TCM for Infertility

[indianagrl]

Is anyone using Traditional Chinese Medicine for their infertility?  I have been through Clomid, timed cycles, and an IUI.  My RE diagnosed me with "Unexplained Infertility" and all my tests came back normal (some of my hormones were on the high or low end, but he didn't feel that should stop me from getting pregnant).  This past year we took a break from any medical interventions due to me being stressed out from it and then we were taking care of my MIL in her end-stages of lung cancer.  It has been a difficult year to say the least.  I'm feeling stronger now and want to start being more proactive with TTC and have been reading a lot about TCM.  I had my first exam and treatment today, and I have to say I felt like it was the first time a medical practitioner was actually listening to me.  I didn't feel like a crazy person:)  Does anyone else have any experience with this?  I will keep everyone updated as my treatments go on in case anyone is interested.

[blueyezz4]

Don't know if you have heard of it or read it already, but when I started w/ TCM my acupuncturist recommended the book "The Infertility Cure" by Randine Lewis.  It is a good book that talks a lot about TCM and I found very helpful.  I had done TCM for maybe 2 yrs with a lady who specialized in fertility and it did seem to help my cycle some, but we didn't get pregnant.  Yes, I felt like she would actually listen to my issues and I wasn't crazy either. I have told tons of Drs that I only bleed in clots and they all think that is fine but when I tell a TCM person about that they all say that is not right.  Anyways, It got to be a huge expense for us and her office was a far distance away for me to drive w/ a busy working/life schedule so i had to stop, but have started up again with a person closer to my house since we are doing IVF now and they say it is good for egg quality and hormone balancing.  I hope you have good results with it and get your baby soon.

[junebugmidwife]

I truly believe that is what worked for me.  After trying various things for four years, I started seeing a Chinese-trained acupuncturist twice weekly for three cycles as well as taking the herbs she prescribed, and voila: I am 25 weeks pregnant!  Not in conjunction with anything else, just TCM.  Never did conventional fertility treatments--frankly, I am a little scared of those drugs.  And I found the way the staff talked to me at the clinic (supposedly the least sleazy in this metro area) made me feel really icky.  I feel like they prey upon people's hopes, and manipulate them. 

I don't know....anyway, just wanted to give a shout out for acupuncture! 

Oh, BTW, I have a similar history to yours, I think--hormone levels are normal, but have always had really long cycles, and in the past couple of years my ovaries have become a little cystic, but that's it.  My DH has kinda mediocre sperm; he did TCM twice weekly for those three months, too.

[TenzinsMama]

What is the recommended time frame for doing acupuncture prior to starting IVF?  I think I saw somewhere that 3 months before is good?

[Neera]

I did 2 sessions of acupuncture and got pg with dd immediately. I didn't get my next AF.

I just want to add, I went back to the same acupuncturist in Feb. this year and after 3 months treatment stopped. I was asked to try getting pg. after 3 months. But, then I was also diagnosed with gallstones and was taking care of that and only now trying. We'll see what the outcome is this time.

[indianagrl]

Just wanted to give everyone an update.  My treatment is going well (no pregnancy yet, though) and a lot of conditions I have been having are clearing up.  For the past 3-4 years I have had swelling in my legs and feet; the doctors did multiple labwork, ultrasounds (at one point they thought I had a blood clot), and xrays with no answer.  After one week of acupuncture and following my practitioners herb & diet recommendations, the swelling is gone.  I have normal feet again and can wear all of my shoes again!  I am slowly losing weight also.  The other major change is that every cycle, from ovulation until the start of my next period, I would have a burning sensation in my right lower abdomen.  Again, this has been going on for about a year and my gynecologist and RE did all kinds of tests and could not find anything wrong.  My first cycle after starting treatment I had no pain.  So, I'm feeling pretty positive regarding my health improving.  Hopefully, I'll have even better news soon!!:)

[ASusan]

My TCM practitioner is a goddess. She cured me of lupus, and got me pregnant 3 times.

Acupuncture was recommended by my (traditional, Western) OB office as a precursor to using clomid, etc. Since I was also having issues that the traditional lupus drugs weren't touching (plus side effects), I started acupuncture and Chinese herbs. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my practitioner. Got pregnant after 2.5 mos. (and DH and I were not even living in the same state, so sex wasn't exactly well-timed). That pregnancy lasted a week, and she helped me through it. The second pregnancy (still not in the state) was also a miscarriage, but I moved at the beginning of it, so she couldn't help me though it. I tried to seek a new acupuncturist in my new state, but it was very difficult to find someone and to get treated. I finally had a D&C, and got pregnant within 6 weeks. THAT pregnancy stuck, and I *think* I was getting acupuncture at the very beginning of it. (maybe not when I conceived, but I started very soon thereafter). I didn't love the practitioner, but I stuck with him for the first 4-5 month of the pregnancy. It was a successful pregnancy and DS will be 4 next week.

My post-partum/post-nursing periods took a long time to restart, and they were super-short for 18 months. I bled every 3 week for 10 days. This summer,  I went back to my old practitioner for ONE VISIT (when I was making a quick 1-day trip to my old city). She gave me ONE TREATMENT - as a walk-in. She totally remembered me, and remembered that I brought her my temperature charts each week. (She took a page of notes each week. All in Chinese, but I guess she was writing down everything I said and not just composing her memoirs.)  I bought 10 bags of custom herbs from her at that visit - each bag makes enough tea for 3-4 days. I was pregnant the very next cycle. Like I got pregnant 2 weeks later. Un-freaking believable. I have been taking a new blend of herbs she shipped me (these for early pregnancy), although with morning sickness I can get it down only every other day or so. I find out tomorrow if the pregnancy is viable at my first ultrasound.

I, too, started with Randine Lewis' book The Infertility Cure. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I also highly recommend finding a practitioner who is a good fit for you. I have been to 4 in this state, and I don't love any of them the way I love my old one.