Metformin and PCOS

My neighbor has PCOS and swears that eating a low carb diet (like the Atkins diet) helped her conceive. She really believes it works (twice in her case!)
And yes metformin is a diabetic drug but it is also used in PCOS. Good luck!

Metformin is standard therapy for both Type 2 diabetes and PCOS. Metformin and insulin are completely different medications. Metformin is a biguanide - basically it works by making your liver stop producing glucose (a completely normal function), by making your body more sensitive to insulin and allowing your cells to take-in the glucose already in the blood stream. Insulin is usually given to women with gestational Diabetes for safety issues, but having gestational diabetes and PCOS are completely different.

It's honestly a kind of wonder drug, and there are studies going on all over the world looking into different uses for it well beyond the two mentioned. I've been involved in the world of Diabetes since 2001, and it's amazing what metformin can and does do.

However, not all metformin is created equally. The original version, Glucophage, has been generic since 2001, and there are many, many manufacturers that have developed generic versions. The FDA only requires they be 80% similar to the brand, so you'll find differences between them. There are also extended release versions that help minimize side effects (mostly GI).

Metformin is Pregnancy Category B from the FDA - that essentially means that the clinical studies have been conducted, and the FDA has approved it for use during pregnancy. If you're concerned, ask your pharmacist for information to help you feel more comfortable taking it.

After a decade in the industry, 2 pregnancies and a cancer diagnosis, I'd have no concerns taking metformin during my pregnancy if I were in your shoes.

Good luck! Best wishes getting pregnant.

Hi M.---Yes, metformin is a diabetes drug. There are a couple of questions before I might be able to comment, but...what kind of diabetes does your SIL have? Type 1 or 2. PCOS is one of those vague diagnosis that docs give because there is no known cause or treatment. Medicine is really more of an art than an exact science.

I found this link, there are many others. http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/infertility.html. So it sound like your hormones are a bit out of whack. This, unfortunately, is a very common problem today. I am taking a series of classes, taught by a Naturopath who has her PhD in Nutrition. Dr. Pam teaches us how important our diet is to proper functioning of EVERY system in our bodies. Please understand that I am NOT suggesting that you have a poor diet. Rather, with all of the nasty environmental toxins and the fact that our food is NOT as nutritious as it once was or should be, it's a wonder that we aren't all really sick. But that's the sneaky nature of disease and the lack of optimal diet...it sneaks up on most of us over time.

I can share tons of great dietary info with you to help your body regain some hormonal balance. For example, there are studies to show that partially and fully hydrogenated fats contribute to infertility. Watch out for these, they are still in a lot of foods. And manufacturers are substituting with even more dangerous fats. You will see the word interisterified fats on the boxes of frozen garlic bread. 'Modified' oils are also hydrogenated fats. Nutella contains this fat. Not good.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like more information on how to optimize your diet and help your body to help itself. It would be my honor. Take care and good luck. D.

I took metformin and clomid for the same reasons. The colmid didnt work but femeral (sp?) did. I took the metformin the whole time until I was 6 weeks along. I was told that metformin hasn't been studied enough on taking while pregnant. But with that said there isn't any firm facts that it causes any problems either. I stopped taking it because it made be feel icky and with morning sickness setting in I didn't want to feel worse. But my OB wanted me to take it until 12-16 weeks pregnant.
Are you being monitored? I had one DR give me the drugs and come back when I was pregnant. I found out that isn't what most OBs do. They have to make sure your on the right dose and that it is plan working.

It took 3 years of TTC to concieve our son. But it wasn't until I found the right DR that it happened the first month I was under his treatment.

Its a tough jorney your on best of luck

I an 19 weeks pregnant and I have type 2 diabetes. I take insulin and metformin. I am under the supervision of mfm doctors who say it is totaly safe!!!! Good luck!!!

I'd talk to your doctor for a better understanding of what the drug is supposed to do for you.

Did you know Dramamine and Benedryl are the EXACT same thing? If we like what a drug does, we call it a treatment, but if we don't, it is called a "side effect". Perhaps a side effect of metformine is assistance with fertility.

Many drugs have more then 1 use. Like this one. Another example is a drug given during pregnancy for pre term labor called terbutiline its a drug for lung problems and many depression drugs are seizure drugs too. PCOS is an insulin resistance so its related to diabetes in a way.

As far as I know Metformin is not insulin, but I could be wrong. The problem with PCOS( I have it as well.) Your body is insulin resistant. The metformin helps with this. The best things to help with conception is to remove all forms of sugar/carbs from your diet or severely limit them. Exercise and loose weight if you need to and that may increase your chances of getting pregnant.