A list of tests are usually ordered to rule out the presence of any other hormonal disorders. <\/span><\/p>\nCan PCOS be cured?<\/h2>\n Unfortunately, there is no cure for PCOS, but that doesn\u2019t mean people diagnosed with the condition must suffer. \u201cPCOS symptoms are very successfully managed with medications and lifestyle changes,\u201d Dr. Peters explains. \u201cEven infertility experienced by PCOS patients can successfully be overcome with treatments.\u201d<\/p>\n
How is PCOS treated?<\/h2>\n Symptoms of PCOS are treated in one or a combination of three ways: lifestyle changes, medication, and (rarely) surgery.<\/p>\n
Lifestyle Changes<\/h3>\n \u201cLifestyle changes and weight loss are key in the treatment of PCOS,\u201d Dr. Peters says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWeight loss and healthy eating are the most effective non-medicinal treatments,\u201d echoes Dr. Cly, adding, \u201cImprovements in PCOS begin with a weight loss of [greater than] 5% of total body weight.\u00a0 The improvements of the symptoms are even larger with more weight loss.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her article for Cedars-Sinai, Dr. Chan recommends patients with PCOS stay active, including 30-40 minutes of exercise three to four days a week. She also suggests adopting a low-carbohydrate diet. \u201cWomen with PCOS don\u2019t always process carbohydrates as easily as other women. Too many refined carbohydrates like sugars can lead to insulin resistance and weight gain,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Medication<\/h3>\n \u201cThe most common medications are birth control hormones<\/strong> in the form of pills or a patch or ring,\u201d says Dr. Cly, \u201cbecause those control the menstrual cycles\u2026and they also decrease the amount of testosterone circulating so it will help with the hair growth as well.\u201d<\/p>\nMetformin<\/strong>, a drug primarily used to control high sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, and other diabetic medications are sometimes prescribed for PCOS because they decrease insulin resistance. It is used as an off-label drug as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved it for PCOS treatment because the manufacturer did not seek its approval; however with positive clinical research data, it is a very commonly used medication. <\/span>Dr. Cly does not recommend them because long-term studies haven\u2019t shown significant benefit. Dr. Cly specifies one exception, \u201cHowever, when a woman is trying to get pregnant, adding metformin to Clomid or Femara will increase her chances of pregnancy three times higher than with (ovulation stimulating medications) Clomid\/Femara alone.\u201d<\/p>\n Using Metformin for off-label PCOS treatment<\/strong><\/p>\nDr. Cly and Dr. Peters both mention spironolactone<\/strong> as being effective alone or in combination with other medications for reducing male hormone levels; but Dr. Cly cautions that it has a, \u201crare risk of genital abnormalities in male infants if a woman gets pregnant while taking it.\u201d Hence, patients should be on contraception and blood tests to monitor electrolytes are routinely needed. <\/span><\/p>\nFor unwanted hair, Dr. Peters suggests eflornithine hydrochloride cream<\/strong> (a topical drug that can be used to inhibit hair growth) as an option in addition to hair removal methods such as waxing, shaving, or electrolysis\/laser hair removal.<\/p>\nDr. Peters also mentions that high cholesterol issues, diabetes, sleep apnea, and fatty liver disease, conditions that often appear in people with PCOS, are treated the same way they would be in a person who does not have PCOS.<\/p>\n
For fertility problems, in addition to the medications mentioned by Dr. Cly and Dr. Peters, your doctor may recommend letrozole or gonadotropins.<\/p>\n
Letrozole<\/strong> slows estrogen production and causes the body to make more follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), a hormone needed for ovulation. While a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development\u2013supported study<\/a> found that letrozole is more effective than clomiphene in causing ovulation and improving live-birth rates, studies of letrozole in animals have shown that it causes birth defects if used during pregnancy. There have been no studies of this drug in pregnant women. It is also an off-label treatment. <\/span><\/p>\nGonadotropins<\/strong> are hormones that cause ovulation. They are given as injections. Because this treatment has a higher risk of multiple pregnancies, your doctor may order more tests and ultrasounds to monitor your body during treatment.<\/p>\nSurgery<\/h3>\n PCOS cannot be corrected by surgery, but some surgeries can help with specific PCOS conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cObesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome can, in extreme cases, be managed with bariatric surgery,\u201d Dr. Peters says.<\/p>\n
Dr. Cly adds, \u201cWomen who lose significant weight after a gastric bypass surgery demonstrate nearly normal periods and normalization of their symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ovarian drilling is a treatment option for infertility associated with PCOS. \u201cRecent studies have shown that Laparoscopic Ovarian Drilling, LOD, (removing some of the extra cystic ovarian tissue) results in a higher pregnancy rate when trying to get pregnant compared to clomid alone,\u201d says Dr. Cly.\u00a0\u201cHowever, a very recent study<\/a> revealed that Femara (letrozole) <\/span>was just as effective as LOD surgery in achieving pregnancy.\u00a0 Additionally, surgery does not help improve symptoms or PCOS findings when a woman is not trying to get pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s promising about PCOS?<\/h2>\n While PCOS may be with you for life, the symptoms don\u2019t have to be. \u201cThe treatments are extremely successful in suppressing the symptoms,\u201d assures Dr. Cly.<\/p>\n
Dr. Chan also offers reassurance<\/a>: \u201cWhen you\u2019ve finished menopause, estrogen and testosterone hormones come down naturally, and then PCOS symptoms can improve. Remember that through each stage of the disorder, although we can\u2019t cure it, we can manage the symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\nStudies surrounding PCOS continue to give hope. \u201cIt is good to know that there are more answers being investigated and hopefully there will be a cure for PCOS in the not too distant future,\u201d Dr. Cly says.<\/p>\n
I still have PCOS and I still need to manage some of my symptoms. I also have two beautiful boys that I conceived without the need for fertility treatments, and a plan in place to control or prevent as many effects of PCOS as I can. A PCOS diagnosis can be scary\u2014as scary as finding a chin hair at a Rolling Stones concert\u2014but it\u2019s common, it\u2019s manageable, and it\u2019s possible to live a full, healthy life with PCOS.<\/p>\n
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