Metformin

[Autumn0909]

Hi all
It's my first time posting on this board, after 18 months of TTC without success. After all the tests, DH's tests came back fine but I've found out I have PCOS with irregular cycles. My in April, my doctor mentioned about giving it another year (no) then seeing about taking metformin. I have an appointment in two weeks during which I'd like to agree the next step. Does anybody have any experience with taking metformin? Any advice or stories will be appreciated.

I took Metformin for several years before TTC (somewhat unusually my GP was really proactive about encouraging it when I was diagnosed with PCOS, even though at that point I hadn't even met DH - just told the doctor I would like children in the future).

It did terrible things to my digestion, lots of diarrhoea (sorry but it's true) and general tummy troubles, particularly in the early days or if I ran out and hadn't sorted a repeat prescription to run uninterrupted.

Shortly after I was diagnosed they did scans which showed a large number of cysts and my doctor basically told me it was unlikely I'd be able to conceive without help. This was the point he prescribed Metformin. I ended up pregnant twice in very quick succession (on purpose!) and I believe the Metformin made a big difference for me.

It's just my experience and I count myself incredibly lucky, I appreciate I may be in the minority. But it worked for me.

I also used The PCOS Handbook and some of their advice on eating etc to try and help with some of the symptoms. Being diagnosed was a tough and upsetting time and I wasn't even at a point of TTC, be gentle with yourself and good luck making your decision.

I've been on metformin for about six weeks now after a diagnosis of PCOS with very irregular periods and increased AMH and Follicle counts but no 'cysts'.

I'll second the negative impact on digestion..I've had to swiftly exit meetings to get to the bathroom on more than one occasion... I've found that removing all refined carbs from my diet has improved it, and over time the nausea has reduced, but that alcohol is also an irritant. Along with exercise I have found that I am slowly loosing the weight I put on after coming off the pill 14 months ago to TTC (which is how I found I had PCOS).

My doctor has just prescribed me a slow release metformin to try and reduce the digestion related side effects, but I'm yet to start taking it.

There is some anecdotal evidence that metformin does help with conception, in that it helps to regulate periods and can encourage ovulation, but my doctors have been quite firm about that not being proven per se..

I've taken Metformin for years and years because of PCOS (three tablets a day). When you first take it, it can make some people feel a bit sick or have a dogdy stomach. I didn't really get that. But I started with one tab a day, then two, then three, over a few days - as per advice from GP. So maybe that's the reason?

It didn't have any impact on our infertility problems. It did help me lose weight when I first went on it. And my PCOS symptoms are definitely better when I'm taking it (and eating healthily). Esp skin and facial hair.

I'm in metformin for weight loss due to pcos and thyriod issues. Was told it was experimental and doesn't work for everyone. I didn't know about the fertility side and very happily fell pregnant 6weeks after starting them. Am still on them as the help stabilise my weight and am now pregnant with second. Good luck

Also I was told to by pharmacy to wein mysel f onto and if I come off of them as this will decrease the chance of stomach upsets.

I was preacribed metformin years ago for PCOS, maybe 15 years ago. It definitely helped me lose weight. to concieve DS 1 I had a procedure called ovarian drilling and my metformin dose was increased to 1000mg. I was pregnant a month later. He is 11 now.

After that pregnancy I started to ovulate every cycle and my period has been regular ever since. DS2 was a happy accident 2.5 years later!

Now i follow a low carb diet and it has helped my symptoms hugely. I really should take metformin still. I had an endpcrinologist for a while (pre DS1) and she recommended aa PCOS treatment to prevent diabetes in later life.

I have PCOS. We failed to conceive and after five years of trying, I started taking metformin plus low GL diet. I lost weight and fell pregnant.

The first few weeks are tough, you do need to be near a toilet. Start slowly and see if you can coincide with annual leave. Good luck!

I did the slow build up of increasing the dose religiously and am still suffering with the digestive side effects... I'd heartily reccomend getting back to the doctors and ask for either the slow release, or a different medication to anyone else who has the same side effects that are ongoing.

GeekyWombat raises an excellent point.. Being diagnosed with PCOS is really tough... I Really struggled mentally with the diagnosis and spent a good couple of months pretty depressed and introverted about both the potential impact on fertility, and also on the physical side effects. Metformin has definately helped with the physical side effects (and hopefully the fertility too!!) and I am Feeling much better about life in general these days...

Hi, I was diagnosed with PCOS 7 years ago and they wouldn’t give me metformin, they said it wouldn’t do anything to help despite me bringing in research that said otherwise about it regulating sugar and insulin levels. 2 years after that I developed Type 2 diabetes so they had to put me on metformin. (I feel this maybe could have been prevented if they’d listened to me, but I’ll never know now) I started on 500mg, and gradually increased, the stomach upset only lasted a couple of weeks. Now on 2000mg, wouldn’t even know I was on it! It helped with pain etc.
I really had to push for any kind of treatment including clomid which brought me my beautiful son 2 years ago.
Don’t let them make you wait a year, it feels like 1000 years when you’re TTC. There is so much evidence now that metformin helps. Good luck