About Metformin And Multiple Births

Metformin And Multiple Births

Top Questions and Answers

Can metformin alone cause multiple births? I started taking metformin alone since my last period, and I am now 5 weeks pregnant. Will taking that pill alone cause possible twins? My last two hcg count came back almost tripled in 48 hours.

williams replied: "Adverse effects that you get from metformin: Lactic acidosis The most serious side effect of metformin is lactic acidosis; this complication is rare if the contra-indications are followed, as it seems limited to those with impaired liver or kidney function. Phenformin, another biguanide, was withdrawn because of an increased risk of lactic acidosis (up to 60 cases per million patient-years). However, metformin is safer and the risk of developing lactic acidosis is not changed by the medication, so long as it is not prescribed to the known high-risk groups.[15] Gastrointestinal The most common side effect of metformin is gastrointestinal upset, including diarrhea, cramps, nausea and vomiting. In a clinical trial of 286 subjects, 53.2% of the 141 who were given Metformin IR (as opposed to placebo) reported diarrhea, versus 11.7% for placebo, and 25.5% reported nausea/vomiting, versus 8.3% for those on placebo.[16] Gastrointestinal upset can cause severe discomfort for patients; it is most common when metformin is first administered, or when the dose is increased. The discomfort can often be avoided by beginning at a low dose (1 to 1.7 grams per day) and increasing the dose gradually. Gastrointestinal upset after prolonged, steady use is less common. Long-term use of metformin has been associated with increased homocysteine levels[17] and malabsorption of vitamin B12.[18][19] Higher doses and prolonged use are associated with increased incidence of B12 deficiency, and some researchers recommend screening or prevention strategies.[20] Contraindications Metformin is contraindicated in any condition that may increase the risk of lactic acidosis, including heart failure, kidney disorders (creatinine levels over 150 μmol/l,[21] although this is an arbitrary limit), lung disease and liver disease. It is recommended that metformin be temporarily discontinued before any radiographic procedure involving iodinated contrast (such as a CT scan or angiogram) as contrast may temporarily impair kidney function and indirectly lead to lactic acidosis."

Jeremysmom05 replied: "Metformin can be taken with fertility medications and helps to make PCOS women ovulate on lower doses of medication. _____________________________________ Nowhere has the face of an obstetric condition changed as has been in ectopic pregnancy. This has been largely due to HCG and Trans Vaginal Sonography (TVS). Doubling time was a singular parameter used clinically wherein an early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy became possible. It was found that in an intra uterine pregnancy, HCG levels double every 48 hours. However, if by 48 hours HCG levels increase by less than 66% one should strongly suspect an ectopic pregnancy."

Which fertility drugs increase the chances of a multiple births? Do Clomid and Metformin have the same effect?

Krissi replied: "Clomid does increase the chance of multiple births because it makes you release eggs, therefore you could release more than one! Good luck!"

NAN replied: "I know Clomid does increase the chances of twins and possibly triplets but the chances are slim. I don't know about the other."

EVMMommy replied: "all of them i believe"

Amanda replied: "Metformin won't. Clomid does slightly, but only for twins (it says so on their website). There is an increase from about the normal 2% chance of having twins, to about 5-10% chance. Studies have shown that the rate of triplets and higher remain the same."

mulletlvr26 replied: "the injectibles do the most i believe, like follistim esp when done with an iui"

pookiesmom replied: "Pretty much all of them do."

will Metformin aka Glucophage increase chances of multiple birth? i have recently been diagnosed with pcos, i have read all the info i can find on it. im trying to find out if it can cause me to have twins or more. im curriouse what the percentage is, if it even does increase the odds at all. i cant find any web sights to answer my question. f.y.i we are ttc our 3rd, the first 2 i had no problems with and as far as i know i havent had pcos long. any info is great thanx my doc knows we are ttc, maybe since im still young (23) he didnt see the need for fertility drugs. i know its not a fertility drug but doc did say it would probably make me very fertile, so thast why i wondered about multiple births :)

chapaton replied: "No it shouldn't unlike Clomiphene.. it should just regulate your cycles."

hyperhealer3 replied: "polycystic ovarian cystitis? As far as I know Metafomin is a pill that causes your pancreas to secrete insulin and enhances your cell's sensitivity to it... I had no idea that it had reproductive actions as well... ????"

simplyenigmatic25 replied: "I don't think Metformin causes multiple births. The only thing I have heard to cause multiple births are fertility drugs, like Clomid. The best thing you can do to get accurate information is talk to your doctor and/or your pharmacist and they should be able to give you the low down on the Metformin."

the one ya'll love to hate replied: "Metformin helps with Inculin resistance. It is not a fertility drug. It won't help with anything but your weight and insulin/sugar levels. PCOS causes you to be insulin resistant thus causing weight gain and all that jazz (according to the doc's). However, my specialist stated that Metformin is given to help regulate your sugar levels and to help lose weight so that you don't become a Type I diabetic, since technically, being Insulin Resistant from the PCOS you are a Type II diabetic. I was diagnosed with PCOS June of 05, however the docs think that I have had it since I was 16. I am now 27. If you are trying to conceive you should talk to your doc about Chlomide. Most docs tend to put you on BC to regulate the periods and Metformin for the insulin resistance. Once you want to conceive they take you off the BC, keep you on the Met, and put you on Chlomide. Which studies show that all fertility drugs increase the chance of multiple births."

appalachianhokie replied: "It shouldn't. The reason why it shouldn't is that metformin, unlike Clomid, does not actually "make" you ovulate. Instead, it makes it possible for the ovaries to release eggs as they normally would. Metformin treats insulin resistance, which causes most cases of PCOS. Insulin resistance is not the same thing as type 2 diabetes, but left untreated it can worsen until it becomes diabetes. Women with PCOS who are insulin resistant have excess insulin floating around in their bodies, which causes the ovaries to produce too many male hormones. This prevents ovulation from occurring. Metformin helps lower the amount of excess insulin, which in turn allows ovarian function to return to normal, which allows ovulation to occur as it normally would. Metformin does not contain any hormones and does not directly cause ovulation to happen--it's more like a chain reaction. So, you should not have any greater chance of multiple births on metformin than would a woman who ovulated normally. There is always a risk of multiple births for every woman who becomes pregnant, but metformin is not known to increase this risk. Unfortunately, metformin is not sufficient to induce ovulation in all women with PCOS. Sometimes Clomid must be taken along with metformin in order to cause ovulation, and Clomid (being a true fertility drug) actually causes ovulation to happen. It has been associated with a higher rate of multiple births. Most women try using metformin alone before adding Clomid, and sometimes the use of metformin means that a smaller dose of Clomid is needed."

Multiple births on Clomid? I'm on Metformin right now. My doctor wants to see me in two months to check and see if I've ovulated. He wants to give the Metformin time and see if I can get pregnant by using it only (I have PCOS) He did say there was a risk of multiple births when taking Clomid. He said there were more cases of twins than he could count but in his 23 years he had two patients on Clomid that had triplets! My husband and I want a baby, but I'm not so sure we want 3 at one time! Two might be okay...but even still, I'd like to have one. I want to hear from other women who have been on Clomid and find out if you conceived 1, 2 or 3 children. Please, if you haven't been on Clomid or know someone very close to you that has, don't bother answering. All I want to know is how common twins and triples are when using Clomid. Thanks.

F.i.e.r.c.e. replied: "I don't believe in infertility drugs. If it's not meant to be, then it's not meant to be. People should stop playing God, in my opinion."

amuse4you replied: "after a month on Clomid, my sister-in-law conceived triplets, and right after they were born, she became pregnant with another, so that made 4 kids under 2 years old. i would check into the incidence of autism in children with mothers who have taken fertility pills -- seems to me that many of the people I know who have used fertility meds have at least one child with autism. Some have more than one. This could be sheer coincidence - but it's just something that struck me as curious."

AB11 replied: "hi there! I know a lot about clomid. If you have any more questions about anything about it feel free to email me. It doesn't increase your chances by a significant amount. My doc said only 5%-10% more chance of having multiples. I am pretty sure that includes all multiples. But you chances of triplets or more are far less. I took clomid with my daughter and only conceived her. I am currently ttc#2 and I took clomid this month. I am smack in mid cycle so I don't have any stats as of yet."

waiting for baby replied: "I have taken Clomid but only for 5 days I will not be taken anymore I was on it because I have 3 months of Lupron the cause my periods to stop when I my finally come back I was given Clomid to help me ovulate now it has been 11 days since I last took Clomids I am hoping that I will be preg the thing is the chance of you having twin or triples is about 2% to 15% so don't let that scare you to try and note that the other side effect are bad I was a bich I lost my temper my husband have surgery and I was horrid to him, (he was impossible but I was not supportive ) girl worried more about these other side effects then the chances of you have mutiples Goodluck"