Acupuncture - does it work? Any success stories?

[merristems]

Cali I think you should change your acu lady if you feel like she isn't listening or giving you any feedback or maybe you should just have it out with her??!! To be fair though I felt the same with my guy- He always seemed distracted but thats because he was doing three of us at a time!! Also I useually found when i said i felt good he said i looked better and visa versa so was never really 100% sure if he was just saying what i wanted to hear!However I di and still do feel better after the acu. But seriously, its a lot of money to fork out and get no kind of consultation or progress report.

Congratulation Moorebetter fab news on bfp well done lady Oh and you wouldnt be the only one to get bfp after giving up! Another friend on here got hers the other week too. Im up for giving up too!!

 

[snowflakes120]

Hey girls! Can I join? I have been going to Acupuncture for about 6 weeks now. I go once a week and am really enjoying it. Just got back actually!

Quick overview on me: I started TTC in June 2011. Got a BFP in Oct 2011. MC in Nov 2011. Have been trying ever since. Diagnosed with LPD and not so good CM. Doing IUI #1 tomorrow.

I look forward to getting to know y'all.

 

[PinkPeony]

Welcome Snowflake!! I see you're doing an IUI this month? Hopefully the acupuncture will help! FX for you!!

 

[vietmamsie]

I am trying to find another acu. My acu now is competent, but her lack of communication is driving me batty. It's like pulling teeth to get any kind of information out of her. I've been going to her over four months now, and I have no idea if I've improved, regressed, or stayed the same from her original diagnosis. I tell her everything I'm doing, and I get absolutely no feedback. Like, yesterday, I told her I had started back taking a little ACV daily to help with the absorption of all the new supplements I'm taking. I told her I had added wheatgrass, royal jelly, B, B-12, coq100 and her response was...nothing, but just to tell me that the wheatgrass tablets I'm taking are much less expensive than those in the stores.

Then she asks me if I had seen a FS yet, and I said I had one scheduled. And then she says nothing about how that will affect my treatment, why she mentions it, etc.

I knew acu was not going to be a quick fix, but these days, I come out of my acu sessions feeling worse about myself and my chances than when I came in. I'm sure my acu must have ideas about my treatment and her strategies, but I have no idea what they are. I really need someone with a better "bedside manner"

That sounds like a good idea Cali. You shouldn't feel bad leaving acu. I'm sure you can find someone more personable especially if you mention the reasons why you left your last one. It's hard not to feel like it's just a bunch of BS when you don't get any feedback.

I actually find a big correlation to how I'm physically feeling as well as my mood to the comments I receive from my guy. When I'm feeling good he's mentioned my tongue is improved, the times when I'm feeling all bummed out and low energy he's noticed other definciencies. So it's kind of helpful in that you can calibrate what you're doing.

I feel you. I'm skipping this week. Last weeks "Low Energy" comment really destroyed me. I was crying in the office and everything, and you know what... It looks like I might have O'ed the very next day despite all his comments. Some days I feel really good after, other times awful.

Maybe this is a little TMI, but I had an eating disorder when I was younger. For 10 years, all that mattered was the number on the scale each morning. It would either leave me on a natural high all day or leave me destroyed.

TTC is really doing the same to me: My temp each morning sets my mood for the day.. is it lower? Could this be O? Also my CM - I analyze the crap out of it. I have caught my self staring at my cart over and over again during the day.. IT HASN'T CHANGED. And my ACU: What he says is make or break for my whole week. It's all so overwhelming.

Maybe someone here can relate?

Anyways, This is hard, but we'll all get through it one way or another.

 

[vietmamsie]

Moorebetter: WAHHHOOOOOOOOO!!! H&H 9 months! So happy for you!

Snowflake: Welcome! Good luck with the IUI, let us know how it goes!

I'm doing better, feeling better. Skipped acu this week... but somehow I see my self going last minute for a drop in tomorrow. We'll see.

I got cross hairs on my chart, which makes we wonder... I have had some higher temps, but I thought it was mostly because I was sick earlier in the week. I HOPE it's right and I'm in the TWW, that would be amazing! The earliest O yet! CD21... that would be pretty awesome, but not getting too excited, as it might not be right. Just the day before I possibly O'ed my acu told me I had low energy and i needed to come back a few days later.

 

[CaliDreaming]

Hey girls! Can I join? I have been going to Acupuncture for about 6 weeks now. I go once a week and am really enjoying it. Just got back actually!

Quick overview on me: I started TTC in June 2011. Got a BFP in Oct 2011. MC in Nov 2011. Have been trying ever since. Diagnosed with LPD and not so good CM. Doing IUI #1 tomorrow.

I look forward to getting to know y'all.

Welcome Snowflake!! Good luck on your IUI!! Are you taking any herbs?

I feel you. I'm skipping this week. Last weeks "Low Energy" comment really destroyed me. I was crying in the office and everything, and you know what... It looks like I might have O'ed the very next day despite all his comments. Some days I feel really good after, other times awful.

Maybe this is a little TMI, but I had an eating disorder when I was younger. For 10 years, all that mattered was the number on the scale each morning. It would either leave me on a natural high all day or leave me destroyed.

TTC is really doing the same to me: My temp each morning sets my mood for the day.. is it lower? Could this be O? Also my CM - I analyze the crap out of it. I have caught my self staring at my cart over and over again during the day.. IT HASN'T CHANGED. And my ACU: What he says is make or break for my whole week. It's all so overwhelming.

Maybe someone here can relate?

Anyways, This is hard, but we'll all get through it one way or another.

I can definitely relate. I used to spend so much time on FF searching for pregnancy charts that looked just like mine. I had to quit temping because it was driving me crazy. Same thing with the OPKs. I would keep testing after I O'ed in hopes that the lines were darker in hopes there would be a BFP on a HPT. I got a CBFM to cut out on that obsession. Now my thing is wondering if there is anything wrong with me. I just need an acu that will give me some concrete information so I don't go crazy trying to figure it out myself.

I just set an appointment with someone who I hope will give me some instructions. She told me what not to drink and eat before my sessions, which is more advice than I've gotten from my current acu in the last 3 months. I'm just happy to be able to look forward to an acu session again instead of dreading it.

 

[PinkPeony]

I am trying to find another acu. My acu now is competent, but her lack of communication is driving me batty. It's like pulling teeth to get any kind of information out of her. I've been going to her over four months now, and I have no idea if I've improved, regressed, or stayed the same from her original diagnosis. I tell her everything I'm doing, and I get absolutely no feedback. Like, yesterday, I told her I had started back taking a little ACV daily to help with the absorption of all the new supplements I'm taking. I told her I had added wheatgrass, royal jelly, B, B-12, coq100 and her response was...nothing, but just to tell me that the wheatgrass tablets I'm taking are much less expensive than those in the stores.

Then she asks me if I had seen a FS yet, and I said I had one scheduled. And then she says nothing about how that will affect my treatment, why she mentions it, etc.

I knew acu was not going to be a quick fix, but these days, I come out of my acu sessions feeling worse about myself and my chances than when I came in. I'm sure my acu must have ideas about my treatment and her strategies, but I have no idea what they are. I really need someone with a better "bedside manner"

That sounds like a good idea Cali. You shouldn't feel bad leaving acu. I'm sure you can find someone more personable especially if you mention the reasons why you left your last one. It's hard not to feel like it's just a bunch of BS when you don't get any feedback.

I actually find a big correlation to how I'm physically feeling as well as my mood to the comments I receive from my guy. When I'm feeling good he's mentioned my tongue is improved, the times when I'm feeling all bummed out and low energy he's noticed other definciencies. So it's kind of helpful in that you can calibrate what you're doing.

I feel you. I'm skipping this week. Last weeks "Low Energy" comment really destroyed me. I was crying in the office and everything, and you know what... It looks like I might have O'ed the very next day despite all his comments. Some days I feel really good after, other times awful.

Maybe this is a little TMI, but I had an eating disorder when I was younger. For 10 years, all that mattered was the number on the scale each morning. It would either leave me on a natural high all day or leave me destroyed.

TTC is really doing the same to me: My temp each morning sets my mood for the day.. is it lower? Could this be O? Also my CM - I analyze the crap out of it. I have caught my self staring at my cart over and over again during the day.. IT HASN'T CHANGED. And my ACU: What he says is make or break for my whole week. It's all so overwhelming.

Maybe someone here can relate?

Anyways, This is hard, but we'll all get through it one way or another.

Wow. Actually I never made that connection. I had what I would call a borderline eating disorder about 10 years ago so I totally know what you mean. I never thought of it that way but it's really true. It's that thing where you're trying to control something that's completely out of your hands in reality. I also have that element of guilt - where I beat myself up for things. Like - maybe if I didn't have that glass of wine or if I insisted we BD that one time. Before it would have been - I shouldn't have finished that sandwich or whatever. My acupuncturist picked up on it one time. When he reviewed my food diary I had written in all the drinks I had had this one weekend. (I had been to a bbq at a friends house so had some drinks there one night and then was at a cottage and had a couple margaritas.) I asked him if that's really bad. He was like - don't worry!! It's Ok to have that amount of alcohol, don't feel so guilty.

Anyway I'm feeling a lot of anxiety this week because I have my first appointment with the FS next week on Tues. DH was like - what are you so worried about exactly? I was like - I'm worried that they're going to find a problem AND I'm worried that they WON'T. I'm really fixating on what this next phase is going to entail - the tests, the drugs, IVF possibly??? And to make things worse a bunch of new (oopsy) pregnancies in my group of friends have been announced. I'm freaking out a little to put it mildly.

 

[CaliDreaming]

PinkPeony, good luck at the FS!! I hear you about the anxiety. I'm sooo afraid that there will be something wrong that will require IVF. Dh doesn't seem to grasp the gravity of the situation. He talks about IVF like it's just about getting on a set of artificial nails or something.

 

[PinkPeony]

Ha. They have no idea what's involved and they assume it's a sure thing.

 

[vietmamsie]

Wow. Actually I never made that connection. I had what I would call a borderline eating disorder about 10 years ago so I totally know what you mean. I never thought of it that way but it's really true. It's that thing where you're trying to control something that's completely out of your hands in reality. I also have that element of guilt - where I beat myself up for things. Like - maybe if I didn't have that glass of wine or if I insisted we BD that one time. Before it would have been - I shouldn't have finished that sandwich or whatever. My acupuncturist picked up on it one time. When he reviewed my food diary I had written in all the drinks I had had this one weekend. (I had been to a bbq at a friends house so had some drinks there one night and then was at a cottage and had a couple margaritas.) I asked him if that's really bad. He was like - don't worry!! It's Ok to have that amount of alcohol, don't feel so guilty.

Anyway I'm feeling a lot of anxiety this week because I have my first appointment with the FS next week on Tues. DH was like - what are you so worried about exactly? I was like - I'm worried that they're going to find a problem AND I'm worried that they WON'T. I'm really fixating on what this next phase is going to entail - the tests, the drugs, IVF possibly??? And to make things worse a bunch of new (oopsy) pregnancies in my group of friends have been announced. I'm freaking out a little to put it mildly.

Sadly, I started to see many of my obsessive and strange quirks reemerge once once we started TTC. Lucky I'm ok with the weight gain since our journey started, but some of my behavior is starting to freak me out.

Good luck with the FS appointment.

 

[CaliDreaming]

Went to my first appointment with my new acu. I am very pleased so far! This is going to be a long post!

I know all acus have their own style, and my acus style is very different from my old acu's. I could tell the difference as soon as I walked in the door. The waiting room in her office was filled with books, both in English and Chinese. There were Chinese tapestries and decorations sprinkled here and there. The herbs were in containers with only Chinese letters. I'm pretty sure I won't be getting any more capsules, just the real deal. My old acu's office was more modern. Another difference is that Dr. Liu has a LOT of clients. There were at least four other people seeing her while I was there. With my old acu, I was usually her only client for the day.

My new acu, Dr. Liu, is also has a Western medical degree and spent a few years practicing medicine before switching to acu. Her grandmother was an acu so she grew up with it. Dr. Liu was born in mainland China and moved to the U.S. when she was a teen.

The big difference between my new acu and my old acu is that my new acu feels like I'm going to an actual doctor--just one that practices Eastern medicine. She wore a white coat just like a doctor and exuded the same type of authority. She was very to the point but at the same time told me exactly what I needed to know. My old acu was very new age-y.

When I first got to the office, I filled out the forms on my medical history. But then the receptionist had me do some sort of heart stress analysis test. She put this black band around me and had me lay down for a few minutes. Then she had me stand up for a few minutes. She said I did great. I'm not sure what that was about, but since I passed I didn't really ask any questions about it.

When Dr. Liu came in, she asked me some questions about why I was seeing her. She asked some of the same questions that my old acu did, but she was much more to the point. She asked about my periods and whether they were regular, whether I have clots and whether I have any pain, etc. I told her they were very regular, but that the bleeding is on the light side. I also told her that I have some PMS but only mild cramps beforehand. From that, she concluded that my body is probably "starving for estrogen". She did not ask the very detailed questions that my old acu did, but it seemed like she had all the info she needed to know.

She told me that we were going to do acu, but that on my next visit I would have a nutritional analysis to determine where I was deficient. She said she would not prescribe any herbs until she knew where I was deficient because she does not like to guess about what herbs would work. My old acu gave me herbs on the first day. It will be interesting what Dr. Liu gives me next week and if it's the same as what my old acu gave me.

Dr. Liu talks fast like most doctors, but I got so much information. She was very personable. I told her I was 38 and felt like I was running out of time, but when I said she "What? that is not old at all?" She said in such a way that she was not making any wild promises and made me feel like I could have five more children if I wanted to.

Dr. Liu shared that she also had suffered from infertility and that it took eight years for her to conceive her first and six years to conceive her second. I felt kinda silly for complaining about my ten months. I cannot imagine what it must be like to try for that long. It made me feel good to know that she knows what it's like to suffer from infertility.

On to the needles, and this was really different too. First off, Dr. Liu put them in soooo quickly. There were about 20 in all and she was done in under 2 minutes it seems. My old acu would take 10-15 minutes to insert them. She also put them in different places. I didn't get any in my feet, ankles, ears or forehead. Instead, she put three on my shins. I got four in a line in my lower abdomen a few inches below my belly button. I got one in my right thumb and one on the ring finger of my right hand. I got several in my scalp. While inserting, she mentioned that so many career women have trouble conceiving. She said it must have something to do with the brain power used in these kinds of jobs.

I came in right before I am due to O and she said that was perfect. She said that the week of O she likes to see patients at least twice a week and then once a week thereafter. She said in China people go everyday. She said she knows that some people go to acu only once a month, but she didn't think that would be too beneficial, but better than nothing.

She left the needles in for 30 minutes before taking them out. I asked her about the supplements I am taking, and she said it was ok for me to take them until I do the nutritional analysis. She wants to see me again on Monday as a follow up. She told me to take it easy the rest of the day and not to eat any hot or spicy foods.

I told her about my upcoming FS appt and she asked me if I wanted to conceive naturally. I told her I'd rather conceive naturally, particularly since we'd rather not have multiples, but that at this point I would take whatever I could get. I really wish I had found Dr. Liu to start with. Deep down I really think I could conceive naturally, but I feel like I don't have time to waste if I really do need help.

Another big difference between Dr. Liu and my old acu is that Dr. Liu did not look at my tongue and did not take my pulse. I'm wondering if she relies more on the nutritional analysis for that.

I paid up at the receptionist and she told me off the record that they code all insurance bills as "lower back pain" since most insurance companies don't pay anything for fertility treatments. I am going to check to see if any of this might be covered under my insurance because if I am to go twice more a month then this will really help out money wise.

So I am very encouraged by my first visit with Dr. Liu. She seems to be exactly what I was looking for. The biggest thing is that I came out of there feeling hopeful again about conceiving instead of feeling like it is a big crap shoot. I feel like I am good hands and am receiving the guidance I was so desperately seeking from my old acu. It's also funny to me because it did not feel like I talked with Dr. Liu very long at all, but yet I got all the information I needed and more. I feel that even if I don't get pregnant naturally that she will let me know when she thinks it time to seek help instead of wandering around in the dark. I'm still going to my FS appointment to make sure there are no major problems with me and dh, but I may wait a couple of months to try IUI if that is suggested.

I can't wait for Monday!

 

[PinkPeony]

That sounds fantastic Cali!! I would love to have someone who's been through infertility. I really like my guy and I think he does have a lot of understanding of some of the emotions involved but it's not the same as having lived it. That's really cool.
I can't believe your old one took 10-15 mins to put the needles in! That's hilarious. Mine are done in no time!
I'm pleased to hear your having a better experience now. I bet you'll see some great results!

I finally went for my Fs appointment yesterday. I liked the dr, the clinic is really sophisticated. We're not used to seeing fancy medical offices here in Canada with our public healthcare and all. Feel like I'm in capable hands anyway. They took a ton of blood from me and DH and sent him home with a cup. I'm so curious about the results of my hormone tests. It was CD8 so it was good timing for progesterone which is where I think I could be deficient.

Anyway I've got experts of both Eastern and Western medicine looking after me. Somethin's gotta give, right?

 

[vietmamsie]

Cali: It sounds like a good change! Thats funny about how long your old acu took... what was she doing for 10 minutes! My acu has them in place within a minute or two, he works fast because he usually has a line up of patients waiting for him! Good luck, it sounds like she's going to help you a lot more than your old acu!

PinkPeony: Glad to hear your FS meeting went well. keep us posted!

AFM, I skipped last week (I was sick) and this week of acu. I feel bad, but I have been in my TWW and I honestly didn't want to go and be heart broken when he told me I wasn't pg this cycle. I think I'll go tomorrow, as AF is due and I'm 99% sure I'll be starting a new cycle (our 6th cycle in 9 months of trying)

On another note, I have been looking over my charts and trying to figure out what happened each cycle and figure out why I'm still not pregnant, and I realized that I actually probably got pregnant on our third cycle, but my crappy cheap hpt didn't pick it up because i tested so early. That would explain why I had a 25 day LP and why on my next cycle I never Oed. Plus my period after cycle 3 was really long and I seemed to keep on spotting for days after. What do you think? A few weeks ago (when I got back from my vacation and made my return to acupuncture) my acu also asked me if I had been pg yet since we started trying, like maybe he could tell?

Is it strange that I find comfort in thinking that I might have had a miscarriage? It would explain a lot, like why my cycle three and four were so off, but this one has been a really normal one. Plus it gives me hope that I can get pg again.

Sorry, don't really know where else to post this thought, but I figure you are intelligent ladies that might be able to help me out!

 

[CaliDreaming]

LOL, I guess I gave my old acu more credit than she deserved. She looked like she was measuring the points very precisely and I think even pulled out a tape measure for some of the points! I didn't know any better and thought it was very precise work, but it looks like she just wasn't very confident. She's only being practicing acu for less than two years.

PinkPeony, glad to hear that your FS appointment went well! Yes you do have the best of both worlds and I'm confident you'll get a BFP soon. I can't wait to hear what you find out as well.

Also it's so interesting to hear about the differences in the healthcare of the U.S. and everywhere else. I love the doctors here and being able to have more choice in doctors, but the cost sometimes kills me. I had to go the emergency room once for severe abdominal pain. Turned out I was just constipated and they sent me home with some laxative. Set me back $1500.

Vietmamsie, that definitely sounds like a miscarriage and can understand why that news which would normally be upsetting is somewhat comforting. When you've been trying for a long time it's just nice to know that pregnancy will be possible some day since we can't see what's going on in there. It's all so mysterious.

 

[PinkPeony]

Cali - measuring tape?? Lol! That made me chuckle a bit. I am really fascinated by different medical systems too. It's hard for us Canadians to imagine having to pay anything at a doctor. Fertility stuff is one of the only things we're not covered for. You can get coverage for IVF but only if both tubes are blocked. The drawback is long wait times for some things and not as much control over who you get as a doc and fewer dr's/person in general.

V -- how did you get on hun? I really hope af stays away!! That's interesting about your suspected MC. I've had a couple of odd things like that happen along the way too. It's like the egg only partially implanted and then I end up with a late/heavy/painful af. No idea if that's what happened but I have a gut feeling about it. I think it's easier when it's discovered looking back on it rather than going through the process of getting a BFP only to start bleeding a few days later.

So here's what's up with me... I'm having a bit of a freakout. Went to acu yesterday and my regular guy was back from vacay (I was seeing this other woman while he was gone). So he hasnt seen me in about 3 weeks. Right away he goes - "your face looks healthier! Like not plumper necessarily but filled out and healthy." Honestly, I had this feeling he thinks I'm preg. He kept looking at me (you know in that way that seems like they're looking inside you or something?) and said "do you feel different this cycle?" and I told him I hadn't started spotting yet which I would have been for like 3 days by then. He was like "that's very good!" Ok so that's all very promising right? Started getting hopeful which is dangerous bc man I crash hard.... After treatment wouldn't you know I started spotting. Then this morning I took a HPT and got BFN. I'm 11dpo, af due tomorrow. I just can't stand this cycle of getting high hopes only to be smashed down when af inevitably comes!!

 

[CaliDreaming]

PinkPeony, I hate to have my hope raised unnecessarily too! Don't let the BFN take away from the fact that you didn't spot this time, though. That is major! Maybe your acu wasn't trying to imply that you were pregnant, but was just pleased at the progress you had made.

Anyway, 11 dpo is still early, so I hope AF stays away and surprises you. I'm going to stop here since we're on the topic of not raising hopes!

 

[PinkPeony]

Thanks so much Cali. That brings me back down to earth. It is really good that I didn't spot till just now and it makes me feel like the acu is really doing something. I feel like it's doing something but I haven't seen anything tangible till now. So at least if there's no BFP there's still some progress.

But OMG does this stuff make me mental. Why can't this be easier???

 

[vietmamsie]

Pink: when I went back after 7 weeks of being on holiday, my acu didn't recognize me, and then told me he was 50% sure I was pg! of course I wasn't, part of the reason why the miscarriage theory looks more and more realistic. But he got my hopes up so high!

Cali: That tape measure story had me laughing. My god, I can't believe you paid the woman!

AFM, I never went to acu this week because i got a VERY faint line at 13DPO, and then this morning, at 14DPO I took three tests, got one BFN and two very faint lines. I'm getting too hopeful. the suspense is killing me, I don't know how I can go about my life this weekend without shouting from the roof tops that I might be pg! Af is officially late, so now I wait and see and test and agonize.

 

[PinkPeony]

Omg!!!! That sounds like a BFP to me!!! FX they keep getting darker!!

 

[vietmamsie]

PinkPeony: I sure hope this is it, but I'm trying so hard to not freak out about it all. Just willing the minutes to pass quicker and for it to be night time sooner so I can go to bed and wake up to test again tomorrow morning! It doesn't help that two of the other threads I post on on BNB asked for pictures and everyone as claimed that its a BFP. I just don't want to get my hopes up too much!