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Just wondering if any of you girls with PCOS stopped metformin after getting pregnant? I read in another forum that reducing dose increased mc for most girls. I am on 850mg twice a day and my ob said to reduce it to 1 daily if I get pregnant :crossfingers:
So did anyone reduce their dose/ stay the same? Would love to hear your experiences.
Belle, with my first pregnancy, I reduced my dosage of metformin from 1500mg to 1000mg at 8 weeks. At 8 weeks 5 days we discovered that the baby had died... at 8 weeks.
Too much of a coincidence for me!
With this pregnancy, under the advice of Dr Gavin Sacks, I was to stay on 1500mg until 12 weeks and then stop. I actually ended up slowly weaning off from about 14 weeks and stopped it completely at 17 weeks. Baby is happy and healthy and has no problems at all.
There's been several studies that have shown that metformin in the first trimester can help prevent miscarriage for women with PCOS. I haven't seen said studies, I've just been told they exist.
I ended up having one FS say stop, another say continue, my GP said stop, one OB say it's ok to be on the whole way through, and my OB was happy as long as I stopped after first trimester... Not even the medical profession can agree on the benefits or otherwise!
BW
Belle - my FS told me last week to continue taking met through the first tri - by the time we're ready for me to stop it, i'll do as BW has done and wean off it over a couple of weeks
i stopped min a 5 weeks miscarried at 6- dont stop taking it until 2nd tri IMHO
Thanks girls. You'd think the dr's would get it right! I honestly don't want to reduce it early when I do fall pregnant :crossfingers: Have heard too many cases of early mc for it to be a coincidence.
What dose are you at BG?
BW & LSK - I'm sorry you had to go through that :hug: Congrats on your pregnancy BW! I hope it's a H&H one.
Belle, I think it's because it's only recent research and it hasn't necessarily filtered all the way through to all doctors.
BW
Belle, i'm on Diabex XR (extended release) 1500 per day - i was on the same dosage as you but because i had such dire response to it (i was really really ILL!), i was swapped to XR.
Thanks BG. I think I will chat with my ob when the time comes.
I was on Metformin 1000mg day dose for PCOS, i stopped taking it soon after i found out i was pregnant. No body mentioned to me the risk of miscarriage.
I was fine though and delivered a healthy bub, im still not back on my dose yet as i am breastfeeding and GP wants to wait till we get results back on insulin levels etc, before deciding what to do
Hi Tanya,
I'm glad it worked out perfect for you :D I wouldn't have given it a second thought, but now that I know about the risk, I think I am more paranoid! lol
Hi Belle75,
I am also on Metformin, and I take 3000 mg per day.
I also lost my last bubs (12 weeks) which had a strong heartbeat at 7 weeks, 5 days after my FS told me to stop Metformin and my bubs stopped growing at that point. Also too much of a coincidence!!!
My current FS has said he is quite happy for my to stay on Metformin throughout my whole pregnancy (which makes me happy) and he said he is finding more and more woman are taking it during pregnancy.
I wish you all the best.
xxx Sue xxx
Thanks for sharing that, Sue. I'm so sorry for your loss :hug: am convinced more than ever not to stop met! Hope this is a H&H pregnacy for you.
Ok, it's crunch time. I have to decide what to do about my metformin dose. Saw my ob yesterday. He is adamant that I half the dose to 850mg once a day (I've been on it twice a day since apr 08). He argues that he has used it for 15yrs and it has been successful and that I don't need such a high dose. After listening to you lovely ladies I am terrified of the consequences. I feel like my body has been dependent on that dose for so long and if I half it now, wouldn't it be a big jolt for my bubba to cope with? I am terrified of what may happen. DH thinks I should listen to him as he is the specialist and not me :wtf: I am having this baby and I should be able to decide! :crying: We pay our obs all this money for sound professional advise and all they do is shove us out the door in 5 minutes! I shouldn't be having sleepless nights trying to decide what to do, should I? I shouldn't be researching on the net. I'd like my ob to listen to me!
what do you girls say? I'd rather listen to you. Please help.
i'd just keep it athe same- if you wanna reduce it , do so at 12 weeks- he doesnt have to know either.
I say stay on the dose you are on now and only reduce it at 12 weeks. Seems to me that having to make the decision is causing you stress, but reducing the dose and following your ob's instructions is also going to cause stress. Your ob may be the specialist in pregnancy and delivering babies, but YOU are the expert on your body and sometimes you've just gotta do what you've gotta do and trust your instincts... even if it means not exactly following your doctor's instructions to the letter.
:hug: Hang in there... and congratulations on your pregnancy, too!
BW
Thanks LSK. That's my gut feeling as well. I will be running out of scripts soon though. Hopefully I can ask him for another prescription at my next visit. I don't want to spend the rest of my pregnancy worrying :( I know I'm contradicting myself, but I'm also worried about the consequences of taking such a high dose in pregnancy as it is not approved for such use. :doh: I feel so torn. Wish he could have explained things and reassured me more. It has taken so much to achieve this pregnancy. I don't want to risk it in any way. It's funny how you feel so responsible for another life when you're pregnant. it's terrifying!
Yes, BW, I'm hating having to make this decision. My instincts say stick to the current dose. I know I will be shattered if I made the wrong decision :(
Belle, people have been pregnant on that same dose and been fine. Sryan is on a higher dose, and has stayed on it and all is well. It's a relatively recent use of the drug, which is why it hasn't yet been approved, but that doesn't mean it's not helpful. I believe it's not technically approved for the treatment of PCOS either...
BW
understand- it's your body babe- you are in chargeyou can just go to a gp for met too-
BW- 30 weeks woo hooo!
Thanks BW :hug: I feel so much better now. I'd be a mess without you girls!
Thanks, LSK. 31 weeks tomorrow! :dance: never thought I'd get to this stage!
Any time, Belle. I was where you were about 27 weeks or so ago... it's a tough decision, and sometimes we've just got to take the jump and hope. I've seen more people that have been helped by staying on metformin and none who have been harmed by it.
BW
Thanks LSK :hug: wish I could feel so confident. Guess I have to now. OMG! just realised I'm responsible for another life :o
Not long for you now BW :hooray: Well done! :clap:
My FS told me to go cold turkey at 12 weeks - not gonna happen! i'll wean until i run out of my current box - will drop to 1000mg fo a while, then 500. i'm not going to go cold turkey and risk something we've fought so hard for!
give yourself a time frame - maybe 8 weeks - and make it so that you have 1.5 tabs a day. then at 12 weeks, two half tabs. then drop to one...
That's exactly right, BG. We've been through so much heartache to get to where we are. I couldn't bear to face failure at this stage. To the obs we are just a "clinical case". They don't really see our pain. I've decided to stay on the current dose till 12 weeks then wean off slowly. The way I see it, there's more evidence in favour than against it. Woman's intuition - I'll trust it anyday!
Hi Belle75.
I hope you are going well and your pregnancy is going strong.
I am going to add another scenario to the situation.
As I told you before, I was on 3000 mg of Metformin and my Endocronologist wanted me to reduce the level, but my Ob was OK for me to stay on that dose. I was very hesitant to reduce, so he made me check my blood sugar levels @ fastings/and 2 hours after every meal. Well I sent him the results through to him, and he has now decided that I am to stay on that level of metformin because of sugar levels. I have gestation diabetes and metformin is keeping it under control and with diet.
They are also trialing using metformin in people who have gestation diabetes and starting them at 12 weeks pregnancy and hoping that they can control it earlier.
Just a little more info on it and hope this helps.
xxx Sue xxx
Thanks Sue. I have stayed on the 850mg twice day dose and will continue till 12 weeks then wean. My ob thinks i should drop to 850mg daily but I'm not convinced. Hope I've made the righ decision. Have a H&H rest of your pregnancy :D
My endocrinologist, who is a top specialist in treating PCOS and related things (one of the Monash Medical Centre research team), told me to stop taking Metformin as soon as I knew I was pregnant. So I stopped taking it at about 4 or 5 weeks. Now at 19 weeks, so all is well so far.
My impression from what she said was that the effects of such drugs on a foetus have not been well enough studied to know that it's safe. She knew how desperately I want this baby, and didn't want me to take any risks.
Probably the risk/benefit balance would be different for different people.
Thanks tenar, it's good to get different viewpoints. I am still really unsure. However, like the other girls have said and the way I see it is - more women have been on metformin and been ok then those who stopped and had a mc. There is new evidence now to justify it's use for diabetic preg patients ( previously were switched to insulin only ). I see my ob next week and will discuss with him again. I am so glad to hear you preg is going so well :clap: Have a H&H rest of your pregnancy hun.
Hi belle75,
Like others I continued to take my metformin (I was on 2550 per day) till 12 weeks. My OB was adamant NOT to stop. I was also on low dose aspirin.
Did you go cold turkey at 12 weeks, Cai?