QuestionI have been diagnosed PCO & advice med Glucophange 500mg for 3mths & Duphaston 10mg to be taken from 16th day - 25th day of periods. I have also been asked to do a blood test for Thyroids(awaiting for result).I have no clue about Thyroids, can you plz explain what Thyroids is & how can i treat it. am over weight by 10kgs & cnt help eating. height is 5ft 4inc & weight 70kg. we are trying to conceive for the past 3yrs but no luck, am basically Indian but settled in UAE. Would really appreciate if you would help me understand my case. Am getting all worried.
AnswerHello,
I would recommend that you read through some of the letters that have been written to me regarding PCOD. It is a very common disorder and basically is an ovarian dysfunction i.e. the ovary is not processing the hormones fsh/lh correctly and so ovulation does not occur. This causes your hormones to be abnormal leading to excess testosterone and side effects such as irregular menses, increased facial hair growth, obesity, etc. In some PCO patients, an elevated insulin level is detected (insulin resistance) and so these patients will respond to glucophage. It can take 6-8 months before a effect will be noticed, but these patients will begin ovulating spontaneously. Only 50% of PCOD patients have this problem, although doctors recently have been putting all PCO patients on this medication. That is not appropriate.
The second medication is a progesterone and is only to get you to have a period. It does nothing for ovulation.
Thyroid is routinely checked because it too is a hormonal gland that produces thyroid hormone. This is an essential hormone for your metabolism and can affect ovulation if it is abnormal. The gland is located in the neck. The treatment depends on what the abnormality is.
If you want to get pregnant, I would recommend that you start ovulation induction treatment cycles. This is where a fertility medication is used to induce the ovary to ovulate. I would not wait for the glucophage since it may not work.
Sincerely,
Edward J. Ramirez, M.D., FACOG
Executive Medical Director
The Fertility and Gynecology Center
Monterey Bay IVF Program
www.montereybayivf.com
Monterey, California, U.S.A.
