Sorry, but I don’t know much about this so this question may sound silly but don’t you need to test your insulin level and well as glucose? I always hear the term "insulin resistance" and wonder if my doctor ever checked if I am insulin resistant. I wanted to get checked because I have PCOS and was told to get checked because it is common with PCOS.
Most doctors do NOT mneasure insulin levels unless the patient proves to be "a problem". The Blood Insulin Level Test is VERY EXPENSIVE, and most insurance companies won’t pay for it UNLESS all other avenues have been tried. Since your primary disease is PCOS, it is very unlikely that the insurance company will pay for a Blood Insulin Level Test.
But it is usually not needed. Fasting blood sugar reading is the most common method for diagnosis. this is the official "Method of Diagnosis":
"If a patient has two or more FASTING Blood Glucose Readings about 130, diabetes should be considered."
The doctor will follow this up with an A1C test and probably a Glucose Tolerance Test (take 3-4 hours, and you have to drink that sickly-sweet liquid)
So, if you ARE diabetic, are you Insulin Resistant or Insulin Deficient? A Blood Insulin Level Test WOULD show that, but there is a cheaper way.
There are TWO classes of drugs commonly used: Those that make your body more sensitive to insulin, and those that make your pancreas produce more insulin.
As it happens, Metformin is a drug for Insulin Resistance. It increases you sensitivity to insulin. It ALSO helps with the PCOS problem!
So the doctor may prescribe Metformin (or the same drug from another manufacturer) for your PCOS, and he will continue to watch your blood sugar levels, making SURE that they don’t drop too low.
The OTHER drugs cause your pancrease to make MORE insulin. these drugs would NOT help the PCOS, so it is unlikely the doctor would prescribe them to you UNLESS you are diabetic and the metformin doesn’t seem to be helping that.that.
But when taking these drugs, you have to be careful. They "squeeze" the pancreas harder, and so it is more likely to wear out as you age. if the doctor is not careful in his dosages and thorough with his checkups, you could become a Type 1 Diabetic, and require insulin shots.
The point is, it is CHEAPER to try Metformin, or the other drugs, and see which one works, than it is to take the Blood Insulin Level Test!
So most doctors will try drug therapy FIRST, and request the Blood Insulin Level Test ONLY as a last resort.
