Metformin Success Stories - Page 9

SuzSc · 05-10-2007, 08:47 PM

Hi Guys,

I started Met 8 weeks ago and built up to 1500mg over2 weeks so I've been at my full dose of 1500mg for 6 weeks. Fertility Friend says my cycle is still going - I"m on CD 134. However, I did get 5 full days of good spotting and now, 10 days later my temps have been the highest they have been since the beginning of this cycle. I'm hoping a proper AF shows up in the next couple of weeks.

But the Met is definately working. I'm eating a fairly low GI diet and have been exercising a little. I'm a thin cyster and IR didn't show up in my 3 blood tests. I was diagnosed via acanthosis nigricans - the slightest shadows on my the knuckles just before my finger nails.

Cheers,
Suzan

MorganMarie · 05-11-2007, 11:28 AM

Hi Suzan, I wanted to share with you my story. I'm a thin cyster too. I never got my periods on my own since the age of about 13 or 14. We're talking two years or more I went w/o one. My fertility specialists that I went to a year ago kept going back and forth on whether or not I was PCOS and would not "officially" diagnose me w/ this. I got soooo frustrated because I knew all along this was most likely what I had. I was tested and found not to be IR and so when I asked to be put on Metformin they told me it would not work for me because I was not IR.

I KNEW they were wrong. Everything I read on this site told me that. So I went behind their back and asked my family doctor to put me on the Met. She started me out at 500mg then slowly increased it over a span of 3 months but it wasn't until I was on the 2000mg dose that I ovulated - so 4 months total until I got my first period and then I conceived the following cycle so 5 months total I was on Met before I received my BFP!!!!

It's still astounding to me! My DH and I tried for almost 5 years doing temping, Clomid and Fertility injections and all it took was a tiny pill that cost $10 a month! And we conceived our 2nd cycle on it!! If I really stop and think about it, I get angry. Angry that the doctors would not listen to me and angry at myself for not acting faster at being my own advocate.

The medical profession still does not know as much about this syndrome as they should. It's awful.

You may find that 1500mg is not strong enough for you. I've heard many PCOS specialists say that the theraputic dose (especially for thinner cysters) is 2000mg.

Good luck with everything and your chart does look like a period may be on its way!

Take care.

SuzSc · 05-11-2007, 08:14 PM

MorganMarie - thanks for sharing. It's inspiring to read stories that are similar to me. Great to hear you got pregnant! Congratulations!!! It's so wonderful to hear success stories.

I'm going back to see my RE in 4 months. If I'm not pregnant I will hop up to 2000mg. It's obvious that it's working to some degree so I must be IR. It's just a matter of time and working out the right dosage.

Thanks again for posting!

Cheers,
Suzan

Amsterdam · 05-14-2007, 07:19 AM

Here's a success story: Got pregnant after only 4 weeks of Metformin 1500 mg last year!!!

I was put on Met after a year of clomid cycles and while waiting for my first IVF (to reduce the risk of hyperstimulation). I was supposed to take it for 3 months and than start IVF. I only took it for six weeks when I found out I was pregnant. I gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy.

I just started taking Metformin again last week, TTC no. 2 right now. I hope it will work again.

Good luck to you all!

cole1976 · 05-15-2007, 09:21 AM

Hello Amsterdam,

i love hearing stories like that! awesome.

Congrats

MorganMarie · 05-15-2007, 09:46 AM

Wow! That is a success story! Congratulations and I hope it works for you again. Definitely keep us posted! I know I'm going back on it when ttc #2.

Just curious, did you take the Met during you first Trimester and then stop or did you continue to used thru out the pregnancy? Sounds like you must have stopped.

TrishainAZ · 05-15-2007, 10:48 AM

You might think that since she says she's starting again (I don't know the answer for her) but I took it throughout but stopped when I gave birth.

CaliGirl! · 05-15-2007, 05:59 PM

Hello Ladies,

I have a Dr's appt. on the 31st of this month and I am hoping she will prescribe me Metformin. I am having my first AF since Jan. thanks to acupuncture. Now I am worried that since I got it and since I am a thin cyster the Dr. won't prescribe me Met. Has anyone had any problems getting their Dr. to prescribe it for you. I just want to be ready in case she says no. Thanks in advance.

~Amber

Amsterdam · 05-16-2007, 04:47 AM

MorganMarie - Congratulations on your BFP!!! Isn't it amazing what Metformin does for women with pcos... I stopped taking Met a soon as I got my BFP. It was the policy of my hospital to stop taking the Met when pregnant. Only women with pcos who had a history of m/c were to take them throughout the first trimester. To be honest, I didn't know much about it when I was put on Met the first time, so I took it as I was told. I will do the same again this time (If I will get pregnant on Met again, that is

), because it worked out perfect the other time.

CaliGirl - I'm thin and not IR... Metformin worked great for me. My Dr. never said anything about having to be thin/obese or whatever. Tell your Dr. you know women that had great success on Met.

MorganMarie · 05-16-2007, 09:37 AM

Cali Girl, you can read my post up above and yes I did have a hard time with my RE (Fertility Specialist) who would not approve me for Met. BUT I really think the reason why they wouldn't prescribe it to me had to do with $$$ They were pushing IVF on me when the fertility injection cycles didn't work. I know it sounds awful but hey that's what I think. They go to make their money right?

My family doctor prescribed me the Met with no problem but I did have to really push her to let me go up to 2000mg. If you find you're having a difficult time, get on this site and print out the numerous articles found on here about Met and take them to your doctor. Just because your thin, not IR and get a period every once in a while does NOT mean you DO NOT have PCOS. I think I even read somewhere that 50% of PCOS women are thin! It's just a misconception and easier for the doctors to diagnose when the patient is obese, has hair loss, skin tags, IS IR....KWIM?

Good luck and I hope everything works out for you.

PBLayzod · 05-16-2007, 10:43 AM

I'll add that while my first RE was not interested in the Met option, but 2nd RE (we moved to another city) was shocked that I wasn't on it. He didn't seem to think I would conceive on Met alone, but he was concerned that I'd done all those fertility treatments without having the Met to decrease the m/c rate. We were planning on doing IVF this Spring, but luckily the Met worked on it's own.

It really seems to be an individual thing with doctors. I think there is a regional standard treatment as well. Met seems to be the norm in some areas. In other places, you're hard strapped to find a single doctor who'll prescribe it.

CaliGirl! · 05-16-2007, 01:37 PM

Thanks for all the responses. I have an appointment with an endocrinologist not an RE on the 31st and then another appointment scheduled with a different endocrinologist on June 4th. I wasn't sure which Dr. I wanted to see since one is a woman and one is a man. I guess my best bet is to keep both appointments and if the 1st one doesn't prescribe it I can see what the 2nd one says. Seems a little overboard but I know how long it takes to get a new patient appointment. I will keep you updated. Thanks for all the success stories, they are really uplifting.

~Amber

pcoscantkeepmedown · 05-16-2007, 01:40 PM

Hi Cysters my name is naomi and i am new to the group. I was diagnosed with pcos at 15 after long battles with misdiagnosis. I was put on met when they first found out(also IR) I got AF within that month but got really sick. I lost a lot of weigh and started to get AF regularly so I stopped taking it. AF sropped again when i went to college and gained weight, didbt get back on met just diet and exercise then she came back. Got Married in Aug 06(YAY!), gained weight lol AF stopped again its been 9 mnths no AF back on met 1500mg as of yesterday, man i hate the side effects (ran to the bathroom all day yesterday) but hoping to conceive baby #1 within the next couple of months. All these stories are really giving me hope. I was wondering if pcos is hereditary because no one in my family has it. Mom has normal AF she is a little overweight, sister is normal weight and has normal AF so why did i get curse with this disease. Do any of you guys have family history of it?

Naomi 21, DH Dean 21-married Aug '06

Furbabies-lady and chloey

DX-at age 14

Met-1500mg

TTC #1- since Jan 07

CaliGirl! · 05-16-2007, 04:30 PM

I don't think I have a family history of it. Although, once I really looked at all of the symptoms I could see some of them in my mom and relatives. But some of the symptoms are so common I don't know what woman wouldn't have at least one. My mom always apologizes to me because she thinks she gave it to me, but she doesn't even have it. lol On a side note: when you are done with baby #1, if you still don't get AF, try acupuncture. I haven't had AF since Jan and now after going to an acupuncturist I got it! Yay! Good luck on TTC. I will be right there with you soon.

Take Care,

Amber

karimariep · 05-18-2007, 03:47 PM

I have been on Met for exactly two weeks now. I started out taking only 500mg on the recommendation of my doctor because he was concerned about the side effects/making me sick to my stomach. I started taking it in the evenings after dinner and didn't have any negative side effects at all. I am now taking the full 1500mg 3 times a day and am feeling wonderful...even better than before I started taking Metformin. My appetite has decreased, I have lost 10 pounds, and I have so much energy.
I am hoping that we are able to conceive soon and that Met works for me like it did for you ladies!