PCOS, Ovulation & Medication: Understanding the Connection

Question
I was diagnosed with pcos 8 yrs ago. I have not received any treatment. My periods were very irregular & eventually stopped altogether. I have been on methadone for 1 yr now after being addicted to heroin for 7 yrs. Since started my methadone script my periods have returned regular every month. Does  this mean i am fertile & ovulating?

Answer
I am unaware of any studies that show narcotics having any effect on PCOS. Is it possible that you have lost weight or changed eating habits while taking the methadone? Or is it possible the heroin was causing some of the PCOS symptoms? I dont really know about the drugs you were taking and if they had any effect. That's a good question to ask your Dr. The only way to get a good idea if you are ovulating every month is to chart your Basal Body Temps (do an internet search on how to do this) and/or buy an ovulation prediction kit and check. That's two options you can do at home. Another option is to go to your Dr and ask him/her to draw blood and check your female hormones on the third day of your period. As far as getting pregnant while taking methadone, I would also ask my Dr about that. There are some risks to an unborn baby if you were to become pregnant while taking methadone. You can do a search on this at www.safefetus.com. Some of the risks listed there were that Maternal addiction causes neonatal withdrawal, jaundice, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) thrombocytosis, increased still birth rate and unknown long term effects of maternal addiction on the behavior and development of their children. Congratulations on beating your drug addiction! Keep at it girl and be proud of yourself!