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Re: Question about Ortho-Cyclen!!
From: anonymous (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Tue, 12 Jun 2001 12:37:15 -0400
I took ortho-tricyclen for a year (March 2000-2001) before finally being diagnosed with PCOS this June. It actually helped with the acne and hair and period things, although definitely NOT with losing weight! I had a pulmonary embolism in March (one of the possible side effects of birth control pills), so can never take then again, so I'm hoping whatever pills my endocrinologist puts me on now (glucophage?) will work even better. I do agree that birth control pills just treat the symptoms and not the actual PCOS. Attacking the insulin problem seems to be the best thing for most of us right now.
>From: anonymous@obgyn.net (Zowie)
>Reply-To: anonymous@obgyn.net
>To: Multiple recipients of list PCOS-MEDICATION
>Subject: Re: Question about Ortho-Cyclen!!
>Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 09:24:43 -0500
>
>WHAT??? What is this Dr. thinking??? Ortho Tricyclen is the LAST BCP
>you should be on if you have PCOS. I have never heard of giving this
>pill to "lose weight" that PCOS has caused you to gain. Because our
>hormones are out of whack, a tri-phasic pill will only make matters
>WORSE. Everyone on this board will attest to that. There have been
>quite a few posts from women with PCOS who were given Tricyclen and came
>here for help because they got so sick they didn't know what to do. Are
>you SURE this is a Reproductive Endo OR is s/he a GYN? Since PCOS is an
>endocrine disorder, an RE is who you need to be seeing, since they are
>the ones that deal with this type of problem. I can't believe that an
>RE would Rx you Tricyclen and actually tell you it will help you lose
>weight. That's just totally incorrect. Also, BCPs only MASK the
>symptoms of PCOS---they won't actually "help" it or cure it. There is
>no cure for PCOS, and again, taking THIS BCP will only make the PCOS
>worse. What you need is to have your blood work ups done, including the
>glucose and hormone levels checked. This will help you determine if you
>are Insulin Resistant (the root cause of PCOS for many women). If you
>are, then medications such as Metformin (Glucophage), Actos or Avandia
>are insulin sensitizers which should be Rx. The hirsutism (excess hair
>growth) can be helped with an anti-androgen (Spironolactone, Aldactone,
>Flutamide). I think you need to see a different Dr.--at least for a
>second opinion. I certainly would NOT start the Tricyclen until you do.
>Taking that pill is only going to make your condition WORSE--and we
>certainly DON'T want that. Gosh, I wish these "Dr's" would read up on
>PCOS and tell their patients CORRECT information before dishing out any
>BCP they can think of as "treatment". Aren't we worth more than that??
>Sorry, just frustrated at how OFTEN this happens--and we (the patient)
>are left to suffer the consequences. I hope you find a more
>knowledgeable Dr. who can give you correct information and treat you
>accordingly. You deserve that.
>
>At Tue, 12 Jun 2001, Deirdre wrote:
> >
> >I have PCOS and will be starting Ortho-Cyclen this Sunday. My question
> >is does anyone know if there is a good chance I will "lose" weight on
> >this pill? I only ask because a different GYN tried putting me on a pill
> >3 years ago and all I did was blow up. Now, with PCOS, the last thing I
> >am looking for of course is to gain more weight! My GYN/Reproductive
> >Endocrinologist now says that the Ortho-Cyclen should help me lose
> >weight put on from the PCOS. Anyone know? Thanks!
> >
> >--
> >Deirdre
> >
>
>--
>Good luck! -- Zowie :)
>
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