dizzy, almost like tunnel vision, and would just make me feel sick and hot. No matter if I ate it before I ate, during, or after. I have a feeling that my blood sugars are getting too LOW after taking it. So we're going to work on that a bit to see if there is anything else I can take since it doesn't seem to be regulating it. I haven't read much about other ladies having that issue though, so if I hear anything helpful at my next blood draw I will let you know.

I hope you get some good info at your appt!

doucettechristina · July 2014

Welcome! Sorry you find yourself here. I agree with @amylev80 on getting the extended release. I am also diagnosed with PCOS and am on 1000mg of Metformin extended release. I try and take it right after dinner every night and haven't had any problems on it so far. Definitely look into working with an RE to help you get pregnant!

thirtyninetoforty · July 2014

Welcome! I was diagnosed with PCOS at about 20 but my body did a "jump start" at about 38 and now no PCOS. I've heard having kids sometimes will "re-set" your body but regardless, no reason you won't be seeing that bfp soon

and I agree with ppl - go to an RE!

Katherine1203 · July 2014

Hey! I am on Metformin, I do have insulin resistance, but my RE upped my dosage for fertility purposes. One side effect is bowels. It made me double over in stomach pain. It only did it to me when I first started it, and whenever the dosage changed. Docs will usually tell ya that is one of the big ones.

MARISAV77 · July 2014

I was recently diagnosed with PCOS too. But my RE said she doesn't recommend me taking metformin because I responded well each time with clomid and Letrozole. Is the metformin prescribed only if you are not ovulating with clomid or Letrozole?

DharmaChick · July 2014

Welcome. I have PCOS as well, and I have known so since I was in my teens, as I have had extremely irregular periods and many of the other fun symptoms. I have not been prescribed Metformin, likely because my PCOS does not appear to be insulin related (no indication of diabetes, per-diabetic symptoms, weight issues, etc.)
As others have mentioned, most of the women on this board have never been pregnant, so you are less likely to hear success stories/info here. You may want to try the Pregnant after IF or Success after IF boards for that.
However, this board is filled with wonderfully supportive women who understand what you are going through.

PCOS

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