Video — Journey to the Crib Episode 8: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

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[text on screen]: Journey to the Crib. Fertility Talk with Pam and Dr. Dave Pamela Madsen: Hi. I'm Pamela Madsen, and welcome to another segment of Journey to the Crib. And I'm here with Dr. Dave Kreiner, who is the founder of East Coast Fertility. Thanks for joining us! [text on screen]: Episode 8: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Pamela Madsen: Can you talk a little bit about PCOS and what it means to fertility? Dr. Dave Kreiner: PCOS is characterized by having these numerous, small follicles that can be seen by ultrasound. And in fact, we make the diagnosis based on that ultrasound picture in the presence of either failure to ovulate, irregular menses, or infertility. Pamela Madsen: And some PCOS people have weight issues. Dr. Dave Kreiner: PCOS is caused by a glucose intolerance that will accentuate a woman's response to carbohydrates. Their insulin goes up in response to a carbohydrate meal much higher than normal. This insulin then stimulates a woman's ovaries to produce testosterone. The testosterone, on the other hand, will prevent a woman's ovary from ovulating; prevent regular ovulation and menses and cause infertility. The testosterone can also cause a woman to have increased facial and body hair. It can cause thinning of a woman's hair on her scalp. And it can increase the lipids in her blood. So you mentioned cardio problems can lead to hypertension. And even more than that, the high glucose can lead to diabetes in some cases. Pamela Madsen: So I imagine that it's really important for women, whether they're trying to conceive or not trying to conceive, to really get a hold of this disorder. Dr. Dave Kreiner: What we like to do is treat with a diabetes drug called Metformin or Glucophage, which improves their glucose tolerance, decreasing the insulin levels, decreasing the testosterone levels. This goes a long way in decreasing the patient's symptoms. But at the same time it's important for them to change their diet, control and limit the carbohydrate intake at any meal, increase their exercise so that they improve their glucose tolerance. Pamela Madsen: So, if I'm a woman with PCOS, am I going to have a more difficult time doing fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization? You know; how do I stack up? Dr. Dave Kreiner: What a PCOS patient has that many of our other patients don’t have is number of eggs. So, a PCOS patient has so many follicles that we worry more about hyperstimulation than we do failure to recruit sufficient eggs to get high-quality embryos. Pamela Madsen: OK, so, if I'm a woman with PCOS and I've got to deal with acne and I've got to deal with not eating cupcakes and exercising, the good news is that I'm really treatable if I want to have a baby. Dr. Dave Kreiner: Absolutely. Pamela Madsen: Love that! OK. If I've gotta give up the cupcakes. [text on screen] To Learn More Visit: www.thefertilitydoc.com www.thefertilityadvocate.com For a Free Fertility Consultation Visit: www.eastcoastfertility.com