H. Pylori and PCOS

by JR

I'm hoping that you can help me. I was diagnosed with PCOS in August of 2005, and I had my daughter in March of 2008. She is fantastic, but of course she, my husband and I are all eager for her to have a sibling.

I have been charting and (with my husband's help) "trying" hardcore since late 2010. I know from the rise pattern of my charts and a miraculously timed ultrasound revealing a corpus luteous corresponding with my chart that I AM ovulating, and though my cycles are pretty long (usually 40-45 days) they are not as crazy irregular as most women with PCOS.

There's a lot worth sharing about my journey, of course, and I have always found your newsletter absolutely FULL of great information, but what I would like to ask you about is if you have any information on any correlation between PCOS and H. Pylori.

It's a bacteria that lives in your gut and can cause ulcers and eventually, stomach cancer. I work for a gastroenterologist, and we just happened to participate in a stool study that determines the presence of this and other gastro ailments.

Well, I was not crazy shocked to find out that I had it, although I didn't really have any symptoms. Typical, right? Well, my husband didn't, which I DID find surprising. Rudimentary research (ok, Googling) revealed that perhaps I am more susceptible to this bacteria, because of the PCOS, but much more intriguing, that perhaps this bacteria has also been infecting my cervical mucus and killing my husband's sperm (Poor little sperm. Quadrillions of them mercilessly slaughtered.) So far, I haven't found any resource that I trust like I trust yours.

I have finished my antibiotics, and I have to wait a few weeks to take a breath test to determine if they worked. I would very much appreciate any info you have, and I hope other women can learn about it, even if it did not cause my infertility, to treat it and lessen the threat of cancer.

Thank you, for everything!

JR

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Pregancy issue may be more than h pylori
by: PCOS Editor

Hi JR,

Antibodies to H pylori in cervical mucus may impede sperm, according to one small study. However, lack of initiation of pregnancy is multifactorial. I wouldn't lay it all on the doorstep of H pylori, even though women with PCOS have a higher incidence of it compared to the general population.

For example, the issue may be poor egg quality or inability of the egg to successfully implant itself in the uterus. The reasons for this are too numerous to mention here -- I've been looking into this but haven't yet pulled my thoughts together. But insulin resistance is one major factor that comes to mind.

Due to the pervasive influence of vitamin D in the reproductive process, I would recommend you get a vitamin D test and if below 50 or so, take supplementation sufficient to bring it up to around 50...and see what happens.

I did comment on H pylori about 5 years ago, here.

I'm not sure whether an overpopulation of H pylori is a cause of PCOS/infertility, or a consequence or a symptom of other things having gone wrong. I'm not sure that H pylori per se is "bad".

I have very mixed feelings about taking antibiotics if there is no medical emergency. Antibiotics create gut dybiosis. The correct bacterial populations in your gut are fundamental to controlling PCOS and may affect fertility. See more information about gut dysbiosis and PCOS.

You'll need to take a formula of mixed probiotics for quite some time to restore healthier gut microflora.

Also of interest: Italian researchers have shown that oocyte (egg) quality is improved with myo-inositol and melatonin. This improves the incidence of pregnancy.

Myo-inositol powder is an efficient way to get enough for a biological effect.

Melatonin is widely available. 3 mg before going to bed at night is considered a very safe dose. I myself take 20 mg.

Women with PCOS tend to have both an inositol-processing disorder and a melatonin disorder.

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