Treating Androgen Excess in PCOS

Androgen excess is a hallmark feature of PCOS and addressing it always forms part of my treatment protocols.

Although testing is important, and as you all know I love pathology interpretation, most of the time when I test for androgens they come back in “normal” range. Serum tests aren’t great at picking up the presence of lower amounts of androgens which are typical for women (when compared to men).

Symptoms are the best way to determine androgen excess for a woman.

High androgens often present with acne, hair thinning, increased hair growth on the upper lip, chin, mid-chest, abdomen and back.

Herbs for androgen excess:

• Licorice

• Peony

• Saw Palmetto

• Rosemary

• Black Cohosh

Other strategies:

• Green tea

• Reishi Mushroom

• Spearmint tea

• Iron, particularly for women with hair loss