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Metformin (Glucophage) for PCOS

Metformin (or Glucophage) for polycystic ovararian symdrome (PCOS)
by Kelly

Why would you be taking metformin or glucophage (metformin is the generic for glucophage)

Metformin is a diabetes medicine used for lowering insulin and blood sugar levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This helps regulate menstrual cycles, start ovulation, and lower the risk of miscarriage in women with PCOS. It is generally used in conjuction with clomid.
The most common side effects of metformin

Nausea.
Loss of appetite.
Diarrhea.
Increased abdominal gas.
A metallic taste.
Tiredness.

Problems that might arise and ways to troubleshoot

I have always had pretty strong side effects (lots of nausea and always very tired) while taking metformin. It does get better as time goes on but working myself up to the maximum dosage has always been hard.

I’ve been to a number of different doctors who have all suggested different ways to work up to my maximum dosage (1500 mg). It is generally suggested that you start with the lowest dose and keep increasing it as you get used to it (or as the side effects start to go away). The first time I took it, I took 500 mg for about three weeks (1 pill in the morning). Then added a second pill at lunch time (so I took 1000 mg for 3 weeks). And, then I added a third pill at dinner time.

The second time that I took metformin, I increased the dosage from 500 mg to 1500 mg over the course of three weeks. I was sick a lot but I feel like I got the worst part over with faster.

My personal experience has been that it usually takes me about 1 month for the side effects to start to lessen. I will still have bouts of nausea, but after about 2 months that starts to happen less often.

My personal tips

Always take with food or a glass of milk – I always take my metformin when I am eating either breakfast, lunch or dinner.
I have heard from others that following a low carb diet helps with the side effects (I personally haven’t found this to be true – or maybe I just couldn’t follow the low carb life).
When increasing your dosage, just increase it as you feel ready.

99 comments

1 Anonymous Infertile { 08.02.06 at 4:37 pm }

I just have an update ….. my dosage has been increased to 2000 mg by a new endocrinologist and he kinda gave me an easier dosage schedule so I thought I would share. I am now taking 2 pills in the morning with breakfast and 2 pills at night with dinner. It is a lot easier because I only have to take medication twice during the day. And, I haven’t noticed it being any harder on my stomach.

Hope this helps someone!!

Kelly

2 Ren { 03.06.07 at 8:52 am }

I was on this for about 5 months and was only able to get my dosage up to 1500mg. Something they don’t tell you, is that when you start taking it, an each time you increase your dosage, you can experience extremely bad back pain. In your kidney area. Mine was awful. It would last 4-5 days each time I increased the dosage. The nurses and doctor all looked at me like I was crazy, they’d never heard of this side effect. It wasn’t until I read on other infertility sites that I could see other people had the same problem.

3 Tammy { 01.09.16 at 4:46 pm }

Hi Ren I totally agree with you on this about bad back pain. I’ve been taking metformin for 2 days now to help regulate my periods and to conceive. I’ve just been having this real bad pains in my back. I haven’t had any other effects yet (touchwood I don’t) I always take mine either with my breakfast, lunch or dinner.

4 Anonymous { 04.03.07 at 4:07 pm }

Thanks for the info. Did it work for anyone??

5 Tina { 05.24.07 at 8:41 am }

I took metformin — I cannot recall the exact dosage, but I think I worked up to around 1500-2000 mg. My diagnosis was PCOS. I cannot say for sure whether metformin was the magic bullet, as I was also taking Clomid. I was also doing acupuncture. My REI was agnostic on metformin — he had me take it on the theory that it couldn’t hurt, given that we were motoring ahead with other things. And I did eventually get my baby!

6 Anonymous { 06.26.07 at 12:08 pm }

I have been on metformin for about a year. I started at 1000 mg a day, but my new REI doctor told me that I should be above 1500 in order to help. I actually take 850 twice a day. I didn’t notice any ill effects, but I started following a low glycemic index diet right away. Eliminating blood sugar spikes helps with tolerating the drug because the drug limits how much insulin you can release at a time. My theory is that if you overload your body with sugar and refined carbs, they don’t have anywhere to go but straight through your GI system because you can’t release the insulin fast enough. I wavered from the low glycemic diet once and had a milkshake. BIG mistake. I was on the bathroom floor all night with cramping, bloating and severe you know what. That was all I needed to be committed to it! Anyway, I later changed to a naturpathic diet that cuts almost all grains out and requires that I eat only whole, naturally occuring foods. It also seems very compatible w/ metformin. Another tip – if you are a big fitness person, I recommend that you bring propel or diluted juice to the gym with you until you figure out how the metformin affects your energy level. I had several bloodsugar crashes during workouts because I didn’t have the same liver glycogen storage as before. Drinking something w/ carbs in it during workouts really helped until I could figure out what I needed to eat before to make it through the hour.

7 Lisa { 08.03.07 at 8:17 pm }

Has anyone experienced weight loss while on metformin? My doctor says it’s common, and of course, I’m on Metformin, eating less, pretty active, breastfeeding, and gaining weight…

I was diagnosed with insulin resistance in conjunction with PCOS. Took metformin 2x daily. That and progesterone suppositories are the reason I have my 8-month-old daughter today. Didn’t have those problems when I got pregnant with my son, but after 2 m/cs, they found the problem.

8 Heather { 09.08.07 at 4:37 am }

It is good to know that I am not the only one out there who feels like her butt explodes every time the docs mess with the dosages. I started on Metformin a year ago for PCOS/Insulin Resistance and have been on 1000mg that whole time. Granted I didn’t take it faithfully, so my side effects were worse than if I had taken it every day like I should have. I am now seeing an REI who increased my dosage to 2000mg daily. I take 1000mgs twice daily – breakfast and dinner. I am also on a low carb, diabetic diet which really helps with my appetite and sugar control. I am also losing weight fast! I find that the higher carb and fat content in my meals, the worse my side effects are.

9 butterflz { 10.31.07 at 9:57 am }

i have just been diagnosed with pcos even thogh ive known for about a 2 years.
I have been on metformin for 3 weeks now and i am on my third tablet.
I have felt great on these tablets and they have built my confidence as i have now started to lose weight since being on them.
I take mine after meals but it probably works well for me because i changed my diet early on in the year and love eating healthy as it amkes me feel good but i dont feel guilty if i treat my self.
it is also a good idea if you manage to reduce your stress levels and if you read you leaflets carefully your doctor should be given you blood tests to check on your kidneys and should be given you vitamin B12 as metformin can starve your body from it.
PCOS is linked to auto immunes disease have a look on the web and you will be surprized how many things link to it.
anyone can ask me any questions im quite good as i have alot of time to research about pcos, metaformin, insulin resistance and auto immunes disease.

10 Anonymous { 12.28.07 at 10:44 am }

First I wanted to say thanks for all of the great information!

I also wanted to comment on this really quick: “Metformin is a diabetes medicine used for lowering insulin and blood sugar levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)”

Just about everything that I’ve read, heard from my doc, and verified with my pharmacist, is this: Regarding the use of Metformin to treat PCOS: Although Metformin lowers elevated blood sugar levels in diabetics, when given to nondiabetic patients, they only lower insulin levels. In fact, episodes of “hypoglycemic attacks” appear to be reduced.

I’m not trying to make corrections – I only wanted to mention it b/c if anyone reading this is experiencing hypoglycemic attacks while taking Met for PCOS, they may want to have their dr do some b/w to verify that they haven’t developed diabetes.

11 Amanda { 02.13.08 at 8:41 am }

I was diagnosed with PCOS over 10 years ago, but was just put on Metformin a few months ago in an attempt to get pregnant. I started with one 500MG dose once daily and was immediately met with a metallic taste in my mouth, nausea and diarhea. Over the course of a month, I worked up to 1500MG daily, but the diarhea never really left me. I took it with milk. I took it with food. I took it with low carbs. I took it with high carbs. Nothing really mattered – I was still having at least one loose bowel movement EVERY DAY. Luckily, three months into treatement, I began to see some signs that I was ovulating and voila! I’m happy to report that I’m pregnant.

I came off the Metformin at 8 weeks of pregnancy because it seemed to be aggravating morning sickness.

Even though I felt that I had a difficult experience with Metformin, I will definitely take it again to pursue my next pregnancy. But this time, I’ll ask for the extended release version – there’s some discussion that it’s a little easier on the tummy.

12 Pamela { 09.25.08 at 12:45 pm }

What a great post. Metformin is wicked, despite drinking water, eating right, etc. I took it for years. Supposedly the extended release is easier on your system, although that is what I took and it was HARD on me. There is a new version of Metformin that many PCOS’ers are taking, forgive me I cannot recall the name.
I’m taking the herbal “form” of Metformin, Gymnema, and its working a lot better — plus NO side affects, thank goodness.
Pamela
http://www.pcosinfo.com

13 adviceseeker { 11.29.08 at 10:58 pm }

I was recently diagnosed by a Nurse Practitioner with PCOS. She said she thinks I may have this but there is no test to be sure. I had blood work done and she said everything was ok. She also said there was no problem with my glucose levels. When I went back about a week ago she said she thinks I should take Metformin. I am not sure why I should take this. I am 20 years old and not currently trying to get pregnant. If anyone has any advice or explanation I would love to hear anything you have to say. I know I should really take to the doctor but I dont have health insurance and I cant afford to make anymore appointments right now. I just want to know what the advantages of taking this drug is and what it does for the PCOS.

14 emily { 12.15.08 at 2:17 am }

dear adviceseeker,

there is a test for PCOS, first you have hormonal blood tests to check your testosterone, prolactin, progesterone, and your ration of LH to FSH. then, if necessary, you have a vaginal ultrasound to view your ovaries.

there is no need to take metformin unless you want to conceive. the birth control pill will regulate your hormones and decrease testosterone production to help with symptoms.

i don’t know how it works where you are, but here in the UK there is quite a process you have to go through for diagnosis and referal to a fertility specialist before you get metformin!! a nurse practitioner, as far as i know, is not trained enough to give a diagnosis or any opinion on medication like that.

15 Jellibells { 12.16.08 at 3:29 pm }

I went on metformin one year before conceiving my daughter, and really we were only actively trying for about six months before getting pregnant. Prior to going on met, I had been diagnosed with PCOS and had irregular periods – sometimes only a few a year. Metformin regulated my period and helped me to ovulate more regularly after only about six weeks of regular use (I stayed on a dosage of 1000/day – 500 two times a day – the entire time I was on it. They did not see a need to increase the dose). I did stay on the met through my 20th week of gestation as I was concerned about miscarriage and much of the international research now seems to indicate that staying on met past the first trimester can be beneficial in preventing miscarriage. I did end up developing gestational diabetes (common with PCOS) around the 28th week of gestation and had to go on insulin which was a mess…my sugars never were well regulated until I delivered a week early. I have been off met for a year while breastfeeding and look forward to going back on – despite stomach problems (which did get much better after the first few months of regular use) I felt better, had more energy, and lost weight on the met…in addition to it helping me to get and stay pregnant with my amazing now one year old daughter. She is extremely healthy, btw, surpassing all milestones, 95% height and weight, and the picture of health in general. Maybe it does not work this way for everyone, and yes there may be things we don’t know about met…but that can be said of much of the food and drink and other chemicals we put into our bodies on a daily basis…to me, the benefits seem to outweigh the detriments. Good luck to everyone!

16 Anonymous { 03.03.09 at 6:27 pm }

I saw that someone said that there is no need to take the glucophage if you aren’t trying to conceive. I have had a hysterectomy and am on the glucophage for PCOS. Glucophage reduces insulin, testosterone and glucose levels — which reduces acne, hirsutism, abdominal obesity, amenorrhea and other symptoms. This is a great site to get some information, but make sure you aren’t taking medical advice from people on here. Listen to your doctor.

17 Anonymous { 03.15.09 at 6:35 pm }

Hi — was wondering if anyone could offer my some advice. I am in my mid 20s….was a high school athlete and now working as a personal trainer. I have been a very active my whole life and have always been very health conscious.

Over the last 6 months I have gained about 10 lbs, in addition to serve cold intolerance, fatigue and irritability.

Last month I went to my OBGYN for amenorrhea (I have not had a cycle in +2 years). Previously, she attribute my condition to the female athlete triad.

However, after testing she diagnosed me with hypothyroidism (although my levels were normal?) and put me on 25 mg synthyroid. She also did an ultrasound and started me on 1500 mg glucophage for ovarian cysts.

This is only my 2nd week taking the meds. But I feel horrible. I am training for a marathon and after I run I am physically exhausted the rest of the day. I know training is taxing, but I usually have a lot of energy.

Has anyone experience similar symptoms? How did you deal with it? How long does it take to get back to normal?

Thanks for any advice or feedback.

18 Kelsey { 04.22.09 at 6:43 pm }

I, too, have been exhausted after taking the Glucophage. I usually am going from 5:30 am till 10:00 pm, but not today! I took the medicine this morning around 7:00 and ended up leaving work early as well as missing three of four of my classes. I haven’t had any trouble with the nausea as others have mentioned, only fatigue. I am also 20 years old and taking this medicine for PCOS. I took BC only for a while but it made my blood pressure way too high so I now take the Glucophage as well as the birth control. I guess they level each other out or something? I think my doc. plans on taking me off the BC next month. I don’t know how long it takes to get used to it but I sure hope it’s soon!!!

19 WiseGuy { 09.12.09 at 11:33 pm }

I have recently been put on Metformin…I take two 500 mg pills a day…

and I have not experienced much of the side effects that were mentioned here…but yes, I believe it is making me pee more often, and I am not complaining because finally my bloating is reined in.

As mentioned in the post above, I have been given the Metformin in conjuction with Clomid to help me ovulate and I do NOT have PCOS.

20 Sissy { 01.06.10 at 10:00 am }

I took Met for two months, and while it did help me ovulate, it made me so sick that I could not work and take it. The two months I took it were the summer months I had off from teaching. It made me extremely tired and everything I ate ran through me. I felt like I could not leave the house if I ate. But like I said, that month I did ovulate, but I was so tired and sick that it was not the best sex I ever had, let me tell you. I did not get pregnant that month and had to return to work, so I went off it.

21 Ana { 02.02.10 at 9:01 pm }

I have a few questions about this drug and I hope somebody can help out.
I have PCOS and I do “enjoy” all of its side effects but obesity. I have acne, very irregular periods, thinning of hair (which is freaking me out because it’s getting really bad)…and of course, Infertility. I will start my first IVF cycle in 2.5 months BUT my acne is getting out of control as well as my hair..I loose tons each time I brush it or wash it. I’m clogging the shower every time I wash my hair. It’s scary.
My question here is: Can I take this drug while I’m prepping for IVF. I’ll start the BCP next cycle and then IVF. How about after IVF?
Thanks!

22 K { 02.02.10 at 11:23 pm }

Y”es, I take Metformin throughout and until my second trimester of pregnancy. Studies have shown Met reduces the increased risk PCOSers face to miscarry.

23 Mrs. Spit { 02.03.10 at 12:02 am }

Ana, just a check, has anyone checked your thyroid levels? Hair usually thins slowly, and I’m a bit concerned that you are losing so much.

Equally, if you have recently given birth, or you have had a late term loss, you will lose a lot of hair.

There are lots of good reasons to be on metformin for the rest of your life.

24 Ana { 02.03.10 at 8:27 am }

First of all, thanks for the fast responses.
My daughter was born 2.5 years ago and I had a m/c 1.5 years ago. And my thyroid is fine. They’ve checked a million times. So all I can think of is PCOS for the hair loss.
I will bring it up to my RE now that I know it’s reasonable.
Any long term side effects?? is it dangerous at all?? I really want to avoid the BCP after I have another baby, but only if it’s safe. BCP seems to be the only way to keep my hormones under control. I hope Metformin works for me.
So Met really works with Acne and hair loss as well as regulating periods and ovulation? I can’t believe this is the first time I hear about this drug!

25 A.M.S. { 02.03.10 at 7:13 pm }

Ana,
I take 1500mg of metformin to help deal with my PCOS and I just want to warn you that it won’t necessarily fix all of those really annoying aspects. Even after over 4 years on it, I still don’t have regular periods, I don’t ovulate without assistance and my hair still falls out constantly. What it DID do for me is take care of the insulin resistance that would leave me with serious blood sugar crashes and it helped balance out the metabolic issues. Just like PCOS isn’t the same for everyone who suffers from it, metformin has different effects.

That said, I’ve taken it through every IVF and FET cycle I’ve been through and, when I was pregnant with the twins I had planned to take it throughout the pregnancy.

If you want, I have a blog post that I wrote about the more unpleasant side of taking metformin. I will say that all of those side effects have long since past, and since I switched to the extended release version, I have no issues at all. Metformin Blog Post

26 Tired of PCOS { 08.26.10 at 9:45 am }

Hi. I was diagnosed about 8 years ago with PCOS. At the time, I could tolerate the side effects of it, but over the years the hair loss, weight gain, and hair growth on areas it shouldn’t grow has gotten worse. I’m not worried about becoming pregnant, had an endometrial ablation 5 years ago, because my periods were nonstop. I have been dieting (following almost a diabetic diet minus carbs) and walking 5 miles a day 5 days a week since April1…. and no weight is coming off….. I have read that glucophage can help with the weight loss and another drug Aldactone can help with the hair growth…. my dr is hesitant to try them… any suggestions?

27 Rachel { 09.09.10 at 10:13 pm }

Tired of PCOS: I am right on your side! No weight coming off. I’m on Aldactone…my hair grew back thank GD, the first few weeks of Metformin had me crying from the sight of my scalp. Seriously. Is the glucophage in addition to the Metformin?

28 marilyn { 12.11.10 at 5:18 pm }

this is the best website ever!!!! Doyou mind if I some how connected this info and your blog to my website. I m not sure how this is done- but I am making a blog journal about everything I am going through and I also want to be informative. You have such great info- I just think people should know about your blog. Let me know if I could somehow bring your blog or your info on some really important things like this drug on my blog…

29 marilyn { 12.11.10 at 5:23 pm }

my fertility doctor at prescribed this for me to lose weight. I am not pre diabetic but he worries about my weight and says I am pre pre diabetic. Sounds liek a crock to me and he just wanted give me the drugs. I am not sure. I had the same experience with an upset stomach and gastric problems. I have been taking it for about 3 weeks and the side effects are gone. So that is good. I have not lost any weight though. I am really questioning if I should still take the drug. Anyways- I want to emphasize any one taking this drug- start out with taking one at dinner when you are home because the side effects can be pretty awkward.

30 marilyn { 12.11.10 at 7:56 pm }

I read the comment about Hypothyroidism. I have had a similar situation- and it got better in about three months. How is it going for you?

31 April { 04.05.11 at 12:42 pm }

I need some input?? I am 28, I have 3 children that are 10 and twins that are 7. I am currently trying to get pregnant again and I can’t!! I was told by my first Ob/Gyn (whom is no longer in medicine) that I had PCOS. He prescribed only glucophage and I got pregnant with the twins!! Now, I am seeing a new doctor and he did blood work and said all of my hormones and levels were great!! Did an ultrasound and said no sign of cysts?? I am overweight, have facial hair, acne like a teenage boy, irregular periods. I have taken clomid alone for 4 months now and still nothing. Should I ask for glucophage since my new doctors says I do not have PCOS???

32 Melissa { 12.02.11 at 8:51 pm }

my doctor just put me on metformin today, he said that it has alot of women who have pcos conceive, i have pcos and my main goal is to get pregnant as my husband and i want to have a baby, does it really work?

33 tia { 02.17.12 at 5:59 am }

i have a pcos plzz suggest me any solution
i have irrregular menses and thick hairs on my chin plzzz i am very worried about this

34 tia { 02.17.12 at 6:04 am }

i use dine 35 tablets , birth controll pills (nova) i am 22 years old
i have pcos and thick hairs on my chin areas

35 Sherry { 03.29.12 at 10:27 pm }

I was diagnosed with pcos a year ago. I’ve been on metformin for 5 months. I had thick dark hair on my arms, the past month the hair regrowth is minimal and lighter in color. Also have coarse dark hairs on my face, hair regrowth is now finer and blonde in color. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight, went from 238 pounds to 175 pounds since starting the med, combined with a lower carb diet it’s been a godsend for me. Still experiencing hair loss on my scalp, but hoping in time it too will improve. I take 1000 mg metformin a day and reclipsen birth control pills. I can’t begin to express how much better i am feeling. My moods have improved drastically as well. The only side effects i have experienced from the metformin is some fatigue and a little bloating.

36 Romily { 05.19.12 at 1:24 pm }

Hi
I have been trying to concieve for almost 3 years now.My first gyn has been prescribing for me clomid but it failed to respond.whenever i take it i develop follicular cysts.so i decided to change the gyn i may this year 2012 and he prescribedfor me Met but am suffering with the side effects,vomiting and diahorea iam warried how long will these side effects last?

37 Wake up in the morning feeling…cramps « All I want to do-oo-ooo { 05.26.12 at 1:20 pm }

[…] Metformin – 1500mg everyday for ever and ever […]

38 Nina { 07.24.12 at 6:36 pm }

Hi, I’m only 16 and I’m using Metformin for PCOS.. I’ve found after a month, I’m getting severely tried, I have NO sex drive (which sounds mega slutty coming from a 16 year old, but I have been in a relationship for over a year so its not too bad) and I feel horrid after I eat! Help me, someone? Are these all common side effects?

39 wondering { 07.29.12 at 4:24 am }

has any one had bad mood swings on this med?

40 Chrissy { 08.03.12 at 5:21 pm }

Was diagnosed with pcos about 10yrs ago. About a yr after trying for a baby, still no period, so started treatment. Two rounds of Clomid unsuccessful, so put on metformin (1500mg- felt pretty sick for a while, but lost weight which was an added bonus). 3 months after starting metformin, tried another 2 rounds of Clomid. Still no success, so put on a waiting list for injections…… Somehow , 3 months after my last Clomid attemp, I conceived (pretty impressive since I’d still never had a period!!). Healthy baby boy born in 2010.
Now round 2. Back on metformin for last 2 months….. Am exhausted and feel sick all the time, and no weight loss this time. ( strange that it seems to be having different side effects this time!!) but if it works again, it’ll be well worth it. Good luck to anyone who is on it to get pregnant.

41 stephanie { 09.14.12 at 2:08 pm }

I went from 500 mg the first day, to 1000 on day two, three, and four. 1500 on day 5 and 6. and by day 7, 2000. Little upset belly for first two weeks, but nothing to complain about…. I just took it for pcos weight gain – no baby wanted here!!! The weight in my middle came off quite quickly… Love metformin

42 Kathy { 09.17.12 at 4:08 pm }

Hi, I am experiencing loss of taste after starting Metforin. I can’t find loss of taste as a symptom anywhere. Has loss of taste ever been reported?

43 Roberta { 09.27.12 at 10:14 pm }

One thing I don’t see anyone talking about is the links between insulin, estrogen and progesterone Part of what the met does is to lower insulin, which lowers estrogen, which allows progesterone to raise to more normal level. Most people forget that these are all hormones.

If you have too much estrogen, you have these side effects: increase male- like hair growth, like under the chin on on the sides of the face, thinning hair on your head, resistance to weight loss. And fat cellsn store extra estrogen, so the Heavier you are, the higher the possibility that you have too vvmuch estrogen. This also causes some women to not ovulate and to have irregular periods.

This is part of the reason that some women are able to start ovulating, become more regular, and even lose weight on met- lowering insulin nnaround the clock helps to balance the other hormones.

This is my second pregnancy, and I am 8 weeks pregnant. I am on met and progesterone, and find there’s a direct link between cramping and having some bleed through and having too much insulin. For example, if I eat too much, or not often enough, later that day I start cramping and bleeding. It scares me to death. The last pregnancy ended in miscarriage, and we never knew exactly what the issue was, except I knew that I was having severe low blood sugar and falling asleep while driving or sitting if I didn’t m east every 2-3 hours. So this time I have been researching and paying attention.

Progesterone’s job is to protect the uterine lining, meaning when it drops, you start to shed the linning, meaning bleed-through, or spotting. Supplements aren’t proven to always raise progesterone levels, so I’ve been reaching other ways to raise progesterone – everything from increasing foods hig in vitamin C and B to eating yams and several spices like turmeric. The single most effective thing seems to be to eat a high protein diet of 6 meals a day. It’s really hard – remembering to eat on a schedule, avoiding sugar entirely, and keeping mthe portions small.

I hope this helps someone! And please gently correct me if any of my facts are off-I’m definitely not a doctor.

44 amanda { 09.29.12 at 10:39 pm }

I’m glad I found this, I didn’t realize metformin causes metal tastes.

If you are having problems with side effects, switch pharmacies. My one phaay carried a different metformin than my other pharmacy (there’s over 5 different colors and coatings of metformin)
Mine is button. sized, white with a 70 and a Z. I have virtually no side effects, only if I eat bad foods.

Also I take my full dose at bed time because it does make me tired and I sleep through any cramps or.bloating, and I’m.fine by AM.

45 Anonymous { 11.14.12 at 12:04 pm }

I have been on Metformin for many years for PCOS and it did help with my weight loss. I hit a serious plateau and due to blood test results, my doctor doubled my dose. Since being on the increased amount for about a month, I am gaining weight and have gone up about 6 lbs. I work out regularly, watch everything that goes into my mouth and work so hard at controlling my PCOS. I am so frustrated that I am going up and everyone is telling me that it is impossible because Metformin does not increase weight in any way, however, it is the ONLY thing that has changed for me. Has anyone else experienced this or know if this might just be a temporary effect? Anyone with PCOS knows that every pound lost is a struggle so to go up 6 in 4 weeks is like a knife to the heart when you work so hard to go down and I still have weight to lose. Thank you so much for your help!

46 Proudseabeewife { 11.19.12 at 10:58 am }

I had tried to conceive for seven years. Did several clomid cycles, and always followed the fertility docs advice and instructions. Years later (and after a divorce and getting remarried) the doctor put me on metformin to help me lose weight. At this point I had already been told by seven different doctors that I would not be ableto have a baby. Well, on 1500 mg of metformin a day I became pregnant with twins :). My twins were born in October 2007, and the doctors told me that I was just lucky, and I shouldn’t expect to get pregnant again. On the twin’s first birthday I found out I was pregnant again 🙂 my third baby was born May 2009. Now, I am back on metformin! Wish me luck with trying for #4!!!!

47 Charliesmummy { 11.25.12 at 6:15 am }

Diagnosed with pcos due to inability to lose weight. I had on and off regular periods. Will have regular ones for 6 months and then suddenly drop off one month. More or less a roller coaster, plus the weight was just not coming off. We were trying for a baby for an year but no success, then my RE put me on metformin. Second month itself we got preggers, have already lost 5 kg and hoping to lose a bit more in first trimester. On the other hand, bloating-gas-weird feeling is definitely along with it. Good luck to everyone !

48 Mz. Ina { 11.29.12 at 1:11 pm }

I was said to have Pcos when i was about fourteen, at the time all that I heard was no periods, and no babies… at fourteen that was great. Now i’m thirty-seven, i have a great husband who’s thirty-two, and he wants a baby with me some day soon.Since fourteen I’ve ventured away from the dr. who told me that I had pcos, and up until now I never looked at having it as a big deal. I shave the unwanted hair, take bc’s for reg. periods when I feel like it, and deal with the obesity by having the highest self-esteem possible. BUT NOW I’M THIRTY-SEVEN… and moving this weight around, and dressing it up doesn’t suffice anymore. So I finally talked to my new dr’s and told them the real reason why I don’t have reg. periods, and such, and then I did some research about PCOS, and discovered that not having a period, and not having a baby wasn’t the only symptoms related to PCOS, and that most of my issues were related to this disease. So I read that metformin could help with my phatabulous situation, and also give my husband a baby… I’m now about two weeks in, and i’m experiencing the mood swings, the gas, and wild bows…lbvs, hopefully i’ll be experiencing the weightloss soon. What can I do to speed up the weight loss process, can anyone help me on this?

49 nina { 12.02.12 at 10:19 pm }

Dear readers of course it does help.! I started metformin in April of 2011 and conceived my son in July of 2011!!! And I didn’t even have a high dosage.!!

50 abby { 12.11.12 at 2:50 pm }

Hi Ladies,
Thanks for all of your stories I know it definitely helps all of us knowing we aren’t alone! And good to have a bit of a vent sometimes…also good to hear all of the good reports about conceiving and living on top not below the symptoms.
I have ‘probable’ PCOS due to irregular, sometimes non-existant cycles and weight that will not move no matter excersise or diet change. I decided to take it into my own hands somewhat as I would love to have a baby sometime and when the time comes TTC knowing i’ve done everything I could. I did some research and talked to my DR about Metformin which he wasnt very savvy with it being used to treat PCOS. He looked into it and prescribed it for me. I’ve been taking it for nearly 2 weeks now and am up to 1000 mg. I will up the dosage to 1500 mg next week. So far I have NOT experienced side effects! except for going to the bathroom once more a day some days LOL. Really hoping this works to regulate my period and ovulate.. also would be nice to lose weight like a normal person! Thanks for reading my life story.. will keep you posted 🙂

51 Chrissy { 03.28.13 at 10:33 pm }

So happy to read this blog and realize I’m not alone! These meds kill my stomach even 4 months after taking it….I do get my period every month but its SO painful like when I was in HS!!!

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