Clomid and Metformin as a PCOS Fertility Treatment

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Disclaimer:

Before we begin, I must warn you that this post is my personal success story with PCOS. What worked for me might not work for you, but regardless of that I just want to show you some positivity and a ray of hope.

PCOS Overview:

Statistics say that 1 out of 10 women is diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is one of the main causes for infertility in women. 

The most common symptoms of PCOS include:

• Acne
• Thinning of hair on your scalp
• Weight gain
• Excess of hair in the body

The cause for this is unknown and there is no cure. One way that studies have found to be effective in managing PCOS symptoms is through a low glycemic diet. You can treat PCOS similar to the same way you treat diabetes since PCOS is highly associated with insulin resistance.  

Risks:

A woman with PCOS, specially if symptoms are left unmanaged, can be at a higher risk to develop:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Endometrial cancer
• High blood pressure.  

Click HERE for a more detailed explanation of PCOS and how to manage the symptoms.

How I found out I had PCOS:

I got my first period when I was 13; then every 6 to 7 months after that. I had regular check-ups but for some reason my irregularity was never a concern for my doctor. At age 21 I got married and tried to have children. After failed attempts, I went to the OB and there I found out I had PCOS. I had absolutely no idea what that meant and logically I was concerned. Aside from the main symptoms of PCOS, I experienced stress, anxiety, anger, and others caused by my hormonal unbalance.

Medical Treatment:

To help with infertility, my OB prescribed Metformin to help balance my hormones and help me lose weight. I took 400 mg twice a day for about 6 months but then lost track and stopped taking it. While I was on metformin, I worked out about 3 times per week and managed to lose 20 lbs. With a proper diet, exercise, and metformin I was able to lose the weight I needed to lose to go back to a healthy weight. That helped me get pregnant with my first.

Infertility struggle:

Like many women with PCOS I had struggles getting pregnant. I know this may be TMI, but I rarely use contraceptives and I only have two kids (I’ve been married for 8 years). PCOS infertility did not mean much to me until we decided to go for our second child. We tried for two years and nothing seemed to work.

Along with the metformin, I was put in Clomid which was supposed to trigger ovulation. After 3 unsuccessful cycles I stopped taking the medication. I had a few reasons why I stopped. First, I was scared of having multiples, and secondly, I did not want to reach my maximum allowed cycles in that medication.

As result of combining the two medications, I was able to balance my hormones and I actually got to see that smily face in my ovulation stick a few times. This ovulation stick was my frenemy for many, many months. I could clearly see whether or not I was ovulating without the need to guess. Another frenemy of mines was my pregnancy tests. I purchased so many of these that it almost became an addiction. I am sure you can relate to this if you have PCOS or if you are struggling with fertility.

Success story:

Two months after I stopped Clomid, I found out I was pregnant! I was so excited, but because I knew of the possibility of a miscarriage, I did not want to share the news to our relatives and friends. After we confirmed with the OB/GYN and the baby was in a healthy state, we shared the news. 

I cannot give an exact recipe for what truly helped me get pregnant. Was it losing 20 pounds prior to conceiving? Clomid? Metformin? Or a whole lot of praying? In all honesty, I believe it was a combination of all four. But I do know that through my everyday struggles, I have learned to take things one day at a time. You are entitled to feel sad and perhaps angry, because what you are going through is tough. But trust the timing in your life. Don’t lose hope. There are other women experiencing similar struggles.

Through this channel, I will continue to share more experiences in my journey with PCOS.

Sincerely,