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415867 tn?1323365503

Metformin?

Are there any side effects to Metformin that people have experienced?
Does it help with ovarian cysts due to PCOS?
What part of your cycle do you start taking it?  
Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
8 Responses
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1604008 tn?1305396803
I was on it for about 4 months before finding out PCOS was a misdiagnosis.  I was fine the first few days, but then for about 3 weeks, I was deathly ill.  I NEVER get nauseated, but I was nauseated for 3 solid weeks, despite taking it with food or anything.  My only saving grace was keeping saltine crackers and diet coke with me at all times!!!
Helpful - 0
1268796 tn?1332893451
  I was on it for about 5 solid months, Worked wonders for me so good luck!  But feel drowsy all the time, nauseaous, and lack of motivation from the pill..it took my system about 3 months to get use to it,  Hope it works for you!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was Dx with PCOS and started metformin on 2/9/11 had not had a period in 4 months.. with in 3 days of the medication i started spotting and 2 days later full blown period.  Would it really start helping THAT fast or was it just a coincidence?
Helpful - 0
400358 tn?1320234443
My symptoms started after the second pill .. It was really bad with the generic pills and not the name brand ones.  I don't have the diarrhea all the time .. its usually more common in the later afternoons and evenings but not every day.  I hope that you do well with the meds... The first time I was put on the meds before I had my DS I tolerated the meds well and didn't have  alot of diarrhea but this second time I have more diarrhea
Helpful - 0
1434731 tn?1382722384
I took my first pill today and I feel normal!  I guess thats a good thing,  I always think I will have side effects to everything so I am suprised when i dont have them!

I also have PCOS,
Helpful - 0
400358 tn?1320234443
I have been on metformin for a while .. I have lost weight on the metformin .. I did not get my periods with it but I have severe PCOS.  The only real side effect that I have with it is diareah but that is it.
Helpful - 0
1434731 tn?1382722384
ALSO FOUND THIS! Just now

How long it takes Metformin to work depends on the reason that a woman is taking metformin. If a woman is taking metformin to regulate her blood sugar, metformin typically will work within a few days or a few weeks at the most.

For the woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) metformin can help to reduce the amount of insulin in the body. Once the insulin levels are under control, many women will then experience improved ovulation. If metformin is going to work for a woman who has experienced fertility problems because of her polycystic ovarian syndrome, it will typically help within three to six months. Unlike most fertility treatments, metformin does not cause a risk of having a multiple or twin pregnancy. If metformin alone does not help a woman with PCOS who is trying to conceive, a fertility doctor may prescribe Clomid, as well.

If metformin is prescribed for a woman with PCOS to help restore a regular, normal menstrual cycle, metformin can work within 4 to 8 weeks. In addition, the stabilized levels of insulin may affect the other hormones in a woman’s body, and reduce other symptoms of PCOS.

Some women, either with diabetes or PCOS, use metformin as a tool for weight loss. If this is the case, weight loss can occur somewhere between 1 and 5 weeks after beginning a regimen of metformin. Some studies suggest that metformin may also be useful in weight loss for women who are not diabetic or have PCOS, but more research is needed on this point.
Helpful - 0
1434731 tn?1382722384
HI

I JUST  TOOK MY FIRST DOSE OF METFORMIN SO WE SHALL SEE HOW I REACT TO IT.  I DID TAKE IT WITH FOOD AS RECCOMMENDED!

Here is something I just googled about metformin and PCOS, and the way it could help!

Hope this helps ya, it helped me in making my decision to take it!!!!

RESTORATION OF NORMAL MENSTRUAL CYCLE. A number of studies have shown that menstruation can be restored in many women with PCOS. For example, in a study at Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati, 43 women who were not having periods took Glucophage, and 39 of them resumed normal menses.(6) In another study at Jewish Hospital, 11 teenage girls with PCOS were put on metformin and a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Ten of the 11 girls resumed regular periods.(7)

IMPROVED CHANCE OF PREGNANCY. A study of 48 women with PCOS and infertility was conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine. They were first given metformin and 19 of them resumed menstruating and showed indications of ovulation. But 10 required clomiphene (a fertility drug) in addition to metformin in order to show evidence of ovulation. Twenty women of the 48 (42%) became pregnant. However, 7 of the 20 miscarried.(8)

REDUCED RISK OF MISCARRIAGE. Another aspect of PCOS-related infertility is the tendency for repeated miscarriages. A study from the Hospital de Clinicas Caracas in Venezuela looked at 65 women who received Glucophage during their pregnancies vs. 31 who did not. The early pregnancy (first trimester) loss rate in the metformin group was 8.8% as compared to a 41.9% loss in the untreated group. Of those women who previously had miscarried, 11.1% of the metformin group miscarried again, while 58.3% of the untreated group again miscarried. (9)

REDUCED RISK OF GESTATIONAL DIABETES. In another study at Jewish Hospital in Cincinatti, gestational diabetes risk was evaluated in two groups of PCOS women. The first group was 33 non-diabletic women who had conceived while taking metformin or took it during their pregnancy. This group was compared to a group of 39 PCOS women who did not take it. Only 3% of the metformin group developed gestational diabetes as compared to 31% in the non-metformin group.(10)

WEIGHT LOSS AND OTHER BENEFITS. Metformin may contribute to weight loss in some diabetics.(11) However, weight loss does not appear to be one of its primary benefits. Glucophage may also be of some value improving success with in vitro fertilization, lowering cholesterol, and improving energy.
Helpful - 0
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