Polycystic Ovaries

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  On my first visit to my new OB, she did an ultrasound on me and confirmed that I have Polycystic Ovaries. However, since I have my monthly periods and I am able to conceive, PCOS is not a major concern for me as of now. Nonetheless, I was given Metformin (1 tab a day, before bedtime) to manage this condition.
  
  This made me research on PCOS more. According to the materials that I have read,PCOS is a health problem that can affect a woman’s menstrual cycle, ability to have children, hormones, heart, blood vessels, and appearance. Typical signs of PCOS are high levels of androgens, sometimes called male hormones, although females also make them; missed or irregular periods; and many small cysts (sists) in their ovaries. About 1 in every 10 women in the reproductive age has PCOS. The cause, however, is unknown, though some studies show that PCOS runs in the family.
  
  Symptoms of PCOS include the following:
  
• infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
  
• infertility (not able to get pregnant) because of not ovulating
  
• increased hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes-a condition called hirsutism
  
• ovarian cysts
  
• acne, oily skin, or dandruff
  
• weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist
  
• insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
  
• high cholesterol
  
• high blood pressure
  
• male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
  
• patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
  
• skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
  
• pelvic pain
  
• anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility
  
• sleep apnea–excessive snoring and times when breathing stops while asleep
  
  PCOS may be treated using diabetes medications (such as Metformin). Metformin affects the way insulin controls blood glucose (sugar) and lowers testosterone production. Abnormal hair growth will slow down, and ovulation may return after a few months of use. Recent research has shown metformin to have other positive effects, such as decreased body mass and improved cholesterol levels. Metformin will not cause a person to become diabetic.
  
  Fertility medications may also be given to women with PCOS. Since patients with PCOS do not ovulate regularly (or not at all), fertility medications such as Clomid or Femara may help stimulate ovulation.
  
  When a woman with PCOS gets pregnant, there appears to be higher rates of miscarriage, gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia), and premature delivery. A doctor, like mine, may prescribe Metformin. Metformin is a FDA pregnancy category B drug. It does not appear to cause major birth defects or other problems in pregnant women. But, there have been no studies of metformin on pregnant
  women to confirm its safety. Talk to your doctor about taking metformin during pregnancy or if you are trying to become pregnant. Also, metformin is passed through milk in breastfeeding mothers. Talk with your doctor about metformin use if you are a nursing mother.
  
  Women with PCOS also pose the following risks.
  
• diabetes or pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance)
  
• higher risk of heart attack than women of the same age without PCOS.
  
• risk of having high blood pressure.
  
• high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
  
• the chance of getting endometrial cancer: irregular menstrual periods and the absence of ovulation cause women to produce the hormone estrogen, but not the hormone progesterone. Progesterone causes the endometrium to shed its lining each month as a menstrual period. Without progesterone,the endometrium becomes thick, which can cause heavy bleeding or irregular bleeding. Over time, this can lead to endometrial hyperplasia, when the lining grows too much, and cancer.
  
  For more information on PCOS, visit womenshealth.gov or http://www.4woman.gov/faq/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.cfm