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Treatments for Polycystic ovary syndrome

Treatments for Polycystic ovary syndrome

The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Polycystic ovary syndrome includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.

  • Birth control pills - suppresses ovulation.
  • Progestins
  • Insulin-sensitizing medications
  • Weight control
  • Low-carbo diet
  • Regular exercise
  • Antidepressants - if there is also depression.
  • Antihypertensives - if there is high blood pressure.
  • Anti-cholesterol medications - if there is high cholesterol.
  • Ovarian drilling - a form of laparoscopic surgery.
  • Wedge resection of the ovaries
  • Fertility-improvement treatments for PCOS:
    • Fertility drugs
    • Clomid
    • Injectable fertility medications
    • Clomiphene
    • Insulin-sensitizing medications - certain diabetes pills; helps ovulation by controlling insulin.
    • Metformin - helps insulin sensitivity
    • Steroids - lowers androgen levels.
    • Low-dose aspirin - may help pregnancy by reducing uterine clotting.
  • Lowering of insulin levels
  • Restoration of fertility
  • Treatment of hirsutism or acne
  • Restoration of regular menstruation, and prevention of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer

Polycystic ovary syndrome: Is the Diagnosis Correct?

The first step in getting correct treatment is to get a correct diagnosis. Differential diagnosis list for Polycystic ovary syndrome may include:

Hidden causes of Polycystic ovary syndrome may be incorrectly diagnosed:

Polycystic ovary syndrome: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Polycystic ovary syndrome:

Polycystic ovary syndrome: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Drugs and Medications used to treat Polycystic ovary syndrome:

Note:You must always seek professional medical advice about any prescription drug, OTC drug, medication, treatment or change in treatment plans.

Some of the different medications used in the treatment of Polycystic ovary syndrome include:

Unlabeled Drugs and Medications to treat Polycystic ovary syndrome:

Unlabelled alternative drug treatments for Polycystic ovary syndrome include:

  • Metformin
  • Apo-Metoformin
  • Dom-Metformin
  • Glucophage
  • Glucophage XR
  • Glucovance
  • Glycon
  • Novo-Metformin
  • PMS-Metformin
  • Riva-Metformin

Hospitals & Medical Clinics: Polycystic ovary syndrome

Research quality ratings and patient incidents/safety measures for hospitals and medical facilities in specialties related to Polycystic ovary syndrome:

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Treatment Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Polycystic ovary syndrome, on hospital and medical facility performance and surgical care quality:

Medical news summaries about treatments for Polycystic ovary syndrome:

The following medical news items are relevant to treatment of Polycystic ovary syndrome:

Discussion of treatments for Polycystic ovary syndrome:

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): NWHIC (Excerpt)

A woman with PCOS may be able to take fertility drugs, such as Clomid, or injectable fertility medications to induce ovulation. To help ovulation occur, women also can take insulin-sensitizing medications or steroids (to lower androgen levels). Some research also shows that taking low doses of aspirin, which helps prevent blood clotting in the uterine lining and improves blood flow, can improve chances of pregnancy. (Source: excerpt from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): NWHIC)

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): NWHIC (Excerpt)

The best way to prevent miscarriage in women with PCOS is to normalize hormone levels to improve ovulation, and normalize blood sugar, glucose, and androgen levels. Recently, more doctors are prescribing the drug metformin to help with this. (Source: excerpt from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): NWHIC)

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): NWHIC (Excerpt)

Because there is no cure for PCOS, it needs to be managed to prevent further problems. There are many medications to control the symptoms of PCOS. Doctors most commonly prescribe the birth control pill for this purpose. Birth control pills regulate menstruation, reduce androgen levels, and help to clear acne. Your doctor will talk to you about whether the birth control pill is right for you and which kind to take. Other drugs can help with cosmetic problems. There also are drugs available to control blood pressure and cholesterol. Progestins and insulin-sensitizing medications can be taken to induce a menstrual period and restore normal cycles. Eating a balanced diet low in carbohydrates and maintaining a healthy weight can help lessen the symptoms of PCOS. Regular exercise helps weight loss and also aids the body in reducing blood glucose levels and using insulin more efficiently.

Although it is not recommended as the first course of treatment, surgery called ovarian drilling is available to treat PCOS. This involves laparoscopy, which is done under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. A very small incision is made above or below the navel, and a small instrument that acts like a telescope is inserted into the abdomen. During laparoscopy, the doctor then can make punctures in the ovary with a small needle carrying an electric current to destroy a small portion of the ovary. The success rate is less than 50% and there is a risk of developing adhesions or scar tissue on the ovary. (Source: excerpt from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): NWHIC)

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Book Excerpts: Treatment of Polycystic ovary syndrome

Treatments of Polycystic ovary syndrome: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the treatments of Polycystic ovary syndrome.

Ovarian cancer: Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

According to the staging of the disease and the patient's age, treatment of ovarian cancer requires varying combinations of surgery, chemotherapy and, in some cases, radiation.

Occasionally, in girls or young women with a unilateral encapsulated tumor who wish to maintain fertility, the following conservative approach may be appropriate:

❑resection of the involved ovary

❑biopsies of the omentum and the uninvolved ovary

❑peritoneal washings for cytologic examination of pelvic fluid

❑careful follow-up, including periodic chest X-rays to rule out lung metastasis.

Ovarian cancer usually requires more aggressive treatment, including total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with tumor resection, omentectomy, appendectomy, lymph node biopsies with lymphadenectomy, tissue biopsies, and peritoneal washings. Complete tumor resection is impossible if the tumor has matted around other organs or if it involves organs that can't be resected. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in a prepubertal girl necessitates hormone replacement therapy, beginning at puberty, to induce the development of secondary sex characteristics.

Chemotherapy extends survival time in most ovarian cancer patients, but it's largely palliative in advanced disease. However, prolonged remissions are being achieved in some patients.

Chemotherapeutic drugs useful in ovarian cancer include carboplatin, docetaxel, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, and topotecan. These drugs are usually given in combination and they may be administered intraperitoneally.

Radiation therapy generally isn't used for ovarian cancer because the resulting myelosuppression would limit the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

Radioisotopes have been used as adjuvant therapy, but they cause small-bowel obstructions and stenosis.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Ovarian cysts: Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Follicular cysts generally don’t require treatment because they tend to disappear spontaneously within 60 days. However, if they interfere with daily activities, clomiphene citrate by mouth for 5 days or progesterone I.M. (also for 5 days) re-establishes the ovarian hormonal cycle and induces ovulation. Hormonal contraceptives haven’t been proven to accelerate involution of functional cysts (including both types of lutein cysts and follicular cysts).

Treatment for granulosa-lutein cysts that occur during pregnancy is aimed at relieving symptoms because these cysts diminish during the third trimester and rarely require surgery. Theca-lutein cysts disappear spontaneously after elimination of the hydatidiform mole, destruction of choriocarcinoma, or discontinuation of hCG or clomiphene citrate therapy.

Treatment of polycystic ovarian disease may include the administration of such drugs as clomiphene citrate to induce ovulation, medroxyprogesterone acetate for 10 days of every month for the patient who doesn’t want to become pregnant, or low-dose hormonal contraceptives for the patient who needs reliable contraception.

Surgery, in the form of laparoscopy or exploratory laparotomy with possible ovarian cystectomy or oophorectomy, may become necessary if an ovarian cyst is found to be persistent or suspicious.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Ovarian cancer: Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)

Depending on the stage of the disease and the patient’s age, treatment of ovarian cancer requires varying combinations of surgery, chemotherapy and, in some cases, radiation. Cytoreductive surgery, in which the tumor nodules are reduced to as small a size as possible, may increase survival time.

Conservative treatment

Occasionally, in girls or young women with a unilateral encapsulated tumor who wish to maintain fertility, the following conservative approach may be appropriate:

❑  resection of the involved ovary

❑  biopsies of the omentum and the uninvolved ovary

❑  peritoneal washings for cytologic examination of pelvic fluid

❑  careful follow-up, including periodic chest X-rays to rule out lung metastasis.

Aggressive treatment

Ovarian cancer usually requires more aggressive treatment, including total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with tumor resection, omentectomy, appendectomy, lymph node biopsies with lymphadenectomy, tissue biopsies, and peritoneal washings.

Complete tumor resection is impossible if the tumor has matted around other organs or if it involves organs that can’t be resected. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in a prepubertal girl necessitates hormone replacement therapy, beginning at puberty, to induce the development of secondary sex characteristics.

Chemotherapy extends survival time in most ovarian cancer patients. Unfortunately, it’s largely palliative in advanced disease, but some patients are achieving prolonged remissions and even cures.

Chemotherapeutic drugs may be used alone; however, they’re usually given in combination. They may be administered intraperitoneally. The preferred first-line regimen is paclitaxel and cisplatin (or carboplatin).

Radiation therapy is generally not used for ovarian cancer because the resulting myelosuppression would limit the effectiveness of chemotherapy. It also has limited efficacy.

Other treatments

Radioisotopes have been used as adjuvant therapy, but they cause small-bowel obstructions and stenosis.

In addition, I.V. administration of biological response modifiers — interleukin-2, interferon, and monoclonal antibodies — may be attempted.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003

Ovarian cysts: Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)

The type of cyst dictates the treatment method.

Follicular cysts

Follicular cysts generally don’t require treatment because they tend to disappear spontaneously within 60 days. Although hormonal treatment (such as birth control pills) is frequently prescribed, no evidence exists that it has any effect on treatment or prevention of functional ovarian cyst.

Granulosa-lutein and
theca-lutein cysts

If granulosa-lutein cysts occur during pregnancy, treatment is symptomatic because they diminish during the third trimester and rarely require surgery. Theca-lutein cysts disappear spontaneously after elimination of the hydatidiform mole, destruction of choriocarcinoma, or discontinuation of HCG or clomiphene citrate therapy.

Polycystic ovarian disease

Treatment of polycystic ovarian disease may include the administration of such drugs as clomiphene citrate to induce ovulation, medroxyprogesterone acetate for 10 days of every month for the patient who doesn’t want to become pregnant, or a low-dose hormonal contraceptive for the patient who needs reliable contraception.

Surgery, in the form of laparoscopy or exploratory laparotomy with possible ovarian cystectomy or oophorectomy, may become necessary if an ovarian cyst is found to be persistent or suspicious.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003



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