PCOS/PCOD Treatment

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Polycystic Ovary disease (PCOD) are the most common hormonal disorders affecting women today. This may lead to changes in the menstrual cycle, cysts in the ovaries, trouble getting pregnant and other health problems.

Tests
Your doctor will perform a physical exam. This will include a pelvic exam. The exam may show:

Swollen ovaries

Swollen clitoris (very rare)

Blood tests can be done to check hormone levels. These tests may include:

Estrogen level

FSH level

LH level

Male hormone (testosterone) level

17-ketosteroids

The other blood tests that may be done include:

Fasting glucose (blood sugar) and other tests for glucose intolerance and insulin resistance

Lipid level

Pregnancy test (serum HCG)

Prolactin level

Thyroid function tests

Your doctor may also order the following imaging test or surgeries to look at your ovaries:

Vaginal ultrasound

Pelvic laparoscopy

Treatment
Weight gain and obesity are common in women with PCOS. Losing weight, even a small amount of weight, can help treat the hormone changes and health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. The medicines work better if your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or less (below the obese range).

Your doctor may recommend birth control pills to make your periods more regular. These medicines may also help reduce abnormal hair growth and acne after you take them for several months. These birth control pills help in:

Correcting the hormonal imbalance

Correcting the hormonal imbalance

Regulating your menstrual periods

Lowering the risk of endometrial cancer (which is slightly higher in young women who don’t ovulate regularly)

Preventing  an unplanned pregnancy (if you are sexually active)

Improving your androgen-related acne problems, male-type hair growth, and male- pattern hair loss.

A diabetes medicine called Glucophage (metformin) may also be recommended to:

Make your periods regular

Help you lose weight

Infertility Medications For PCOD patients suffering from infertility, Clomiphene citrate are the first line of medication used for ovulation stimulation. This might not be helpful in PCOD patients with persistent high LH levels. Due to the connection between PCOS and insulin resistance, some patients might need to take LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs along with Clomiphene citrate to increase insulin sensitivity.

Surgery Surgery plays a minimal role in PCOD patients. A pelvic laparoscopy may be done to remove or alter an ovary to treat infertility. The effects are temporary.