Hormone Therapy for Treating Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Medical therapies for PCOS can be divided into two main categories: hormonal and non-hormonal.
Non-hormonal therapies for PCOS include lifestyle changes such as weight loss, diet modification, and exercise.
Hormone therapy for PCOS involves taking bio-identical hormones. The most common type of hormone therapy for PCOS is birth control pills, which we do not recommend. Birth control pills contain synthetic progestin which have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. PCOS patients are already at risk for breast cancer, so we would never want to increase that risk. At Tier1 Health & Wellness we use bio-identical progesterone, the chemical structure is identical to what the body makes on its own.
If you are hoping to become pregnant, weight loss can restore ovulation and make your menstrual cycles more normal, which can improve your chances of pregnancy. In order to restore ovulation we need to first fix insulin sensitivity. We use metformin to lower insulin resistance and facilitate weight loss.
Women with PCOS have higher-than-normal levels of androgens, leading to excess hair growth. Spironolactone can be used to reduce hirsutism and reduce acne. It also lowers inflammatory cytokines (as a result of obesity that occurs in some women with PCOS) which can have a devastating effect on cardiovascular health.
