Just wanted to add my thoughts on so called fertility specialists who don't even mention metformin! My doctor in Melbourne didn't even mention it to me - in fact I never heard of it until I moved to Auckland and saw another doctor. I just went straight on to clomid that as you can see from my sig didn't do an awful lot for me. I didn't ovulate until the third cycle of 150mgs.
Anyways my new dr in Auckland has put me on 1500mgs of metformin and miracles have happened and it looks like after 4 weeks of being on it I have ovulated! \/ Not sure if I will be pregnant as we didn't BD at the right time - we were a little late I think - but you never know! Miracles happen! Though this is my first cycle after my D&C following on from my missed miscarriage in March so am not too sure if I am ready to be pregnant again. I guess we'll cross that bridge when I come to it - if I do!
This is a very interesting thread. I also saw Dr Mark Bowman and had two cycles of IVF but they failed. I decided to take a break from IVF and asked him to prescribe me Metformin. He told me that he didn't think it would work for me as I was not overweight, but was happy to prescribe it as he didn't think it would hurt. Well, I fell pg on Metformin and have a gorgeous bub now.
I am actually TTC again (so soon!) as it took me so long to fall pg the first time. I have moved from Sydney, so just saw a GP and asked to be prescribed Metformin. The GP refused, so I got a referral to an OB/Gyn here who was recommended by women on the POSAA website forums. I am now on Metformin again but the doc wants me to only be on it for five months alone before I go on Clomid. I have been on Clomid for 6 cycles, didn't fall pg and got severe depression, so don't want to do that. But what can I do???
Oh, and I have never been offered an IR test, nor has any doc wanted to address the broader health issues about PCOS, it has always been about how to get me pregnant.
And this is even after some promising new studies have come out, plus that great article from the Australian Magazine a couple of weeks ago.
*sigh*
If your GP does a search on there computer medical journally thing...there is a great article about met and pcos. I went to my GP worried about the GD, he found a great article and even printed it out for his future reference. He prescribed Met right then and there.
My gyn had done a GTT test when I first met him and still diagnosed with pcos but then went on to clomid which did jack!!
However I got GD that had to be treated insulin injections with Eliza but it all settled down afterwards. It just shows that something added to equasion can tip the Blood sugars up.
Bec
I really think that it depends on the individual.Like Danni has said it made her soooo sick. My gyno mentioned it but was unwilling to prescribe it to me as my PCOS symptoms were minimal, I'm not overweight and no insulin probems. I was lucky though as clomid works a treat for me and for my sister who also has PCOS in a mild form. Met seems to work so well in some and clomid does in others. I must say though I would be unwilling to take it as it is a insulin reducing drug and like Danni's reaction I would be scared that I might have an adverse affect on it.
The reason so few drs are willing to prescribe it is that its not a legally recognised treatment for PCOS. Its a diabetes drug, not a PCOS one - does that make sense?
I'm not overweight either and my insulin levels are fine but it seems to have helped me. I do have some symptoms, most notably a revolting tummy and the runs every so often but its nothing I can't live with.
I think in hindsight that if clomid hadn't worked for me then I would have been willing to try met. After ttc Gemma for so long I was seriously at my wits end!
when I lived in the UK, I was told by my dr. that metformin was only prescribed to diabetics and I'd have to go to a specialist to try and get some for my pcos.
Anyway, my point is that as it's (seemingly) not widely known about in Oz, perhaps it's for the same reason? I was never offered it here either....was put on clomid and conceived on round three (YIPPEE!).
BellyBelly Life Subscriber
/ Not sure if I will be pregnant as we didn't BD at the right time - we were a little late I think - but you never know! Miracles happen! Though this is my first cycle after my D&C following on from my missed miscarriage in March so am not too sure if I am ready to be pregnant again. I guess we'll cross that bridge when I come to it - if I do!
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