On Metformin and got all the nitty gritty side effects to go with it...

by Erin
(Egypt)

Well ladies, I have been doing my research and I found this site! I have read story after story after story and it gives me hope.

At 16, I was put on Yasmin contraceptive pill to reduce the pain I had during my monthly cycles. Of course it made my periods more regular and I didn't notice anything unusual, the pain had gone.

I am 56KG have been since I was 13, and 5'7. I'm healthy, fit and very active. I apparently don't have the normal physique of someone with PCOS.

Now, I am 22, been off Yasmin now for 7 months and only had 3 periods. At first my partner and I thought we were pregnant and couldn't have been happier but our hopes were shattered by the news of 10-15 small cysts on each ovary. WHAT? That was my reaction!

So this first doctor wanted to put me on Clomid straight away without any explanation of who, what, where and why......

Well of course me being so headstrong and reluctant to believe anything I got a second opinion.
The second opinion was a lot more pleasing. He ran blood tests, internal ultrasounds and apparently my prolactin levels were too high and my body was lactating??? UMMMMM...was my response.

So this doctor after 2 more visits to him, he put me on Dostinex for only 4 days and Metformin for 3 months. I am only 2 weeks into the Metformin. I have been sitting on the toilet, next to the toilet and sleeping next to the toilet for 14 days. BUT, I will not give up!

So, 2 more weeks and I get another blood test to see whether the Prolactin levels are lowered. Then, the doctor said I have a good chance of conceiving naturally with the Metformin!

So, we will run the course of the Metformin and then wait 6 months to see if anything happens. If not, Clomid was the most talked about by our doctor.

I never knew how desperate I was for a child then now.

Funny, I worked with kids 24 hours a day and I call them my own. Now, I literally feel like these kids will be the only ones I can teach and watch grow up, although I cannot wait to watch them grow into young adults and leave the nest, it just isn't the same when its not your own flesh and blood.

We think this is the best course of action OR could we be wrong? We are still are little confused about the situation.

IS Metformin a viable drug to help pregnancy naturally without the use of Clomid? Will the vomiting and diarrhea stop?

Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor's comments: By reducing insulin resistance, metformin improves your chances of becoming pregnant.

But ask yourself this question: Should I be taking a medication that makes me vomit and have diarrhea? What is your body trying to tell you?

Some women can get accustomed to taking metformin while others simply cannot tolerate it.

Neither metformin nor Clomid will guarantee a pregnancy. The "success rate" varies with the individual. Clomid is a powerful drug; it can only be used a limited number of times before it becomes too risky.

We recommend that you always fully understand both the benefits and risks of every medication you are told to take, before you start taking it.

For example, you could read our PCOS and metformin web page to learn more about this drug.

Ask your doctor WHY you are taking metformin. The purpose of metformin is to reduce insulin resistance. Do you know that you have insulin resistance? How do you know? Do you have all the clinical signs of insulin resistance? Does lab data indicate you have insulin resistance? If you do NOT have insulin resistance, then why are you taking this medication?

Your body shape does not suggest you have insulin resistance. Find out if you actually have this problem.

PCOS is a difficult disorder to treat and it is not well understood by many physicians. You cannot always assume that "doctor knows best". I think you will want to educate yourself as much as you possibly can.

You may discover that polycystic ovary syndrome is a very complex disorder with many facets to it. Moreover, the symptoms vary among individuals.

Consider exploring additional ways to relieve your PCOS and improve your fertility.

For example, vitamin D plays an important role. Maybe you could ask your doctor to give you a vitamin D test.

Or maybe transdermal natural progesterone is an option to consider.

Of course, diet and exercise play a central role in managing PCOS and normalizing your hormones. Take a good look at your diet and see if there are areas that could be improved. This ebook offers some dietary guidelines.