Metformin & Pregnancy

[mcor]

Hi! I am sort of new to all this. Last spring I went off BC after being on it for 5 years or so. I noticed my cycles gradually getting longer until I missed my period in December of 08. This was accompanied by some weight gain, acne, a lovely mustache, and thinning hair on my head. I was diagnosed in December of 08 with PCOS (after my doctor told me I didn't have it because I wasn't overweight) and went back on BC. I am now looking to go off, but really do not want to experience all the PCOS symptoms. I'm encouraged reading about many people's successes with Metformin and am going to talk to my dr. about it next week, but am unsure of what he will say because of my weight and because I am just going off BC this week. I am also going to begin ttc with my husband in the next few months.

Finally, here's my question, has anyone been on metformin and gotten pregnant? If so, did you continue to use the medication while pregnant? Do the symptoms of PCOS continue during pregnancy or do they hold off because of all the hormone changes?

[abbyanderson]

Not sure if it will help but i'll tell you what I do know...it seems MOST women on here have been on Met and gotten pg. So it does do wonders!! I've been on Met for a few months now and if I get PG this month my doctor said that I would be on it for the first trimester.

[starlettemax]

mcor- I was on metformin from May of last year until 12 weeks into my pregnancy. I had been ttc for 7 years at that point and nothing had worked. Metformin was actually a miracle drug to me, I conceived after 4 cycles of being on metformin (I was on injectibles too). I got my bfp in September of last year and stopped taking met at 12 weeks (november).

I think a lot of the ladies onhere have used metformin and been able to conceive. There have even been some that have only been on metformin and were able to conceive. There is hope, and if you can stand it, met is a good option for a lot of people. Hope you get your answers and your BFP.

[jlc1875]

I just went to my Dr a month ago because my DH and I are TTC and we wanted his advice on the meds and everything. I am on Metformin and Spironolactone and he told me to stop the spiro now because it wouldn't help me get PG and to continue the Metformin untill I got the BFP. He said that the day I get the BFP to stop the Metformin because even though it is not known to cause problems when you are pg, you don't really need it. But as with anything medical, I would ask your Dr. because everyone has their own oppinion.

[PumkinXOXO]

I was on Metformin for several years. It too has been a wonder drug for me. After losing nearly 100 lbs, my period was finally regular is predictable. I should have known that soon after, I'd end up pregnant! It's amazing what happens when your body starts to work right, huh?

So now I have a question for everyone. I'm nearly 8 months pregnant. I was taking advantage of getting my metformin for free from my mother-in-law who took it upon herself to reduce her dosage because it made her dizzy. Don't worry, I was still taking what my doctor recommended. Now that she's been taken off (and has neglected to let me know before I ran out), I've lost my supply. By the time I'll be able to aquire a new script, it would have been about a week since my last dose. Is it harmful to come off of metformin so abruptly this late in my pregnancy?

[littleplum]

I just went to my Dr a month ago because my DH and I are TTC and we wanted his advice on the meds and everything. I am on Metformin and Spironolactone and he told me to stop the spiro now because it wouldn't help me get PG and to continue the Metformin untill I got the BFP. He said that the day I get the BFP to stop the Metformin because even though it is not known to cause problems when you are pg, you don't really need it. But as with anything medical, I would ask your Dr. because everyone has their own oppinion.

That's really interesting that your doctor told you that you wouldn't need it. My endocrinologist told me that not only is it safe to take met during pregnancy, but it's recommended in cases where the mother is diabetic and/or has gestational diabetes, and that it has been shown to reduce first trimester miscarriages.

Is your doc that recommended discontinuing the met a GP or an Endo?

[ElizRN]

Also, spironolactone wont interfere with getting pregnant.. it just has teratogenic effects on babies in utero.

[liloleme23]

Hi there all. I am new to this site and am interested in everything being said too. I was dx in December 2008 as well after ttc for several months. After the dx, I read up online about pcos and tried to educate myself on the usual process. It explained a lot to me about the many, many symptoms that I can relate to. I was wondering though, does anyone know how long you can go untreated and still be "salvageable". I desperately want to gp, and have been on Met since March - 500mg 2x a day. I am hoping it isnt like other problems and "the damage is done"??

[ashcollins]

Hi everyone! I'm also new to all of this, I just got the dx july 24th of this year. I have 1 sister w/pcos & 1 w/o. I came off bcp December of 2008, and the time btwn af was getting longer till the visits quit. I gained 20 lbs in 7 months, was breaking out, & had other symptoms. I had to basically force my pcp to send me for the ultrasound that showed over 12 cysts on each ovary. Just wondering if anyone else had problems getting their pcps to do the testing that lead to their dx. Sorry this is such a long post!

[liloleme23]

Hey ashcollins - I had been complaining about being irregular for years - finally asked the doc about a problem I recalled having when I was 17, and had issues with cysts then. He "humpf"ed and rolled in the ultrasound machine - said I looked like a ladybug with all my spots on the ovaries. Yay. I feel your pain friend.

[jregis]

I am hoping it isnt like other problems and "the damage is done"??

Lilolme - As far as I understand because PCOS is a syndrome that it isn't one of those diseases where once the damage is done its done. However lifestyle changes are needed in order for something different to happen.

This is what I am struggling with. The met helped me to achieve AF today for the first time since going off BC in Feb, but in order for the weight to come off and the hormones to level out and all those other wonderful things that need to happen with PCOS I will have to drastically increase the amount of exercise I have been getting (almost none) and change my food choices and stay on the met!

This is just my understanding of it, feel free to help me understand better if anyone has any other takes on this.