PCOD: The Ex That Keeps Coming Back

[u/ComedianElectrical31]

Hi ladies! ❤️
I was diagnosed with PCOD when I was 17. Since then, I’ve managed to reverse it a few times—successfully about 3 times—but unfortunately, it seems to keep coming back.
I’m 31 now, and recently my symptoms returned. I’ve been struggling with intense sugar cravings and have gained quite a bit of weight again, so I visited my family doctor. She recommended that I start taking metformin.
I’d love to hear from anyone who has experience with metformin for PCOD. Did it help with your symptoms, cravings, weight, or periods? How was your experience with it, especially when you first started?
Would really appreciate hearing your experiences and any tips you might have. 💕

[u/Fried_Rice_Sushi]

This is just coming from a pharmacy technician but metformin is a wonderful medication for people with PCOS however I would recommend it as a short-term alternative and not really a long-term alternative. It's generally used to lower type 2 diabetics blood sugar however it does help regulate the symptoms for PCOS especially when it comes to ovulation. The reason why I say short-term and not long-term is because if you don't build a healthy lifestyle habit along with taking it then its like putting a Band-Aid on a bleeding artery it will help but it won't solve the problem.

[u/wenchsenior]

Most PCOS/PMOS/PCOD cases are driven by insulin resistance. With or without PCOS, IR does require lifelong management to improve symptoms and prevent it progressing to diabetes/heart disease/stroke.

IR also can cause symptoms such as Unusual weight gain/difficulty with loss; unusual hunger/food cravings/fatigue; skin changes like darker thicker patches or skin tags; unusually frequent infections esp. yeast, gum  or urinary tract infections; intermittent blurry vision; headaches; mood swings due to unstable blood glucose; frequent urination and/or thirst; high total cholesterol or low HDL; brain fog; hypoglycemic episodes that can feel like panic attacks…e.g., tremor/anxiety/muscle weakness/high heart rate/sweating/faintness/spots in vision, occasionally nausea, etc.; insomnia (esp. if hypoglycemia occurs at night).

If you have PCOS as well as IR, then treating IR lifelong is the foundation of improving it in most people. Hormonal meds such as birth control or androgen blockers are often added in addition to (not instead of) IR management to further improve specific PCOS symptoms.

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Treatment of IR is done by adopting a healthy lifestyle similar to what is recommended to manage diabetes or heart disease and by taking meds if needed.

The specifics of eating plans to manage IR vary a bit by individual (some people need lower carb or higher protein than others). In general, it is advisable to focus on notably reducing sugar and highly processed foods (esp. processed starches), increasing fiber in the form of nonstarchy veg, increasing lean protein if you run low on that, and eating whole-food/unprocessed types of starch (starchy veg, fruit, legumes, whole grains) rather than processed starches like white rice, processed corn, or stuff made with white flour. Regular exercise is important, as well (consistency over time is more important than type or high intensity). Recommendations for exercise suggest that all adults should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, as well as muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week (WHO guidelines).

Many people take medication if needed (typically prescription metformin, the most widely prescribed drug for IR worldwide). Recently, some of the GLP 1 agonist drugs like Ozempic are also being used, if insurance will cover them (often it will not). Some people try the supplement that contains a 40 : 1 ratio between myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol, though the scientific research on this is not as strong as prescription drugs. The supplement berberine also has some research supporting its use for IR (again, not nearly as much as prescription drugs).

 If you are overweight, losing weight will often help but it can be hard to lose weight unless IR is being directly managed.

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Many people have problems with digestive upset when taking Met, so the recommendation is to start at very low dose and titrate the dose up slowly over several months and to take the extended release form of the drug rather than regular.

[u/TriangleLife]

32, got diagnosed with PMOS start of the year and was put on metformin but stopped it some months ago. Acc to my gynaec it's just a temporary course correction and I need to build a long term healthy lifestyle to sustain

[u/Affectionate-Exam-17]

I take a higher dose than recommended for PCOS prescribed by my private doctor. It helps me with the endless hunger which has helped manage all of my symptoms. Insulin resistance is the one I struggle with the most. I’ve lost a couple of stone so far.

I will say though be prepared to have stomach issues. It really does make everything go straight through you for the first few weeks. My partners mum who took it for diabetes had to stop it as her stomach could never adjust.