Polycystic ovary syndrome, often called PCOS, is a complex disorder that affects between 5 percent to 10 percent of women. Women with PCOS produce excess androgens, or male hormone. While PCOS is often thought of simply as the disease most responsible for female infertility, the disorder also causes a number of other symptoms, which often include weight gain in addition to acne and excess hair. Metformin, brand name Glucophage, a medication used to treat diabetes, can help some women with PCOS lose weight.
Definitions
Glucophage is an oral anti-hyperglycemic, meaning that it reduces blood glucose levels. Glucophage works by decreasing glucose production in the liver, decreasing glucose absorption in the intestine and increasing uptake of glucose into cells. Insulin release stimulates uptake of glucose from the blood into cells. Polycystic ovary syndrome causes insulin resistance, which means that cells don't respond to the message from insulin to remove glucose from the blood. Glucophage makes cells more sensitive to insulin.
Use
Glucophage is used to treat PCOS "off-label," meaning that the drug is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this use, the Children's Hospital Boston website states. This doesn't mean the drug hasn't been tested, just that the drug hasn't gone undergone clinical trials specifically for PCOS. Many drugs are used off-label because they've been found to be effective for purpose other than the one they were originally tested for. Since clinical trials cost money to undertake, the drug is used "off-label." The usually dose is 500 mg to 1,000 mg daily, The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library website explains.
Results
In clinical trials, people taking glucophage lost between 1.4 lbs. and 8.4 lbs. on average, eMedTV reports. However, people taking placebo also lost weight, making it difficult to evaluate the impact of glucophage on weight. Because clinical trials were done of people with diabetes, not people with PCOS, it's difficult to draw conclusions for PCOS patients from clinical trials. Research does show that women with PCOS lose weight with glucophage, the Children's Hospital Boston website states.
Other Benefits
Glucophage helps to lower lipid levels, especially triglyceride levels, Drugs.com reports. Glucophage can also induce ovulation in women who don't ovulate, making pregnancy possible. Glucophage may also improve acne and hirsuitism, male patterns of hair growth.
Concerns
The most common side effects of glucophage are diarrhea, which affected 53 percent of people in clinical trials, according to Drugs.com, and nausea, which affected 25 percent. A serious side effect called lactic acidosis affects around 1 in 33,000 people, mostly people with kidney problems. Symptoms include extreme tiredness, muscle pain, stomach pain, dizziness, weakness, feeling cold and a slow or irregular heartbeat. Report these symptoms to your medical practitioner immediately.
