Expert: Elayne Glantzberg - 8/28/2007

Question
Hi my name is Kayla and I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind answering them. I have never been told specifically that I have PCOS but I have all the symptoms. My doc. put me on Glucophage and said if I have PCOS that it would help with that. I couldn't really find anything to help me on the net about Glucophage and the chances of concieving multiples.  I would rather have just a singleton birth but if it can cause multiples I will deal with it.  So could you tell me a little about Glucophage?  And here's another question...My husband, daughter and I will be moving from our home so my husband can go to schooling and will be gone for a little over 3 months. So if we are gone I can't just get up and go to my Doctor.  So I was wondering if taking Clomid would help with regulating my "." and help me to concieve?!?  We want another baby because we don't want our children to be too far apart in age.  I just want to know if taking clomid with Glucophage could kind of insure that I will "O" and help me to get pregnant. Also if Glucophage causes muliples.  Please help! THANK YOU, A STUMPED MOMMY

Answer
Glucophage will not increase your risk of multiples; it will simply restore your natural fertility if you do in fact have PCOS.  There is a simple blood test that can determine if you have PCOS.  If you are not on Glucophage, a blood test would show that you have elevated insulin, testosterone and triglycerides.  After several months on Glucophage, those levels should drop back to normal, confirming the diagnosis.  This is something your doctor probably should have ordered before starting you on the Glucophage.

Since Glucophage should restore your fertility, there would be no need to take Clomid, which would increase your risk of multiples.  Clomid is used to induce ovulation when other methods have failed.  If you want to improve your chances of conceiving, I recommend using natural family planning methods to track your fertility, charting cervical mucous, cervical position, and temperature.  This will serve to confirm that you are indeed ovulating, as well as allow you to time intercourse for your most fertile periods.  As long as you are ovulating, any additional intervention (such as Clomid) is unnecessary.  You will have a 20% chance of conceiving with each fertile cycle.

Good luck!