Can PCOS Be Treated? Here’s What Works

This episode is a re‑air and the final (and longest) episode in my 3‑part PCOS series. If you haven’t listened to the first two episodes yet, I highly recommend starting there so this one makes even more sense.In this episode, I focus on treatment — how we manage PCOS symptoms, support weight loss, and help with getting pregnant.I briefly recap what PCOS really is: a hormonal mix‑up that affects ovulation and insulin resistance. That’s what leads to irregular, heavy, or absent periods, acne, excess facial or body hair, scalp hair thinning, weight gain, and fertility challenges.Treatment depends on your goals.If you’re not trying to get pregnant, I explain how combined hormonal birth control works by quieting the ovaries, lowering testosterone, improving acne, helping regulate bleeding, and sometimes even improving insulin resistance. (Keep in mind, it prevents new hair growth but won’t remove existing hair or scars.)If you are trying to conceive, we talk about options like:Lifestyle changes and even modest weight loss (5–10%)Ovulation medications like clomiphene or letrozoleInjectable fertility treatments with ultrasound monitoringI also explain why AMH levels are often high in PCOS and why fertility success rates are generally very good with treatment.A big part of this conversation is insulin resistance. I walk through medications like:Metformin — effective, affordable, generally safe (including in pregnancy), with manageable side effectsGLP‑1 medications — more powerful for weight loss but expensive, weight often returns after stopping, and pregnancy safety is still unclear (so birth control is recommended while using them)If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by PCOS, this episode pulls everything together and walks through your real‑world options.