There is no cure for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). But you can manage the symptoms.
Lifestyle changes
Lifestyle changes can make big improvements to your symptoms and long-term health outcomes.
If you have overweight, losing weight can help improve your PCOS symptoms.
Non-urgent advice: Speak to your GP or practice nurse if:
- you have PCOS and find it hard to lose weight
Your GP may refer you to a dietitian.
Eating low glycaemic index (GI) foods may also help your PCOS. Low GI foods are absorbed by your body more slowly. This means your blood sugar stays stable.
Examples of low GI foods include:
- wholemeal bread
- pasta
- brown rice
- most fruits, vegetables and pulses
Medicines for PCOS
You may need to take medicines to treat different symptoms of PCOS.
Medicine for irregular or absent periods
Having no periods for a long time can be a risk factor for endometrial cancer (cancer of the womb).
To get regular periods, you may need:
- the contraceptive pill
- progestogen tablets
These medicines will lower your chances of getting endometrial cancer.
Other hormonal contraception, such as an intrauterine system (IUS), may lower your chances of getting endometrial cancer by keeping your womb lining thin. But you may not get your period while using it.
Medicines for fertility problems
Most women with PCOS can get pregnant with treatment.
If you are trying to get pregnant, you may get a short course of tablets known as clomiphene. You take clomiphene at the start of each menstrual cycle for a few months. It stimulates ovulation.
It is commonly used for most women with PCOS. A fertility specialist can prescribe it.
If these are not successful, you may need injections or in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Other medicines you may be prescribed include:
- metformin - this can help lower your insulin levels and stimulate fertility
- letrozole - sometimes used instead of clomiphene
- gonadotrophins - you get this by an injection but it may overstimulate your ovaries and cause multiple pregnancy
If you're using metformin to regulate your insulin and do not want to get pregnant, use contraception.
Important
All treatments for fertility problems must be supervised by a fertility expert who offers regular ultrasound checks. Do not take any of these medicines unsupervised.
Medicine for unwanted hair growth and hair loss
Medicines to control excessive hair growth (hirsutism) and hair loss (alopecia) include:
- oral contraceptive tablets
- cyproterone acetate
- spironolactone
- finasteride
These medicines block the effects of male hormones, such as testosterone. Some also stop your ovaries from making male hormones.
Eflornithine is a cream that can slow down the growth of unwanted facial hair.
It does not:
- remove hair
- cure unwanted facial fair
You can use it with a hair removal method. You may see improvements between 4 to 8 weeks after using the medicine.
Hair removal methods will remove excess hair growth. They include plucking, shaving, threading, hair removal creams or laser hair removal.
Medicine for other PCOS symptoms
Medicines can treat some of the other PCOS symptoms.
These include:
- weight loss medicine if you have overweight or obesity
- medicine to lower your cholesterol - such as statins
- acne treatment
Surgery for PCOS
Laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) is a minor surgery. It may be an option if fertility medicines do not improve your PCOS.
Your doctor will make a small cut in your tummy and pass a laparoscope (thin microscope) into your tummy. This is done under general anaesthetic (when you're asleep).
Your ovaries will be treated using heat or a laser by putting 4 to 5 small openings on the surface of 1 of your ovaries. This will destroy the tissue that's making male hormones.
LOD can:
- lower your testosterone and luteinising hormone (LH) levels
- raise your follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels
This balances your hormones and makes your ovaries work properly.
Pregnancy risks and PCOS
If you have PCOS, you have a higher risk of pregnancy complications.
These include:
These risks are higher if you have obesity. If you have overweight or obesity, you can lower your risk by losing weight before trying for a baby.
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE