Hi everyone, I'm looking for as many posts as I can get tonight. Tomorrow morning I have an appointment with my GYN and she wants to know what I want to do; start Met, Clomid or wait and do nothing.
I have not had a regular period since last August. I am not IR and my glucose is also normal. I could definately stand to lose some weight but I'm really afraid of the side affects from Met. I'm a teacher and afraid of having the urge to run to the bathroom all the time or feeling nauseous all the time.
Who can help me?
Thanks!
Linda
__________________ Married July 2000
TTC#1 since Sept 2003
PCOS diagnosed Novemer 2003
METFORMIN 750 MG right now....trying to work up slowly (May 04)
I think Met alone would be worth a try for you first, then you could add clomid later if necessary. It is thought that there are cysters who do not test IR who actually are, it just doesn't show up in the tests. Met has been successful in inducing ovulation for cysters who do not test IR and who are not obese. Here are some past threads you may find useful:
Metformin is the insulin-sensitizing drug that has been assessed most comprehensively in women with PCOS. In multiple studies, metformin was shown to decrease serum androgens in both obese [1,2] and lean [3] women with PCOS, to enhance the frequency of spontaneous ovulation, [1,4,5] and to improve the ovulation response to clomiphene induction. [5] One multi-center study, conducted in the United States and abroad, critically assessed the effects of pretreatment with metformin for 5 weeks on spontaneous ovulation (during the 5 weeks of metformin monotherapy) and the response to clomiphene induction (during combined metformin and clomiphene therapy). [5] The dose of clomiphene used was 50 mg daily for 5 days. Of note, half the women in the study had a history of failing prior clomiphene induction.
In this study, spontaneous ovulation was increased by eightfold in the women who received metformin (34%), compared with the women who received placebo (4%). Women who failed to ovulate during the pretreatment phase of the study then underwent clomiphene induction. The ovulation rate in the women who went on to receive both met formin and clomiphene (90%) was tenfold greater than that in the women treated with placebo and clomiphene (8%). The midluteal serum progesterone concentration in the 19 women who responded to combined metformin and clomiphene therapy was 23.8[plus or minus]3.4 ng/mL.
It should be noted that pregnancy was not an outcome measure of this study In the context of the question posed, it is noteworthy that there is an ongoing US multicenter study specifically addressing the utility of metformin for clomiphene induction in women with PCOS who previously proved refractory to clomiphene at a dose of 150 mg. Pregnancy is an outcome measure of this study. Interim results from this ongoing study were presented as an abstract at the October 1999 meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The women who were treated with metformin demonstrated higher ovulation and pregnancy rates after induction with clomiphene than women treated with placebo.
Good luck on your appointment tomorrow!
Another Linda
__________________ dx pcos 1984, type II diabetes 2001, also hypertension
Met 2000mg since 2001, started Glucophage XR 4/22/04, then switched to Met ER 6/04; also: multi, Vit. C, Vit. E, B12/folic acid combo, fish oil & borage oil combo, garlic capsules, cinnamon, Vitex, calcium with magnesium/zinc, biotin, CoQ10, selenium,iron
Other meds: Verapamil and Altace(for blood pressure)
Started laser hair removal 7/29/03, completed 3/04 (it works!)
UAE for fibroid 3/24/03 and 3/16/04
HEY I CAN TELL YOU I STARTED MET ON THE 5TH OF APRIL MY START WEIGHT WAS 275 LBS I'M NOW AT 268 AND I HAVE DONE NO EXCERSISE . MY AF STILL HAVENT CAME AROUND I HAD DRILLING DONE ON THE 30TH OF MARCH. I DO RUN TO THE BATHROOM ALOT. SO THERE ARE PRO ANN CONS
LINDA ITS NOT SO BAD. I WAS HAPPY THAT I WAS OFF FROM WORK WHEN I STARTED MET. MAYBE YOU WANT TO START IT ON THE WEEKEND SO YOU CAN GET USE TO IT A LITTLE......
MY DOCTOR HAD STARTED ME ON 1000MG A DAY I MYSELF WENT UP ON MY OWN DOSAGE OF 1500MG AND I DID THAT AFTER A WEEK. ITS REALLY GAGGING. I THREW UP ONLY THREE TIMES NOW I JUST GAG. MY ENGERY IS UP 200% AND MY SEX LIFE IS LIKE I'M A DOG IN HEAT
I was actually thinking the other day there must be something wrong with me because I haven't really experienced any side effects with Metformin. I have always had diarrhea and that hasn't changed if anything I find that I don't poop as much as I did before I started taking it. I still get diarrhea but it's no more and no less than prior I just don't seem to have as many regular visits to the toilet in between. As well I don't feel nauseous from it nor does it make me feel blah. Really it doesn't make me feel much different than I felt before I started taking it. So don't be afraid of all the horror stories because even though some women have a really hard time with side effects others experience very little.
Well....my appointment is in half an hour. I guess it's worth a try. I'm going to talk to my GYN and see what she says.
I don't usually react poorly to medication and I seem to have a pretty good stomach generally. The only thing that's ever made me sick was VITEX and I heard that was a good herbal rememdy to regulate cycles.
I guess I'll decide between Met and Clomid when I get there. Success is not guaranteed on either one.....
Thanks for all your help!
Linda
__________________ Married July 2000
TTC#1 since Sept 2003
PCOS diagnosed Novemer 2003
METFORMIN 750 MG right now....trying to work up slowly (May 04)
appointment in the morning 
