Polycystic ovary syndrome: Can I still get pregnant?

Polycystic ovary syndrome: Can I still get pregnant?

Q. Can a woman get pregnant if she has polycystic ovary syndrome?

A. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common hormonal imbalance among women of childbearing age. Women with PCOS who want to get pregnant usually need to take medications to cause the ovaries to release eggs (ovulation).

Most women who have PCOS never have a normal menstrual cycle. The ovaries develop cysts and don't release eggs. These cysts are fluid-filled sacs (follicles) that contain immature eggs.

Medications that may help trigger ovulation include:

Clomiphene citrate (Clomid, Serophene)
Gonadotropins, such as a combination of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or FSH alone (Fertinex, Follistim, Gonal-F)
With this type of treatment, more than 60 percent of women with PCOS are able to conceive. Without treatment, the chance of pregnancy is very low.

In addition, researchers are studying the use of metformin (Glucophage, Glucophage XR), an oral medication for type 2 diabetes, to treat PCOS. Metformin reduces the amount of glucose made and released by the liver. Doctors don't know the cause of PCOS. But research suggests a link to insulin metabolism. Several clinical trials have shown that metformin improves ovulation and decreases the male hormone androgen in women with PCOS.

During pregnancy, a woman with PCOS may be at greater risk of gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced high blood pressure

More info....
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cf...EF4FEB7ABD72BF1

Thanks for the info Mandi :) Very helpful!

*hugs*
Cailin

Hi guys,

I too have been diagnosed with PCOS. We've been ttc since August 2002 (not properly bu if it had happened then perfect) but after 6 months I went to my GP and told her that we had been trying for a year and nothing had happened. I also had the characteristic of a little extra facial hail which really got me down (had laser hair removal and it's all gone before we got prgnant).

Anyway my GP referred me to a specialist (I have 3 friends who suffer form this and are also ttc). He's been fantastic. I had many tests, hormaonal tests and glucose tests and us and found I had little cysts on my ovaries which was creating irregular if anyperiods at all.

Straight away he put me on metformin which should regulate my insulin and we started clomid 100mg. The first month (afer having an us) they found that I was producing eggs but too many (6). They say not to ttc if you have more than 3 ready. So 2nd month I took clomid 50mg and had 3 eggs. They tell you the size and when to start having intercourse and miraculously we became pregnant.

I'm still taking metformin (I was a little hesitant about his but it reduces the risk of having a miscarriage and the rist of developing gestational diabetes). I've looked on the internet for 100's of hours on the risk and there doesn't seem to be a risk on the baby. The benefits obviously outway the negatives.

So all I can say is don't give up and ask your doctor heaps of questions.

Are you guys on metformin and clomid?

Maria

Goodluck

No probs with the info!! Plenty more where that came from :D

Maria, nice to see someone else here who has PCOS, AND who pregnant!! Congrats on getting past the beast that is PCOS and getting pg!!

As for the meds, yes I am on Metformin, started taking it a couple of weeks ago, but i'm only on 500mg for at least the next month and a half until I can try and talk my dr into upping the dosage. I have also taken clomid, but I haven't tried the Met/Clomid combo, which I have read alot of people have good success with.

If I don't get pregnant this cycle, I am considering doing another round of clomid, but hopefully it will work this time since I am on the Met. Anyway I'm really hoping that I won't need that but will have to wait and see.

Did you Dr say it was ok to take the Met when pg?? I know alot of ladies who do this, but my dr's all seem to be very scared of Met and have said that I will be taken off it as soon as I get a BFP, which I don't know if I want to do. Will see what they say I guess.

Anyway, hope to see you around here!!

Hugs
Mandi
xxx

I have PCOS too, and when I saw Dr Lolatgis -- the resident gyno of BellyBelly. He told me the biggest mistake the doctors made in my last 2 pregnancies, was insisting I stop taking the Metformin once I was pregnant. In the first pregnancy, I stopped at the start and miscarried early at 6-8 weeks. In the second pregnancy I was advised to take the metformin till 12 weeks, and then stop. My daughter was stillborn at 20 weeks. Looks like things start to go wrong about 6 - 8 weeks after I stop taking metformin.
Dr Lolatgis, also told me to keep taking the metformin and don't stop taking it for the rest of my life. Metformin has been a miracle drug for my severe PCOS symptoms. It really is the best drug for PCOS, and believe me, I have tried everything and it was the only thing that worked.

Hi there!

I agree with Jeanette. Metformin definitely helps.

Both times I became pg using Metformin/Clomid mixture, but was instructed to stop the Metformin, both times I m/c.

Although I went on a few months later to conceive totally naturally, as I stopped taking Metformin and Clomid, I was obviously VERY LUCKY and I know I'm fortunate to have had my healthy baby boy in March, 2001.

However, I did in fact develop pregnancy inducted hypertension (pre-eclampsia) late in the last trimester and this was the reason I was induced at 36.5wks. I didn't, however, develop gestational diabetes, which my OB was quite surprised about. But then again, I ensured I ate a well balanced and healthy diet during pg.

I am, once again, on Metformin but am leaving the Clomid for now.

Hi guys,

Sorry I took a while to 'chat'back but I've been in hospital for a possible preterm labour but it was a false alarm (that really scared me).

My doctor, also Dr Lolatgis, old me that Ide stay on metformin till the end of pregnancy. It reduces the rate of 1st trim miscarriages and also reduces the risk of getting gestational diabetes (which we are all at risk).
I don't know about taking it for the rest of my life though. As soon as I got off the pill andstarted ttc I started getting some of the sighns (ie irregular periods, extra hair where I didn't want it etc). So I was just hoping to go back onto the pill and things will go back to normal. When we take the pill it balances up our hormones again. I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't think that much ahead, I just want to have this baby safely and then we'll see.

I know so many people who have PCOS and have been on clomid and metformin together and have been successful. Just meke sure you continue using metformin though. Looking on the net though there are no real studies on the after effects of metforming on the child. Fingures crossed it's safe.

Goodluck guys.

Hi Maria,

I'm so happy you are ok and that it was only a false alarm. Glad you and bubs are doing well.
Perhaps my situation is a little different to yours, because everytime I've tried to take the pill I end up haemorraging badly and when I tried the provera injection I bled for 3 months till it wore off. I had to have blood transfusions, the works. So it looks as though I don't tolerate the pill very well or at all. Actually every treatment I've ever had involving hormones has given me bad reactions and I've tried quite a few.

Now I totally avoid hormones altogether.

Metformin is the only thing that helps me to have a happy and normal life.

So, it looks like I will be sticking with metformin for a very long time.

Which hospital are you having the baby at Maria?

Warm wishes for you and bubs

Jeanette