BCPs or not?

amigone · 06-13-2005, 02:11 PM

This has probably been asked before, but anyhow.

I've been doing some reading (this one's a good post http://www.soulcysters.net/showthread.php?t=1398 ) and I'm not sure if I should ask my gyno for BCPs. I'm on metformin at the moment, but I feel it's not doing much for me. I've lost some weight but I also started exercising on a regular basis.I don't feel any different. I already thought that BCPs might just cover up the symptoms instead of making them go away, but what if I keep eating healthier and exercising, doesn't that mean I'm treating my pcos?

Also, metformin and BCPs isn't a good idea is it?

Thanks!

JeannieNB · 06-13-2005, 02:37 PM

I have to take both BCP's (for endometriosis) and Met (for PCOS). I could just take BCP's, but as far as my RE is concerned I wouldn't be treating the underlying problem of PCOS. So I remain on the Met too. I actually feel better now that I am on both.

amigone · 06-13-2005, 02:43 PM

Thanks!

What do you mean with the continuously in your signature? You just keep taking it every day? Without a stop week?

RunnerDuck · 06-13-2005, 05:38 PM

Some women never see the results with insulin sensitizing meds that they hope to see, with regard to periods... so sometimes you need BCPs anyway to treat the more hormonal symptoms. But it's still a good idea to address the insulin issues because PCOS goes so much deeper than hair, periods, acne, etc...

My experience is kind of like this. I don't remember details EXACTLY but ... when I was FIRST gioven BCPs to "regulate my cycle" I spent a few years going on and off them to see if they had worked yet. But I never got periods off BCPs. It was a long time (well, I was 17 when I went on BCPs, and 23 I think when I learned about PCOS - FELT like a long time) before I learned about the insulin factor... and at first I was all gung ho about INSULIN MED ONLY, NO BCPs... so I took met for 3 months maybe and I don't remeber if I just didn't get cycles or if DH (then BF) and I just got sick of using condoms. So I went on BCPs for a few months. I exercised, ate well... was on BCPs maybe 4 months. Then went off. And I continued to have normal periods for maybe 6 months. Woo hoo!

But then periods stopped, hair started falling out again...

I don't know if it was a matter of the metformin no working any more, or switching from name brand glucophage to generic metformin, or if I just needed BCPs... over the next few months I went back on name brand Gluc (did nothing) and then started Yasmin (doctor wouldn't up dose of met to 2500, said there was no point) - then found another doctor, went on 2500mg gluc a day and got pregnant - still on Yasmin BCPs.

So in that case I don't know if the increased dose DID make a difference for me or if the Yasmin did something good (or bad, depending on how you look at it) or if the planets just happened to allign correctly... I don't know.

After I had my baby though I nursed so no periods were not alarming, but around 11 months post partum my periods came back erratic, screwy, bad... blood work was AWFUL... and I was still on met. So I am thinking maybe met just doesn't do enough for me. So I have gone on Avandia as well and I am currently taking 9 weeks solid of Yasmin (3 cycles with noo breaks) hoping to whack my hormones in to line (so to speak), hoping when I go off them the Avandia and met will help me ovulate and I can get pregnant again.

I think that the insulin med/BCP combo can pack a powerful punch again PCOS and that's what some of us seem to need. It would be nice if the insulin meds always worked but they don't. So you might consider... upping you met dose, depending on how much you are on... adding another insulin med or just switching meds... going on BCPs... you can also keep hoping for the met to work and take provera or prometrium (I forget which is better) to induce a bleed every 3 months (good to reduce your risk of endometrial cancer.)

With regard to taking BCPs continuously - that's what I am doing, too. Taking them that way can be done for a number of reasons... help cysts go away faster/better, possibly help endometriosis, convenience (they say you only NEED 4 bleeds a year for health so there is really no need to bleed every 3 weeks on the BCPs, it just mimics the natural cycle that way)...

In my case like I said my blood work was awful so I am hoping if I quiet my ovaries down for an extended period with the BCPs, I will be able to ovulate when I go off. I am hoping to avoid fertility meds...

amigone · 06-13-2005, 06:20 PM

I'm on 1000 mg of metformin, and I've used provera 3 times now in the last 7,8 months. The first time was fine, the second time was awful and the 3rd time was really smooth, as I assume a 'normal' period would be. Only the 3rd provera round was in combination with metformin. I haven't been taking metformin for long, and my dietician said there won't be any results visible (on a blood test) until after 4,5 months, I've been on it for about 2.5 now. I'm seeing my gynaecologist in about 2 weeks, but he doesn't seem to know a great deal about pcos, so I want to be sure I can ask for it and know why.

I'm 20, a virgin, I don't have a boyfriend, so why would I want BCPs? I don't really know, I guess I just want to know what they can do for me. I'm surprised to hear you both say you're on metformin and BCPs, coz all I've read seems to be about how that's not a good idea.

I guess the thing is that I don't like drugs. I know the pill is a drug, but everyone takes it. I don't like the idea of being 20 and being on a "weird" drug like metformin. I guess I just want to be normal... But if that's a reason to go on the pill...

Thanks for your stories, I'd like to hear more, so I can maybe make up my mind.

What a sweet baby RunnerDuck

RunnerDuck · 06-13-2005, 06:39 PM

How they can help if you are not having sex -

they increase your blood level of sex hormone binding globulin, which binds to testosterone... this reduces the level of free testosterone in your body - the free testosterone is part of what leads to the symptoms of excess hair, balding, and acne.

they decrease ovarian activity which reduces your LH levels as well as androgen (testosterone) output from the ovary (so it's like you not only reduce your total level of teatosterone, you limit the damage the remaining stuff can do)

they cause you to have regular shedding of the uterine lining, which prevent endometrial cancer

I have read some theories that they can preserve future fertility. That works like this... a woman is born with all the eggs she is ever going to have. In a normal woman, every month, 4-5 eggs will start to develop. Midway through the cycle, one wins the race, she ovulates, and the other eggs stop growing. So for the next two weeks, she's not working on producing any more eggs. With PCOS, it's like our bodies are ALWAYS trying to ovulate but the hormones are wrong so all they can do is turn the eggs in to these little cysts... which is happening ALL THE TIME... no breaks since we never actually ovulate... well I have read some speculation that women with PCOS will go through their eggs faster and reach menopause sooner than women without. I asked my endocrinologist and he says he's not sure that's true. I am not sure it's true but it seems possible and scarey, to me. So if you take BCPs it stops this incessant ovarian activity and may preserve your future fertility.

Ovulation/constant cyst formation can also lead to scarring (I think?) on the ovaries... some way or another the activy increases your chance of ovarian cancer. So anything that halts ovulation - or attempts at it as in PCOS - such as pregnancy, nursing, or BCPs - can reduce your risk of ovarian cancer. Some say women with PCOS are at increased risk of ovarian cancer.

So there are a lot of things BCPs can do aside from preventing pregnancy.

As for taking them with met being bad - some say that BCPs tend to worsen insulin resitance. But all the doctors I have ever talked to said this worsening is so small compared to what is already wrong with your body, and the benfits of the pill can be so great, that it is not a major concern.

1000mg of met is a low dose - the studies they have done show 1500mg or more to be effective. I would see about getting your doctor to raise your dose, regardless of whether you want to add BCPs to the mix.

Good luck!

And thanks for the comps on the baby but oops I just took his picture out of my sig... it was a few months old,I should put a newer one in...

amigone · 06-18-2005, 03:52 AM

Thanks girls, this information was really helpful