side effect of Metformin, Clomid = multiple births?

marciafaye · 11-26-2005, 03:45 PM

hey there

,

i was directed here to ask a couple of questions about medication of the experienced cysters - i am not currently on any meds for PCOS or Insulin Resistance (besides the pill, but only for 1 more month) but my dr said that my next visit that we may "survey our options":

1.) does metformin have any other side effects besides upset tummy?

2.) does clomid cause multiple births?

marciafaye

Adoption Momma · 11-26-2005, 04:05 PM

First - WELCOME!!!!

I can share with you my experience. Metformin comes in two forms: the "regular" and the XR version. There are pros and cons to both. The benefits from the XR is less "stomach" issues. But some have said they found it less effective for their PCOS symptoms. I initially tried regular met and my body couldn't handle it. For a couple of years I was on 500 mg of XR. The dr upped it to 1000 mg and I've beening O'ing on my own.

I was on 500 mg met XR and 50 mg Clomid for a total of 6 times. I O'ed 4 of the 6 times. You need to examine both yours and SO's family history. If multiples run in your family, you do need to take that into consideration. But, I think you're at low risk for multiple on a low dose of clomid.

The best way I can describe clomid is it does the same for your body as BCP with the opposite purpose (does that make sense?). Both help "regulate" your body but one has a hormone to prevent pregnancy and the other "encourages" pregnancy.

I know of cysters who took lose dose and had multiples and others that took high dose and had singleton. I'm sure there are more experienced cysters that can help answer this.

HTH!!!

marciafaye · 11-26-2005, 04:11 PM

both dh and i have multiples in the fam - me my mother's brothers - dh - his mother is a twin AND two of is unlces. i am curious because you see/hear about these folks who have been on fertility drugs who end up with a slew of babes. i could handle two - no doubt- more than that- i dunno!

thanks!

Adoption Momma · 11-26-2005, 04:33 PM

I think the "liter" comes from using drugs like Pergonal (the infamous Dilley sextuplets were conceived using this drug). I think you will see twins or triplets here on the board. I don't know of anyone on SC that has conceived more than 3 (but again, I don't know 100%).

I believe you will find increased chance of multiples when it's the other forms of fertility treatments (injections, IVF, etc). I don't think you're at a greater risk for more than triplets w/Clomid.

RunnerDuck · 11-26-2005, 07:06 PM

It doesn't matter what the man has on his side of the family. The type of twinning that is passed in families is fraternal and this happens when a women releases more than one egg at a time. Think of it as almost a sort of ovulatory dysfunction... just as so many other disorders tend to run in families, so does this. But obviously only the woman can actually exhibit the symptom of multiple ovulations. A man, however, could pass the tendency down to a daughter.

Sometimes fraternal twins are just a fluke, though, and not the result of a tendency that will be passed along. Identical twinning, as far as I know, is always a fluke thing... one egg meets one sperm and divides into two seperate beings. (I could be wrong... but everything I have ever read says identical twins are always a fluke)

For some reason, as women age, they are more likely to have fraternal twins.

So if your uncles are identical or your grandmother had them late in life - twinning may not even be an issue for you.

I have read that with clomid, the liklihood of twins is 8-10% compared to 2% or so in the normal population. I am not sure if that 2% in the normal population is all incidents of twinning or just fraternal twinning, though.

It seems that the vast majority ofr women who get pregnant on clomid have just one baby.

I have read that the incidence of higher order multiples - 3 or more - is not increased with clomid.

I have read that when you move on to injecable meds, the chance of twins raises to 1 in 3 or so...

As for metformin, every one is different... I had very mild upset at first - VERY mild... met never really proved to be the miracle drug I was looking for either, though. I'd have been happy to have more bad side effects if I had gotten more good ones, too.