PCOS AND METFORMIN

I was on this med for my diabetes type 2 for 3 years...it took about a month to get past the side effects, but it helps you lose weight too.....hang in there and carry lots of sugar-free mint gum with you!

I'm sorry you are having these side effects. I took metformin back in 09 for a couple of months before I got pregnant. I don't really remember any side effects. Hopefully they won't last long and you will start feeling better.

The side effects never went away for me. I tried changing my diet and cutting out fat back then and the side effects persisted. I lost weight while on it, but as soon as I went off, the weight came back plus some. I said screw it and now refuse to take it. I take cinnamon supplements with chromium now, at the advise of my doctor, to help control my blood sugar and I've had a lot of success with it. I take 1,000mg 2x a day (2,000mg total). It's a lot cheaper ($5 a month) and there are no side effects. Ask your doctor about it.

I have/had PCOS. I was on Metformin at one point. I gave up on all of that and tried Atkins diet out on a whim. My blood sugar issues corrected themselves and I actually got (and stayed) pregnant with my daughter who is now 3. I did jump off of my diet because I thought that there was no possible way it was good for a baby to be nourished that way (while in utero or during breastfeeding). So, my blood sugar issues came roaring back. (And I was on bedrest from 14 weeks on...medications to stop contractions from 16 weeks on.) I spent time on the cusp of gestational diabetes and then developed it in the last month of pregnancy. I had never been so sick in my entire life. That lasted for the entire pregnancy + 2 years.

At the advice of my rheumatologist, I tried a diet consisting of only lean meat, raw nuts, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. My life completely changed. Since then, I've gone totally Paleo. I went from eating the recommended whole grain diet and having atypical PCOS, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, IBS, asthma (onset at 30 years old), significant iron deficiency anemia, insulin resistance and blood sugar issues that were monitored 4 times daily, seasonal allergies that never went out of season, severe frequent migraines, etc....to not. Since October 2010, I've eaten this way and cured all of those problems. The PCOS was the most deeply entrenched---and took the longest to correct, but I have had clear scans and great TOMs since May.

I recommend the Paleo way of life to everyone that I meet that has PCOS and blood sugar issues. I really can't say enough good things about it. Yes, I lost weight, but more importantly---I gained my life back. I feel better than I can ever remember feeling in my entire life and my blood work and scans continue to blow my doctors away. If you would like to know more about a Primal diet or Paleo diet, check out marksdailyapple.com. You can read other women's PCOS success stories there as well.

My macro numbers are 50 to 55% good fat, 25 to 35% protein, the remainder in good clean green carbs.

Good luck on your journey.

I have PCOS and insulin resistance. I have been on time-release Metformin - 2000mg/day - for over a year and a half. I worked up to that dose over a couple months, by 500mg increments. The time-release form is definitely gentler on your stomach than regular Metformin, but if this is your first time taking Met (in any form) it will take time for your body to get adjusted to it. Everyone is different. Some people cannot handle it at all. For instance,I have a friend who has PCOS who cannot tolerate Met at all; she experienced lactic acidosis.

You should probably start at 500mg and work up from there. It takes a while to get used to the side effects - and as was already mentioned, it really does matter how you eat while on it.

While I never thought a pill was the cure-all answer (and still don't), deciding to take Met was definitely one of the best weapons in my arsenal against being overweight. Unfortunately, a strict diet and daily exercise alone would not budge the scale for me whatsoever. So my endocrinologist, GP, and nutritionist both recommended Metformin. It now makes my hard work *count*. I was able to lose over 30 lbs. keeping up with my healthy eating and exercise routine. However, it still took me a year. Met isn't a weight loss drug and shouldn't be used as such, but it certainly "levels the playing field" making it a bit easier to lose weight for those of us with insulin resistance.

Also, keep your doctor informed of all your symptoms... good to keep him in the loop, to avoid any serious complications.

I have used Byetta and am currently on Victoza to replace metformin. I could never tolerate even metformin ER well enough to get the dose up to the 2000mg per day that my doc deemed an effective level. I never had any tolerability issues with the Byetta and so far none with the Victoza. Both are injectables, but Victoza is just once a day. Byetta is supposed to be coming out with once weekly soon. Both control appetite along with glucose levels and show weight loss for many patients in the prescribing information.

I could never lose weight on the metformin because my glucose was not controlled. Now I am finally seeing the weight come off.

Metformin costs you pennies, so get ready for major copay shock if you go for Byetta or Victoza. To me it's worth it to feel good and be able to finally attack the belly fat that is a symptom of insulin resistance. Both of my parents are diabetic and on insulin, but if I can lose the abdominal fat I'm hoping that I will avoid that fate.

BEST. PILL. EVER. I had PCOS and although it made me sick and lethargic it also cleared up much of my acne, facial hair, irregular periods, mood problems, and helped me lose nearly 100 pounds at the time! Force yourself to get moving.. and seriously learn to love what you're on. That was the best thing that ever happened to me. What's neat is after I lost the weight I didn't have PCOS anymore and now I have two beautiful baby boys.

I have PCOS and take Metformin, currently 500mg slow release as I've been cutting down. I used to take the non slow release version and I had all the symptoms you're experiencing. I could never take it regularly because it made me too ill. Switching to slow release was the best thing I've ever done. I noticed a difference in the amount of sweets I was craving immediately. After a month or two, I noticed that if I forgot to take it at night, the next day I would be ravenous for high sugar, high fat foods. No wonder I found it so difficult to diet before! It was such a relief to know it wasn't just me being greedy and lazy!

Since then I've lost 75lb. It's definitely worth persisting, ask your doctor for the slow release tablets.

Good luck

I ended up pregnant without help from a doctor, so I don't know a *ton* about it, but I've heard some women just take Clomid to get pregnant...no Metformin...particularly if insulin resistance is not an issue. I would personally be leery of taking Metformin if insulin resistance was not a problem.

It has been so long since I was on Metformin. I took it for PCOS starting 2009 I think. I remembe the cloudy head never really went away. If you only eat lean protein, whole grains, and lots of veggies the stomach trouble will cease. But every time you cheat and eat anything fatty you'll have loose stools (yuck!).

I would call your doctor and tell them the side effects you are experiencing; perhaps with a lower dose and diet you can still improve your levels.

In my case, my diet and exercise (5 hours a week, heavy intensity) "cured" my insulin resistance. I no longer need metformin and, as long as i continue to eat right and exercise, no longer have symptoms of PCOS.

Good luck!

I am on Metformin now as well and my doctor told me losing weight is the only way I will ever be able to get off of it =[

When I first started taking it I remember always feeling tired and sluggish. Just couldnt get enough in me to get out of bed.. My doctor said Metformin is a pretty rough medication to take.. but its supposebly worth it. Ive been on it for like 2-3 months now and I honestly dont know if its made a difference. All I know is to get rid of the symptoms and not need to be on the metformin I have to get healthy and get to a healthy weight! GL

I'm on metformin Sr now and I'm not taking it as instructed. It makes me feel so bad. Really tired ans groggy, and my eyes feel like my eyelids have been stuffed with cotton wool. I already suffer with migraines and it makes me feel like I have all the migraine symptoms but with the great head pain. Is it worth it????

I used to be a size 8, then I got comfy with my boyfriend . . . . But since metformin, I go through phases of not eating and then eating everything bad. I now think I'm on a dangerous path towards an eating disorder and I really don't know what to do about it. I've lost any motivation I had and because of the metformin, I don't have any energy to move. So I come home from work tired and sit on the sofa. Then realise I'm hungry, grab whatever I can find and then regret not taking the time to think about making something better.

Does it make anyone feel like they can't breathe? You know, like take a nice deep breathe of fresh air? Does anyone else feel unfresh, as in, you when you've been ill with flu, and youve lived on the sofa in your pj's for about a week without washing your hair. The best feeling is getting in the bath and then going out in the fresh air. Well these tablets make me feel like that . . . Sluggish and unfresh.

Noone has even told me what causes Pcos. I mean, other than becoming overweight. I feel judged.

I feel it was the contraceptive pill and injection. Before using those my body was fine. Now it's all totally out of wack.

Please tell me other people feel this way. How long do these side effects last? If the irritability last much longer, there'll be no 'baby-daddy', cos poor Gav will have had enough of the short end of the stick. :-(

I am on Metformin now as well and my doctor told me losing weight is the only way I will ever be able to get off of it =[

When I first started taking it I remember always feeling tired and sluggish. Just couldnt get enough in me to get out of bed.. My doctor said Metformin is a pretty rough medication to take.. but its supposebly worth it. Ive been on it for like 2-3 months now and I honestly dont know if its made a difference. All I know is to get rid of the symptoms and not need to be on the metformin I have to get healthy and get to a healthy weight! GL

you can stop taking by refusing to... that is what I did. The stuff is nasty