High rate of miscarriages? Prevention Tips

[taylor]

Hello All,

While it looks to be possible to become pregnant, is it true that women with PCOS tend to suffer a much higher rate of miscarriages?

I am trying to get pregnant, and the thought of a miscarriage really scares me.

Is there anything that can be done to reduce the chances of a miscarriage?

Any preventable tips would help ease my mind.

Taylor

[nancy]

Hi Taylor,

I found the following information on the website http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/miscarriage.html that may help you.

Prevention - Conventional Treatment
Metformin (Glucophage) has been reported to reduce the rate of miscarriage in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Please consult with your physician regarding use of metformin or other drugs to possibly prevent miscarriage.

Prevention - Natural Therapies
We believe that the best "treatment" for miscarriage is prevention. By prevention, we mean getting much healthier and attempting to get your hormones into balance before you plan to become pregnant. Here are some steps you can take:

1. Eat a Healthy Diet. A healthy diet means eating foods that are whole, fresh, and organic. Minimize consumption of refined, processed or fabricated foods. Minimize fast foods. Eat foods with a lower glycemic index. Emphasize vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and legumes. Preferred animal proteins are fish and poultry. What you eat has a profound effect on your hormones.

2. Exercise and be physically active. Exercise helps you to lose weight and balance your insulin and testosterone levels.

3. Clean up your insides. Consider a physician-supervised cleansing diet or other procedures designed to remove any accumulated toxic material from your body. Naturopathic physicians specialize in safe, effective detoxification protocols.

You've probably been exposed to all sorts of petrochemicals, heavy metals and other contaminants over your lifetime. Bear in mind that some of these substances can reside in your body for a long time, and some of them act as hormone mimics or disrupters. Most of the chemicals you've been exposed to have not been evaluated for their effect on fertility and pregnancy. Some of them may influence your risk of miscarriage.

Other accumulated but undesirable materials may include pathogenic microorganisms, inflammatory food particles, or various byproducts of normal metabolism.

To further explore the issue of removing toxic substances from your body, consult with a licensed naturopathic or other qualified physician.

4. Clean up your environment. Do what you can to remove toxic materials from your personal and work environment. Environmental pollution and workplace exposure to chemicals adversely affects your fertility and your health. For more details on this topic, read "Our Stolen Future" by Theo Colborn, PhD. For details on how to improve your personal environment, read "Home Safe Home" by Debra Dadd.

5. Find ways to deal with stress. Chronic stress increases cortisol, which is a stress-response hormone. Elevated cortisol is associated with insulin resistance and increased abdominal fat. Obesity appears to be a risk factor for miscarriage.

6. Use nutritional supplements. Food surveys conducted by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and other agencies consistently show that Americans consume a diet that is deficient in essential nutrients. Therefore, nutritional supplementation is indicated. Supplementation should contribute to your overall health, help you to balance your hormones, and to have a healthier baby if you become pregnant.

For example, studies have suggested that vitamin E may reduce the risk of miscarriage.

7. Consider herbal medicines. Herbal medicines have been used for centuries to aid reproduction. For example, black haw root and false unicorn root may help to reduce miscarriage risk. However, we do not recommend that you self-prescribe herbal medicines. You will get better results if you consult with a licensed naturopathic physician or other certified health practitioner who is trained in herbal medicine.

8. Work with a qualified physician. Your primary goal is to balance your hormones, so that you'll be more likely to have a successful pregnancy. You will need a doctor to help you with this endeavor.

Find a doctor who

~ Understands all of the options available for bringing you into a state of hormonal balance, including natural therapies.
~ Is willing to do an in-depth assessment of your health and hormonal status.
~ Will spend the time needed to answer your questions and educate you regarding what you need to do.

[fellow_cyster]

Taylor,

Yes, unfortunately PCOS'ers have an extremely high incidence of m/c during the first trimester (our rate is nearly 40% compared to the "normal" 10-15%)

I agree, the site given above is an absolutely WONDERFUL site, I highly recommend it.

The other tips are exceptional as well. I took Metformin during my pregnancies as it has been proven to lower our risk of miscarriage AND our chance of getting Gestational Diabetes.

For some reason, many women with PCOS have an extremely low amount of progesterone, this may be a huge cause of our higher m/c rate. Seeing a Dr, and having your progesterone levels checked when you first find out you're PG is HIGHLY recommended as well. If you are in fact low, you will be prescribed a progesterone pill to take during your first 3 months (I did this as well).

While I'm a HUGE advocate of herbal/natural treatments (I'm on many now that have helped me SO MUCH) I strongly suggest you speak to a homeopathic Dr before taking ANY herbs. While they've been used for centuries in other countries, its not a good idea to use herbs during the first trimester, even if they've been "known" to help lower your miscarriage chance. For example, Red Raspberry Leaf Tea has been used forever in other cultures for PMS, and to protect against m/c, however here in the states its been known to cause m/c... possibly because its a different dosage/type of tea, I really don't know but please be sure to speak with someone about this option.

I do know the Dr from http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/miscarriage.html does provide phone consultations, this may be an excellent option for you.

Best of luck,
Pamela
www.pcosinfo.com

[Manju]

Cyster,

Like you said I had a low progestereon and had a miscarriage in the 8th week.I did take vaginal suppostries , but diodnt help i guess.
My doc in India 5 years back said after the ultrasound that I have pcos, but all my blood reports where normal. Generally they say if LH is greater than FSH its pcos.But mine was normal. Inspita of that she prescribed me Metformin. I discontinued it after3 months when another doc suggested not to.

I moved to USA and after 4 years I got pregnant and ended up having a miscarriage.My doc again did my blood test fasting and everything was normal. However she too recommended me metformin.

I took second opinion from another doc and she asked me to stop Metformin saying ur reports look normal u donnot have pcos.

I have a regular 35-40 days cycle.
I am so confused now. I am trtying to get pregnant again and I am scared to loose my baby again.

Any suggestions for me

- Manju

[drheather]

Hello,

I also have to agree with what it posted from the site above. As a naturoathic physician, it is important to look at all the areas we can optimize to minimize the risk of miscarriage. That not only includes natural therapies and non-pharmaceutical approach but may also include pharmaceuticals as appropriate to each individual.

I wanted to add a little more information on why progesterone tends to be lower in women with PCOS. Some of you may know all of this already but for those who like refreshers and for those who would like more information.

As insulin levels increase or insulin resistance develops, androgen levels increase. While all women have androgens such as testosterone, in PCOS there can be an increase beyond what is considered normal. The androgen production increases in the ovaries as insulin resistance develops. This also leads to less estrogen being produced in the ovary. This overall increase in ovarian androgens inhibits normal development of the follicle so that it does not mature and results in a cyst.

Without follicle development ovulation does not occur. Without ovulation, progesterone levels stay low as the corpus luteum would be the structure responsible for producing progesterone. (The corpus luteum is what is left behind after the egg is released from the follicle.) In a “normal” functioning ovary, the increase in progesterone after ovulation would influence another chemical in the brain to inhibit the rise in estrogen. This low level of progesterone not only encourages the estrogen levels but also leads to an increase in LH (lutenizing hormone) and in return FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) stays lower. The LH triggers ovarian androgen production. LH levels are also kept high by estrogen being produced in fatty tissue. In an ideal situation the levels LH are lower than FSH, in PCOS we see the reverse. So without ovulation, estrogen levels stay elevated, progesterone is lower, and more androgens are produced.

As many of you know, the answers are not easy and certainly not the same for each woman. And there are many variations on how the hormones are affected.

It is difficult to determine the cause miscarriage much of the time. The causes of recurrent pregnancy loss are: genetic, endocrine, anatomic, inherited, infectious, immunologic and unexplained.

It was previously thought that 50% of recurrent pregnancy losses were unexplained. We now know that many of these cases are due to sub-clinical hormone abnormalities. Sub-clinical means that it may not show up on routine hormone testing and therefore goes untreated.

PCOS is a syndrome of hormonal imbalances and the miscarriage rate is indeed higher in women with PCOS. There is a connection between insulin resistance and miscarriage, at least in women with PCOS. In fact, women with recurrent pregnancy loss much more often have polycystic ovaries on ultrasound. While it seems obvious to some that cysts on ovaries will prevent a normal pregnancy, there are many theories about this.

One theory is that the relationship between PCOS and miscarriage is due to the hormonal imbalance of PCOS. Elevated insulin levels and insulin resistance contribute to the hormone imbalances associated PCOS. Insulite Laboratories recommends that you work with a reproductive endocrinologist who can help you determine what impact your hormones are having on your miscarriage rate.

Hope that this helps. I am always impressed by the women in this community and how eager everyone is to share what they have learned on their journey. Thanks!

[JohnWayne]

Hey, my wife has been diagnosed with PCOS at 18, it absolutely was awful to think which we may not have children naturally!!! Never quit hope hon, i know its difficult to show people what you are going through and just how you feel but there is help out there!

[DorothyHick]

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[MikeHeath]

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[ummlayth]

Hello,

I was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 18 - I have had four miscarriages, a premature son and an 'irritable uterus' in another pregnancy (full term). Looking to get this PCOS under control so I can have more :)

[drnicole]

Hello ummlayth,

I'm sorry to hear about your miscarriages!It is difficult to determine the cause miscarriage much of the time. The causes of recurrent pregnancy loss are: genetic, endocrine, anatomic, inherited, infectious, immunologic and unexplained.



It was previously thought that 50% of recurrent pregnancy losses were unexplained. We now know that many of these cases are due to sub-clinical hormone abnormalities. Sub-clinical means that it may not show up on routine hormone testing and therefore goes untreated.



PCOS is a syndrome of hormonal imbalances and the miscarriage rate is indeed higher in women with PCOS. There is a connection between insulin resistance and miscarriage, at least in women with PCOS. In fact, women with recurrent pregnancy loss much more often have polycystic ovaries on ultrasound. While it seems obvious to some that cysts on ovaries will prevent a normal pregnancy, there are many theories about this.



One theory is that the relationship between PCOS and miscarriage is due to the hormonal imbalance of PCOS. Elevated insulin levels and insulin resistance contribute to the hormone imbalances associated PCOS. Insulite Laboratories recommends that you work with a reproductive endocrinologist who can help you determine what impact your hormones are having on your miscarriage rate.



The Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association (www.pcosupport.org) provides emotional support for women with PCOS who have had miscarriages. Please see the following link to their bulletin which discusses this: HYPERLINK "http://www.pcosupport.org/news/PCOSBulletin-June2005.pdf" http://www.pcosupport.org/news/PCOSBulletin-June2005.pdf. 



As you may have read on our website, the underlying cause of PCOS in most cases seems to be insulin resistance. With insulin resistance, the body becomes insensitive to the insulin it produces, which leads to elevated circulating levels of insulin. This in turn leads to hormonal imbalances such as increased testosterone and other androgens (male hormones).



The increased testosterone is responsible for many of the symptoms of PCOS such as hair growth and abnormal menstrual cycles. Elevated insulin also contributes to the formation of cysts in the ovaries in part due to the hormonal imbalances and also because the ovaries are highly sensitive to the influence of insulin.



The weight gain associated with PCOS is intricately related to insulin resistance. Losing weight helps to improve insulin sensitivity, and vice versa: becoming more sensitive to your insulin helps you to lose weight. Unfortunately, people who have insulin resistance have a very difficult time losing weight, as you have experienced.



The Insulite PCOS System helps to improve insulin sensitivity with its combination of nutrients and herbs as well as diet and exercise guidelines. The supplements are also designed to correct the hormone imbalance of PCOS and to help improve the symptoms of PCOS.



We advocate a slow weight loss which is healthier and more permanent. This is not a quick fix or fad diet. We want you to be healthy for the rest of your life by applying sensible lifestyle changes to your diet and exercise routine.



It is safe to continue trying to get pregnant while you are using the Insulite PCOS System. However, if you do get pregnant, we recommend that you discontinue taking the Insulite PCOS System supplements during your pregnancy, and then resume the supplements after you are finished breastfeeding. The reason is that, while we know that the Insulite PCOS System is safe and non-toxic in general, these supplements have not been tested in any clinical trials specifically on pregnant women or infants.



We cannot promise that the PCOS System will reverse infertility although we do know it can address several of the causative factors behind this condition. As stated on our website, losing weight and getting your insulin regulated will reduce ovarian cysts and additional hormonal imbalances, thereby enhancing your ability to conceive.



Hello,

I was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 18 - I have had four miscarriages, a premature son and an 'irritable uterus' in another pregnancy (full term). Looking to get this PCOS under control so I can have more :)