Unfortunately, one of the most common side effects of living with PCOS is infertility. Since the ovaries are not able to function properly due to a lack of hormones, having consistent and regular periods are uncommon. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to get pregnant and most sufferers with PCOS struggle to fall pregnant without the help of various fertility medications. These medications come in both natural and drug forms and each have their own side effects. As a last resort, in vitro fertilization has been recommended if natural conception isn’t possible. The best thing a PCOS sufferer can do is to speak to their doctor about what fertility treatment is best for them.

One of the most popular drugs used for sufferers of PCOS is called clomiphene. This drug is often prescribed to women that haven’t had their periods for an extended length of time. Clomiphene, in addition to hormone therapy, has been successful in inducing menstruation for many PCOS sufferers so that pregnancy becomes possible. Studies have shown that between 70-90 percent of women who take the drug ovulate, with a pregnancy rate varying from 30-70 percent.

As with all drugs, there are side effects associated with clomiphene. Users have reported hot flashes, abdominal discomfort (already common in women with PCOS) and blurred vision.

Another popular treatment is hormone injections with hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). HCG can trigger ovulation in women who don’t produce enough of the hormone to trigger it themselves.

A final alternative is what is called gonadotropin therapy. This is also a form of hormone injection that can trick the body into ovulation. This treatment has the highest rate of pregnancy (60%), but 35% of those pregnancies have been shown to end in miscarriage. Also, with this hormone treatment, the likelihood of a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets or more) is much greater. A multiple pregnancy is considered high-risk for the mother and the babies.

There are natural alternatives to PCOS-induced infertility. While doctors may disagree on the effectiveness of these treatments, if you wish to keep your body as chemical-free as possible, you might want to take these methods into consideration.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of healing pain, stress and pretty much everything else with the use of thin, sharp needles. It is based on the idea that the body should have a balance in the energy that flows through it to remain healthy. If you are experiencing pain or sickness, than your body is not properly balanced. Acupuncture is used to realign the body back to health.

Homeopathic healing is another popular alternative. Trained Homeopaths look to treat the symptoms instead of the conditions since PCOS sufferers all tend to have their own unique individual symptoms. Before any remedies are given, a persons complete family history, their medical history and things like moods, likes, dislikes, sexual history and emotional state are taken into consideration.

The use of herbs as fertility drugs has been around since the beginning of time. Herbs such as liferoot, chasteberry, partridgeberry and red clover show incredible potential to help in fertility treatments.

No matter what path you choose, please know that no treatment is absolute and that the path to parenthood may be a tough one. Be patient and stay positive and you might hear the pitter-patter of little feet sooner rather than later.

Louise Parker has an interest in PCOS. For further information on PCOS please visit PCOS or PCOS Symptoms .

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