What Is PCOS?
PCOS is a metabolic disorder that can cause hormonal imbalances and a whole array of symptoms including irregular or absent period,problems with fertility,acne,hair loss ,weight gain,diabetes to name only a few. These conditions can be mild or severe,and yours may not be the same as another women with pcos. This disorder can occur in women as young as eleven. Around 10% of women have polycystic ovaries, even though many of them may not know it.
Recognized in 1935 by scientists Irving F. Stein and Michael Leventhal for its relationship to menstrual disturbances. Due to its insulin resistance component, PCOS is now viewed mainly as an endoctrine disorder. It is characterized by high level of androgens or male sex hormones and problems with ovulation
If you have PCOS and have absent or irregular periods, or problems with ovulation, you’re not infertile- you have a condition known as subfertility. This means that getting pregnant may not be as simple for you as it is for some women, but it’s not by no means an impossible battle. and it’s amazing how much you can do yourself to boost your chances of success.
Is getting pregnant with pcos possible with the right treatment ?
As you know,PCOS is the most widely spread cause of infertility but it is also the most easily treated . Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a very common problem in women. It is a hormonal imbalance . Its symptoms are:
1. Obesity
2. Hair loss
3. Enlarged ovaries
4. Pelvic discomfort
5. Irregular or no periods
5. Skin problems like acne
6. Excessive hair growth on face, chest, abdomen arms and legs
All women don’t have all the above-mentioned symptoms but some of these can be easily found common among women with PCOS.
Outcomes of PCOS:
Women with polycystic syndrome have to face many problems in getting pregnant with this ovarian disorder, some are mentioned below:
Every woman develops one egg in a month in her ovary. When egg is released from the ovary then chances of getting pregnant occurs. But in women with PCOS cyst creates difficulties in releasing the egg from the ovary which reduces the chances of conceiving and makes it difficult to get pregnant.
PCOS does affect the menstrual cycle which makes it difficult to exactly know the fertile period of a woman thus making it difficult for any women with pcos to get pregnant.
If you are lucky enough to get pregnant with PCOS even then you are at more risk than average, of pregnancy complications and miscarriages.
As it becomes difficult to get pregnant with PCOS so women may face infertility.
Common Treatments For Getting Pregnant
Women with PCOS can control it and raise their chances of getting pregnant . This can be possible by adopting some easy treatments as mentionned below:
PCOS cause menstrual irregularities which can be addressed with birth control pills. But as you want to get pregnant with PCOS then these pills are of no use to you.
To treat PCOS,surgery is also an option but this can be harmful in your situation. As you want to get pregnant even with PCOS, surgery will eliminate the cysts but will also restrict the chances of getting pregnant.
You can take drugs to control symptoms of PCOS and increase fertility. This will help you in getting pregnant with PCOS. But it has some side effects also.
Treat PCOS and Infertility from Top to Bottom:
If you have the utmost desire of motherhood, then you have to take your task of getting pregnant with PCOS very seriously. You must adopt a full fledge strategy and follow it thoroughly. You will see the positive results very soon.
If you are an overweight woman suffering from pcos and who want to get pregnant, you would face more problems than the average women who want to get pregnant . If you try and reduce your weight from 5% to 10%, your chances will be high to achieve your task of getting pregnant .Control Your Weight
To reduce your weight you should avoid processed foods, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, soft drinks, caffeine products etc. Natural fruit juices and herbal teas are better options. Keep sweets to minimum, it will help you in getting pregnant with PCOS.
Metformin and Clomid For PCOS
PCOS is a common cause of infertility in women who are unable to produce sufficient
amount of female hormones. Typically, the easiest way to treat women who are not ovulating (because of PCOS or something else) is to give them medication that helps them ovulate, reduce miscarriage and help regulate the menstrual cycle.
This is where Clomid and Metformin also called Glucophage comes in. Metformin is a drug that has been approved by the FDA for diabetes, but is to this date not yet FDA-approved for use in treatment of PCOS
The two most common forms of medication prescribed for women with PCOS are Clomid (clomiphene citrate)and is considered to be among the most common of the fertility drugs
and Metformin (a diabetes drug) that has been proven to help PCOS women with insulin resistance
The goal of these drugs is to help women ovulate and thus make them able to conceive. The two drugs can be used separately or in combination. Clomid works by blocking the estrogen
receptors in the brain, thus “tricking” the body to believe that it needs to produce more of the hormones necessary for ovulation (in particular FSH and LH) to combat low estrogen levels.
A recent studies have been conducted by the makers of both Clomid and Metformin separately, or both in combination, were better for women with PCOS. But one independent study undertaken by the New England Journal of Medicine looked at the same issues and came to the conclusion that the best first line defense for women who have problems ovulating due to PCOS, is Clomid.
Women have experienced a pregnancy rate of 22.5 % when taking clomid as compared to 7.2% when taking metformin. But when Clomid and Metformin are taken together ,the combination has resulted in more ovulations but not significant pregnancy rate.
Though doctors have found that the use of metformin helps in the symptoms of Pcos, unfortunately due to the variable degree of insulin resistance by each individual woman, metformin does not work effectively for those with pcos. But it has been seen to work in cases of women that have more severe insulin resistance
Side effects of Clomid
Those who take Clomid occasionally suffer from mood issues, headaches, hot flashes, ovarian enlargement and hostile cervical mucous. Your specialist can prescribe other drugs to combat the side effects, including over the counter drugs. Discussing your choices with your health care provider is the surest manner to discover if Clomid can help you with your PCOS and infertility issues.
Side effects of Metformin
1. The majority of patients complain of strong gastrointestinal side effects (stomach cramping, diarrhea, gas, bloating, nausea and vomiting)
2. It has also been that Metformin may strengthen homocysteine levels (these are amino acids found in the blood), which puts one in jeopardy for atherosclerosis (or fatty deposits in blood vessels).
3. The lifelong use of Metformin can generate B12 malabsorbtion, which can cause anemia
4. Lactic Acidosis: Lactic acid is a metabolic byproduct that can become harmful if it builds up faster than it is removed. It is remarkably serious and could be catastrophic. The symptoms are speedy breathing, irregular pulse, feeling weak, drowsiness, and muscle pain. (If you are taking Metformin and have any of these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately, or go to the nearest emergency room.
Nowadays there is no screening that is done until a woman sees a doctor for treating her symptoms. If early diagnosis and cure of PCOS can help reduce the risk of enduring complications in six million women, then why is there no screening during adolescence? Screening and evaluation for PCOS during the adolescent years should be used to stop devastating problems from PCOS.
Take Care of Yourself:
To be successful in your desire of conceiving with PCOS, you must take care of yourself. What follows will help you.
1. Take good eight to ten hours sleep
2. Adopt an exercise like walking for thirty minutes early in the morning is the best
3. Try to get rid of stress
4. Use water filter for drinking water and also for shower
5. Forego beauty parlor products from hair colors to nail polish to reduce toxic burden of your body
6. Eliminate anything that is in excess, your food, work, stress etc.
7. Eat healthy foods
8. You must stay regular in taking the prescribed medication (this should be followed according to the prescription of your doctor, gynecologist or your GP). The medicines that are formulated to cure insulin resistance comprises initial step of getting pregnant in PCOS condition. Do not be impatient, as medicine that treats PCOS usually take few months’ time to manifest their desired effect. So, stay consistent and patient.
9. You should also get some help regarding your ovulation process. You may ask your gynecologist about ovulation stimulating drugs to avoid difficulty in this process.
10. You should keep checking your body temperature often. You may want to keep a log of your temperature on a daily or alternative basis. This will help you figure out the optimum time of going for an intercourse (a time that has more probability of conception).
You may seek advice from your physician or gynecologist about the peak time for intercourse; however, generally it is around four days around ovulation time.
If you have any fears about having a baby, tackle them and get mentally prepared. Take utmost care because the chances of miscarriages are very high in this condition. But with proper care you can get pregnant with PCOS.
Adopting these measures will improve your health and chances of getting pregnant with PCOS.
Lastly, if you don’t get medical polycystic ovarian syndrome treatment then it can cause many other problems like hypertension and heart diseases. So, even if getting pregnant with PCOS is your task or not, you should get it treated.
