Metformin for pcos in pregnancy

[Manhattan]

Hi ladies

So I have pcos, and am taking metformin which has helped regulate my cycles, and I'm ovulating, yay, so I'm hoping to be pregnant soon.

I'd love to hear from anyone who got pregnant whilst on metformin, and whether you continued taking it, or stopped soon after you found out you were pregnant.

The reason I ask is I have been advised by my gp, and tcm Dr differently, and have read a lot of conflicting evidence.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Manhattan x

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

I was on Metformin when I fell pregnant with DD2. I stayed on it up until 14 weeks on the advice of OB, GP and endocrinologist

[Manhattan]

Thanks Gee Whizzy. Did you ween off it, or stop it cold turkey?

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

They weaned me of it over the 14 weeks can't remember exactly how though!

[briggsy's girl]

I was on full dose until 14 weeks and then weaned off it from then until 20 weeks. One gp (normal gp) would have had me stop cold turkey, fs suggested 13/14, the ob/gp team I went to for pregnancy care decided weaning was better for me due to some crazy pre pregnancy gtt results.

[Mumma T]

I find this really interesting as I was on metformin for diabetes and I was told to cold turkey it and replace with insulin as metformin has no australian studies to say it is safe in pregnancy. The endocrinologists were not willing to let me stay on it because of the lack of local studies, even though it is widely used in pregnancy in many other countries. I wonder what difference it makes being for diabetes or other insulin resistance.

[Rowellen]

I conceived both mine on metformin. I stopped cold turkey. I can't remember now if that was because of advice from gp or fs. No probs. I read later that stopping cold turkey can cause miscarriage. Lucky for me it didnt. I was taking it for pcos. It's the only time my body has ever felt normal. Even now af is regular but I still have other symptoms of pcos and l just don't quite feel right.

[Manhattan]

Thanks for the replies ladies. And that's exactly what I mean, so many differing opinions out there, I don't know what to think! Mumma T, the no studies into pregnancy is of course a big worry in itself. Rowellan, I have read about metformin preventing miscarriages, and obviously having suffered one recently myself, this is a big consideration. BG and GW, we're you both taking it for pcos, or was it for diabetes? I wonder if it makes a difference if you are taking it for one reason over another....

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

Mine was for insulin resistance and pco (not full blown pcos)

[briggsy's girl]

Mine was for pcos and the resulting insulin resistance

[Manhattan]

Thanks girls, you've given me a lot of food for thought. I know it's something I'll have to discuss with my ob when the time comes, and as I have no thyroid, I will have to see an endocrinologist throughout pregnancy too, so I'm sure between all the drs, we'll come up with something we're all comfortable with. I'm thinking I would prefer to ween over 12 weeks, rather than cold turkey. But hey, I'm not counting my chickens just yet ;-) Thanks again for your input x

[wannabubby]

I went off them cold turkey before I knew I had convinced cos the normal ones were making me really sick, going straight through me, then they swapped to slow release.. I threw them up whole over ten hours later =S so I stopped taking them (was still depressed over the recent PCOS diagnosis) and turned out I was pregnant. The doctor said even if I got gestational diabetes they would not put me back on metforim cos of how sick it made me xx

[JoeSpratt]

Am insulin resistant & have PCOS. Had my DD through IVF & I was on metformin for the entire first trimester (can't remember dose as it was over 6 years ago now) but had been on 2500 mg/daily at the most. Both FS & OB were happy for me to stay on it 1st trimester & then go cold turkey. After that pregnancy was able to reduce to 500mg/daily & am currently trying for number 2 (again!) it hasn't even been a consideration for my FS this time. Good luck!