Hello!
Coolpinkgirl is right. BCP suppresses the ovaries therefore cysts should be reduced and new cysts should not form as no egg is being released. It will take between 3-6 months for you to a)notice a real improvement and b)know whether you feel "right" on the particular pill.
Androgen levels are decreased by the use of bcps with anti-androgenic progestins, for example the drosperinone in Yasmin/Yaz, desogestrel in Desogen/Mircette, cypretone acetate in Dianette. Also pills with an oestrogen level of 30mcg or higher tend to be more effective as they have a better binding effect on testosterone, therefore are better for acne, hair problems and weight.
People are divided over the IR issue. Some say bcps make it worse, others say the results are so minor, the good outweighs the bad.
BCP take charge of your hormones. The alter the levels and stop you from producing high levels of the bad androgens and level out your oestrogen. They give you control over your menstrual cycle, which many women (not just with PCOS) lack due to hormones and lifestyles.
The side effects vary (please see the thread "great sites for choosing a bcp") due to the amount and types of homones in each brand. If you find you gain lots of weight, change the progestin. If your boobs get sore and you get sickness, lower the oestrogen...there are ways around these symptoms.
As for the eating part, it is very unfortunate that even if you eat literally nothing, you can only maintain and sometimes gain! Somehow, through trial and error, the food-exercise-bcp balance must be found! And it can be tricky.
Personally I find that without using bcps my PCOS is unmanageable, despite my efforts and expenditure on alternative therapies etc!
I take Yasmin now and I think it is helping me with my issues. Also don't be alarmed if after...a year or so, the bcp you're on just doesn't seem to work for your PCOS. If this is the case, have a month off and then start it again. If that still doesn't help, find another anti-androgenic pill.
I found that when I was on Desogen, I was fine for ages, then suddenly it was hell with PCOS. Have realised that desogestrel no longer suits me (to be polite!) so I'm trying to stick with Yasmin now....
Hope this helps. Ask about peoples' experiences on here. I did and it really did help me. So often docs and gynos are lacking with the info!
xx |