Have to be IR to take Metformin?

kloc12 · 01-02-2004, 01:27 PM

My doctor doesn't want me to be on Metformin unless I am insulin resistant. I cannot have a period, I am not overweight, but i gained some weight and want to lose it. I don't know if it would help me regulate my period and weight or not. I just wanted to try it, but she put me on Prometrium. I don't know much about that at all. I'm confused. my Insulin tests came up very low around 3 and showed that I wasnt insulin resistant. Does anyone know anything about Prometrium and if it helps regulate me to possibly lose weight and give a period. The only bad thing is that I insisted no BCPs because it makes me very mentally unstable. Now I don't know what to do.

oohmercyme · 01-02-2004, 01:45 PM

Hi there. I am not a thin cyster and I am also not IR. I am, however, on Met. All my hormone levels and such are normal, but my doc still believes I have PCOS. I used to take BCP's to get AF (but like you, they made me a total nutbar). I also tried provera, but it stopped working (it also made me insane).

After 6 weeks on met, I got my first "normal" AF in about 6 years. I have lost a few pounds since being on met, but I don't think an amount significant enough to bring on AF if weight is the problem.

My doc also gave me prometrium which I was to start mid-december (prometrium is supposed to have less mental health side effects than provera because its natural progestin). Since I actually had a my own AF, I decided not to take it and am waiting to see if AF comes again on her own in January.

If you go to the met forum, you should find a thread about taking met and not being IR that should be helpful.

Good luck!

Lori

waiting for first · 01-02-2004, 06:44 PM

I'd switch docs personally. The "old school" of thought was what your doc is saying. THe newest research says met can help those cysters who are not IR and not overweight in many cases. If you search on these boards, there are some research articles available about met for non IR cysters.
I feel so strongly about this that I switched from one RE to another in order to get a doc who believed in met for non IR cysters. Another thing to consider is if you are ttc, then met helps reduce the m/c rate. I wanted to do everything possible to lower it, including being on met, if I was going to resort to injectables for IF treatment.

Good luck!

Beth

packerfan · 01-04-2004, 09:23 PM

I agree with Beth--switch doctors. My OB didn't even test for IR, he felt it was irrelevant to whether Met would work for me. I used 1500 mg and had AF within 2 weeks of starting and was PG 6 weeks after starting (had been TTC for 1 year). I m/c that PG, but did have more normal periods---more like 32-40 days versus 70 days!).

I had gained some weight since my PCOS symptoms started about 10 years ago. I didn't really lose much weight with met. BUt I plan to go back on it after this baby is born to see if it helps!

Good Luck,

Kim

Chrissy · 01-05-2004, 03:41 PM

I don't get a period without bc pills or provera either. I don't test IR either but my RE gave me Avandia anyway. I take 4 mg. a day and got a perod 30 days to the first pill and this month I O'd Complete shock for me!!! Talk to your doctor and consider Avandia since there are no stomach problems with it.

kloc12 · 01-05-2004, 05:16 PM

I was just wondering if anyone is like me. I know this is the "thin cyster" forum and I consider myself part of it because I am in the normal range for weight. However, since I went of BCPs I gained 10-15 lbs and found out I had PCOS. I wanted to know if any of you girls are "normal weight" and have had success with Metformin. The only pblm i have is NO period.Thanks for the emails keep them coming. Im trying to change Docs in the mean time. You guys are so helpful.

mbv · 01-05-2004, 05:56 PM

Hi,
I tried met/glucophage a couple of different rounds and each time it did not work for me. I know it helps some women but not for me. All I got was very nauseous.

hope that helps.

lissadell · 01-05-2004, 07:46 PM

Hi,

I'm on MetER (extended release) -- currently at 500 MG. I got AF exactly 30 days after starting it, but this cycle isn't proving to be quite as successful. I think the 500 MG did enough to jolt my hormones last cycle, but that I need a higher dose to be effective. From what I've read, 1,500 MG tends to be the minimum effective dosage, though some ladies have success at lower doses.

I've had no luck with GPs or my OB/GYN treating PCOS so agree with the recommendation to seek another doc. Glad you're taking that step! I'm now being treated by an endocrinologist who plans to up my dosage to 2,000 MGs after I have bloodwork at the start of next cycle to officially confirm that I have PCOS (sad but true...I've never been appropriately tested...I chalk it up to being thin and having docs that didn't know what to do with me). I also plan to talk to her about Avandia as a potential option if the Met doesn't work; I've heard it can work both in conjunction with met or as an alternative to Met.

There is definite evidence out there that insulin-sensitizers can help women with PCOS, even if we're not IR. Good luck finding a new doc who's more up-to-date on PCOS!

Best wishes

Lissa

moonshadow · 01-06-2004, 09:14 AM

last year i did my ir tests and hormone tests and all that. i'm not ir, though my hormones were all out of whack (particularly free testosterone and i was already being treated for hypothyroidism). i was put on met even though i wasn't ir. i thought this was really strange, but it seems that it isn't. i stopped taking it after a few months (i got bumped up to 1500, and was getting sick, and couldn't miss school), but, af had started to make a comeback. last year i had the minimum 6 cycles that are recommended for uterine health. last af was in october though, so i think it's time to do something about it again.

i think the met may have given me a kick start for the year. this is the only thing that makes sense to me. i usually get af every 5-7 months without help, and i was getting it more often than that.

before i started met i was put on prometrium. the reason i don't want to go on prometrium again is it doesn't do anything for ovulation (so i was told by my doc). it just sort of tells your body to shed its lining, which gives the uterus a good cleaning. i'd rather be on something that promoted ovulation as well as af. i think. i mean, what i'd really like is to ovulate on my own, but i don't think that's going to happen.

i think i'll probably go back on metformin, as it seemed to help, even though i'm not ir.

kloc12 · 01-06-2004, 10:34 AM

Hi,

I feel the same way, thats why I didnt want to go on Prometrium, but she put me on. I said the same thing to my doc that I wanna try to "feel like" I am ovulating on my own, but she said..you won't unless your on meds. So I think im gonna look into trying to get met. Thanks you guys are SO helpful. My lifesavers!!

Chrissy · 01-06-2004, 03:07 PM

Consider Avandia or at least suggest your doctor looks into it a bit. I just read a new study showing it more liable to regulate thin cysters who took it. I think it was on the PCOS Association site. IT has NO stomach issues associated with it.

lissadell · 01-07-2004, 10:04 AM

Chrissy - if you can track down that study on Avandia working for thin cysters, I'd be most interested in reading it. I've seen studies on Metformin working for us, but none on Avandia (yet). Would love to get my doc's opinion on th subject!

Kloc/moonshadow - another option, if you don't like provera or prometrium is natural progesterone cream (NPC). I know a lot of PCOS ladies have had success with it. It work's like prometrium/provera in that it signals your body to shed your uterine lining, but, from what I've read, it's better tolerated then the drugs. It's available w/o a prescription. I plan to try it...actually was going to start using it today, but my kooky body is actually looking like it might "o" so I'm holding off for now. Let me know if your at all interested and I'll post some links. And, if the regular metformin or glucophage doesn't work, you can try the extended release versions (Metformin ER or Glucophage XR). These forms release the medication into your system over time vs. all at once and tend to diminish side effects. Personally, I haven't had any.

Have a great day, ladies!