No PCOS drugs necessary

by Amanda
(New Jersey)

I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2004, a year after me and my husband got married.

My doctors didn't really tell me what it was or what I could do about it. They just told me that the only way that I could get pregnant was to take drugs.

I was fine with that at the time. I was on clomid for 4 months, 2 of the cycles I got artificially inseminated to help increase the chances to get pregnant. None of the 4 cycles ended up in pregnancy. I would have been on it longer, but unfortunately I was in a car accident which put me out of work for a while and I could no longer afford my bills let alone a fertility specialist.

Around 2 years later, I started doing my own research about PCOS. Buying books, reading anything I could on the internet.

I found out that a significant amount of people with PCOS (not all), can get pregnant on their own without any drugs. All with just changing their diets and exercising. So I talked my mom into joining weight watchers with me. Within a month of doing Weight Watchers, my periods started coming on time. And have been on time ever since.

In Feb. of '08' I found out that I had become pregnant. On my own with no drugs. Unfortunately, that pregnancy ended in miscarriage a week after I had found out. The upside of it though is that I had become pregnant on my own without any help from doctors or drugs. I've got to get back onto my diet to start trying again.

Anything is possible when you put your mind to it. Good luck to everybody who is trying to get pregnant and those that are just trying to get rid of some of the symptoms of PCOS.

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Editor's comments:

Clomid is a very powerful pharmaceutical. Everyone should be aware of its benefits and risks before using it. Up to 13% of women taking Clomid may experience enlargement of the ovaries. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) can occur with Clomid. OHSS is characterized by enlarged ovaries and can be dangerous. In severe cases, the ovaries could rupture. Symptoms of OHSS include abdominal (stomach) pain or enlargement, upset stomach (nausea), vomiting, diarrhea, and weight gain.

Rather than immediately resorting to Clomid or other expensive assisted reproduction techniques such as IVF, we suggest that you first try the following:

1. Improve your diet.

2. Get more exercise.

3. Reduce chronic stress.

4. Use selected nutritional supplements to normalize hormones such as vitex or d-pinitol.

If the above measures do not work, then you can add the pharmaceuticals and other assisted reproduction techniques.

Miscarriage is a big issue for women with PCOS. Click here for more information about miscarriageand what can be done about it.