Metformin in polycystic ovary syndrome

The PCO syndrome is an abbreviation for polycystic ovary syndrome. It is a metabolic disorder that affects women who are of a sexually mature age. It is very common and causes some sequelae, such as infertility or hyperandrogenism.

The exact causes of the syndrome are still largely unknown, but it is suspected that it may be genetic, but it is also noticeable that overweight women are often affected. Although it occurs so often, it is nevertheless often diagnosed very late. Many of the affected women have too many male hormones in their blood and therefore typical symptoms such as male hair growth, irregular cycle, skin impurities, hair loss, cysts in the ovaries and a very serious symptom: unfulfilled desire for children.

The latter symptom is also often the reason why this disease is discovered in the first place. The PCO syndrome is diagnosed by ultrasound and a hormone status as well as by a thorough examination and medical history. It is very important to check whether insulin resistance is present, as this is a common cause of PCO syndrome.

The syndrome can also have some other consequences: These are, for example, psychological disorders, increased miscarriages, social isolation, diabetes mellitus type 2 and cardiovascular diseases. If you want to have children, you can help by taking various drugs such as hormones. In addition, a change in diet is inevitable and overweight women need to lose weight. Metformin is a drug that works very well for both overweight and slim women. It is given when the metabolic syndrome combined with insulin resistance is present.

Dosage

The dosage of metformin cannot be generally determined for all patients. The film-coated tablets are available in 500mg, 850mg and 1000mg strengths. There is also an oral form of the drug.

This is 100mg in 1 ml. Depending on the severity of the disease and also how much is tolerated and the side effects occur, the drug is taken. The dosage can be 1 to 3 times a day and this always with meals. Often a weaker drug is started and then slowly increased. It is also possible to start with a high dose directly and then reduce the dose if the body cannot tolerate it.