Misdiagnosis of Medication Causes of Polycystic ovary syndrome
| About medication causes: Another misdiagnosis possibility is that a particular medication or substance may be the real cause of the disease. Certain medications, chemicals, toxins or substances may possibly be underlying causes of Polycystic ovary syndrome. Side effects of medications, or exposure to toxins, chemicals, or other substances may cause a symptom or condition. Hence, they become possible underlying causes of Polycystic ovary syndrome but are often misdiagnosed or overlooked as a cause. For a general overview of this misdiagnosis issue, see Medication Underlying Cause Misdiagnosis. |
Medication causes list: The list of possible medications or substances mentioned in sources as possibly causing Polycystic ovary syndrome includes:
- Valproate - can cause PCOS when taken by young women or teenage girls.
Medication causes: Lastly, the medication valproate, used to treat seizures may cause or worsen the symptoms of PCOS. Switching medications seems to help the condition.1
According to studies conducted in Finland in patients with epilepsy,
valproate may increase testosterone levels in teenage girls and produce
polycystic ovary syndrome in women who began taking the medication before
age 20.
Increased testosterone can lead to polycystic ovary syndrome with
irregular or absent menses, obesity, and abnormal growth of hair.
Therefore, young female patients prescribed valproate should be monitored
carefully.
2
Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): NWHIC
2. excerpt from Depression in Children and Adolescents A Fact Sheet for Physicians: NIMH
Last revision:
June 10, 2003
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