If you are among the approximately one out of ten couples in the United States who are dealing with infertility, you might have PCOS with insulin resistance.
Recent studies have shown that insulin resistance may be triggering PCOS in women, causing infertility.
What is PCOS?
PCOS is an acronym for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS is a disorder that affects the menstrual cycle and causes the ovarian follicles to rupture improperly.
As a direct result of the ovarian follicles rupturing improperly, eggs are not released during ovulation as they should be. Instead, they build up within the ovaries and form cysts. These cysts keep growing and covering the ovaries, affecting the production of reproductive hormones.
PCOS affects between six and ten percent of the female population.
What is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance occurs when your body is unable to utilize insulin correctly. This, in turn, can trigger a condition known as hyperinsulinemia, which is a dangerous health problem.
Approximately one out of every three men and women in the United States are insulin resistant.
There are particular risk factors associated with insulin resistance:
- Being over the age of 40
- Being overweight
- Heart disease or high blood pressure
- A family history of Type II Diabetes, heart disease or hypertension (high blood pressure)
The symptoms of insulin resistance include:
- Hypertension
- Acne
- Weight gain, especially a “spare tire” around the middle
- Darkish patches on the skin, especially on the back of your neck, knees, elbows, knuckles and ankles
- Sugar and carbohydrate cravings
There does seem to be a link between insulin resistance and PCOS, as a high number of women with PCOS—approximately one third, in fact—are insulin resistant.
How Does Insulin Resistance Trigger PCOS?
If you are insulin resistant, your body will attempt to compensate by producing more insulin. Over time, your body will be producing too much insulin. This, in turn, triggers the product of excess androgens, which are male hormones that can subsequently interfere with ovulation, reproduction and cause PCOS symptoms.
If you are insulin resistant with PCOS, it may be possible to treat your PCOS simply by treating the insulin resistance with Metformin, which is a medication given to help control glucose production in the liver.
In many cases, this is enough to restore fertility!
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome & Its Effect on Fertility
The Lowdown on Fertility Drugs
Do Carbohydrates Affect Fertility?
Oligomenorrhea: A Possible Cause of Infertility
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article – its important to note that a large number of women with PCOS also have IR, even if their fasting blood glucose levels come back normal they can STILL have IR.
While Metformin is the most common “treatment” of choice, recently its not shown to be as affective as doctors claim. I speak to tons of women daily who’ve been on it (religiously) for months and not seen a difference.
Another key in controlling IR is following a low glycemic index eating plan (basically whole wheats only, no whites, potatoes, sweets, white pastas, etc).
Herbal supplementation has been shown to be incredibly beneficial in controlling IR. Supplements like Sx fraction, Inositol, Apple Cider Vinegar can actually do more than Metformin, without the nasty side affects that med brings.
http://pcosinfo.com/blog/?s=insulin+resistance
I agree with the post above – herbal/natural supplements can be a great way to get your hormones in check if you have PCOS and/or IR.
I was diagnosed with PCOS in early 2009 when my husband and I started trying to conceive my first child. PCOS was making it impossible for m body to ovulate. One thing I found to be helpful in my quest to return my fertility was DCI (D-Chiro-Inositol.) DCI is known to be a secondary messenger in insulin signal transduction (basically – it can help insulin get to where it needs to get so your body doesn’t make a ton more than it needs.)
You can get DCI in a number of ways including natural foods such as buckwheat (which can be made into delicious muffins and cakes, etc if you like) or in pill form which you can buy from one of a couple websites you can easily Google for more information.
I also had to take Metformin (which I got used to after about 3 weeks), but I credit natural DCI as well for enabling me to return my hormones to balance which helped me get pregnant with my first child. Worth checking out.
My blog: http://fertilityexpert-emily.com/
The recent multicenter trial looking at metformin did not place patients on a low glycemic diet. It did not advise women on an appropriate exercise program and it used Glucophage XR and extended release version of the generic metformin. There is not one single head to head trial that demonstrates equivalency in managing PCOS related symptoms with these two very different formulations.
Pamela, could you share any controlled trials that show effectiveness of Inositol and vinegar? There is data to suggest there are effective, but again, a large multicenter controlled trial looking at d-chiroinositol, showed no benefit.
A gradual increase in metformin dose; dosing during meals and avoidance of processed carbs can reduce symptomatology for a majority of those taking it. And, the symptoms usually subside by six weeks. But, unfortunately, despite, proper diet and a very gentle dosing there are some women who just cannot take metformin.
To my way of thinking, herbal/homeopathic treatments are almost always preferable to prescription meds. Thanks for this informative comment! I’ll do some research on the herbal supplements for IR & do a post on them very soon!
Thanks for your comment! I intend to research the herbal and natural alternatives to Metformin for IR! Glad they worked for you!!!
Thanks for your very informative comment! Hope you come back & post again soon!