d-Chiro inositol is an extremely popular supplement with women with PCOS. I've heard some fantastic stories about it helping when nothing else seemed to make a difference.
That being said…
…I ran across a very interesting study published this past summer. It has to do with myo-inositol, another member of the same family that does not convert well to the d-chiro form in women with PCOS.
In this study, two groups of women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) were evaluated for pregnancy outcome with two different supplement protocols. One group received myo-inositol plus folic acid, the other received these two supplements as well as melatonin.
Each group produced a similar number of eggs, but the women receiving the melatonin had a greater percentage of mature vs. immature eggs (i.e., better egg quality). Though the fertilization rate was equal in both groups, actual pregnancy rates tended to be better in the women receiving melatonin.
********BEFORE YOU RUN OUT AND BUY YET ANOTHER SUPPLEMENT!!!*********
Take a look at your sleep hygiene! Are you keeping regular sleep hours? Or are you up late at night reading, watching TV, surfing the Internet?
Melatonin is the sleep hormone. There are many aspects of PCOS that are associated with not sleeping well, including insulin resistance and weight gain.
Supplements do their best work in a well-balanced environment. One that is balanced nutritionally, emotionally, physically (with exercise), and with regards to sleep.
Create your own melatonin naturally, with more attention to sleep and rest. As with some of our success stories, you might be surprised at what happens when you focus on the little things rather than on the name of the supplement.
Rizzo P, Raffone E, Benedetto V. Effect of the treatment with myo-inositol plus folic acid plus melatonin in comparison with a treatment with myo-inositol plus folic acid on oocyte quality and pregnancy outcome in IVF cycles. A prospective, clinical trial. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2010 Jun;14(6):555-61.