Avandia Buddies

boodles77 · 01-05-2004, 03:10 AM

Hi Ladies!

My husband and I have recently decided to stop TTC'ing. From here on out, I will simply be on a low carb diet and take 4mg Avandia.

I took Actos and Glucophage in the past. Neither drug helped me to ovulate, and I couldn't handle the side effects of Glucophage.

So far after two weeks of Avandia, I've had no side effects.

I would love to find some buddies who are also taking Avandia. Share with me your successes with weight loss, feeling healthier, having more energy, seeing less side effects of PCO...etc.

prunepie · 01-05-2004, 03:15 AM

i take 2000 mgs gluc xr..and just recently added 4 mgs avandia to it... but as far as weight etc not much yet..but its been such a short time adding avandia so i will have to keep you updated xox jenn

Babydust4me · 01-05-2004, 03:52 AM

I was taking 2000mg of gluc xr but stopped b/c the pills were just too big for me to swallow and the THOUGHT of taking them made me ill...so my doc switched me to avandia 8mg. Have been on it awhile and I dont know if its helping me or not. Im bound to say its not helping me...if anyone has any success stories on it helping I would like to know also. I am thinking about starting to try to take the gluc xr again or maybe the metformin...

Chrissy · 01-05-2004, 03:25 PM

Hi ladies!

I am on 4mg. Avandia for PCOS (don't test IR and am thin so diet hasn't helped regulate me) and have been taking it for almost 3 months. I would love to chat with you and swap stories. I did get AF on day 30 with the first month but no O. This month I O'd on day 22 so will see when AF arrives. I am not ttc. I have noticed lately that my skin is looking pretty good but the hair is starting to peek through again since I quit bc pills 2 months ago. Not too bad just reminding me it is there and can harrass me at any time!!!

I have had some hand and feet swelling this month and was wondering about it and if anyone else has this. It is n't bad just in the morning and at night. My skin feels tight and my shoes are a little tight.

B C pills did a great job for me as far as minimizing symptoms but I was tired of taking them and wondered if there was something to this insulin connection for me. I'm glad I'm trying the Avandia and quite surprised to see it is affecting my hormones since every other doctor before this RE said my PCOS was not due to insulin.

boodles77 · 01-05-2004, 04:04 PM

Great to find you all! I'm going to keep temping over at Fertility Friend, if only to see if I ovulate or if I need to take prometrium to bring on AF. I have enjoyed having normal cycles, and I really don't want to go back to 90+ day cycles.

I haven't noticed any side effects with Avandia as of yet. However, I started taking it when I was recovering from Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, and everything swelled up. So, I don't know if it was from the OHSS, the Avandia, or a combination of the two.

jleagra · 01-08-2004, 04:49 PM

I was on Avandia 4mg for 4 months. I had no side effects at all. It helped bring my insulin level down dramatically, just in the first 6 weeks. I felt great on it since I had tried metformin and wasn't able to tolerate it. However, I started seeing a new RE in December and he took me off it because he said not enough studies have been done to show it's safe to take when pregnant. Since we're TTC he felt it was best for me to stay off it until I've had a baby or if we decide to stop trying for a while.

Janice

boodles77 · 01-08-2004, 10:15 PM

Hi Janice!

Good luck with your IUI this month. I guess no two doctors are the same. My RE kept me on Avandia while we were TTC'ing. But I hadn't been on any insulin sensitizing medication for a couple of months before that.

Glad to hear that it has done wonders for your insulin levels. As soon as I am able, I'm going to find a general endocrinologist who can check my insulin levels on a regular basis. I've been checking my blood sugar levels (Just for my own knowledge), and so far, so good!

IFBPreachersWife · 01-11-2004, 05:27 PM

I took Avandia 3 years ago and I'm hoping that maybe some of you will have some insight into my story.

I *never* have AF w/o provera. So I was shocked when on cd28, she visited. This was the first month on Avandia. For four months straight, she came every 28 days and the 3rd and fourth month, my temps showed that I O'd. However, that last month we took a long car trip and when we arrived, my legs were HUGE! I mean, enormously swollen. Scared me to death. I had no local dr so I just never took another avandia pill. Now, to be honest, I hadn't gotten up and walked for quite a while so I am sure that didn't help but I've never had this happen before or since. I wish I"d had a dr at the time because I would have looked into this further. Avandia really seemed to work for me. I did gain 7lbs though on it. Met XR hasn't done a thing for me other than bring AF every 3 months or so and I"ve been on it almost a year and a half.

prunepie · 01-11-2004, 05:49 PM

i have been on avandia for a month now...i added it to my gluc to see if a combo helps me lower ir more.... i havent noticed anything on avandia..except that this week i have been walking and my muscles are very sore and the ladies here think i am holding alot of water in my muscles...then i read your post....could being on avandia make me hold more water???

i think i would have done the same thing you did if my legs swelled up like that... i read weight gain and water gain are very common on avandia..but to notify dr or stop if edema happens...swelling of legs i mean...

i dont have any advice but to say i have read some stories like yours ...good luck xox jenn

Chrissy · 01-12-2004, 09:32 AM

I have had the swelling lately as well. It didn't show up at first but in the second month slowly came on. My hands feet and face are puffy and I feel full lall over ike before AF. My rings are very tight in the morning and my face looks like I've had a crying jag because my eyes are puffy but it seems to go down during the day. I did take a long car trip and felt my feet and ankles swelled with all the sitting. I go to the RE on Wed. and am going to check on this. It is not severe like they suggest in the medical handout you get with this drug.

This drug is working very well on my hormones! I never AF, can go a year or more, and I have been regular and ovulated this last month. LUckily I have gained no weight but then I was on the pill before and always had an extra 5-7 pounds of weight with that. When I stopped bc pills that went away so maybe everything evened out. I'll keep you posted about what I hear. I have even considered taking the 2 mg. dose and see if that may help along with the IR diet.

Have a great day Ladies!
Chris