Supplements for PCOS

[MollyMalone]

I'm planning to start TTC in August. I already have a son who was conceived with clomid. I've seen that some women take supplements to help their cycles when they have PCOS. I was looking into inositol and vitex. What do they do? How are they taken? Etc. any other supplements I should be aware of?

GP said he would give me a prescription for clomid but It'd be nove if I could try to balance my hormones in the mean time.

 

[KylasBaby]

I conceived this one on vitex. Had previously conceived my loss on femara, wanted to go more natural this time.

How vitex works is it corrects hormone issues. That's why it isn't a quick fix. It can take three months for it to work. Or it can work quickly like it did for me. You don't want to take vitex with any fertility meds or soy isoflavones as they cancel each other out. Because they are making your body ovulate and vitex is trying to correct the imbalances in your hormonal system to make you naturally ovulate. For PCOS the recommended dose of vitex is 1400-2000 mg/day. I took 1600.

 

[Sbmason34]

Inositol is widely considered a member of the B-vitamin family, it is technically not a vitamin because the body can manufacture inositol and is not required to get it from the diet. Good sources of inositol are brown rice, soy, kidney beans and alfalfa, as well as legume-family herbs like licorice. Insulin resistance is a common problem among pcos ladies. Inositol helps the receptor work more efficiently so Insulin can bind properly the first time, causing your body to not produce too much insulin. It also improves the ovarian response to hormones called gonadotrophins, helping to achieve regular menstrual cycles and successful ovulation. Results can be seen at minimal doses of 2-4g daily in pcos patients.
Vitex aka Chasteberry is another ancient herb that is highly effective in treating infertility. It ensures the hormonal balance required for normal ovulation.
But I am not sure whether you can start both at same time or not. Though companies claim them as 100% safe and natural, since they can disturb our hormones, it would be better to seek proper guidance from your GP before starting any of it. Hope it makes sense.

 

[Odlewis]

I would give preference to vitex, especially if you have PCOS. It would be great first step to consider sorting out hormonal issues. My wife, who had long term anovulatory cycles, soon went on to having regular one within 2 months. You can take 500-1000mg per day for PCOS, while it could take months to see the benefits. So take it regularly at least for 3 months. I am not sure about taking both of them together but i think you can. Have a thorough research on Google before starting them.