Um, is it just me??

heycupcake · 11-05-2007, 05:48 PM

Hey guys! I just read through all of the Metformin success posts, which are amazing and make me feel tons better. I just started taking Met about 2 weeks ago (1000mg a day) and haven't had the horrible s/e as I was afraid of. I have been in the bathroom more frequently, which seems to have irritated my (sorry for the gross info!) internal hemmorhoids. Anyone else have this problem? I'm hoping this unpleasant s/e goes away soon, I really don't want to reduce or give up on Metformin, especially after reading all the success stories! That seems to be the only s/e I have actually, other than just feeling more tired.

My other question is this: I started taking Yasmin birth control pills about 1 year ago. My OB/GYN put me on this to regulate my periods, and it really has! I've had a regular period, on-time ever since. However, I noticed that for many of you the Metformin regulated your periods... I am currently trying to get to a healthier weight so that I can TTC, and hopefully will be at that point by next year sometime. (I am also taking high blood pressure meds, which is one reason I'm wanting to lose weight before TTC). Does anyone know how BCP affect women with PCOS in terms of future pregnancies? When should I stop taking the Yasmin? How long after discontinuing BCP will I begin to ovulate?

Another weird fact that I'm interested in seeing if anyone else has experienced: I got pregnant at age 18 before being diagnosed with PCOS. It was not a planned pregnancy and I had some complications but I delivered a healthy baby boy 2 weeks early. Fast forward 6 years, DH and I were TTC without luck which is how PCOS was discovered. Is this abnormal?

Any info. is appreciated!

Renee3600 · 11-05-2007, 06:09 PM

I'm fortunate to have never had hemmorhoids, but I get occational diarrhea if I eat something with too many carbs. Is it mostly when you eat high carb foods?
Renee

heycupcake · 11-05-2007, 06:18 PM

Actually no, and it wasn't ever technically "diarrhea", I don't think. My stools just kind of changed in consistency for a while and I was going more often. They seem to be back to "normal" now, but the other issue has been a problem for a few days now.

I eat moderate carbs, no fried/greasy/fatty foods, and drink tons of water as part of my daily eating plan which I think has helped. I think I may need to just start eating more when I take the Met? Anyone know how many hours apart 500mg should be spaced? Perhaps I could take 1 with lunch and 1 with dinner instead of 1 with breakfast and 1 with dinner as I have been....

sheepiegirl · 11-05-2007, 06:21 PM

About the BCPs. I started Met last November and my doctor prescribed me Yaz at the same time, so I don't think you need to stop taking it if you don't want to right now. His goal for doing that was to get me on BCPs for a few months, along with the Met, and then take me off BCPs and hopefully my period would have been jump started. It was a nice theory

But Met never got me to ovulate...

mom_wants_another · 11-06-2007, 01:07 AM

I had no problem conceiving my first at 17... had problems conceiving my second which took over 3 years. I would discontinue the BCP ATLEAST 6 month before you would like to ttc. At which time I would start on prenatal and folic acid supps.

HTH

lavenderlee · 11-10-2007, 01:11 PM

I took BCP for about nine months - they made me miserable. So, I decided it was time to go off of them. I had piled on about 40ish pounds in that time. When I went off of them, that's when I started charting. I was diagnosed with PCOS about six months later. I know that I didn't ovulate regularly before the pill (often went 6-8 weeks between periods) but when I came off of the pill I had horribly long cycles - I ended one (finally!) after 150 days (after going to two dr's to get a prescription for provera). My point is, that you may not ovulate after you come off the BCP, you may need assistance with clomid. Or you may be fine, can't really tell while you're on it, as each woman is different.

But, you are in a good place, you have a diagnosis, you're already on Met, etc. Good luck to you!

Jodes · 11-10-2007, 05:21 PM

About coming off the pill -
I was put on the pill in college because I wasn't getting a period at all, and when I went off the pill a year later I was diagnosed w/PCOS. I started charting immediately and didn't ovulate until 2 years later (on my own, no meds involved). But everyone is different. Being a lean sister, weight loss/gain doesn't affect my cycles but it could very well for you. As someone else just suggested, I would go off your BCP at least 6 months in advance, if not earlier. We're TTC #3 and ALL three times I've wished I had started the process a little sooner.... best wishes to you!