Concerned!!! - Poggle! - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Message Board

JohnNKimberly · 05-09-2006, 09:58 PM

Please dont take this snotty, but Provera is not a highly recommended treatment for PCOS. Yes it works to induce your period, but it isnt supposed to be used as a bandaid to bring your period on every couple of months just to have it. There are a lot of other symptoms to PCOS that Provera doesnt treat, aside from not getting your period. Not only that, but if you have a lot of cysts, provera can be very harsh and can rupture them. It happened to me every single time I have taken it, and the last time I took it I hemorraghed for days!! Alot of people with PCOS take Metformin, because it gets at the root problem that causes this syndrome, which is a resistance to insulin and over production of male hormones. Yes there are drawbacks, a lot of people get sick from it. But that is why they have come out with the new metformin extended release. Which practically cuts out all of the side effects. I am just concerned that people who arent properly diagnosed and are new to this syndrome will think that as long as they get a period every couple of months with the help of provera, they will be ok........trust me it doesnt solve the underlying problem, and if you ever want to get pregnant, it wont help you either, because you still wont ovulate on your own. Just be careful what kind of information you give out because a lot of newbies could misunderstand what you are saying.

Lor123 · 05-10-2006, 11:49 AM

While it's true that Provera is not a cure all for PCOS, in some cases it is necessary for a woman to take it.
One of the problems with PCOS is that often, a woman is not shedding the lining of her uterus every month which can lead to uterine hyperplasia. Hyperplasia increases a womans risk of uterine cancer and can cause episodes of very heavy bleeding.
Another reason many doctors with prescibe provera or progesterone treatment for a woman with PCOS is because birth control pills contain estrogens and studies have shown that many woman who suffer from PCOS are also estrogen dominant, or produce higher than normal amounts, in which case BCPs would be like adding fuel to the fire.
In my case, I can not take birth control pills because of the horrible side effects they give me and metformin has never regulated my cycles, so progesterone is my only option at this point.
You must understand that not all PCOS symptoms are the same for every woman, so not all treatments will work the same eighther.