PCOS AND METFORMIN

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  • momofJandA
    momofJandA Posts: 1,038 Member
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    I have PCOS and took metformin in order to get pg- I was pg within a month both times. I remember the awful side effects (mostly the trips to the bathroom), but I could still function.

    I was actually thinking of talking to my doc about going back on to help with the PCOS again (mostly the losing weight part)
  • scatterbunny
    scatterbunny Posts: 14
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    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.
  • bookyeti
    bookyeti Posts: 544 Member
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    I would personally be leery of taking Metformin if insulin resistance was not a problem.
    I agree. It is primarily a medication for type 2 diabetics and insulin resistance...which is why it helps women with PCOS who have insulin resistance problems. However, if IR isn't in the picture, I'm not sure why someone would take it.
  • reenakainth
    reenakainth Posts: 71
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    I would personally be leery of taking Metformin if insulin resistance was not a problem.
    I agree. It is primarily a medication for type 2 diabetics and insulin resistance...which is why it helps women with PCOS who have insulin resistance problems. However, if IR isn't in the picture, I'm not sure why someone would take it.


    Exactly...apparently it helps level out the sky high levels of male hormones in the womans body but the poibt is it made my sugars drop so low i couldnt function...but im gona speak to my consultant on the 30th so wish me luck girls i just want to get pregnant !!!
  • scatterbunny
    scatterbunny Posts: 14
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    I would personally be leery of taking Metformin if insulin resistance was not a problem.
    I agree. It is primarily a medication for type 2 diabetics and insulin resistance...which is why it helps women with PCOS who have insulin resistance problems. However, if IR isn't in the picture, I'm not sure why someone would take it.


    Exactly...apparently it helps level out the sky high levels of male hormones in the womans body but the poibt is it made my sugars drop so low i couldnt function...but im gona speak to my consultant on the 30th so wish me luck girls i just want to get pregnant !!!

    I've heard spironolactone (Aldactone) can help with the male hormone regulation, but haven't tried it myself.
  • jazzy020106
    jazzy020106 Posts: 485 Member
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    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
  • reenakainth
    reenakainth Posts: 71
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    I am currently 67 kg and i can go up and down by a few kg must be water...excercise an food dont make that much difference it seems i seem to remain at this weight ...i havent really monitored my wieght that long only since i been on mfp a month or so..

    i cant excercise down to injuries sustained last week and my tmmy feels bigger already...

    im keen to see what my dr says ...its tough cos whats good for one psco er is not right for another...so crazy.
  • katypop78
    katypop78 Posts: 1
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    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. :-(
  • mrskeziawallace
    mrskeziawallace Posts: 40
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    I gave up on metformin after several different doses and coating, it made me throw up whatever I tried, whenever I took it. I lost weight rapidly but I attribute that to the nausea and vomiting! I also have PCOS and was diagnosed about 2 years ago. I gained weight as I got older from the age of 18 -23 I'd gain 6 stone and I've struggled to get it down.

    I saw a nutritianist last summer and had to keep an honest food diary and was a little embarrassed, not because I ate a lot but because what I ate was crap and I wasn't eating proper meals, I've changed my ways and now I eat a lot healthier but I haven't shift the weight. I have recently started on the diet chef program and although it isn't cheap it seems to be working well. I've lost about 11lb already and I started 5 days ago.

    I need to lose weight to have my health issues taken seriously. Hopefully weight loss will either stop my PCOS being a problem or will mean the doctors can try something other than tell me I am fat!

    I also blame the contraceptive injection, I reacted badly to it and haven't had regular period since. That was about 7 years ago.

    I'd suggest if you're symptoms haven't passed in 4 weeks then they won't. Go back to the doctor, say that it isn't working and ask to be referred to a dietitian instead.

    Good luck

    Kezia
  • mrskeziawallace
    mrskeziawallace Posts: 40
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    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
  • bookyeti
    bookyeti Posts: 544 Member
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    I have been on Metformin for years now, but started the time-release Metformin (Glumetza is the brand name, I believe) a couple years ago. It's much easier on the tummy than regular Metformin. It is the only medication I take. It helps regulates my high androgen levels and treats my insulin resistance. It's not for everyone but, coupled with regular daily exercise and healthful eating, it has been a life-changing medication for me. Remember: what works/helps someone may not do the same for you.

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