Metformin Users? (PCOS related)

I have tried it on and off for about a year. I was really good for about 5 months, and lost 4 pounds on it (on top of the 30 that I lost without it). But, I don't love the way that I feel on it, so I stopped. I still periodically take it, but defintiely not regularly. I have lost 7 pounds this year while off it. And I maintained the 30 pound lost from last year without taking it. So, I definitely think taht you can lose weight without taking it. I have lost a total of 35 pounds without it. But, I did significantly change my diet, and I exercice about 60 min a day, 5 days a week. When I was on it consistantly it helped with some of the symptoms, but I didn't notice much help with weight (at least not more than I was doing on my own)

Is your doctor pushing it? My doctor didn't recommend it. I decided to try it because I stalled in my weight loss goals. But, I didn't notice enough of a change to stay on it, so I just don't take it anymore.

I was on metformin for a long time. When I first started taking it, my side effects were so bad that I refused to take it. My doctor switched me to the extended release which works a hundred times better and eliminated most of my side effects. However, I had to have a surgical procedure done about two months ago, so I had to stop taking it for the month leading up to the procedure. During that time I kept dieting and exercising and my weight loss was slower (about .3 to .5 a week as opposed to 1 or 2 pounds), but I still lost. Instead of going back on the Metformin, I cut refined sugar and white flour out of my diet and the pounds fell off. I've plateaued again at .3 to .5 a week, but that's after losing 15 pounds in a little over a month and a little cheating.

I just saw my Doctor last week for my PCOS and here is what she told me:

PCOS exists on a spectrum. There is a lower end and a higher end. By definition, a diagnosis of PCOS is achieved by determining if someone's FSH and LH are imbalanced in such a way that the LH is twice as high or higher than the FSH. This will stop ovulation altogether. The other factor is elevated testosterone. The three of these are the trifecta in diagnosing PCOS. So fir example, in my bloodwork last week, my LH was just barely twice as high as my FSH and testosterone was slightly elevated. This is enough for a full PCOS diagnosis, HOWEVER, there are several other symptoms related to PCOS that not all PCOS'ers will have.... like ovarian cysts, and insulin resistance.

Having said that, the drug Metformin was originally created to treat patients with diabetes. It is an insulin regulating drug. SO it is given to PCOS'ers to control insulin levels. The problem is that NOT ALL PCOS'ers have insulin resistance. Bloodwork can determine glucose levels, risk of diabetes etc. and from that a doctor can determine if you are insulin resistant or not. If you ARE then Metformin can be a hugely helpful drug in controlling insulin levels - high insulin levels can contribute to low fertility. BUT if you are a PCOS'er who only has the hormonal imbalance, then Metformin can potentially not only be useless to you, but it can actually be counterproductive.

My blood work results showed that my blood sugar levels were fairly low (81 I believe) and that my risk of diabetes was very low as well, so my doctor felt confident that insulin resistance was not an issue that I was struggling with. I asked about Metformin and this is the explanation that she gave me. She said that Metformin is useless unless insulin resistance is an issue. For me she prescribed 10-day rounds of Prometrium monthly to help regulate the hormone levels. The other option is to try BCP's for a few months to see if they can be regulated through hormone therapy (remember, BCP's are not necessarily "birth control" while they function as that, they are actually hormone therapy treathemts!).

So if Metformin isn't working for you and the side effects don't seem worth it... call your Doctor and request a full blood screen.... have them test everything. Metabolic, hormone, etc. My Dr. did about 10 viles of blood. Ask to see the results and find out of you are in fact insulin resistant, because if all sings point to that you aren't - then your PCOS may merely be hormonal and can be more easily treated. Metformin is actually a harsh drug with horrible side effects. I thought I'd want it until I had a long talk with my wonderful doctor, and did some research myself.

Hope this helps others!!

I also have PCOS but I am not Insulin Resistant. Metformin did NOTHING for me. I was on 1000 MG 2x/day. I usually only took it once a day instead of 2x per day and my test results never changed. The doc mainly had me on Metformin to help with the hair and acne. I've been off of it for about a year and have just recently gotten off BC as well. It will be interesting to see what my new test results will show.

I do have to work out twice as hard and keep my diet pretty strict, but I'm losing weight. I stay away from refined sugars as much as possible and try to limit my complex carbs. I try to get most of my carbs from fruits and veggies. I just know that because of PCOS this has to be my lifestyle, if I want to remain healthy. The funny thing is, now that I'm working out so much and eating right, I have less acne and unwanted hair then when I was on Metformin & BC.

I may have to work my butt off (literally) to lose the weight, but I feel so much better now that I'm not taking all of the medications. No more crazy side effects. I have a dr appt next month...so we'll see how the test results come out.

I'm on Metformin for my PCOS too. It seems like for me, it's not really doing anything. I've actually gained a little more than half a pound this week even though I'm taking it and working my butt off... Plus, my cycles seem to have completely stopped since I've been taking it (Started May 12 - last period May 14th...) I'm now on cycle day 81, feeling awful and going crazy because I have constant PMS like symptoms (cramps, bloating, moodiness, etc...) ... Have any of you had this problem?

I'm on Metformin for my PCOS too. It seems like for me, it's not really doing anything. I've actually gained a little more than half a pound this week even though I'm taking it and working my butt off... Plus, my cycles seem to have completely stopped since I've been taking it (Started May 12 - last period May 14th...) I'm now on cycle day 81, feeling awful and going crazy because I have constant PMS like symptoms (cramps, bloating, moodiness, etc...) ... Have any of you had this problem?

The Metformin never helped me get a cycle. If I wanted one I had to do Provera as well so for me it was pointless. That was before my weight loss though. After that I got cycles on my own.

What is baffling to me is that even though my cycles were ridiculously long, I was still having them until I started the Metformin... Before, I was having one every 35-58 days, but the cycles were getting progressively longer even at that point.

The GP wouldnt give me Metformin so I bought some online! I took it for about 3 months and it changed my life. It regulated my cycle so that it became a 28 day cycle with mature eggs instead of 21 day and only releasing immature eggs.

It changed my life so much that last November we had ourselves a beautiful baby boy!! 12 yrs I had been infertile, 12 years.

And after 12 yrs of pcos and all the horrific symptoms, I had my bloods redone last month - all clear, and had my ovaries scanned - perfectly functioning normal ovaries.

The pcos seems to have gone away!!! I am once again normal and fertile. How can that happen?? (just the hair to get under control now)