Is BCP really a quickfix only?

[KatieO]

I read somewhere that BCP is just a quickfix of the PCOS and won't really get down the root of the PCOS. Is this really true?

I had been taking BCP since February 2009 and had been getting my period regularly. Except when I failed to take the pack for September, wherein I failed to have my menstruation. But when I had my ultrasound, it was determined that my condition had somehow improved and that I was able to produce estrogen on my own. So, my doctor issued me Provera then I will go back to BCP after.

I want to try and have a baby by next year. And I was wondering if I should ask for Met instead?

[maelan]

I don't know if it really should be called a quick fix but essentially that is what it is. A lot of dr will hear that your cycles are not regular and you don't want to get pg and hand our the rx for bcp. Is that really "fixing" the problem or slapping a band-aid on it? Depends on what your ultimate goal is....if you are wanting to ttc in the future then I would call it the quick fix. You are just trying to get regular cycles without getting down to the heart of the problem.

All the bcp do are to mask symptoms and make us seem like we are having "normal" cycles. Yes it can help with the cysts (thus why the u/s seemed that the pcos improved) and getting some hormones back in check but if you go off the bcp for a while all those issues will eventually pop back up and in some cases even worse than before.

The best treatment is with met...that gets to the heart of the issue for most women insulin restitance. If you are actively wanting to ttc soon then I would say go for the met. But if you are wanting to wait a yr or so then bcp may be the better option if you do not want to get pg now. The met can take some time to start working to regulate our systems but some women are only on it for a month and get pg. You could always ask teh dr to give you met as well as being on the pill too. Good luck!

[SeekingHealing]

BCP may actually make insulin resistance worse so in this regard this may even make the root cause worse. There are no easy answers to PCOS it seems

[LillismomAZ]

Really? It seems like since I started having problems its always been here take some BC and it'll fix everything. I decided theres gotta be something else than doing that. I smoke and I just turned 28 and I dont want to be on BC anymore and stopped taking it. My gyne that diagnosed me put me on it and I did get a script for metformin but it made me SOOOO sick I couldnt handle it anymore. I had to fight and raise all sorts of hell in the doctors office to even get that.

[sweetsunshine72]

In reality, PCOS is a metabolic issue that happens to have gyno symptoms. Gyno's are not trained to manage metabolic issues, although some really good ones have extra training and/or experience and will do it. Really, all that a gyno CAN do is give you hormone treatments to artificially regulate a period, give you fertility meds if you're trying to get pregnant, and check you for physical things like cancer, fibroids, etc. Because Met has shown itself to be effective with fertility and treating PCOS, some gyno's will give it to you, usually at a very low dosage, though.

If you have PCOS, I would really recommend that you see an endocrinologist. They are the metabolism experts. Also, if Met makes you sick, there are ways of dealing with it (like working slowly into your dosage, avoiding foods that are high in starch, sugar, or fat, always take with a meal, etc.) and there are options, like the Extended Release version which many people find to be gentler on their stomach, or even other meds that do a similar job. A dietician would be helpful, too, as a good deal of treatment of PCOS is self-directed with a modified, low-GI-type diet and exercise (along with your meds).

BCP's will worsen metabolic issues, especially long-term. They will give you a regular bleed every month, but are not your period. While you are on it, the mini-cysts typical of PCOS will gradually resolve on their own (which they do anyways), and because your body is not trying to ovulate, new cysts are not formed, so it can appear that your cysts go away. Once you go off of the BCP's, though, your body will go right back to where it was (or worse!), usually within 3 months or so. Because their symptoms got better, many women think that the BCP's are "treating" their PCOS, but really, it's just getting worse behind the scene.

If you haven't already, make sure you read the FAQ's sticky. It's got a TON of information about PCOS, Insulin Resistance (which about 80% of us have, and is the main cause/trigger of PCOS), AND what you can do about them!

Take care, and HTH! (((HUGS)))