Metformin during pregnancy

[LLawson]

Ive been on Metformin 1500 mg for about 1.5 years for possible PCOS and trying to get pregnant.
I am 11 weeks pregnant and at my doctors visit today she said she wants to start taking me off of it but has to do it slowly cause it can cause miscarriage. Now Im terrified! I had no idea coming off of it could cause a miscarriage. She wants me to drop down to 1000 mg and did blood work today and then said she would check my blood again in a month and go from there.
Has anyone experienced this that could give me some input?
Thanks!

 

[Curlymikes]

I was on it before and for my entire pregnancy. I was on 1000mg and actually took at the whole pregnancy. The new research says to keep taking it. When you go off you have a higher risk of miscarriage and then a higher risk for gestational diabetes. Also they have found there is no risk to the baby to keep taking it. I would get a second opinion and read up on it!

 

[ttc bubby no2]

I'm on 1500mg but have only been on it since October. I was told to keep taking it for the first trimester as it helps reduce the risk of miscarriage.

When I asked my GP about going off it she said I could just stop at the end of the first trimester. She said the only reason you go on slowly is to adjust to the side effects and there was no reason I couldn't just stop cold turkey. I'm still considering dropping a tablet a week so it isn't so drastic.

 

[ChickenMommy]

Did she tell you why she wants you off of it? Its safe to continue during pregnancy. Ive never been on Met, but with my PCOS and serious IR, Im going to be begging my doc to put me on Met and keep me on it after the baby is born. One to help ME, and two in the hopes that it will help build some breast tissue and give me a better chance at having some milk for this baby. Ive had chronic microsupply with both other kids, and no one ever told me it could be caused by IR.

 

[LLawson]

I had a Tubal reversal in 2013. After not getting pregnant after about 8 months the RE put me on Clomid. I was on that for a few months and he decided to put me on Metformin because he suspected I had PCOS and he said those two drugs work very well together in getting pregnant. He really didnt do alot of testing. Just one blood test. I did have a history of cysts on my ovaries and irregular periods. I actually had a horrible problem with that after getting my tubes tied and it eased up quite a bit after the reversal. My gyno said that happened with alot of women.
Anyway after trying and charting, temping and all the meds for about 2.5 yrs. I gave up on all of it but stayed on the Metformin because I had lost alot of weight and just felt better in general on it and feared the horrible side affects if i ever had to start it over again.
I ended up pregnant 11 weeks ago not even trying. LOL The only thing I was still taking besides my regular vitamins was the Metformin.
My gyno likes to wean women off if they were not taking it for diabetic reasons. She did say she was going to do it slowly and may not take me off completely but shes going to do blood work to monitor it and see how I do.
I have been waking up very nauseous about 4-6 am almost daily and thought it was morning sickness but she says she thinks my sugar is bottoming out now because I take the Metformin before bed every night. (I had to be put on the extended release and switched to taking it at bedtime shortly after starting it because of the horrible diarrhea. I was having it all day, I think thats why I lost so much weight. After switching to bedtime, I still had horrible diarrhea but it was usually contained to the first few hours of waking up unless I ate too many sugars or carbs later in the day).
I Absolutely Love and trust my Gyno, Ive been seeing her for over 19 yrs. I figured they would be taking me off the Metformin but didnt know anything about the miscarriage risk until she told me yesterday.
Do you think just dropping the dose down would have the same risks? Or is it mainly talking about quitting altogether? Im hoping she will keep me on a dose of some kind if thats the risk.
On another note, the constipation with early pregnancy stopped my severe diarrhea altogether but I stay horribly bloated and have from the beginning. I wonder if thats why? I have some friends that are diabetic and on it that have lost no weight and have no horrible side affects like me and some are taking 2000 Mg a day. I wonder if thats just because they are diabetic and why it was so different for me? I do see alot of posts about people having these same side affects though.

 

[A1983]

I've had both experiences of being on and off met during pregnancy - but the most important thing is IF you need it in the first place. If yes, then as Curly said above - keep taking it as it causes baby no harm. I was on it for possible pcos and IR but a different consultant told me after the GTT test that I was absolutely fine re sugar levels and took me off! That was at 20 weeks and my daughter was fine then I never went on it again and I had my son whose pregnancy was also blissful. I did have a mc before my daughter, so first pregnancy and I was on met then - but then first pregnancy mc's are extremely common.

Also re breastfeeding - I had no issues re mircrosupply if that helps! I've fed two fat babe's "-)

 

[A1983]

And mc was at 7 weeks so you're fine at 11!! Well done you

 

[LLawson]

A1983, were you on Metformin with the miscarriage?
Im sorry ladies what does the IR stand for? Im not familiar with that? I have 3 children and never breast fed any of them. I have always had horribly tender (small) breasts and just had a biopsy a couple yrs ago with a titanium clip put in so I wont be breast feeding with this one either.
My sugar was fine before Met and as far as I know still is while Im on it. I had the test done yesterday to check it again.
Thanks for that info!

 

[ttc bubby no2]

IR = insulin resistance. Lots of women with PCOS have insulin resistance and that is how metformin helps.

 

[LLawson]

Ok, I know what that is, I had just never seen it as IR. Sorry, Im horrible at trying to get use to the abbreviations of everything. Im getting better though. I didnt know it could affect your breast milk but Ive never breast fed. I know my breasts have been horribly painful with this one. I wonder if theres any connection? They are still horribly painful and I would have thought they would have eased up by now. I feel like I do when my milk is trying to dry up after having a baby.

 

[ChickenMommy]

Ok, I know what that is, I had just never seen it as IR. Sorry, Im horrible at trying to get use to the abbreviations of everything. Im getting better though. I didnt know it could affect your breast milk but Ive never breast fed. I know my breasts have been horribly painful with this one. I wonder if theres any connection? They are still horribly painful and I would have thought they would have eased up by now. I feel like I do when my milk is trying to dry up after having a baby.

I had no supply with #1, and microsupply with #2 (were talking 5-10ml combined MAX months after he was born). I later found out that insulin resistance can have a very negative effect on your milk. So Im trying to get it all under control NOW (among testing for other things) and give my body the best chance possible. Oddly enough, with #1, I had no breast change, no tenderness at all. With #2 it was minimal change, some tenderness. With this baby, still minimal change, but theyre definitely tender. Im hoping my body is just fighting against the IR and trying to get everything ready for nursing.

 

[LLawson]

Thats very interesting. I wonder if the Metformin is why Im having so much pain and tenderness then. With my other children, I had a little tenderness in the beginning and alot of pain and tenderness at the end. My breasts hardly changed in size at all with the first two and as I said they are small. With my third it was about the same but they did get a little bigger towards the end. (I was excited cause I actually had cleavage, LOL.) of course I was not on Metformin with those three.
This one of course Ive had pain and tenderness the whole time. Thinking back though my periods the last year or so, my breasts have been so tender and painful about a week before my period (ALOT more than in the past) which had me thinking I had some breast problems again. So maybe it is the Metformin thats causing all that. Even my breast bone is tender to touch and was before all my periods that last year or so which I find very strange!
I have a spot that isnt supposed to cause me any pain or feeling at all where I had a breast biopsy and titanium clip put in a few yrs ago. Well it lights me up when Im having this tenderness and pain but its on my bra line so Im wondering if thats the only reason its doing it. It does ease up when my bras off and I do buy wireless ones but with it off I feel like everytime I changed positions my breasts are ripping off with the pain and tenderness. I think all the problems Ive had with my breasts is what scares me out of breastfeeding!

 

[A1983]

Yes I was on met when I had the first pregnancy - mc, I had only been on it for about 6 weeks prior to conception. I was then on it for second pregnancy, my daughter - but came off at 20 weeks and no met since so met free with third pregnancy - my son. I personally breastfed fine with size a-b breasts. I got pregnant relatively quickly with all 3 - 5 months, 2 months, 2 months.

Looking back I had multiple follicles on ovaries and IR (on one test) but normal sugars on every test after - gtt, hba1c. I don't think I actually needed the met, but apart from making me very sick for 8 weeks and losing too much weight it didn't do me any harm. Hope this helps