HELP! Metformin prescribed but optimal insulin levels? Anyone else?

[Winterwonderland1]

Hi,

Have been diagnosed with PCOS and I am 2 pounds overweight as per BMI. Have been given Metformin but so confused as my insulin levels came back optimal. From what I have read, Metformin is more for anyone suffering insulin resistance?

Has anyone with normal insulin levels used it and it’s helped regulate your cycle?

Bump

I was prescribed metformin when ttc my first baby. It didn’t help me at all. I’m not insulin resistant either.
I started letrozole a few months after the metformin and conceived my son first cycle, and have since had a letrozole daughter too x

By your insulin levels being 'normal' what do you mean? Have you had an ogtt? Insulin resistance isnt tested by a random insulin test.

Metformin is the goto for PCOS as it helps with some of the metabolic symptoms of insulin resistance and offers some cardiovascular protection. Most people who have pcos have insulin resistance. Although not all. NICE guidelines from memory say if prescribing metformin you should be referred to a secondary care specialist. So if thats the case maybe chat with them about it.

Personally if you're trying to concieve look up myo innistol. It did a million times more for me with PCOS than metformin. After years of metformin and a bit of weight loss i still went months without a period. After 9 plus lonths without one i tried myo innistol and it regulated my cycle within a month. I had a period withi. A weekish and then went to a regular 30ish day cycle. I got to the point i could pin point ovulation. When i was ready to concieve i concieved first time trying (litterallythe first time i had unprotected sex).

Its cheap and cheerful and a natrual supplement. The anecdotal evidence is vast. The scientific evidence is growing. Do a pub med search. Its cheap thiugh so resewrchwill probably always be limited as theres no money to be made from it. I shout about it from the roof tops as its been life changing for me and many women. Doctors seem clueless about it.

@Antsinmypantsneedtodance that’s so helpful, thank you! The Gynecologist said she could tell I wasn’t insulin resistant from ‘looking at me’ (whatever that means) but I did my own test to check (HbA1c) and it came back optimal.

I have got a box of Inofolic Alpha, would you recommend that? Might try that before looking at metformin as side effects would terrible!

So glad all worked for you ❤️

@Mardyybum thank you! I was surprised she recommended metformin and not letrozole or clomid. I will have a look at this.

did you use the NHS or private clinic? If NHS how were wait times?

I had the same experience with Inofolic - it helped me conceive better than anything else I tried.

Anecdotally I took metformin after massively crap cycles from menarche due to pcos. I didn't do it to TTC but with a view to wanting children in future.

It worked well for me and gave me regular cycles - nothing else would have obviously caused that except the met.

I got pregnant first try with first baby and after 7 months with second.

Post kids cycles regular and sorted.

Unfortunately it made me feel very unwell and took a long time to get to the full dose due to this. But I got there eventually

@ThequalityoftheReps That’s super helpful! Glad to hear it worked, I’m also worried about the side effects! Did you have any insulin issues that led to you having it prescribed?

HbA1c does not teat for insulin resistance. So this won't rule out insulin resistance. I've always had a nornal HbA1C and fasting glucose but am insulin resistant. So ignore that result. All it tells you is you're not diabetic/prediabetic. The looking at you comment i can get that. Uts it's not diagnostic. But there are tell tale signs someone has insulin resistance in figure. Tbh lot of people are without PCOS also.

Never heard of inofolic Alpha. I used myo innistol from natures best. It's purely an over the counter powder i dilute in water. Not crazy expensive at all. You can take it with metformin also in theory. I never did.

I'd always try simple solutions over others first but that's my preference. Even if you end up down an IVF route, myo innistol has also been shown to improve egg quality for Ivf. You'll find lot of research published is actually about this.

@Winterwonderland1 I did NHS for my first, but ended up paying privately at the same clinic due to my BMI being higher than 30.
My BMI was ok for baby number 2, but wait times were longer (6 months for initial consultation) so went private and paid £150 for consult and £240 for prescription and 3 scans

@Winterwonderland1 I will add that I had a GTT rather than the normal blood test.
numbers were in normal range (but I did develop gestational diabetes with my second baby)