PCOS w/o IR

tschreck79 · 03-01-2008, 01:29 AM

I have been dx w/PCOS but no IR. Will Met work for me? I've been on it since Oct '07 and have a loss of appetite. I'm already thin, 5'8" and 110lbs.

TTC: 10/07
10/07:-11/07: Clmd 50 mg Met 500-1500mg
11/07- No OV!
11/07-1/08: Met 1000mg..new doctor referred
1/08-2/08: Clmd 100mg Met 1000mg
2/08- Ov

but no BFP!
2/08-3/08: Letrozol 5mg Met 2000mg
It's day 12 tomorrow...no OV yet!

Me - 28 yrs. old, 29 years on Monday
Husband (Dream come true!

) - 34 yrs. old
Married March 11, 2006

DX '94 at 15
on BCP 12 yrs

TrishainAZ · 03-01-2008, 01:13 PM

I answered one of your other threads, but my doctor doesn't test for IR and says the tests can be unreliable. He presribes met regardless. Soooo, I'd say its possible it could work for you, but each woman is different its hard to say what'll be your magic pill. You might lose more weight on the met, but it won't necessarily be an issue even being as thin as you are. (I lost quite a bit too, but was able to get pregnant regardless... although not quite as thin as you... I got to 107 at 5'4.5")

springtime · 03-01-2008, 01:27 PM

Hi there! I just started Met as well even though I am 5'4 and 110. My labs also showed that I am non-IR. I'll keep you posted!

tschreck79 · 03-11-2008, 02:58 AM

Thanks for your advice! My doc said that the level of Met hasn't been proven, so as long as I can tolerate 1000mg, I should keep at that level. 1500mgs was making me uncomfortable.

Tiffy-Taffy · 04-10-2008, 10:18 PM

I had one endocrinologist put me on 750mg of Met (I'm thin and not IR). I took it for a little over a year. Finally saw a RE and he said that I didn't need to be on it. So.. I got off of it. Saves me money and its less "interference" with the other meds I'm taking.

doxie mom · 04-24-2008, 12:12 AM

I just read a study that says met does help thin, non IR women ovulate. I can't access it here are home, but here's the abstract.

"Metformin improves polycystic ovary syndrome symptoms irrespective of pre-treatment insulin resistance"

OBJECTIVE: Insulin resistance (IR) and obesity are common features of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Insulin-sensitizing agents have been shown to improve both reproductive and metabolic aspects of PCOS, but it remains unclear whether it is also beneficial in lean patients without pre-treatment IR. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of metformin on the clinical and biochemical parameters of PCOS irrespective of the presence of basal obesity and IR. DESIGN: The effect of 6 months of metformin treatment was prospectively assessed in 188 PCOS patients, divided into three groups according to body mass index (BMI; lean: BMI<25 kg/m2, overweight: BMI 25-29 kg/m2, and obese: BMI30 kg/m2). Outcome parameters, which were also assessed in 102 healthy controls, included body weight, homeostasis model assessment for IR (HOMA-IR), fasting glucose and insulin levels, area under the curve of insulin response (AUCI), hyperandrogenism, and menstrual irregularities. RESULTS: In comparison with the respective BMI-appropriate control groups, only obese but not lean and overweight PCOS patients showed differences in fasting insulin and HOMA-IR. Metformin therapy significantly improved all outcome parameters except fasting glucose levels. Subgroup analyses revealed that in the group of lean PCOS patients without pre-treatment IR, metformin significantly improved HOMA-IR (1.7+/-1.0 vs 1.1+/-0.7 micromol/lxmmol/l2) and fasting insulin levels (7.7+/-4.2 vs 5.4+/-3.9 mU/l), in addition to testosterone levels (2.6+/-0.9 vs 1.8+/-0.7 nmol/l), anovulation rate (2.3 vs 59.5%), and acne (31.8 vs 11.6%; all P<0.017). In the overweight and obese PCOS groups, metformin also showed the expected beneficial effects. CONCLUSION: Metformin improves parameters of IR, hyperandrogenemia, anovulation, and acne in PCOS irrespective of pre-treatment IR or obesity.

mcoreen · 04-25-2008, 10:49 AM

My dr didn't test for IR, but put me on met anyway. Studies are conclusive some say it is helpful others say it isn't. Bottomline is it probably won't hurt and it is cheap. I pay $15 at Walmart for a months worth of the generic. Since I started it my cycles have shortened and I think I even O'd. I'm only 5' & 107 # so no weight to lose here... My dr did do a fasting glucose, but didn't say the results, I'm pretty sure it was fine though. I've tested my blood sugar before and never had any weird results.

DancingRabbit · 04-27-2008, 08:52 AM

what about the miscarriage risk? is the risk still 40% even without IR? And would Met help to lower the risk even in that case?

thanks!

ilovebailey · 04-27-2008, 10:48 AM

yes, met lowers m/c risk in a big way.

sheepiegirl · 04-27-2008, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DancingRabbit

what about the miscarriage risk? is the risk still 40% even without IR? And would Met help to lower the risk even in that case?

thanks!

You know, I'm not convinced that it would. Personally (and I'm not a doctor or anything, so this is just my opinion...) I think that Met helping conceive and Met helping to lower to miscarriage rate in PCOS has to do with the fact that a good majority of PCOS people have IR to some extent, so the Met helps with that and ultimately helps both conceive and remain pg. So I'm not so sure about what it actually does for a person who is not IR.

That said, it can't hurt to try the Met...

tschreck79 · 04-29-2008, 12:44 AM

Hi All,
I got off Met last cycle since I'm not IR and I felt like it was not helping me (maybe poisoning me?) but continued with Femara on CD 3-7 and now I'm 3wks pregnant. I think getting off Met did the trick. I had a feeling and sometimes it's good to to go with your instincts.

sheepiegirl · 04-29-2008, 10:30 AM

how do you think met was poisoning you?

Natalie'smom06 · 05-06-2008, 02:05 PM

Met could work for you, I find that every cyster's experience is different. What I can tell you is of my experience: I O'd on it when I got PG with my DD during 1st month, but with TTC#2 I haven't O'd yet - I am on CD29 since I stopped BCP.
I personally can tell met makes a difference. My symptoms are so much better when on it than without it - mostly hair growth and acne. I was given Met before I got tested for I/R, as my Dr said that Met is the recommended treatment for PCOS. But the test still did come back as not-I/R.
I recently read how PCOS without met M/C rate is 45%, and with Met it is 12%. like others have said, that M/C rate could be less for non-I/R cysters.
PS I just noticed this Thin Cysters board!! I finally feel like I found people just like me!!

tbone79 · 05-06-2008, 08:39 PM

Has anyone had their doctor prescribe Metformin BEFORE they were TTC?? I was diagnosed with PCOS from a clinical perspective in February (all labs normal, jnon- IR, just irregular periods and excess facial and tummy hair) and all my Dr told me was to not gain weight and keep taking my birth control and let her know when I am ready to start TTC. The thing is I will not want to start trying for probably 5 more years. My main complaint right now is the excess hair on my face and stomach. I tried laser hair removal a few years ago and after I thought the hair was gone it started to slowly return. So, I was just wondering if anyone's Dr has put them on Met before TTC???

tschreck79 · 05-08-2008, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheepiegirl

how do you think met was poisoning you?

Sheepgirl:
I never felt quite right on Met. I had a loss of appetite and my hair seemed to be falling out. I did get more regular periods but I had already been having a period almost every month for a year before I went on Met and the fertility drugs, Clomid and Femara. I was really surprised my body didn't respond to getting pregnant when I ovulated on Clomid at 100mg and that I didn't ovulate on Femara at 5mg and even with an HCG shot, we weren't pregnant. I decided to give my instincts a chance, went off of Metformin but continued taking the Femara from CD 3-7. It worked the first time! Before we even knew I was pg, my new RE wanted to do a glucose test to see if I was IR. So, I continued off of Met for that test, and before I could even take the test, I found out I had BFP!
NataliesMom:
I asked my RE if I should start taking Met again to decrease the risk of miscarriage but she said that they recommend only continuing on Met if you were taking it before getting pregnant (and since I am most likely non-IR, I agreed). She said there are no long term studies that Met works and there are side-effects that could possibly harm the baby.
I know my body and it did not want to get pg with the Met.