[lilly2k3]

Hi,

This is more a post for others with pcos than for ruth but i did not know where to put it.

What treatments are available for pcos?

I was diagnosed with pcos a little over two years ago and my con said that with me wanting a family we should look at fertility treatment before he would look at treating the pcos.
I went to gp for help a couple of months later for help with symptoms such as weight loss, facial hair and spots as i knew my weight would be an issue with fertility treatment. He gave me water retention pills They did nothing so i stopped taking them and he would do nothing else.
Fertility clinic have not looked at my pcos while I have been there for iui so I am going back to gp today and would like some ammo of what treatments are out there as to be honest I don't know myself.

Any advice or past experience from you guys would be great.

 

[saphy75]

hi lilly

i too have pcos (very mild) i haven't heard of any treatments as such, i know a few women on here have taken metformin to help with symptoms and weightloss and clomid to make them ovulate, i have got a great book called PCOS DIET BOOK by collette harris and she claims that if followed the symptoms of pcos can dissapear completely. i haven't tried it and have only flicked through the book as i haven't had a kitchen for 2 years so eating healthy has been very difficult, but my new kitchen should be finished in the next couple of months (depending on work men) and i will be trying the diet out as i desperately want to lose weight (and spots) 

good luck

pam xx

 

[herbaltea]

Hi, I have PCOS and have tried various treatments for fertility such as metformin and clomid. Unfortunately neither have worked for me (no ovulation at all!), but I am due to try injectables next.

Weight has a lot to do with pcos and ovulation. My weight varies from year to year with dieting etc (trying to diet!). I am 5ft 6 and have been 13 stone for 2 years. However, when I lost weight 2 years ago, I got down to 10.5 stone and had some cycles - previously there were none! All the information about pcos says that weight loss really helps and I would tend to agree. I am on a weight loss/fitness plan again now to try and jolt my system into producing some eggs!  Try reading the pcos diet book too - it is really helpful in undertanding what helps our symptoms and what we can do to help ourselves. Good luck and ask for treatments - 'cos they are out there!

 

[lilly2k3]

hi herbaltea and saphy75,

Thank you both for replying to my post.
Well I had my app with the nurse yesterday who took my hight weight and told me my bmi, that was it, no advice or help of any description!
I was not happy so I made an app with the doc for today.
After telling him all i had read about metformin he agreed to give it to me, hurray!
I have  to start with 500mg once a day for a week then 500mg x2 the next week and then 500mg x 3 per day. Dose that sound right to you guys?
I am just glad he took me serious this time, I was expecting a good fobbing off again. (oh me of little faith)

 

[Tweetiepie]

Hi Lilly

I have also been put on metformin just like you, 1st wk one a day, 2nd wk 1 tablet twise a day and 3rd wk and the after 1 tablet 3 times a day.  Initially I will take these pills for 3 months then will also take Clomid (50mg) once 3 months are up - as well as taking metformin at the same time.

So far I have taken 1 wks worth - tomorrow i will double the dose as the dr said so we will see.  YOu have to take them with food or straight after to avoid feeling sick.  So far im ok - no side effects - just got the runs on the first day - sorry - tmi - lol

Good luck.  PS - the only thing Im concerned about is that I have read that you should be given a Glucose Tolerance test prior to taking these pills and I was not offered this so will ask about this next week.

Good luck xx

 

[Guest]

Hi Lilly

I was put on metformin in september 04, and just like you he asked me to start on the 1 X 500mg for the first week and them the 2 and so on. It does not work for everybody's symptom's but I have to say that it has been great for mine .

My facial hair does not seem to grow back quiet as quick. also in the December I had my first natural cycle in 2 year's. It has help a lot with the moods. But the bigest thing for me has been the weight loss. I am 5ft 2inches tall and when I started the tablet's in the september I was a size 26/28 . But by Xmas I was down to a size 22 . even now the size 22 are loose and I think I may need to grab DH card and hit the shop's .

I would have to agree with Dr advice never take the metformin on an empty stomach or you will get the metformin as we ladies on here have come to call it.

I hope this has helped. Please feel free to email me if there is anything else that you need to know.

Love Chazz

 

[lilly2k3]

Hi again,

I hope the pills help me to loose weight like you chazz!
That is the main reason I wanted to try them.
I can cope with all of the other symptoms although they do get you down.
I do have af just no ov naturally which is "strange" say my con.
I just want my bmi to be within the healthy range for us beginning ivf.
I have had iui with super ovulation drugs already. In my non medical oppinion, the follies i managed to grow were still not great even though I used the drugs (I have reasons for saying this, im not just paranoid)
I am hoping that reducing my bmi will help with egg quality for ivf.
Anyway Chazz, you make me sick with the santa ticker already!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[herbaltea]

Hi  lilly, Really glad your doc gave you something to help your pcos. Take the metformin as advised and build the dose up gradually so your body can get used to them! You might get some stomach upset type symptoms at first, but this should pass. Good luck in the bmi reduction 

 

[saraD]

Hi girls, Lilly there are not that many treatments for PCOS - you could consider ovarian drilling which can have good effects in getting ovulation going (I got pregnant the month after - sad ending but no need to go into that here) but it is not a permanent cure. I also went on metformin but was taken off it by another consultant when my insulin resistance test came back normal - it is worth getting your insulin resistance tested (same thing as the glucose tolerance test) as if you are in the normal range then metformin is probably not of much help. I was getting pretty desperate for some help as my cycles were so long and so went to see a nutritionist who gave me a vitamin plan for 3 months (no rocket science mainly vit B complex, vit C, vit E) and I did find that this made a huge difference particularly taking 50mg of vit B6 a day, so you might want to consider this? I know this is the 'softer' side of medicine but eating better and adding vits did seem to help me. Best of luck 

 

[Guest]

Hi Lilly

so sorry if you think I am sad but I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!! . And I cant wait for it to get here. I'm like a big kid.

I am going to try acupuncture next month as I have been told that it can really help with the pcos.

Love Charlotte

 

[lilly2k3]

HI,

saraD-thank you for the info, I am going to go back to con who diagnosed me if I get no response from the metformin to see about drilling. I think I will give myself a six months target and if I don't see any improvement I will see him.

chazz- I to love Christmas so I don't think you are sad. It is just a little early! Good luck with the acupuncture.

 

[vickala]

Hello girls, I have PCOS for what seems like forever was diagnosed when I was 20 am now 30, have tried clomid several times, no good, tried metformin made me ill several times no good, had laporoscopy and ovarian drilling no good at all, was told it was severe PCOS and put back on clomid (WHY??) was told could not have the injectables as there wasnt a dose low enough that was safe enough for me to take without causing OHSS, asked pleaded for ovarian wedge resection where they sort of split your ovaries I think it is but was told no without a good reason, now I got angry because I was always told weight had a lot to do with it, this was before I met my consultant and then they changed their mind I am and have always been between 8/9 stone small build, and they have never said anything, I was once told that the possibility of someone in the family having been a diabetic could be one of the factors to me having PCOS, the only person I know of is my nan who died when I was little, so now just completed one cycle of IVF that failed tested negative on monday 18/04/05, but not giving up never will, dont let your doctors fob you off keep asking what they can do for you, sometimes they just fob you off cause they dont know a lot about it themselves, my own GP has no idea what PCOS is.

 

[friskypony]

Hi there,
My first diagnosis was pcos, then changed to pof, then overian resistance. I'm currently off my HRT since january and had a few good cycles, with ovulation. In the last month though i've gone from 8.10 to 9.8, no difference in what i'm eating, i exercise regularly and only drink a little. I think i'm back in pcos as weight incresased, greasy hair and skin and now acne at 34.. again)
Going to Gp tonight to get Metformin as this worked last time, weight went down... Feel really down as all's been looking good and now i have this just before my cons appt on 28th. Bugger!!!!
Any ideas? please

Frisky

 

[lilly2k3]

friskypony- Sorry I am kinda new to the whole pcos thing so excuse my ignorance. Did your diagnosis change because you lost weight?
I am sorry to hear you are feeling c**p right now, hope the doc can help!

I have been on metformin for about 6 weeks now (thought it might help me loose weight) I have been eating well since starting the pills and going to the gym two days on one day off for the same amount of time.
I got weighed the other day and I have put on 2 lb. I cant believe it. I don't know what to do now to help?
I am going to have my first ivf cycle in a couple of months and am desperate to loose a bit of weight before then.

 

[friskypony]

hi Lilly,
i'm not sure why my diagnosis changed, i've never been very big, i'm 5.1 and this is the heaviest ive been 9.8 
mostly i'm around 8.8-10.
Got some Metformin off the Gp so hope it works, i also exercise and eat healthy, which is a pain when you continue to icrese your wt.  but hey ho
Hope the increase you had was due to muscle  it may well have been!
Good luck an let me know how you get on 

LOU XX