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• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

What is the treatment for PCOS?

There is no cure for PCOS. However, symptoms can be treated, and your health risks can be reduced.

You should aim to lose weight if you are overweight

Losing weight helps to reduce the high insulin level that occurs in PCOS. This has a knock-on effect of reducing testosterone. This then improves the chance of you ovulating, which improves any period problems, fertility, and may also help to reduce hair growth and acne. The increased risk of long-term problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc, are also reduced.

Losing weight can be difficult. A combination of eating less and exercising more is best. Advice from a dietician, and help and support from a practice nurse, may increase your chance of losing weight. Even a moderate amount of weight loss can help.

Treating hair growth

Hair growth is due to the increased level of testosterone - the 'male' hormone.

• Unwanted hair can be removed by shaving, waxing, hair removing creams, electrolysis, and laser treatments. These need repeating every now and then, although electrolysis and laser treatments may be more long lasting (but are expensive, and are not available on the NHS).
• A cream called eflornithine may be prescribed to rub on affected areas of skin. It works by counteracting an enzyme (chemical) involved in making hair in the skin. Some research trials suggest that it can reduce unwanted hair growth, although this effect quickly wears off after stopping treatment.
• Drugs taken by mouth can also treat hair growth. They work by reducing the amount of testosterone that you make, or by blocking the effect of testosterone. Drugs include:

* The combined contraceptive pill ('the pill'). There are many pills to chose from, but all have some effect of reducing hair growth.
* Cyproterone acetate is an 'anti-testosterone' drug. This is commonly combined with oestrogen as a special contraceptive pill called Dianette. Dianette is commonly prescribed to regulate periods, to help reduce hair growth, to reduce acne, and is a good contraceptive.
* Other anti-testosterone drugs are sometimes advised by a specialist if 'the pill' or Dianette do not help, or are not suitable.

Drugs taken by mouth to treat hair growth take 3-9 months to work fully, and for their effect to be noticed. You need then to carry on taking them otherwise hair growth will recur. Removing hair by the methods above (shaving etc) may be advised whilst waiting for a drug to work.

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