Posted by Ellen Bender on April 18, 19100 at 17:18:14:
In Reply to: I'm so glad I'm not alone... posted by krystina on April 18, 19100 at 03:55:55:
Krystina: Welcome to AIA's PCOS Center. Many of us can relate to your story of living with PCOS during adolescence. I can remember spending Saturday mornings at the electrologists while my friends were at the mall. I'm not a doctor but you may want to post a message with questions specifically directed to the two doctors who moderate this board in terms of testosterone levels, etc. You don't necessarily have to take birth control pills but if you are not getting your period on your own, you should consider taking provera every 2 to 3 months to ensure that the lining of your uterus is shed. Many women in our community have been taking metformin which is an insulin sensitizing medication with relatively few side effects (although gastrointestinal problems are one of them). Metformin is not just for women who are trying to conceive. Indeed, some doctors are reluctant to prescribe it for that purpose because there is no data on its effect on the developing fetus (though other doctors feel comfortable prescribing it because it has not shown to harm animal fetuses). Rather, it should help to normalize insulin levels as well as to restore ovulation and possibly help with some of the other PCOS symptoms like obsesity and hirsutism. Although it is not FDA approved for non-diabetic women with PCOS, many doctors are prescribing it for their non-diabetic patients with PCOS. Good luck. Please join us for our PCOS chat on May 1st on the topic of PCOS and Nutrition: What's the Deal with Diets? Ellen Bender, AIA's PCOS Center