PCOS-MEDICATION Messages for April, 2001: Re: are there alternate treatments besides birth control?

Re: are there alternate treatments besides birth control?

From: Zowie (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed, 25 Apr 2001 09:33:44 -0500 (CDT)

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In reply to: anonymous: "are there alternate treatments besides birth control?"

OUCH!! I'm so sorry Anon! BCPs can cause blood clots, but I've NEVER heard of you getting one in your EYE!! BCPs only mask the symptoms of PCOS (they certainly DON'T treat it), but they are also used to get your periods in a cycle. Other than that, they're pretty much useless (except to prevent pregnancy, and some also have the ability to keep hirsutism at bay--but I haven't found one yet). If your acne/hirsutism is that big of a problem, Aldactone (Spironolactone) is a diuretic that also works as an anti-androgen to block the effects from all the testosterone in our bodies. You have to take it continuously and for up to 6 months to see it's full effect. You can't use it if you're TTC. There is also a new product called Vaniqa, but is expensive. A small 30 gm tube is about $40-$60, but should last about a month or so. Everyone here who's tried it loves the results. It slows down the growth of the hair. If you are Insulin Resistant, (various blood work would need to be done to determine, such as glucose tolerance testing) then you may also need an insulin sensitizer like Metformin (Glucophage), Avandia or Actos. Met is the most common, but can have very bad side effects (diarrhea, nausea, headaches, and abdominal pains are some) and again, requires up to 6 mo. of continuous use to see full effect. However, it is the only one which MAY cuase weight loss (a common side effect). The side effects are SAID to diminish in a few weeks, but that is not always true. Mine lasted for 2 months and landed me in the ER--so I was told to stop taking them. I'm now on Avandia and have NO side effects. :) You'll need to talk to your Dr to see what treatment you need and what is best for you. If your Dr. is not familiar with PCOS, you can either educate him/her about it (if they are willing), or find a new Dr who IS familiar so you can start effective treatment right away. Because PCOS is so rare and still in review, no one knows what causes it yet, but there are TONS of info. waiting to be read on it and there are medications that can help. You need to find a Dr who understands PCOS and can then treat you correctly.

At Wed, 25 Apr 2001, anonymous wrote: >
>I was diagnosed with PCOS about 2 years ago and was put on the pill to
>treat it. Everything was going fine until one morning I woke up with a
>blood clot in my eye as a result from the medication so I had to stop
>taking it immediately. My question is does anyone know of alternate
>medications to treat pcos speciffically hirsuitism because its really
>frustrating not being on anything.
>Thanks

--
Good luck! -- Zowie :)

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Previous message: Zowie: "Re: What's all the depression and sadness about?"
In reply to: anonymous: "are there alternate treatments besides birth control?"

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