Need to learn more about PCOS treatment? There are many polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) treatments today—from diets and medications that help you manage your weight, to hormones to regulate ovulation and your menstrual cycle, to fertility drugs that can help you get pregnant.
Weight loss as PCOS treatment
A commonly-prescribed PCOS treatment is weight loss. Losing weight helps to balance your hormones, regulate your menstrual cycle, and reduce the chances of having insulin-related problems, which are frequent with PCOS. Weight loss can improve your overall health and may even boost fertility.
One way to make sure you are at a healthy weight is to know your body mass index (BMI). Your BMI measures body fat based on your height and weight. The ideal BMI to strive for is between 18-25.
A variety of weight loss methods exist—whether taking medications, reducing calories and increasing exercise, or using the latest surgical methods like gastric bypass surgery or laparoscopic banding (lap band surgery). Some doctors recommend a low-carb/high protein diet to help with weight loss and to reduce the amount of circulating insulin.
Birth control pills as PCOS treatment
If you have PCOS and do not want to get pregnant, taking oral contraceptives for PCOS treatment can help to balance your hormones. Women claim this PCOS treatment regulates their menstrual cycles and clears up their skin. In addition, excess body hair growth often stabilizes when taking birth control pills.
If you have no symptoms of excess hair or acne, progesterone-only pills may help to regulate your periods. Also, progesterone pills only work as long as you take the medication.
PCOS treatment that reduces androgens
Androgens (male hormones) are often found in high amounts in women with PCOS. This results in the growth of excess body and facial hair (called hirsutism), as well as acne.
Polycystic ovary syndrome treatments, like diuretics (spironolactone), may help reduce excessive hair growth and even clear up skin problems. Anti-androgens help improve skin problems, but these PCOS treatments can only be taken when not attempting to get pregnant.
Some women with PCOS find that electrolysis and laser hair removal help with excess hair growth, while other women use creams to bleach, wax or remove facial hair.
Insulin levels and PCOS treatment
Many women with PCOS have insulin resistance (IR), which can lead to type 2 diabetes and other chronic medical problems. Some doctors prescribe a PCOS treatment called metformin to help regulate insulin and blood glucose levels and even reduce testosterone production.
Results now seem conclusive that metformin can improve ovarian function and increase fertility. In fact, metformin may be used before other fertility agents are tried or in combination with them.
Fertility treatment regulates ovulation
Clomiphene citrate (CC) is probably is the first-line PCOS treatment for women who want to get pregnant. In comparison to other options, this fertility drug is quite safe, inexpensive, easy to use and offers a chance of pregnancy in the initial months of use.
CC is not a hormone. Rather, it’s a synthetic “anti”-estrogen that tricks the body’s regulatory mechanisms into thinking that more estrogen is needed. Except under very specific circumstances, CC therapy should not be used for more than six months. Over 70 percent of pregnancies are achieved during the first 3 months of use.
If CC doesn’t work, gonadotropin therapy might be recommended as another PCOS treatment. Gonadotropin therapy is expensive and may cause uncomfortable side effects, but it is successful in inducing ovulation for some women.
Ovarian drilling is yet another way to induce ovulation. However, this treatment may cause side effects that could potentially inhibit fertility.
Learn more about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Treatment
Your doctor can recommend the safest and most effective PCOS treatments. Depending on your situation and when you want to get pregnant, your doctor will formulate a plan that lets you manage PCOS and optimize your fertility.
Sources: American Society of Reproductive Medicine “Patient's Fact Sheet: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.” “Hirsutism and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Guide for Patients.” American Pregnancy Association “Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.” NIH “Calculate your Body Mass Index” Womenshealth.gov “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).”
