PCOS Treatment

PCOS Treatment If you are between the age of 18 - 40, then there is a ten percent chance that you may have PCOS. While this sounds daunting, if you have symptoms of PCOS then it is good to know that you are not alone. PCOS symptoms are characterised by abnormal bleeding and irregular periods, obesity or large fat deposits around the belly, excess hair growth, acne and frequent miscarriages. Because PCOS is directly related to the menstrual cycle, it is the most prevalent reason for fertility treatment. While PCOS is not curable, it is treatable, and with 10% of menstruating women suffering from it, there are plenty of PCOS treatments available. Below I list the most commonly advised PCOS treatments and drugs. PCOS Treatment Weight Loss For PCOS treatment, weight loss for those with a BMI of 25 or more is essential. Statistics show that over 40% of women who suffer PCOS are overweight. One of the major physiological aspects of PCOS, is insulin resistance accompanied by hyperinsulinemia (elevated fasting blood insulin levels). The ovaries of women with PCOS also produce excess amounts of male hormones (androgens). This excess production of male hormones is also believed to be related to the abnormalities in insulin production. Therefore those seeking PCOS treatment are also at risk of heart disease and diabetes, and are often overweight. If this is your case, then your doctor will recommend that your first PCOS treatment be weight loss and lifestyle change. A good diet for PCOS needs to be a low GI diet with few refined sugars due to the insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. There are specific dietary requirements for PCOS treatment which are best obtained by a dietician or a PCOS specialist. Diets for quick weight loss are advisable, but only sensible diets where lifestyle changes are prominent. Fad high sugar diets such as the Hollywood Cookie Diet or the Special K diet will only hinder PCOS treatment, so choose a sensible weight loss option. Click here for diets that work fast and are a safe PCOS treatment weight loss measure. In some cases doctors may deem it necessary to prescribe a drug for PCOS treatment weight loss. One of the most common drugs which studies have proved to be safe, is the fat blocking drug Xenical. It works by blocking or removing fats as they are eaten Be aware that the fats can escape through the rectum while taking the drug and can be very unpleasant. PCOS Treatment Options The prescription of drugs will depend on your circumstances. Most women seek PCOS treatment options due to fertility issues, but others seek PCOS treatment to aide with hair growth (hursutism), irregular periods, obesity, and raised levels of the male hormone androgen. Lets talk about PCOS treatment to get pregnant first. PCOS Treatment to Get Pregnant PCOS and infertility go hand in hand due to the affect of PCOS on ovulation. Irregular periods or no menstruation at all can mean that ovulation may not be occurring. If this is your case, then the first PCOS treatment to get pregnant (after a good pregnancy diet) is likely to be a drug called CLOMID .This is in pill form and is taken for 5 days each month. Clomid success rates with PCOS are dependent on whether or not clomid can get the woman to ovulate. Statistics suggest that 75% of women who do not ovulate, will ovulate at some stage while taking clomid. The clomid success rates with PCOS which end in pregnancy however, are very low at 10%-15%, and this is as long as the sperm and fallopian tubes are normal. If CLOMID is unsuccessful, then another PCOS treatment to get pregnant is Gonadotrophin. This drug seeks to stimulate the ovarian follicles to grow directly. Gonodotrophin is injected into the body daily and the success rate in getting women to ovulate is high at 90% with 25% resulting in pregnancy. Another common PCOS treatment to get pregnant is the drug Metformin, which is prescribed to Type 2 diabetes suffers has been proven to stimulate ovulation and reduce the presence of male hormones. When taking the drug, you may experience an upset stomach in the first week. This is common, but will subside. A lesser known and used PCOS treatment to get pregnant is called Ovarian Drilling. This is a surgical procedure where a laser fibre is used to puncture the ovary ten times during a laparoscopy. Studies have shown an 80% response rate to the reintroduction to the drug Metformin after Ovarian Drilling. This PCOS treatment can cost upwards of $2000. For many women suffering PCOS, IVF is the final option. With the cost of more than $12000 per treatment and no guarantees it is an expensive option. The success rate of IVF for people with no other complications other than unexplained infertility is still low at 30%. But for women who have tried all other PCOS treatment, IVF is often seen as the only option left. Other PCOS Treatment options Irregular periods are a the most common effect of PCOS and are often the first warning sign. To try to regulate periods, the doctor is likely to prescribe a regular contraceptive pill. If this does not work, then the widely used PCOS treatment drug Metformin has a 90% success rate in getting women to have periods. Studies have also shown that Metformin can significantly reduce raised Androgen levels and therefore hirsutism. In order to reduce excess body hair (hirsutism) the simple contraceptive pill can assist with this as long as it contains the anti-androgen, cyproterone acetate. Other PCOS treatment options to reduce unwanted hair are the drugs Finasteride and flutamide. Please be aware that these drugs have been known to cause depression and they will cause damage to a foetus. Ensure that you are taking oral contraceptives along with these drugs. If you are looking for a PCOS Treatment that does not involve taking drugs click here.