Studies showing insulin-sensitizing meds WORK for thin cysters

lissadell · 01-15-2004, 07:43 PM

Hi all,

Here are some studies showing insulin-sensitizers work for thin ladies with PCOS (including one that says they help even if we're not IR). I've included a quote from the findings, along with a link to the full study. Also, I included the one I posted the other day so that these are all in one place for future reference. I'll add more when I come across them. Feel free to do the same!

Let's go out there and educate those out-of-date docs!

Take care

Lissa

1- Insulin-sensitizing Medications Aid Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Even Without Insulin Resistance, Obesity

“Treatment with insulin-sensitizing medications such as metformin (Glucophage®) promotes ovulation and reduces testosterone levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), even if they are relatively lean and insulin-responsive.”

http://www.docguide.com/news/content...Other&count=10

2 - Lean Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Respond to Insulin Reduction with Decreases in Ovarian P450c17 Activity and Serum Androgens

“Weight loss is first-line therapy for obese women with PCOS, but is not a therapeutic option for nonobese women with the disorder. The clinical importance of our findings is that they suggest that even normal weight and thin women with PCOS should respond to pharmacological measures to improve insulin sensitivity, such as administration of agents like metformin, with decreases in ovarian androgen production and serum androgens.”

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/con...ull/82/12/4075

3 - Metformin administration modulates and restores luteinizing hormone spontaneous episodic secretion and ovarian function in nonobese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

“Menstrual cyclicity was restored in all amenorrheic and oligomenorrheic women. . .Metformin administration improves reproductive axis functioning in hyperandrogenic nonobese PCOS patients. By acting on the ovary and restoring normal ovarian activity, metformin positively modulates the reproductive axis (namely GnRH-LH episodic release).”

http://www.docguide.com/news/content...256DFC00808470

4 - Nonobese women with polycystic ovary syndrome respond better than obese women to treatment with metformin.

"In the metformin group of nonobese patients, the mean fasting serum insulin concentration decreased. . . Also in the metformin group of nonobese patients, the mean basal serum total testosterone, free testosterone, and androstenedione concentrations decreased by 38%, 58%, and 30%, respectively. In the obese patients treated with metformin, only free testosterone showed a statistically significant decrease."

http://www.docguide.com/news/content...256DFC00808470

Perpetua · 01-22-2004, 07:59 PM

Just wanted to say thanks for these - my OBGYN insists that PCOS causes IR & that Met can not do anything for me. I'll be printing these out & taking them to my PCP & OBGYN on my next visit!

AussieDog · 02-20-2004, 05:42 PM

Hi Lissa,

I am trying out Clomid this month for the first time, and I'm hoping that it works...but I have been trying to find as much info. as possible about the benefits of Metformin. I have tested non-IR and I am thin...well, pretty much -- I do have that apple-type shape, and now, since getting diagnosed, I understand why! Actually, I think you may have responded to me before when I put a post on the Trying to Conceive Board.

I have read that most women don't typically do more than 6 cycles of Clomid, and I don't want to waste ANY of mine if what I need to add is Metformin. I'm also prematurely thinking about miscarriages, and if Metformin helps, I want to be on it!

So, I just want to thank you for the links.... I am printing them out as I write. I want to know what I'm talking about when I discuss this with my doctor.

Georgia

moonshadow · 02-23-2004, 10:48 AM

i tested non ir, and my endo put me on met anyway. all i can say is that though i was only on it for 3 months, the year following (from the month i started it, rather than the month i finished it) i got af at shorter and shorter intervals (before this i needed prometrium or similar to start af).

i would gladly go back on met. i think it did help me, even if i didn't start ovulating, and even though i'm not ir.

lissadell · 03-03-2004, 05:58 PM

ETA another study on 3/03/04. See #4 above.

More good news on met for thin cysters!

Lissa

nj teacher · 03-07-2004, 11:49 AM

Thanks for the info!

I am hoping that adding met to my regiment will help!

lissadell · 04-07-2004, 12:00 AM

Bump