Hello XXXXXXX,

Thanks for posting your query.

PCOS is one of the commonest causes of irregular periods. Since the blood insulin levels were slightly raised and there were minor changes in the ovarian cysts, hence it raises the possibility of PCOS. PCOS is a likely diagnosis for your irregular periods.

It is a problem in which a woman’s hormones are out of balance.So ovaries develop more follicles than normal every month. Other diagnostic tests are 2 hr GTT (glucose tolerance test), serum androgen and testosterone levels, LH-FSH ratio, prolactin levels,TSH levels,17-hydroxyprogesterone levels and ultrasound uterus.

Glucophage is an insulin-sensitizing biguanide commonly used to treat elevated blood glucose levels in people with Type 2 Diabetes and often employed as an off-label prescription for PCOS.

Metformin in Glucophage improves the cell's response to insulin, and helps move glucose into the cell. It also helps in regularizing the irregular periods and hence you will have regularity in periods also.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.

Wishing you good health.

Regards

---

Hello XXXXXXX,

Thanks for writing back.

I can understand your concern for Glucophage when you are trying to get pregnant.

However since you are having menstrual irregularities for the past one year and the ultrasound reports have shown slight PCOS changes in the ovary, you need Glucophage to induce ovulation which will help in conceiving.

Patients with PCOS have hyperinsulinemia which leads to excess androgen (male hormones) production by the ovaries and this causes anovulation.

Metformin sensitizes the cells to insulin thus lowering the body’s production of insulin and consequently reducing androgen production. Once androgen production has been normalized ovulation can often resume.

You do not have to take it for lifelong and once your ovulation cycle has established, then your doctors may stop it.

Also it is not recommended to take this drug when you are pregnant. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women taking Glucophage and once pregnancy occurs, you will be asked to stop taking it.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.

Wishing you good health.

Regards

---

Hello XXXXXXX,

Thanks for writing back.

It is true that continuing metformin throughout pregnancy may decrease the likelihood of developing gestational diabetes and also lessens the risk of miscarriages but the treatment of choice in gestational diabetes is Insulin.

Depending on your medical history, your doctor might ask you to continue your medication during pregnancy or to stop it when you learn you’re pregnant. This depends on your blood sugar levels and physical condition at that time.

As mentioned earlier, Glucophage is a FDA category B drug and no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women taking Glucophage are there, so prescribing this drug in pregnancy is the sole decision of your treating gynecologist.

Hope this answers your query.

Wishing you good health.

---