PCOS, Acupuncture, and Fertility: I Have a Question

by Ruk

I was diagnosed with PCOS last year and I have been taking metformin 1000mg for the past 1 year.

I am on diet, multi vitamins and exercise.

I was around 205 lbs and lost 30 lbs so far. I am a vegetarian.

I do get regular periods around 28-32 days cycle time.

I come across acupuncture for PCOS all the time.

I just want to find out if any one can explain how it works and if it's actually effective.

My husband and I have been TTC for the past 2 months.

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Editor's comments: Hi Ruk, a few thoughts come to mind.

1) Metformin use and vegetarian diet.

One year is a long time to be on metformin. Long-term use of metformin can induce a vitamin B12 deficiency because metformin interferes with the body's absorption of B12.

Secondly, since you are a vegetarian, you are getting very little vitamin B12 in your diet.

The combination of metformin and vegetarian diet concerns me.

If you have a vitamin B12 insufficiency, you increase the risk of an unsuccessful pregnancy or possibly future health problems for your future child. A growing fetus needs adequate B12 in order to grow properly.

I might suggest that you take a vitamin B12 supplement at the very least. A multivitamin or B-complex vitamin formula would be helpful but might not have enough B12, considering your situation.

Ask your doctor for a "complete blood count". Part of the complete blood count is a test value called "MCV". If MCV is on the high side of normal, or higher than the reference range in the lab report, you can suspect a possible vitamin B12 or folate deficiency. (Folate is another B-vitamin). This test is very inexpensive and an easy way to discover whether you might have a problem.

2) Acupuncture, PCOS and fertility.

There is some limited research to indicate that acupuncture can help PCOS women become pregnant.

Clinicians have reported success with acupuncture. Here are some case histories of acupuncture for infertility.

Click here to find a brief explanation of acupuncture here.