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One in ten women of childbearing age suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which can cause hormonal imbalance, irregular (or almost absent) periods, hyperandrogenism and even fertility problems. To combat this problem and regularly regulate periods the contraceptive pill is usedprogestin therapy or, if you want to have children, clomiphene.

Treatments such as the birth control pill can cause many side effects such as weight gain, severe mood swings or headache. For this reason, many women are reluctant to resort to the pill. Faced with this situation, more and more doctors prescribe inositol as an alternative.

Inositol is a organic compound belonging to the vitamin B complex family and that it can be taken as a supplement to the diet, just as many people do with vitamin B-12 or iron (so a doctor’s prescription is not necessary to buy it either).

Unlike the birth control pill, known for its extensive leaflet, inositol does not have any notable side effects, while it has plenty of benefits: helps fertility, improves hormonal and metabolic profile, reduces hyperandrogenism and improves insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary.

Although, if it’s so positive, why isn’t it used as a first-line treatment for women with PCOS? Dr. Alicia Esparza, gynecologist at the Vithas Medimar Hospital in Alicante, explains to MagasIN still “There is not enough clinical evidencequality studies that demonstrate its effectiveness”.

Despite everything, Dr. Esparza has recommended it to some of her patients and has witnessed the benefits that inositol can bring. “I have had patients with polycystic ovaries who had at least two menstrual cycles a year and when I started giving them inositol their periods have been regulated.”

One of the reasons why the pill is usually prescribed is to regulate the menstrual cycle, which is altered by PCOS due to hormonal imbalance, something that, among other things, can affect, for example, bones. As Dr. Esparza points out, if cycles are regulated with inositol it is a good sign because “we are ensuring that the hormonal supply is correct”, so the pill would not be necessary.

Fertility improvement

Another issue that many women with polycystic ovary syndrome face are the fertility problems. When a woman has PCOS and wants to get pregnant, logically she cannot be given the contraceptive pill. In these cases, clomiphene, a drug that induces ovulation, is usually prescribed.

Again, inositol could replace these drugs, since it can also help improve fertility. Furthermore, it is sometimes prescribed as nutritional supplement to patients of fertility treatments.

“We have seen that improves oocyte quality in fertility treatments, so there is a greater possibility of clinical pregnancy. It has also been proven that it is present in sperm production and that when there is a decrease in male reproductive capacity, when it is the man who finds it difficult to get the woman pregnant, it can also occur,” explains Dr. Esparza.

As it is a natural compound, it is not a problem to take it for a long period of time or once pregnant. “There are women who ask me what happens if they are taking it without knowing they are pregnant, but absolutely nothing happens. It could occur chronically. In fact, there are adolescents with irregular cycles who are given it for a long time.”

Even continuing to take it once pregnant can be beneficial, as it can “protect the baby from having neural tube malformations”. “To be a nutrient, look at all the benefits that can be found,” says Esparza.

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