Polycystic Ovarian Disease? Could This Medicine Work for You

After years of battling female problems of all sorts, my gynecologist told me about some medications that have been around for a while, but only recently began being used for polycystic ovarian disease.

At my regular yearly visit, my doctor discussed the possibility of my having polycystic ovarian disease or PCOD (also referred to as PCOS). We discussed the available options for this diagnosis.

One drug that has been around for a while is Glucophage. Glucophage is used primarily for regulating blood sugar in diabetics.

The second drug is Aldactone. This drug is used to treat cases of acne. However, recent studies have found that by combining these two drugs, the symptoms of women suffering with PCOD seem to be minimized somewhat.

My physician started me on both medications seven months ago. He prescribed me 500 milligrams of Metformin (generic form of Glucophage) three times a day. Along with that, he prescribed 100 milligrams of spironolact (generic form of Aldactone) twice a day.

After about two weeks, I noticed some of my classic symptoms of PCOD were not as noticeable as before. I still had pelvic pain, but the pain was minimal. My periods were irregular, but two months into treatment, my periods began to get more on a 28 to 31 day cycle, instead of skipping months at a time like previously.

I am a single mother and am not trying to get pregnant, although I know a lot of women suffer from infertility with PCOD. One has to imagine that if I was trying to conceive, and my periods were getting more normal, the likelihood that I was ovulating normal and therefore increase my odds of conceiving, were great.

In addition to having my symptoms ALMOST disappear, as wonderful side effect, I have lost 70 pounds in the months since beginning my prescription therapy. My doctor advised me of this possible "side effect", but I did not give it a second thought. I mean, I have taken diet pills in the past to help me lose weight and they did not work- what in the world made me think this drug for a female problem would shed weight.

At my first visit, 30 days into taking these medications, I had lost 18 pounds. To say the least, I was shocked. I had not altered my eating at all, although I noticed I was not "craving" any food. After this month, I decided to pay attention and see if I made simple adjustments, such as cutting out soft drinks and fast food, would I lose even more. I only recently began exercising, by walking 30 minutes a day.

If you have poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (or disease), ask your doctor about using Glucophage and Aldactone in helping to control your symptoms.