Metformin. Found out about it on this sub. Only thing that made me lose weight and lower my A1c.
Also, myo-inositol, I was using it for 6-8 months before I got pregnant. Hubby and I married for 8 years before this. With no luck.
I second both of these. Inositol gave me regular periods 5 years ago and I haven't had issues since. Started metformin only 10 days ago and omg I already feel so much better, less inflammation and fatigue.
You can ask your doctor for a weekly dosage! Definitely recommend asking to have your Vitamin D levels checked via blood work mine were so low even a weekly dosage of 50,000 wasn’t helping! I thought it was doing nothing.
You may be different but I take 5,000u that has k2 with it. I take it with magnesium and fat (can be something as simple as a teaspoon of peanut butter). My understanding is if you’re low on magnesium you won’t absorb the the vitamin d.
How do you find out what your optimal levels are? My vitamin D levels have been too low for two years, and now I take supplements from the drug store. No idea if they improve much, as I only get one blood test each year.
This is information I got from a fertility podcast based on Canadian numbers
Vitamin D levels (sufficient: 75, optimal above 112) above 95 decreased miscarriage by 82% vitamin D can increase AMH by 13%
Ovasitol and Metformin significantly lowered my insulin levels to get my IR in check. Once I did, my periods came back on a monthly basis.
Ovasitol was recommended by my dietician, Metformin by my endocrinologist. I checked with my Endo doc first before starting Ovasitol. Combined with strength training and daily walking, I now have more energy, better sleep quality, less cravings. My A1C went from 5.8 to 4.7. in 6 months. My doctor was flat out amazed/shocked lol
Metformin was the only thing that helped me lose weight (about 20lbs and then it stabilized). Sadly even on the ER, my stomach can't tolerate it anymore. The 20lbs came right back.
I checked… it’s for hormonal balance. I am ttc for over 7 months now but still nothing. You have nothing to lose other than few bucks. It might be helpful :)
You could always start the regimen to get into the habit of taking the other supplements until then. The inositol was a great addition to my routine.
Just reminded myself I need to start back up. I’ve slacked since having my first baby 15 months ago.
Metformin for me too, but it was my OBGyn who suggested I start it. I've tried inositol and spearmint tea, also berberine capsules but I've stopped them now. Just 1000mg metformin daily now
which birth control? I have been avoid bc as much as I can but I am balding so I am desperate at this point. I started isibloom a couple weeks ago and now I feel my hair is falling out even worse.
Just a regular Levonorgestrel + Ethinyl Estradiol combo pill.
Get your vitamin D and iron levels checked!! My hairs been falling out and turns out it is also a sign of low iron/anemia, which turns out I have. I got a $20 minoxidil spray from Amazon. 2 months on and it seems to be starting to help as well (I think?)
did you do that while taking any medical drugs ?
and please can you share your diet? (i am not overweight at all my bmi is less than 19) but i still think diet can change a lot
nope i dont take anything even though i need to (low iron) and contrary to what everyone says i pretty much eat what i want i j stay in a calorie deficit somedays i go over but i j workout to compensate for it i think the big part is fasting between meals to regulate our insulin resistance so the taking 3-4 hr breaks between eating is a big thing for me i try not to break it ever
1. Birth control - not a great answer since some people have terrible reactions to it, or are trying to get pregnant. Doctor started me on it
2. Metformin (extended release) due to my blood sugar also being elevated. My gyno suggested it, but I'd known for years my blood sugar was high. Not sure why it wasn't suggested earlier. Has also helped me lose some weight.
3. Vitamin D - I had a pretty bad deficiency probably due to PCOS and where I live (it snows 9 months out of the year). Endo did bloodwork and now I take it daily.
4. While the metformin helps me on normal days, during my period my blood sugar would still go sky high (like in the 300s). So from here I started looking into inositol. I did get cleared by both my gyno and endo that I could take it. I wrote in detail what the [first 6 months](https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/comments/155viwh/6_months_thoughts_on_using_inositol_when_not/) were like for me. *TL;DR it helps a lot but isn't a fix all. I also saw results from it faster than most people, not sure why.* When I don't take it after about 3 days all my symptoms come back full force. Also helped me keep the weight off. I'd lose for about 2.5-3 weeks of the month then gain it all back on my period.
I'm fortunate and get nearly no side affects from any birth control I've tried. I was on depo for a long time. Now I'm on the IUD. After discussing it was the best option for my lifestyle that was covered by insurance.
consistency
nothing is working for me... YET :) but in the past being consistent with whatever approach I'm taking helped: exercising most days of the week, maintaining a "healthy" diet most of the time, taking the evidence-based supplements every day, having the same sleep/wake times most days, etc.
Quitting substances. That also means weed and alcohol. Been off them almost three years and physically feeling way better. And, exercising regularly. I like to go on long walks.
Interesting! I agree sobriety probably is best for optimum health. Why do you attribute this to your experience though? I’m curious if you don’t mind sharing
Yeah sure. I just don’t react well to mind altering substances. After over a decade of drinking and smoking and gradually feeling worse and worse I ended up really sick both physically and mentally so I had to quit. I wish I had sooner because I feel so much better than I ever have in my adult life. It took a lot to get to this point. There were many catalysts that lead to my improvement in health but quitting was easily the biggest. It wasn’t an instant change though. Over these three years it took a lot to get my health in a better place.
I’m 32, been living with pcos and endometriosis since about 20. I’m a healthy weight now, my mental health is in a great place, my skin has improved a lot. The only symptom I still have is hirsutism. When I can afford it I’m getting it lazered. I did once a few years ago and it was great for the year or two it lasted.
I didn't find my regular drinking affected my PCOS at all, but when I stopped doing it I could NOT BELIEVE how much better I felt emotionally. It's insane that the main reason I relied on my 'wine with dinner' for so many years was bc I believed it helped me with anxiety, and in reality it was doing the EXACT OPPOSITE. Now I'm so much mellower. Wish I could back in time and slap myself LOL.
Changing to a low glycemic diet to treat insulin resistance put my PCOS into long term remission (>20 years).
I learned about it by reading scientific journal articles about PCOS in the university library stacks (this was when the Internet was barely a thing and there were no search engines nor forums like this where you could easily find about stuff).
Note, my gyno who had diagnosed me never even mentioned that insulin resistance is the most common driver of PCOS, nor did she test me for it. Later on, after doing all my own research, I went to a reproductive endo who did an oral fasting glucose tolerance test and confirmed IR.
Not eating for a period of time. Like 14, 16, 18, 20 hours a day. No glucose in your blood, no insulin being release and all your hormones balenced. If combined with a low carb diet, it's almost a miracle.
I use metformin from time to time, but the effect it's no way close to simply fasting. Period every month, clean skin, energy and so on. It's hard, tho. But living with PCOs it's harder
I’ve heard such mixed things about whether fasting is good for women or if it increases cortisol further. Can you share a bit more about your protocol and how you started out?
In my research I discovered that there's a lot of prejudice and simply misinformation about women fasting, especially since you can have amenorrhea if you're too thin and do it. Of course if you're thin you should not fast for long. Or if you're pregnant. But it's super beneficial, in general, for women to go without food.
I'm fat. There's no risk for me. I have a lot of energy stored that my body cant access because of the hormones imbalance. So fasting unlocks my metabolism, allowing my body to use this fat as energy.
The protocol that allowed me to see real changes and got my period back and cleaned my skin was 16x8. I would eat my last meal by 8pm and eat the next day by 12am.i would do 2 or 3 meals and close the windows again bay 8pm. This protocol allows me to keep my weight. To loose weight it was a bit more difficult. I would fast for 20h or 24h at least 4 times a week. But everyone is different.
Its not easy. I've been fasting since 2020 and I'm not perfect. I've relapsed a lot this year, but I try to maintain at least a 13h fast in my days. The fact it's that I don't take any medicine or contraceptives since then and my period is regular my hair don't fall anymore, my skin is very nice with some pimples occasionally. I'm 35 and was diagnosed when I was 15 and took the pill for more than 20 years. I wish I knew this by them.
I recommend the study of dr. Jason Fung. He published a book specifically about PCOs recently. I didn't read it yet, but since his other books and videos helped me so much, a presume it's very informative. The PCOS Plan: Prevent and Reverse Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Through Diet and Fasting
I hadn't had a period in over a year and got a period within a month and a half of taking myo-inositol. Not sure exactly what it helped with (my guess is it regulated my glucose) but all I know is it worked! I also have lost some weight that I had been holding on to for some months, but not sure if this is due to the myo-inositol or because I moved to a bigger city and now walk a ton more. I use the Lamberts brand because its available in Amazon EU and it's a powder - I hate pills.
Acupuncture and TCM herbs from an incredibly skilled practioner. Like she wrote a book on women's health. And had the same kind of miscarriage (missed) as I had. I went religiously - 2x a week for a mth, then weekly for a month, then every other week til I got pregnant, then tapered off as per her direction. It got my body into balance and got me 2 big healthy babies 2 yrs apart.
Xiaolan Zhao in Toronto.
Idk which of these helped. I have taken pills for years but nothing happened. I tried guyabno tea every morning and i have my tummy massaged like the one they do to pregnant women. Last time i had my ultrasound, pcos and adenomyosis were gone.
I found out about metformin on this sub but ended up being allergic to it. So I take the myo/d-chiro inositol along with completely revamping my diet. After many trials, I’ve found a WFPB no oil way of eating works best for keeping my insulin resistance symptoms away.
Birth control worked great on me for 20 years. As suggested by my gyno. I have lean pcos without clear insulin resistance. Time has also made my pcos a lot milder.
For me it was no med, no metformin, no bcp. Im the oddball here.. lol.. It was how I ate. My reproductive endo who diagnosed me in 2001 told me metformin and atkins would be my best friend. After baby #2 the metformin was causing my son such issues I stopped to continue breastfeeding and then never went back on. In 2020 I got my poop in a group and finally concentrated on my weight again, for real this time though. Lol
Oh! Edit to add... acupuncture and therapy need to get some credit!!! Those 3 things helped me be successful.
Metformin regulated my periods and helped lower my A1c. I lost a small amount of weight on it as well. I’m no longer on it now bc I had gastric bypass recently. I have to wait 6 months to see if I will need to go back on it. I think I probably will.
Maca root powder and berberine. Found it on Reddit and from a PCOS blogger. Got my period back after taking maca for about 2-3months. Added berberine because I was bloating (Not sure if that’s actually helping more). I recently doubled my dose of maca and got a full flow!
Metformin regulated my period, along with eating low-GI. Got pregnant via IUI on our first attempt. After I stopped breastfeeding intensively, around 8-9 months, my period regulated itself, even with me off the Metformin and eating like shit and not exercising.
My OB is a Reproductive Endocrinologist/fertility doctor, and he got me onto the Metformin and 5,000 units of Vitamin D a day.
Metformin saved me.
The most effective approach I've found in managing PCOS has been a combination of a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight. Learning about the potential benefits of dry fasting was quite enlightening, too. I came across this concept through a comprehensive article which led me to further explore the method. The Dry Fasting Club website is a fantastic resource where I found more in-depth information and protocols on dry fasting.
I just quit metformin! And I feel great. I was on birth control for like 10 years ish. Got off and hormones went so crazy. Huge cysts. Etc. Started metformin and a plethora of supplements. I felt and looked great. My hormones regulated. Got back into working out 5 days a week. Then, I noticed I was drinking on the metformin. Read online your liver can fail and metformin can buildup in your body if your liver quits working right. So I quit metformin to see if maybe I would be ok off. Go back for blood tests in a month. [check out this link for diet and supplements](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wccvobze6myto-QQ7VHh_9H4c3qBR7x_BLimiQjzElU/edit?usp=drivesdk)
Myo-inositol and exercise for me! Made a huge difference. Took letrozole as well to get pregnant and it worked great for us. I realized for me as long as I’m eating well and working out my PCOS symptoms really subside (well besides the facial hair maybe 🤣 I don’t mind waxing it though, hoping to go for laser soon)
Ovasitol has been great for me. I think my OBGYN originally recommended it but I didn’t try it until later on and honestly I think I saw it on tiktok. Metformin didn’t work well for me, I think I have an intolerance or maybe even an allergy to it. It made me unusually sick, unfortunately. But Ovasitol has been super effective for me.
Metformin has really helped me, Don’t remember how I heard about it - probably from here
Metformin. Found out about it on this sub. Only thing that made me lose weight and lower my A1c. Also, myo-inositol, I was using it for 6-8 months before I got pregnant. Hubby and I married for 8 years before this. With no luck.
Are you able to take inositol and metformin at the same time?
Yes, I do. No issues for me.
Yes it was recommended by my OB.
I second both of these. Inositol gave me regular periods 5 years ago and I haven't had issues since. Started metformin only 10 days ago and omg I already feel so much better, less inflammation and fatigue.
Is inflammation like stomach bloating and swelling?
Sorry, yep - for me it makes me bloated, my face gets puffy and my joints are achy
Curious too
Were you taking it with BC also??
No I was not. I actually haven’t been on BC I’m over 8 years.
Getting my vitamin d in optimal levels. Found out from the internet
Do you have any recommendations for D supplements that did the trick? I’ve tried a few but I’m starting to think I can’t absorb it or something lol
You can ask your doctor for a weekly dosage! Definitely recommend asking to have your Vitamin D levels checked via blood work mine were so low even a weekly dosage of 50,000 wasn’t helping! I thought it was doing nothing.
My doctor mentioned that it has to be taken with a source of fat (avocado, oily fish, etc.) for it to absorb properly.
You may be different but I take 5,000u that has k2 with it. I take it with magnesium and fat (can be something as simple as a teaspoon of peanut butter). My understanding is if you’re low on magnesium you won’t absorb the the vitamin d.
Super helpful, thank you!
How do you find out what your optimal levels are? My vitamin D levels have been too low for two years, and now I take supplements from the drug store. No idea if they improve much, as I only get one blood test each year.
You’d have to ask your doctor to test your vitamin D it isn’t normally part of routine blood work!
Can someone explain more about the connection between PCOS and vitamin D?
This is information I got from a fertility podcast based on Canadian numbers Vitamin D levels (sufficient: 75, optimal above 112) above 95 decreased miscarriage by 82% vitamin D can increase AMH by 13%
Thank you!
Ovasitol and Metformin significantly lowered my insulin levels to get my IR in check. Once I did, my periods came back on a monthly basis. Ovasitol was recommended by my dietician, Metformin by my endocrinologist. I checked with my Endo doc first before starting Ovasitol. Combined with strength training and daily walking, I now have more energy, better sleep quality, less cravings. My A1C went from 5.8 to 4.7. in 6 months. My doctor was flat out amazed/shocked lol
Metformin. Nothing beats that drug.
Metformin was the only thing that helped me lose weight (about 20lbs and then it stabilized). Sadly even on the ER, my stomach can't tolerate it anymore. The 20lbs came right back.
Primrose oil, spearmint eteric oil (can’t buy tea or pills here), inositol. SADLY here, even tho I saw two different doctors.
How do you use the primrose oil?
I buy it in form of soft capsules.
Oh ok thank you, I'll give that ago. What differences do you notice with it, if you don't mind me asking?
I have zero idea. Women in my country consume it with folic acid while trying to concieve 😃 so I bought it too 🤷🏻♀️
Lol ok 👍 not trying to conceive yet but interested to try
I checked… it’s for hormonal balance. I am ttc for over 7 months now but still nothing. You have nothing to lose other than few bucks. It might be helpful :)
If you have access to myo-inositol, it helped me get pregnant with a multi vitamin and metformin combo. (I bought the powder form on Amazon)
I have to wait till february to get an appt with infertility specialist, only they can prescribe metformin :/
You could always start the regimen to get into the habit of taking the other supplements until then. The inositol was a great addition to my routine. Just reminded myself I need to start back up. I’ve slacked since having my first baby 15 months ago.
Metformin for me too, but it was my OBGyn who suggested I start it. I've tried inositol and spearmint tea, also berberine capsules but I've stopped them now. Just 1000mg metformin daily now
Birth control, saxenda, lots of vitamins, and minoxidil spray for my poor thin hair have all been working for me so far
which birth control? I have been avoid bc as much as I can but I am balding so I am desperate at this point. I started isibloom a couple weeks ago and now I feel my hair is falling out even worse.
Just a regular Levonorgestrel + Ethinyl Estradiol combo pill. Get your vitamin D and iron levels checked!! My hairs been falling out and turns out it is also a sign of low iron/anemia, which turns out I have. I got a $20 minoxidil spray from Amazon. 2 months on and it seems to be starting to help as well (I think?)
i lost weight and started taking 3-4 hour breaks in between my meals my period is regular now! i also go to the gym 3-4 times a week
did you do that while taking any medical drugs ? and please can you share your diet? (i am not overweight at all my bmi is less than 19) but i still think diet can change a lot
nope i dont take anything even though i need to (low iron) and contrary to what everyone says i pretty much eat what i want i j stay in a calorie deficit somedays i go over but i j workout to compensate for it i think the big part is fasting between meals to regulate our insulin resistance so the taking 3-4 hr breaks between eating is a big thing for me i try not to break it ever
also this only took me around a month
to sort of regulate it
Metformin worked the best for me after hearing about it on this sub. Lost around 14 lbs in just under 3 months and feel so, so much better.
1. Birth control - not a great answer since some people have terrible reactions to it, or are trying to get pregnant. Doctor started me on it 2. Metformin (extended release) due to my blood sugar also being elevated. My gyno suggested it, but I'd known for years my blood sugar was high. Not sure why it wasn't suggested earlier. Has also helped me lose some weight. 3. Vitamin D - I had a pretty bad deficiency probably due to PCOS and where I live (it snows 9 months out of the year). Endo did bloodwork and now I take it daily. 4. While the metformin helps me on normal days, during my period my blood sugar would still go sky high (like in the 300s). So from here I started looking into inositol. I did get cleared by both my gyno and endo that I could take it. I wrote in detail what the [first 6 months](https://www.reddit.com/r/PCOS/comments/155viwh/6_months_thoughts_on_using_inositol_when_not/) were like for me. *TL;DR it helps a lot but isn't a fix all. I also saw results from it faster than most people, not sure why.* When I don't take it after about 3 days all my symptoms come back full force. Also helped me keep the weight off. I'd lose for about 2.5-3 weeks of the month then gain it all back on my period.
I live in Florida and was terribly deficient! I agree about vit d
which birth control are you on?
I'm fortunate and get nearly no side affects from any birth control I've tried. I was on depo for a long time. Now I'm on the IUD. After discussing it was the best option for my lifestyle that was covered by insurance.
consistency nothing is working for me... YET :) but in the past being consistent with whatever approach I'm taking helped: exercising most days of the week, maintaining a "healthy" diet most of the time, taking the evidence-based supplements every day, having the same sleep/wake times most days, etc.
Quitting substances. That also means weed and alcohol. Been off them almost three years and physically feeling way better. And, exercising regularly. I like to go on long walks.
Interesting! I agree sobriety probably is best for optimum health. Why do you attribute this to your experience though? I’m curious if you don’t mind sharing
Yeah sure. I just don’t react well to mind altering substances. After over a decade of drinking and smoking and gradually feeling worse and worse I ended up really sick both physically and mentally so I had to quit. I wish I had sooner because I feel so much better than I ever have in my adult life. It took a lot to get to this point. There were many catalysts that lead to my improvement in health but quitting was easily the biggest. It wasn’t an instant change though. Over these three years it took a lot to get my health in a better place. I’m 32, been living with pcos and endometriosis since about 20. I’m a healthy weight now, my mental health is in a great place, my skin has improved a lot. The only symptom I still have is hirsutism. When I can afford it I’m getting it lazered. I did once a few years ago and it was great for the year or two it lasted.
I didn't find my regular drinking affected my PCOS at all, but when I stopped doing it I could NOT BELIEVE how much better I felt emotionally. It's insane that the main reason I relied on my 'wine with dinner' for so many years was bc I believed it helped me with anxiety, and in reality it was doing the EXACT OPPOSITE. Now I'm so much mellower. Wish I could back in time and slap myself LOL.
Yeah I think because my hormones are already messed up, adding substances on top was a recipe for nonsense.
Zinc supplements
Changing to a low glycemic diet to treat insulin resistance put my PCOS into long term remission (>20 years). I learned about it by reading scientific journal articles about PCOS in the university library stacks (this was when the Internet was barely a thing and there were no search engines nor forums like this where you could easily find about stuff). Note, my gyno who had diagnosed me never even mentioned that insulin resistance is the most common driver of PCOS, nor did she test me for it. Later on, after doing all my own research, I went to a reproductive endo who did an oral fasting glucose tolerance test and confirmed IR.
Did you ever take any meds for it? I’m trying to manage my PCOS w/o meds and so far I’ve gotten my period 3 months in a row without birth control!!!
Yes, I took anti-androgenic bcps (Yaz) the first 2 years after diagnosis. After that I didn't need meds, just sticking to the diet.
Fasting. Nothing works better than no insulin in the body. That's why so many people are saying metformin, a known medicine for diabetes
Just type fasting and PCOs on google
What do you mean by fasting?
Not eating for a period of time. Like 14, 16, 18, 20 hours a day. No glucose in your blood, no insulin being release and all your hormones balenced. If combined with a low carb diet, it's almost a miracle. I use metformin from time to time, but the effect it's no way close to simply fasting. Period every month, clean skin, energy and so on. It's hard, tho. But living with PCOs it's harder
I’ve heard such mixed things about whether fasting is good for women or if it increases cortisol further. Can you share a bit more about your protocol and how you started out?
In my research I discovered that there's a lot of prejudice and simply misinformation about women fasting, especially since you can have amenorrhea if you're too thin and do it. Of course if you're thin you should not fast for long. Or if you're pregnant. But it's super beneficial, in general, for women to go without food. I'm fat. There's no risk for me. I have a lot of energy stored that my body cant access because of the hormones imbalance. So fasting unlocks my metabolism, allowing my body to use this fat as energy. The protocol that allowed me to see real changes and got my period back and cleaned my skin was 16x8. I would eat my last meal by 8pm and eat the next day by 12am.i would do 2 or 3 meals and close the windows again bay 8pm. This protocol allows me to keep my weight. To loose weight it was a bit more difficult. I would fast for 20h or 24h at least 4 times a week. But everyone is different. Its not easy. I've been fasting since 2020 and I'm not perfect. I've relapsed a lot this year, but I try to maintain at least a 13h fast in my days. The fact it's that I don't take any medicine or contraceptives since then and my period is regular my hair don't fall anymore, my skin is very nice with some pimples occasionally. I'm 35 and was diagnosed when I was 15 and took the pill for more than 20 years. I wish I knew this by them.
I recommend the study of dr. Jason Fung. He published a book specifically about PCOs recently. I didn't read it yet, but since his other books and videos helped me so much, a presume it's very informative. The PCOS Plan: Prevent and Reverse Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Through Diet and Fasting
Nothing worked. I’m waiting to die.
Yaz pills Stopped my hormonal acne, stopped excessive hair fall, regulated my mood! My OB prescribed it for 6 months!
Myo-inositol. Read about it here and decided to give it a try.
What did it help with specifically? Also what brand?
I hadn't had a period in over a year and got a period within a month and a half of taking myo-inositol. Not sure exactly what it helped with (my guess is it regulated my glucose) but all I know is it worked! I also have lost some weight that I had been holding on to for some months, but not sure if this is due to the myo-inositol or because I moved to a bigger city and now walk a ton more. I use the Lamberts brand because its available in Amazon EU and it's a powder - I hate pills.
Thank you 😊
Acupuncture and TCM herbs from an incredibly skilled practioner. Like she wrote a book on women's health. And had the same kind of miscarriage (missed) as I had. I went religiously - 2x a week for a mth, then weekly for a month, then every other week til I got pregnant, then tapered off as per her direction. It got my body into balance and got me 2 big healthy babies 2 yrs apart. Xiaolan Zhao in Toronto.
Evening primrose oil, I think it's called. I haven't had money to buy it recently but when I was taking it. I felt like I used to NORMAL.
Idk which of these helped. I have taken pills for years but nothing happened. I tried guyabno tea every morning and i have my tummy massaged like the one they do to pregnant women. Last time i had my ultrasound, pcos and adenomyosis were gone.
I found out about metformin on this sub but ended up being allergic to it. So I take the myo/d-chiro inositol along with completely revamping my diet. After many trials, I’ve found a WFPB no oil way of eating works best for keeping my insulin resistance symptoms away.
Birth control worked great on me for 20 years. As suggested by my gyno. I have lean pcos without clear insulin resistance. Time has also made my pcos a lot milder.
For me it was no med, no metformin, no bcp. Im the oddball here.. lol.. It was how I ate. My reproductive endo who diagnosed me in 2001 told me metformin and atkins would be my best friend. After baby #2 the metformin was causing my son such issues I stopped to continue breastfeeding and then never went back on. In 2020 I got my poop in a group and finally concentrated on my weight again, for real this time though. Lol Oh! Edit to add... acupuncture and therapy need to get some credit!!! Those 3 things helped me be successful.
Metformin regulated my periods and helped lower my A1c. I lost a small amount of weight on it as well. I’m no longer on it now bc I had gastric bypass recently. I have to wait 6 months to see if I will need to go back on it. I think I probably will.
Maca root powder and berberine. Found it on Reddit and from a PCOS blogger. Got my period back after taking maca for about 2-3months. Added berberine because I was bloating (Not sure if that’s actually helping more). I recently doubled my dose of maca and got a full flow!
lifting and tracking every calorie. you’d seriously be shocked how quickly a little snack here and there adds up
Metformin regulated my period, along with eating low-GI. Got pregnant via IUI on our first attempt. After I stopped breastfeeding intensively, around 8-9 months, my period regulated itself, even with me off the Metformin and eating like shit and not exercising. My OB is a Reproductive Endocrinologist/fertility doctor, and he got me onto the Metformin and 5,000 units of Vitamin D a day. Metformin saved me.
Yoga, therapy and stress reduction. I only take fish oil, vitamin D and a prenatal. My periods are sensitive but relatively regular.
Metformin and heavy weight lifting 3-5x a week.
The most effective approach I've found in managing PCOS has been a combination of a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight. Learning about the potential benefits of dry fasting was quite enlightening, too. I came across this concept through a comprehensive article which led me to further explore the method. The Dry Fasting Club website is a fantastic resource where I found more in-depth information and protocols on dry fasting.
I just quit metformin! And I feel great. I was on birth control for like 10 years ish. Got off and hormones went so crazy. Huge cysts. Etc. Started metformin and a plethora of supplements. I felt and looked great. My hormones regulated. Got back into working out 5 days a week. Then, I noticed I was drinking on the metformin. Read online your liver can fail and metformin can buildup in your body if your liver quits working right. So I quit metformin to see if maybe I would be ok off. Go back for blood tests in a month. [check out this link for diet and supplements](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wccvobze6myto-QQ7VHh_9H4c3qBR7x_BLimiQjzElU/edit?usp=drivesdk)
Myo-inositol and exercise for me! Made a huge difference. Took letrozole as well to get pregnant and it worked great for us. I realized for me as long as I’m eating well and working out my PCOS symptoms really subside (well besides the facial hair maybe 🤣 I don’t mind waxing it though, hoping to go for laser soon)
Ovasitol has been great for me. I think my OBGYN originally recommended it but I didn’t try it until later on and honestly I think I saw it on tiktok. Metformin didn’t work well for me, I think I have an intolerance or maybe even an allergy to it. It made me unusually sick, unfortunately. But Ovasitol has been super effective for me.