The Infertility-->Fertility Team at

DURANGO REPRODUCTIVE

Also serving Cortez, Pagosa Springs, Telluride and Farmington, NM

Expert Diagnosis and Treatment Starts Here

POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME (PCOS)

 

Many young women, starting just after having their first menstrual period (menarche), will experience irregular and sometimes heavy periods. Some may not bleed at all for many months. And some may have excess unwanted hair growth and a tendency to have facial acne.

 

• These signs and symptoms are due to an excess of male hormone or androgen.

• The medical diagnosis for most of these women is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS, even though not all women who have PCOS will have identifiable polycystic ovaries.

• Apart from the annoying and unpredictable timing of periods or complete absence of menstruation, these young women can be at greater risk for a number of diseases and disorders.

• Women with PCOS can have difficulty getting pregnant and their early pregnancy loss (miscarriage) may be higher than other women.

• Because women with PCOS have normal or elevated estrogen levels, anti-estrogen medications such as clomiphene citrate and letrozole are usually effective to induce or improve ovulatory function.

• PCOS is a disorder that should be identified early and managed by medical practitioners who are aware of the latest testing and treatments.

• Durango Reproductive is capable and ready to diagnose and medically manage the infertility that is associated with PCOS.

• Later in life some women with PCOS may have problems with insulin (the sugar hormone) and can have a greater tendency to form ovarian tumors.

 

HYPOTHALAMIC AMENORRHEA (HA)

 

Some women stop ovulating and menstruating (having regular periods) or never start periods because of a condition called hypothalamic amenorrhea. This condition can be serious and should always be evaluated medically, even when pregnancy is not desired.

Because women with HA have lower estrogens they need to be on hormone replacement if they do not desire pregnancy and when and if they desire fertility they almost always require injectable gonadotropins to induce ovulation. The oral medications used to induce ovulation are anti-estrogenic and will not work well when estrogens are already low.

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is usually required by injection to cause ovulation and pregnancy in women with HA.

 

 

Educational Links:

 

   ASRM.org

 

  Resolve.org

 

  LifeChoicesAndFertility.com

Call 970-382-9505 or email Karen Zempel today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Gambone.

P: 970-382-9505     F: 970-382-9558

1199 Main Avenue - Suite 218, Durango, CO 81301

Located in the Bank of Colorado Building