metformin making af irregular?

[oh-hilljack]

I was just dx with pco in june and started on metformin, which I'm working up on the dosage. I have all of the symptoms besides I didn't really consider my afs too irregular. They came every 30days just about like clockwork. But now my periods haven't been 30days apart and I have had pms symptoms like crazy even when I wasn't due to start and I have never had the first cramp in my life till now. I haven't read very many stories on here about women having regular periods without meds but I was wondering if anyone else had afs every month before meds. Does anyone have a guess why I'm now having an increase of pms symptoms and what that means for my body? Any help would be appreciated!

[christyz]

First, I want to apologize...I just found this thread for the first time, and when I tried to reply, it had been closed..I assume by one of the other moderators. There is nothing 'close-worthy' about it, so I assume it was an oversight. Don't know how it happened, but I'm sorry it did, because your question is completely legitimate. You're open for business now.

It's normal when you start Met to have your AF's be irregular for a while as the drug adjusts all your many hormones. Testosterone, FSH, LH, Androgen, insulin etc all are regulated by this drug, so it takes time to get them all where they should be. My periods took a full year to get regular ( i had a few 60-something day cycles). Diet can also be a factor. If you aren't low carbing you will get insulin spikes that counter the met, and therefore it takes longer to get your hormones under control. Exercise also helps bring down your insulin.

I too get PMS now...another sign of the hormones doing what they are supposed to, I guess. It's not fun, but it's a sign that things are regulating, so I see it as a positive thing for my body (wonder if my husband agrees...LOL).

Hang in there...AF will come in time for most of us. I think my first Af was 9 weeks after i started taking the meds, so your body just needs a little time. Good luck!

[als0529]

So, Metformin can cause your cycles to be longer? I am also experiencing this. My periods came every 33-38 days until I started Met. I've been on Met for a month now, and I'm now on day 54 of my cycle. Scale says I've lost 4 pounds, but I'm bloated and don't feel like I've lost any weight. Also, I think my acne is worse now, despite using acne meds. I'm not pg (confirmed with a blood test last Friday). This was not at all what I expected from metformin. I understand that my hormones are regulating, but can anyone tell me what's the "average" length of time it takes to start seeing some POSITIVE results?

[christyz]

It's not that met is making your cycles longer, it's just that met is trying to regulate your hormones that initiate menstruation. Unfortunately, that can take some time.

If it makes you feel any better, my periods, acne etc all got worse initally too. My Dr told me after 10 months on Met that if I hadn't seen more positives by now, I wouldn't. But I asked him to keep me on the drug until I saw an endo and he agreed. In the 3 months while I waited, I lost that PCOS round face and i started feeling energetic again..first time in years. By the time I saw my endo, the drug was really helping my periods and I'm glad I got that extra span of time on Met. Had I given up after 9 months, I would have missed the benefits.

I wish i could give you firmer answers. When I was in my 9th month of met I really wanted someone to tell me when my body would smarten up, but not even my Dr could do that. Every woman's hormones are different. It takes some girls a few weeks to sort things out and others like me are stuck waiting longer for their stubborn bodies. For me, I needed more time and some diet changes to get the drug really doing it's job, but it's an individual thing. It's up to you and your Dr as to whether or not you want to wait it out and see if it can help or try another path.

My heart goes out to you..I've sat in my Dr's office sobbing that I wanted to feel normal again and felt like i was a metformin failure. Hope things start to resolve for you soon.

[Calico1]

I just did a search and came up with this older post, to answer a question that is burning in my head as well, not sure if my reply will bump it up.

Christy, I first wanted to thank you for your caring and sensitive way of answering questions on the board. & that your answers to the original poster’s questions have put my mind more at ease this cycle. Also, your personal success in your signature is hope for us all.

I am a newly diagnosed & pretty scared as we are just beginning our ttc journey... I was having irregular cycles 35 days than 50 days before dx of PCOS & Hypothryroidism. Started Synthroid in May, 500 Gluc XR in Jun. Started charting and had two beautiful ovulating cycles of 30 then 36 days right after starting meds. Now on the month we are to start ttc & have finally worked my way up to the 1500 xr, I am on CD 30 with two stops & starts, but no O yet! Every day I just pray for AF or O so I can get on with things.

Does this seem weird that it would work at first, but then get worse as we up the dosage? I can’t imagine that I’d have longer, annovulatory cycles than when I was totally unmedicated?

Also, I’ve had zero weight loss (actually gained some) since starting meds & clothes are getting tighter even though I’ve been exercising 3x week now at the proper intensity & watching very closely my diet. I’m not expecting immediate miracles & I know it takes time, but I would have expected to at least stay the same weight if nothing. Thanks for hearing my story.

Michele

[christyz]

Hi Michele!

Does this seem weird that it would work at first, but then get worse as we up the dosage? I can’t imagine that I’d have longer, annovulatory cycles than when I was totally unmedicated?

That is common. My periods got worse before they got better too. The drug is fighting to regulate everything and getting it all under control is harder then we think.

To give you an idea, this is what my cycles looked like on Met my first year. I started the drug at the beginning of August '01. My first Af was Oct 10 (that's about a 63 day cycle).

Subsequent AF's: Nov 25 (46 day cycle)
Dec 26 (32 days)
Feb 28 '02 (64 days)
April 8 (39 days)
May 10 (31 days)
July 14 (63 days)
Aug 17 (33 days)

So you can see, my first year was far from normal. I know now that a big part of the reason was that I hadn't altered my diet yet. By low carbing, I can keep my insulin spikes down and I give the met less insulin to fight against. I think that is partly why I was so irregular the first year. I have also cranked up my exercise, and I have been 31-34 days every month since July of 2002. Diet and exercise have really helped.

So, take heart. That irregularity is not uncommon, and you can help it by making even little changes to your life.

The weight stall could also be related to the insulin. The more insulin you have floating around in your body, the more your body has to store as fat (see the FAQ thread for more info). If you low carb, this can improve. Once the Met has started to lower your resistance to insulin, the weight loss will probably improve.

Hope this helps and good luck!

[Calico1]

Thank you again Christy! That was extremely helpful & also hopeful. Being an accountant, you definitely appealed to my need for #'s! I have to trust that Met is doing its job.

About low carb dieting, I know that I need to limit carbs substantially, but I have resisted trying Atkins or other LC. I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t feel “right” for me (maybe it's just the induction phase goes against everything I believe in fruit/skim milk etc.) But I did buy the IR Diet and feel good about that and combining it with some of WW’s principles may suit me. If you think I should really give Atkins a try and get over it, please let me know. Or do you have some daily carb #’s/guidelines you try to adhere to? I’m to the point where I weigh every food choice that goes into my mouth vs. being able to have a baby & it’s wearing on me. Doc said I have BMI of 26.5 150 lbs, should lose at least 10-15 lbs for real improvements. My goal lately has been to just keep moving, keep increasing exercising regardless of the scale. Again, thanks for your inspiration.

[christyz]

Michele...I AGREE! I believe we NEED the vitamins, anti-oxidents and fibre of certain carbs. I feel like a complete wreck when I go TOO low.

But having said that, it IS beneficial to lower our carb intake from the norm of our society..the avg carb gram intake per day is something like 200-300 g. I have lowered my intake to around 50-75g per day and I follow the IR diet that limits the amount of carb to 30g in a 2 hr period to limit insulin fluctuation. I also take into account the KIND of carbs i eat...less sugars/starches and more whole grains and fruit/veggies.

Your plan sounds very good..it has worked for me, but it does take time to get those stubborn hormones under control. I liked what you said about keeping active DESPITE the scale. For all the months I ran and gained weight, I decided that I wouldn't stop, no matter what. I knew i was making a difference to my heart and prolongong my life for my children, no matter what the Dr's and scale said.

Stay with it, Michele...your plan sounds smart and realistic and I wish you the very best!

[AmericanWoman]

Like the first cyster who posted, I had regular AF like clockwork. Then I went on met 09/24 (4 days ago) and today I got breakthrough bleeding! I am so annoyed and freaked out! I may still call my endo, but after reading this whole thread, I feel better.

I enjoy also though the feeling of being full! I even forget to eat sometimes! Amazing!

[melissattc]

I just want to add that so far Met is making my cycle irregular as well.
I'm a thin cyster, not IR and my cycles have been 30-40 days. Not bad, right (so I thought)? My LH:FSH is 3:1 and I do have the string of pearls. I've been on Met about a month now and I'm on day 29 with no O in sight. It's so hard to feel motivated to stay on Met when it makes me feel so blah, sleepy and nauseus. I low carb and exercise so shouldn't my cycles be getting better????

It is only because of this forum and reading others experiences that I'm able to stick with the met and feel hopeful.
When I read about how it will cut our risk of mc I wonder how I can even consider not taking it.
Just got to keep our eye on the prize..... (and off that bagel with butter).

[christyz]

Just got to keep our eye on the prize..... (and off that bagel with butter).

LOL!! Good philosophy!

Honey, it isn't the Met making you feel blah and sleepy, it's the unregulated insulin. Until your body figures out up from down and starts to get these hormones in line, you're bound to feel worse before it gets better. I'm proud of you for thinking long term, because that is the hardest part. Hang in there!