Oral contraceptives are often given to treat polycystic ovaries. This can cause problems for women who become pregnant, as the oral contraceptives do not actually cure the original problem. If a woman stops taking the contraceptives, the imbalance will resume. Other medications can treat the symptoms without impairing fertility. Women with POS may also take progestin, which increases levels of progesterone.
In obese women, weight loss is a possible treatment. Obesity interferes with hormones because fat cells produce estrogen. Weight loss as treatment should be carefully planned, however, and is a long-term solution.
For women with infertility, clomiphene citrate is the drug of choice to induce ovulation. If that does not work, more complicated drug regimens are possible. FSH therapy is less successful than clomiphene citrate: 70-80 percent of women on FSH therapy will ovulate, but only about 30 percent will conceive. FSH therapy may require a hysterosalpingogram, transvaginal ultrasound, and blood tests. Both of these drugs can cause multiple births.
