Metformin and Clomid

[choufleur]

Hi - I've got suspected PCOs (waiting for more bloods to come back). I had to take Clomid to conceive DS (now 3 1/2). Metformim wasn't something that was ever discussed previously but wondering if it now prescribed more commonly for PCOS?

And from anyone who has taken Metfformim does it make you quite as irrational, upset, tearful, unreasonable hormonal as Clomid?

Hello, I had PCOS - before DS, I was put on Metformin and Clomid was only mentioned as the next step if required, but I got pregnant almost straight away with the Metformin.

Consultant kindly put in my notes to GP to just give me Metformin again when I wanted to get pg again, so I wouldn't have to go through the system to the consultant again, so I just requested from GP and got pregnant straight away with DD.

Don't remember many side effects, certainly not hormonal type - perhaps a bit of acid reflux and slightly runny tummy (sorry, TMI!!)

Consultant previously just gave me clomid. GP has said he can't prescribe it so will need referring again.

I know not everyone get really hormonal with clomid but i hated taking it. i just wanted to kill people and then cry.

hiya I'm waiting on bloods to confirm pcos and my gp has promised me metformin so reading with interest!

metformin is not a hormone so no hormonal side effects. If your GP looks it up in BPI they will find it is now OK to prescribe for PCOS, should be no need to be referred to a consultant.

I've been taking Metformin for about 18 months. It can give you an upset tummy and some people find they just can't get on with it, although I found it fine from fairly early on. Make sure you build up your dose gradually if you are given more than 500mg/day (1 tablet).

It doesn't make you hormonal in the least, but one side effect for me is that I have really lost much of my interest in food. I have to drag myself to the kitchen to cook anything and generally don't finish a whole portion of whatever I am eating. Consequently I have lost weight on it!

Hasn't helped me get pregnant yet nor has it regulated my cycle by itself (agnus castus and vitamin B6 seem to be making more of a difference) but it has improved my skin and in any event we have other factors that are impeding our chances of conceiving so it wouldn't be entirely fair to say it's having no effect.

anyone know how it works?

Hi Choufleur. My best friend was prescribed Metformin a while ago for PCOS. I believe it regulates how your body deals with blood sugar & insulin production. If this isn't working correctly, then it affects your hormones, hence why taking Metformin then regulates your cycles. That's what I understood from what my friend told me anyway but I also found this site which might give you further info: www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/glucophage-metformin-pcos.html

My friend got pregnant with her DD about 6 months after being prescribed Metformin, her DD is now 8 months and she's just fallen pregnant again, on her 3rd month of trying!

I hope this helps you and good luck! x

Oh, I forgot to say that my friend is on Metformin for life (it's not just to conceive, her body doesn't deal with insulin correctly) and she doesn't have any side effects. She feels sick for a while at first (she takes one tablet a day for the first week, 2 for the second week and then max dose of 3 a day after that)and then it's fine.

She was told to make sure she's been taking it for at least a month before TTC to minimise her chances of MC (otherwise high due to her PCOS) and then took it until 12 weeks. She stopped after that and didn't start again until she'd stopped breastfeeding.

thanks littlesquirt

many PCOS'ers (even lean PCOS'ers) are insulin resistance ie their bodies are resistant to insulin and so you produce about 10 times more insulin than normal to maintain blood sugar levels.

One of the few organs which are not resistant to insulin are your ovaries and I think the excess insulin in some way [slightly vague emoticon] exacerbates the production of cysts.

Sadly insulin resistance also makes you tend to put on weight as insulin predisposes you to deposit fat rather than burn it - fat produces oestrogen which in turn exacerbates PCOS.

So its a double whammy.

Oh and also PCOS'ers are something like 7 times more likely to develop diabetes than equivalent women without PCOS and metformin will protect from that.

Thanks ladies for all this information, it's really helpful.

I get my blood results on Friday and I'm pretty certain that it will show pcos, so off on to the drugs we go!

Here's hoping that Doc gives metformin tomorrow. good luck on friday wicked.

well, you won't believe it but gp phoned today to tell me my 21 day prog. test shows I'm pregnant! Have done a couple of hpts and yep, pregnant. Mad isn't it? Very early days...

Good luck chou hope tmrw goes well

Well big congratulations wicked!

Got a prescription for metformin from Dr. will start taking it tomorrow.

Yay Good luck, Chou. Hope you get your bfp really soon.

And thank you for allowing me to slightly hijack your thread

Hello everyone.

im really after lots of advise.. first time on here,nd not sure of all the abbreviations! lol.

im lead to believe i have POCS,i havent had a period for 2years,so they have me provera.which i took for 10 days and hav my period on the 14th day!
im on day 12 of my cycle(never been so exited to have 1!!lol)and took 100mg clomid,ive also been taking metrofomin 1500mg,i had an internal scan on friday, 1st 1 and said that my folicals are small,they are 6 she said they should be 18 or above to realse eggs(not sure if that mm or what)
to be fair, i havent been given much advice and find it a little frustrating!

i was sick on the clomid. ive constantantly felt un energentic/tired since taken medication.(im genreally quite energentic gym person)just fell like want to curl up on the sofa every day!also feeling dizzy.and was getting massive headaches.whcih have stopped now for a few days!

ive seen comments of here of people releaxing!!?? Gym or chill? lol

really open to loads of advise girlies. x

Hello everyone.

im really after lots of advise.. first time on here,nd not sure of all the abbreviations! lol.

im lead to believe i have POCS,i havent had a period for 2years,so they have me provera.which i took for 10 days and hav my period on the 14th day!
im on day 12 of my cycle(never been so exited to have 1!!lol)and took 100mg clomid,ive also been taking metrofomin 1500mg,i had an internal scan on friday, 1st 1 and said that my folicals are small,they are 6 she said they should be 18 or above to realse eggs(not sure if that mm or what)
to be fair, i havent been given much advice and find it a little frustrating!

i was sick on the clomid. ive constantantly felt un energentic/tired since taken medication.(im genreally quite energentic gym person)just fell like want to curl up on the sofa every day!also feeling dizzy.and was getting massive headaches.whcih have stopped now for a few days!

ive seen comments of here of people releaxing!!?? Gym or chill? lol

really open to loads of advise girlies. x

Welcome Csparks. I find it all very confusing. There are some very knowledgeable people on her though.

I don't know what provera is. so not sure what's its meant to do.

I took clomid previously. I never felt sick taking it but was very hormonal and shouted/cried a lot.

I'm been pleasantly surprised that i dont' don't seem to have had any side effects from the metformin so far. anyone know if they take a while to kick in?

CSparks
Just been prescribed provera and then first cycle of clomid. Also been on 1500mg of Met (got pcos).
How did you get on as your post was in Oct 09?
Any advice?
Thanks