Re: Question about BCP, PCOS and fertility treatments
From: Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun, 5 Dec 1999 15:04:07 -0600 (CST)
At Sat, 4 Dec 1999, Rucia wrote:
>
>I am currently suffering from hormonal imbalance and abnormal bleeding,
>which could be blamed on possible PCOS. I'm currently on a treatment
>for regulating my cycle by using BCP. I don't quite understand how the
>BCP are supposed to regulate it if they actually stop you from
>ovulating.
It overrides the "abnormal" signals and allows for a "regualr" period.
>I thought that one needed to ovulate in order to have a
>period. I didn't think they were separate processes but appartenly
>there is something else going on because people get their periods while
>using BCP! I am wondering how using BCP will help me ovulate if the
>follicles that have not matured and are accumulated in my ovaries, will
>still be there after I'm done with the treatment.
It won't help. It just suppresses the system.
>What I'm asking is
>how can BCP help me get rid of all those unmatured follicles in my
>ovaries, help me to control PCOS? May be a silly question for the
>doctor, but I'm totally clueless of what goes on in these
>reproductive/hormonal processes! Are fertility drugs such as Clomid used
>to induce ovulation for PCOS patients who are not interested in being
>pregnant at the time?
Clomid should be for people trying to get pregnant only. the BCP is for
people trying NOT to get pregnant and/or PCO. Glucophage (check the
archives for more info on this) can be used in PCO patients trying to
get pregnant and those not trying to get pregnant.
>I've read that in many instances fertility drugs
>can induce ovulation in all the follicles, so for someone who wants to
>get pregnant is really NOT recommendable to have 20+ eggs fertilized!
Not likely.
>But for someone who is not planning to get pregnant, could Clomid (or
>whatever drug) help on decreasing the amount of unmatured follicles in
>the ovaries, and later regulate the process where one could ovulate
>naturally? I'm guessing this is not as simply as I've described it here
>(too bad I'm used to methodical thinking being an engineer!) But I know
>the body doesn't react methodically in most occasions, so I would
>greatly appreciate any inputs to these questions. Thanks in advance!
No pregnancy - BCP is the usual choice.
--
Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. FACOG, FACS
Great Neck, New York
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