Infertility Treatments for PCOS
Infertility treatments for PCOS usually start with metformin (Glucophage) or Clomid (clomiphene citrate). Metformin works very well for many women, though it did not change my symptoms at all. When that does not work, doctors usually recommend Clomid.
A small study published in the journal Human Reproduction shows a similar success rate with Clomid or ovarian drilling (basically they use a laser to burn off some of the cysts on your ovaries). The success rates for women in the study were 39 percent for Clomid alone and 25 percent for ovarian drilling alone, though success rates climbed as high as 63 percent when women in the study were allowed to try the opposite method if the first one did not work.
The background in the abstract on this study is great reading all on its own, with some good explanations of PCOS and the effectiveness of metformin as a first line infertility treatment.
Of course, in my personal experience none of these three methods actually helped me get pregnant. Clomid did make me ovulate some months, but I did not get pregnant while taking it. I also had ovarian drilling, but that did not restore ovulation for me. I was eventually able to find a natural approach that helped me reduce my symptoms and have a healthy baby girl.
The article abstract is posted on Medscape. Read about PCOS and infertility treatments here. You do need to register to read it, but Medscape is such an awesome resource it is very much worth registering. Registration is free.
