is it possible to cure polycistic ovarian syndrome...my wife has it and i am very scared?

Answer 1

Medical treatment of PCOS is tailored depending on the patient's goals. If restoration of ovulation and fertility are desired, then metformin and or clomiphene citrate are indicated. In cases of clomiphene resistance, injections of follicle stimulating hormone may be used. If hirsutism is a primary concern, then oral contraceptives and either cyproterone acetate or spironolactone (a blocker of androgen receptors) are indicated. If the goal is to prevent the unopposed estrogen effect of anovulation, which can lead to endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer, then oral contraceptives or cyclic progestins are indicated.

Low-carbohydrate diets and sustained regular exercise are also beneficial. More recently doctors and nutritional experts are recommending a low-GI diet in which a significant part of the total carbohydrates are obtained from fruit, vegetables and wholegrain sources. These diets help women with PCOS to maintain steady blood sugar and insulin levels and may assist in weight loss. A diet composed of mainly low-GI foods combined with regular exercise will also help to combat the effects of insulin resistance.

Many women find insulin-lowering medications such as metformin hydrochloride (Glucophage®), pioglitazone hydrochloride (Actos®), and rosiglitazone maleate (Avandia®) helpful, and ovulation may resume when they use these agents. Many women report that metformin use is associated with upset stomach, diarrhea, and weight-loss. Such side effects usually resolve within 2-3 weeks. Both symptoms and weight loss appear to be less with the extended release versions. Most published studies use either generic metformin or the regular, non-extended release version. Starting with a lower dosage and gradually increasing the dosage over 2-3 weeks and taking the medication toward the end of a meal may reduce side effects. Though the use of basal body temperature or BBT charts is sometimes advised to predict ovulation, clinical trials have not supported a useful role. It may take up to six months to see results, but when combined with exercise and a low glycemic index diet up to 85% will improve menstrual cycle regularity and ovulation.

Initial research also suggests that the risk of miscarriage is significantly reduced when Metformin is taken throughout pregnancy (9% as opposed to as much as 45%); however, further research is needed in this area.

For patients who do not respond to insulin-sensitizing medications and who wish to achieve pregnancy, there are many options available including, clomiphene citrate to induce ovulation or ART procedures such as controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and IVF. Ovarian stimulation has an associated risk of ovarian hyperstimulation in women with PCOS - a dangerous condition with morbidity and rare mortality. Thus recent developments have allowed the oocytes present in the multiple follicles to extracted in natural, unstimulated cycles and then matured in vitro, prior to IVF. This technique is known as IVM (in-vitro-maturation)

Though surgery is usually the treatment option of last resort, the polycystic ovaries can be treated with surgical procedures such as

laparoscopy electrocauterization or laser cauterization
ovarian wedge resection (rarely done now because it is more invasive and has a 30% risk of adhesions, sometimes very severe, which can impair fertility) was an older therapy
ovarian drilling

[edit] Alternative approaches
Ian Stoakes, a UK-based scientist has recently claimed some success in treating PCOS through tailored diets; believing that there is a strong link between PCOS, diabetes (and associated diseases) and inflammation caused by the failure of the blood to absorb specific foods.[citation needed] Blood samples are tested to see how they react to different food types to provide the patient with a list of foods they can eat and foods to avoid. Weight loss, alleviation of symptoms and successful pregnancies are claimed for this approach.[citation needed] It however remains a totally unproven approach with no research papers listed in PubMed by Stoakes concerning PCOS.

Answer 2

Okay there have been some great answers here so I'll keep this simple.
I have PCOS as well and every person is different. I have found the following site to be very helpful, informative, and supportive:
http://www.soulcysters.net/
This is a message board type site where women who have PCOS can question, vent, and find women with similar problems, issues, solutions, etc.
http://www.soulcysters.com/
This is a companion site which has all the general information about PCOS.

If you have a doctor who is working with your wife all the better. They will be able to determine what will work for her and her body.
Also let her know you are concerned and you want to support her in whatever way you can. Knowing that will help her a whole lot.

Answer 3

I've done my own personal research on this subject. . .First explain to her that faith will help her overcome. If she changes her diet and exercises regularly (along with proper vitamins, some yoga perhaps) she has a very high chance of all her symptoms going away within a year and regular ovulation. . .but she has to really stick to her health and eat only the right foods for her body. Tell her to check out websites that offer information on her blood type and the types of foods her blood type should eat. She would also have to cut out approx. 75% of her carbs. . .and find really healthy meal options.
However if this not something she wants to adapt to (because it does require a total lifestyle change) there are other alternatives. . . However, they may not be as safe.
She can stay on birth control until you all decide to have children and then take fertility drugs.
There is also a surgery called invitro (or something. . .I can't remember the name off the top of my head), but if she has it, they will puncture her ovaries with a laser (this some how starts the process of releasing the egg). . .then you guys go at it for about three months. . .(Doctors will only do this treatment every so often because it only works temporarily)
All in all, check out all the websites and read up on recent newsletters, because they are finding out something new about PCOS everyday. Do lots of research and make sure she sees her gyno every six months and get yearly vaginal ultrasounds, so that they look at her ovaries and make sure they are healthy.

Best Wishes to you and your wife :-)

Answer 4

Unfortunately, there is no cure for PCOS. Only treating symptoms exist. First and foremost, what is you and your wife's goal for now? A family? If so, fertility treatments may be necessary. If not, the pill may be more your style until the time comes. New research is showing PCOS may be linked to insulin resistance. For someone new to the disease, here are a couple of my favorite links to share:

http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pcos.htm#1
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/polycystic-ovary-syndrome/DS00423/DSECTION=1

I recently found this one as well, but haven't compared the research to the other research I've seen:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCOS

I wish you and your wife the best of luck! If I can help you in any other way, I'm sure you can reach me through my Yahoo! 360 profile.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

I have it. Cure? No, not really.

But here's my treatment: I take metformin (Glucophage) for my insulin resistance. You have to mind those blood sugar levels with insulin resistance--high glucose...crash. High glucose...crash. It made me feel AWFUL and it screwed up my weight. I lost 12 pounds in less than a year just from the metformin, as I didn't have the sugar rushes and crashes that led me to overeat. No big changes in diet or exercise, just the meds. Now, if I had done more as far as diet and exercise, I might have lost more weight. Overweight is pretty much always a problem with PCOS.

I take birth-control pills to keep from the "periods" that aren't. Each time an egg isn't released, it stays in the ovary and makes a new cyst, causing scarring and swelling and abnormal hormone levels. I've had to take a number of different versions of the Pill--currently, I take the Mini-Pill because the regular Pill has estrogen, which is contraindicated for women with migraines with auras. It can increase the risk of stroke for aura-migraine sufferers, as can smoking.

She should NOT smoke, especially if she's taking hormone therapy, Pill or otherwise. NO SMOKING!!!! The risk of a stroke is just too high. Besides the usual risks, you know, like the ones they list on the packs.

My dr. said I'd probably need a round or two of fertility drugs if I wanted to get pregnant. He said I'd most likely just need the ones that stimulate a woman's body to release eggs (and I probably wouldn't need, say, in vitro fertilization or anything like that.)

My uterus is fine (PCOS doesn't affect the uterus or Fallopian tubes), so after you get the egg out of the ovary, there's nothing wrong with it and pregancy shouldn't be too bad, as long as there aren't other conditions as well as PCOS. My dr. said many women with PCOS don't have much trouble with pregnancy, because the extra hormones in pregnancy counteract the lack or imbalance of hormones we PCOS sufferers have most of the time.

I won't say there's nothing to it. It sucks. But with meds and some lifestyle changes, it's manageable for the most part. I will say that I hate the excess hair growth and no meds have helped me with that. I just wax and pluck and shave...no fun, but what's a girl to do?

Don't be too scared about it. She knows her diagnosis, there are treatment options...it's not too bad. I don't have too much trouble with it now that I'm being treated for it. I hope I won't have too much trouble if I want to get pregnant, but I'm in no rush for that, so it's not an issue now. Just be aware that it may take a little extra effort to get pregnant, if that's what y'all want.

Answer 6

I don't see what Polysistic Ovarian Syndrome has to do with you having irregular periods. Many things can cause your periods to be irregular including Endometriosis, Stress, Dieting, Malnutrition, or hormonal imbalance. The birth control pills you took in the past are not causing your current irregular periods. Do you have severe pelvic cramping with your periods too?

Answer 7

Short answer for me: I went on the birth control ring--inserted vaginally. After one year, my hormone levels are normal now and I haven't had any of the symptoms of PCD that I used to have. Worked wonders for me.

Good luck...

Answer 8

Yes of course. I had it and them removed the ovaries. Well, in my case because i also had the possibility of reocurrence of endometriosis they gave me a hysterectomy.

But yes ask to have the ovaries removed. If you would like more chidren do so now if you are able.

Answer 9

Yeah it's not even a big deal as long as you don't want more kids.

Answer 10

Treatments include changing her diet, and hormone treatments.