Be cautious of the side-effects of Metformin. The first 2 weeks of taking it were brutal--BAD nausea, cramping, and overall feeling unwell. You will want to start out at a lower dosage and increase after a week or two. Right now I am taking 1500 mg--some people go as high as 2000. Good luck!
PCOS, METFORMIN
July 16, 2008
I am 27 years old and my husband and I have been TTC since 7 months. I was on BCP till Nov'07. I did not get periods for the month of Dec. I got periods starting Jan to March which were really irregular. I could not determine when was I ovulating. My Ob/Gyn referred me to an endocrinologist because i have hypothyroidism. It took me 12 weeks to get my thyroid normalized with the dose adjustments. However during this 12 weeks I did not have my periods. So the last period I had was on March 21st. Then my endocrinologist suggest a full blood work of all of my hormones. Last week when I met her she told me that I have PCOS because my Testosterone levels were high and progesterone low. Now she has put me on the current medications:
Synthoroid
Provera to get my periods started (only for 10 days)
Metformin
My question to you are the following:
1. When can i start Metformin? What are the success rates with Metformin by itself?
2. Since the success rate is more with Metformin and Clomid combination, should I ask my endocrinologist to prescribe me with Clomid ?( as she has asked me be on Metformin for 3 months before she can prescribe me Clomid, because she wants to check whether my hormones are levelled with Metformin itself)
Please let me know
Naaz
Synthoroid
Provera to get my periods started (only for 10 days)
Metformin
My question to you are the following:
1. When can i start Metformin? What are the success rates with Metformin by itself?
2. Since the success rate is more with Metformin and Clomid combination, should I ask my endocrinologist to prescribe me with Clomid ?( as she has asked me be on Metformin for 3 months before she can prescribe me Clomid, because she wants to check whether my hormones are levelled with Metformin itself)
Please let me know
Naaz
Thanks for the reply.
Yes, i do have fasting insulin marginally high. After I have stopped with Provera, when can I start with Metformin? Can i start immediately after i have finished the 10 day Provera?
You are saying to start with Clomid during this cycle when I am done with Provera? The reason I am asking is because i would have my periods after 3 months (becuase of Provera), so i really dont know if i would get my periods again in the month of August.
Yes, i do have fasting insulin marginally high. After I have stopped with Provera, when can I start with Metformin? Can i start immediately after i have finished the 10 day Provera?
You are saying to start with Clomid during this cycle when I am done with Provera? The reason I am asking is because i would have my periods after 3 months (becuase of Provera), so i really dont know if i would get my periods again in the month of August.
I currently take Metformin along with Femara and I did have a very uncomfortable 3 weeks getting ajusted to the medication. I take 1500mg's and am hoping this month to finally have results. I am 27 as well and had one child with no difficutly and now I have been diagnosed with PCOS. I have taken Femara for 3 months by itself but with no success. I have been told that now that I am using both medications together that the success rate is higher. Good luck with Metformin the first few weeks are tough but it does get better.
Hi Naaz,
Femara is different from Clomid it is actually prescribed for breast cancer patients but recently doctors have started using it for infertilty. It has studies showing that women with PCOS may react better to it than to Clomid. I have been ttc for about 7 months now and had to take Prometrium to start my cycles and then Femara for 1 day taking 5 pills on CD 3. I did not have any luck that way but I switched doc's and now that i am on my 4th week of Metformin along with the Femara i had a cycle for the first time naturally. I am taking Femara 5mg on CD's 3-7 this time.
Femara is different from Clomid it is actually prescribed for breast cancer patients but recently doctors have started using it for infertilty. It has studies showing that women with PCOS may react better to it than to Clomid. I have been ttc for about 7 months now and had to take Prometrium to start my cycles and then Femara for 1 day taking 5 pills on CD 3. I did not have any luck that way but I switched doc's and now that i am on my 4th week of Metformin along with the Femara i had a cycle for the first time naturally. I am taking Femara 5mg on CD's 3-7 this time.
Hi Naaz,
I only felt very tired while taking Femara but there are more side effects a lot of them are similar to PMS feelings. Sore breasts are the number 1 complaint according to my obgyn.I have been on Femara for three cycles now and i think that this time it might work. Have you started the metformin yet? I was on metformin for only 1 week and my cycle came on its own. Hopefully you will start to regulate from this medication. Babydust to you!!! I sould ovulate saturday and monday i have an ultrasound to see if i have produced any worthwhile follicles.
I only felt very tired while taking Femara but there are more side effects a lot of them are similar to PMS feelings. Sore breasts are the number 1 complaint according to my obgyn.I have been on Femara for three cycles now and i think that this time it might work. Have you started the metformin yet? I was on metformin for only 1 week and my cycle came on its own. Hopefully you will start to regulate from this medication. Babydust to you!!! I sould ovulate saturday and monday i have an ultrasound to see if i have produced any worthwhile follicles.
one more thing Naaz my obgyn started me on metformin as soon as my blood work came back. You should take metformin right away so that it starts working asap for you. I don't have any hyperthyrodism or diabetic levels that are out of wack but it is a medication that my doc truly believes in when combined with clomid or femara. If you do have pcos i would ask your doc about femara? Keep me in the loop!!
Hi Amy and Crystal, my Provera cycle ended on Saturday I got my periods this Tuesday...finally!!!!....i have also started to take Metformin. I have not yet taken Clomid (bcos i have not been prescribed for one!).....i do plan to take it in the next cycle. Amy and Crystal how things are going on with you girls?
Hi girls,
I am not really sure what is going on with me exactly. i went to the RE on monday and he told me that i had one follicle that measured 13 so he was hoping that would continue to grow until i ovulate. I have not had a +opk at all so far so now i have another appt tomorrow with the RE and i am not sure what happens next. I really thought this month was going to be it for me but not so far. Naaz, my doctor told me that if this month doesn't work that i will be on clomid starting next cycle. I have already done 3 cycles with Femara and no luck yet so maybe clomid will work out for both of us. How do you feel on the metformin? How much are you taking right now? I started with 1 pill and moved up from there week by week until i got to 1500mg which is 3 pills every day. i am glad the Provera worked for you to get your cycle. Now that you are on metformin your cycles may come naturally now they did for me and every month before that i had to take prometrium to start my cycles. I am excited for us to be on the same meds at least we can comfort eachother and we are the same age as well so lets hope for the best!! Lots of babydust to you!!!
I am not really sure what is going on with me exactly. i went to the RE on monday and he told me that i had one follicle that measured 13 so he was hoping that would continue to grow until i ovulate. I have not had a +opk at all so far so now i have another appt tomorrow with the RE and i am not sure what happens next. I really thought this month was going to be it for me but not so far. Naaz, my doctor told me that if this month doesn't work that i will be on clomid starting next cycle. I have already done 3 cycles with Femara and no luck yet so maybe clomid will work out for both of us. How do you feel on the metformin? How much are you taking right now? I started with 1 pill and moved up from there week by week until i got to 1500mg which is 3 pills every day. i am glad the Provera worked for you to get your cycle. Now that you are on metformin your cycles may come naturally now they did for me and every month before that i had to take prometrium to start my cycles. I am excited for us to be on the same meds at least we can comfort eachother and we are the same age as well so lets hope for the best!! Lots of babydust to you!!!
Well i am very frustrated too, i am headed to the RE for the second time this week and hoping that this month i still have a chance of becoming pregnant. I still have not had a +opk and i should have had one on yesterday or today and no such luck. The RE did mention clomid for my next cycle if this one is not going to work but i am curious to see what will happen tomorrow. I really had high hopes this time and my husband and i have been BDing since last friday everyday just in case it might increase our chances. Please let me know about your upcoming appt it will interesting to see what your RE will recommend next for you! Lots of babydust for you!!
Yeah, it is frustrating. My last ultrasound, I had 8 follicles on one ovary and 3 on the other. One of them measured 12 and they thought it may grow & release, but it didn't. I would give it a few more cycles once you take the clomid and if that doesn't make you ovulate, try injectables. Apparently they make everyone ovulate. It is very frustrating using those OPKs everyday and not getting results. I only ever get a VERY faint line on mine.
I am hoping that both of us that dark line that we hope for like EVERYDAY! I went to the RE agin today and my one and only follicle measured 14mm only 1mm larger than it was on monday. My RE said we are going to hope that it continues to grow and i go back again for another u/s on tuesday. It has to measure 18-20mm by then or this cycle will not work. I have to be on clomid or the injectables starting with my next cycle since i have taken the maximum doseage of femara with no results so far. I am feeling very sick today maybe just a nervous stomach mixed with the metformin side effects. My RE had to lower my dosage of metformin because i am contantly in the bathroom. How are you doing on the metformin? What CD are you on now? I am on CD17 and still no
+opk? Lots of luck and babydust for both of you girls!!!!
+opk? Lots of luck and babydust for both of you girls!!!!
I'm on CD24, so I'm definitely out this cycle. As for the Metformin, I atarted out taking 850mg/day and after one week, I was supposed to double the dose. Well, I was so sick that I ended up taking 850mg for 2 weeks and then only taking another 1/2 pill additional each day (which is 1275mg). I just cannot bring myself to take any more than that. I don't get the intestinal side-effects, but I get terrible nausea and fatigue--to the point where I would stay on the couch most of the day. I'm a school administrator, so I have the entire month of July off--thank goodness, or I would have had to miss weeks of work. I still have good days and bad days--even though my body is used to it, I will get spells of nausea that last for an hour or so. People say that you can lose weight on Metformin, but I that is more true with overweight people--I'm 5'3" and 112 lbs. I have lost about 2 pounds since I've taken it--not much, but I'll take it!
July 16, 2008