Acupuncture - does it work? Any success stories?

[PinkPeony]

Thanks so much you guys. Your good wishes are so appreciated. I just dropped off the sample and now I'm just waiting to go back in a couple hours. I'm really just feeling nervous about how DH's results come back - I really hope he does a bit better than at the SA. It hasn't been that long so I doubt there will be much improvement. Going by the first SA, he's really at the low end of where they'll do the IUI so I'm a little worried. I think the timing is good though. Gah! Stressful this stuff.

Crossing my fingers for you too V!!

 

[merristems]

Good luck for today Pink xxx

 

[PinkPeony]

Ok loves. It is done. TBH It was kind of a weird experience. Not the procedure itself just the process of getting the sample there and ready. This place seems really disorganized and it was winding me up! I was already really anxious and then the sample was a half hour late being processed by the lab. The end result was not great. After wash we had 2.1 million but with 99% motility. No idea if the fact that 5 hours had elapsed btwn when it was produced was a factor. But anyhow, I'm pretty sure 2 million really good swimmers are a lot more than we usually have right up by the tubes while I ov. And the FS seemed to think it was great.

Pretty much right after that I went to acupuncture. Phew was that a relief after all that. I told him all about everything and about how wound up I was and he gave me a treatment that would partially deal with my stress and the other part to open up and soften my uterus and tubes. I fell asleep which I never am able to do. He also told me to go for a walk in the woods after which I did. Lol! So I feel much more relaxed now. Here comes the tww.

 

[merristems]

eeek thst sounds like really great odds! Cant wait to here what happens next!
Im in tww wait too with you so fx this is the cycle

 

[vietmamsie]

Pink: This is so exciting! I have a really good feeling about it. I have my fingers crossed for you!

merri: Make that three of us! I'm either 6 or 11 dpo. This morning I had some cramps like AF was coming (my LP is usually 12 days or so) but nothing yet. Tested again this morning. BFN. Since I only have access to little cheapy strip tests I just have to wait a little longer than most. What I would do for a FRER!

skipped acu this week.... I am going to wait and see if I get AF or BFP before I go back. The journey is just so long, I wouldn't want to stress myself too much getting there.

 

[CaliDreaming]

Good luck Pink! I'm not too up on SA, but 99% motility sounds fantastic! This is going to be one exciting 2ww.

Vietmamsie, if you are 6 dpo, then those cramps seem like they would be very promising!

 

[PinkPeony]

Thanks so much guys. I hope you're right Merristems!

I'm not sure how the timing works with this IUI thing but my temp didn't go up this morning so I think I'm actually ov'ing this morning. It's weird, I had a lot of pains 2 days ago when I was surging, and yesterday not as much and now I'm feeling them again a little bit. We BD'd this morning anyway not that there's much point but you never know. Hopefully it's still OK. It's weird too bc they said I was ov-ing on my left side but this morning I'm feeling quite strong feelings on my right?.. Who the hell knows what goes on eh? You'd think with doctors involved it would be less of a mystery.

Good luck to all you ladies! Glad to hear things are looking good for you V! Cramps are def a good sign. Where are you at in your cycle Cali?

 

[CaliDreaming]

Wow that is weird Pink! I wonder why you would be feeling pains on both the right and the left, unless you have a chance for twins this time, lol

I'm 14 dpo and AF should be here in a day or two. My temp went down yesterday morning and I've been feeling crampy ever since. It went back up this morning, but I'm pretty sure I'm out.

 

[PinkPeony]

Hope she stays away for you Cali!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Blythe]

Girls.....I tried acu and herbs for about 3 months and no bfp.....in fact no changes whatsoever. I had little faith in my practitioner and having spent literally hundreds of pounds I gave it up! Well I'm in a desperate place again and went to see a local Chinese practitioner ad liked him...so question...its 42 quid per week for the herbs so I said I could do a Couple of weeks plus I don't really want to take them post ovulation plus maybe a couple if sessions of acu per ovulation. Is there any point unless I'm going to commit to another expensive programme again? Do you take the herbs post ovulation?

 

[Briss]

Blythe, I see you are also in London, can you tell me which acu you did not like and who is your chinese practitioner? I have been searching for a good acu practitioner but places like Zita West are awfully expensive. I went to a place in the city which was good for 50 pounds a session but they do not specialise in fertility and could not prescribe any herbs. I also went to a Chinese doctor (in Whiteleys) and spent 400 pounds on acu, scrubbing, cupping and herbs/teas. I do not want to go back to that Chinese doctor I think they ripped me off to be honest.

I drink Chinese tea (taste quite disgusting) and take herbs only before O. There have been a lot of bad publicity around on Chinese herbs so I am trying to be careful. and I only take one at a time (the Chinese doctor prescribed about 5-6 a day) I think my acne got better but no BFP. I want to find a good (but not terribly expensive) acu practitioner in London. Can you recommend your Chinese doctor?

 

[Blythe]

Blythe, I see you are also in London, can you tell me which acu you did not like and who is your chinese practitioner? I have been searching for a good acu practitioner but places like Zita West are awfully expensive. I went to a place in the city which was good for 50 pounds a session but they do not specialise in fertility and could not prescribe any herbs. I also went to a Chinese doctor (in Whiteleys) and spent 400 pounds on acu, scrubbing, cupping and herbs/teas. I do not want to go back to that Chinese doctor I think they ripped me off to be honest.

I drink Chinese tea (taste quite disgusting) and take herbs only before O. There have been a lot of bad publicity around on Chinese herbs so I am trying to be careful. and I only take one at a time (the Chinese doctor prescribed about 5-6 a day) I think my acne got better but no BFP. I want to find a good (but not terribly expensive) acu practitioner in London. Can you recommend your Chinese doctor?

Hi Briss

over the years i have dipped in and out of chinese medicine for one thing and another...but in the last couple of years have picked it up a couple of times to tic. The last, like you, i spent hundreds and i really liked the doc to begin with - his english was not great but he knew my issue and i felt some minor changes and felt positive about getting results - 3 cycles in i was feeling less positive and felt he was going through the motions - i was spending £50 per week on herbs alone! He was in a shop near embankment/trafalgar square near where I work so it was more for convenience rather than anything else. There is no way i am going to a zita west affiliated practitioner - with the greatest respect many of these girls are fresh out of college (having done a 3 year course in acupuncture only (i believe herbs and acu need to be done in conjunction to really get the benefits) and go on a few weekend 'zita' courses and charge the earth. I actually prefer to go to someone who has a good few years experience and a lot of the chinese guys have worked in hospitals and have seen it all - the problem is sorting out these ones from the ones who are winging it or have no passion for it....So i live near balham and i went in a place yesterday and they were all lovely and i spoke for a while about my concerns and i had a really good feeling about it and them. However, i got home and got my calculator out and have decided to leave it until the new year. Essentially, i have a regular cycle so the treatment would be tailored towards increasing my lining and improving my egg quality - i have decided upon another self prescribed treatment routine which will involve all meds in signature and MACA and self administered fertility massage [out of fertility plan - blakeway] in some hope of improving my chances. If my cycles were rubbish i would find a way of paying for the treatment but, for now, its on hold. COQ10 is so bleeding expensive that something has to give!! Having typed all of this i may find myself lying on a couch next weekend paying some numpty loads of my cash - such is my obsession at the moment

 

[Blythe]

Blythe, I see you are also in London, can you tell me which acu you did not like and who is your chinese practitioner? I have been searching for a good acu practitioner but places like Zita West are awfully expensive. I went to a place in the city which was good for 50 pounds a session but they do not specialise in fertility and could not prescribe any herbs. I also went to a Chinese doctor (in Whiteleys) and spent 400 pounds on acu, scrubbing, cupping and herbs/teas. I do not want to go back to that Chinese doctor I think they ripped me off to be honest.

I drink Chinese tea (taste quite disgusting) and take herbs only before O. There have been a lot of bad publicity around on Chinese herbs so I am trying to be careful. and I only take one at a time (the Chinese doctor prescribed about 5-6 a day) I think my acne got better but no BFP. I want to find a good (but not terribly expensive) acu practitioner in London. Can you recommend your Chinese doctor?

ps - the practitioner in balham is called herbs harmony (there are a few around and i usually steer clear of chains but this one is always busy) - the doc was young and his english not great but the ladies translated and were all lovely - one said he works from his heart. they seemed very positive about getting me pregnant and said my age was not an issue - they charge 25 for acu alone and said they could do a deal on packages and the herbs are 42 per week. after speaking with them for a while they said they would do acu sessions and then the other would be free which was really lovely of them but just cannot justify spending the cash at the moment...x

 

[Briss]

Thank you for the info! I understand your concerns, I am also not sure about spending money on acu and herbs while I know that the problem is with my hubby's sperm count (may be I should save for IVF instead). My cycles are regular but at 36 I obviously have age related issues like high FSH etc. COQ10 have been a great help so far so may be that would be enough. Although if I found a practitioner that I could totally trust I would not hesitate. I generally liked the Chinese doctor she seemed to have 20 years of experience in China but she did not speak any English and was a bit rough on me (I was literally in pain all 3 hours and was left with bruises). I did not believe these treatments and herbs can cost that much so was sure I was ripped off. 25 for acu does not sound too bad but 42 for herbs might be a bit expensive.

Have you tried moxa box at home? the Chinese doctor gave it to me last time with some sticks. I tried using it last week. It does seem to warm the relevant parts but the smell is just too much.

I have tried everything in your signature apart from goji berries. What do they do? How do you take your wheatgrass? I tried it in powder form but could not manage the taste

 

[Blythe]

I can't even remember what the goji berries are for but I have them ground up with linseed. It's in a pack from holland & Barrett. Has your dh tried acu for his sperm count? I have never tried moxa although always been curious. I'm going to start warming uterus in evening with hot water bottle.

I have my maca and wheatgrass mixed with water and pinch my nose. It's horrid but I've had fowler tasting herbs so I will stick with it...

 

[Briss]

well done, maca tastes even worse than wheatgrass, I usually add it to my hubby's food (while he is not looking) cos it's supposed to be good for spermies.

Goji berries apparently can boost your sex drive and "prevent structural damage and cell death to testicular cells". Certainly something to consider for my hubby.

My Dh does not believe in Chinese medicine or any medicine... it is so hard to even make him take his vitamins but our main problem is his beer. he finds it so hard to cut down on beer. Sometimes I feel that everything I do is just pointless until he quits his beer

 

[vietmamsie]

Briss and Blythe: Welcome to the tread! Happy to see some new people around here!

Pink: any news? are you symptom spotting like crazy or playing it cool after the IUI? I would love an update!

Cali: You were at the end of your TWW, right? Any news?

AFM, it was a false alarm, AF arrived two nights ago. I headed to acu yesterday and he did his normal fertility treatment, but also told me when he checked my pulse that I had some sort of irregular heart beat going on. He did a couple extra needle on the inside of my wrists (awkward place... they felt so strange!) and and some extra ones in my head so I "stop thinking so much." Had the norm: cupping on both front and back, then massage. I fell asleep on the table (as usual) and felt great after I left. He told me to take it easy the rest of the day since my heart is having trouble right now, so I did just that and watched TV all night! (something I rarely do!)

Today I feel great, but am still taking it easy. When I asked him about the heart thing, he said that it was the first time my heart was like that, so it's nothing to worry about.

I also decide that I would finish taking the liquid herb blends my acu made for me a few months ago. I brought in a packet and he said they are still fine to drink. I should have enough to get me through until O this cycle, so we'll see if I manage to get pg again taking them, and if I do, if I am able to carry it.

 

[PinkPeony]

Sorry to hear AF got you V! Sounds like you're in a good place though. It's nice to have a doc tell you to take it easy! Lol! You have permission to just lay about and take a break. Enjoy it!

AFM I am playing it cool actually. I'm pretty sure the timing was bad so I'm not overly optimistic. I went to acu yesterday. Had a really nice chat with my guy. He doesn't feel like I'm pregnant either but his intuition says next cycle. He seems pretty confident about that! So that's exciting. I really hope he's right but of course it's maybe a bit silly to put too much stock in it. I'm going to be a wreck next month - prepare yourself ladies!

 

[CaliDreaming]

vietmamsie, so sorry about the witch showing up. That is so weird about the heartbeat. I hope everything is OK there!

Pink, sometimes those bfps come when you least expect it. I will have my fingers crossed for you. Must be encouraging that your acu thinks that you could get pregnant next month!

AFM, AF got me too as expected. My thyroid results should be in tomorrow. I swear I have been having a mini meltdown every day waiting on those results! I have been feeling worse and worse lately and really want to know if this is due to my thyroid. I am having trouble sleeping, my heart has been racing, and have been feeling tired quite a bit. I got decent flow this t

The good news for me is that I have had a diagnostic ultrasound and the results of my FSH and estradiol tests are back and those were fantastic! My FSH was 5.41, which is excellent for a woman my age and are numbers that you usually see in twenty-somethings! Also my estradiol was a .51 which is smack dab in the middle of the range. I think that acu and the supplements I have been taking played a big part in that.

My ultrasound showed no abnormalities other than a large cyst on my left ovary. That was the side I felt myself ovulate on. They said the cyst was normal, but since it was so large they want to monitor it. I am really not concerned about it because another GYN noticed I had cysts but they always resolve on their own and don't give me any trouble.

I actually feel a little bad about being so harsh on my old acu. She actually emailed me again to check on me, and she seemed like she was generally interested in what was going on with me. I have come to accept that whatever is going on with me is not an easy fix, so I guess I took out my frustration out on her. I'm going to stick with Dr. Liu though for the time being but I've quit taking her recommended supplements because they are expensive and I am feeling worse, not better.

 

[CaliDreaming]

I went to see Dr. Liu today. We started out with a heart stress test and it turns out my heart is more stressed than ever. I wasn't surprised. These days I am still tired, I hear my heart pounding, and I don't get a good night's sleep. I told her that I had stopped taking the supplements and wanted to take a break from them for now. She said okay, because obviously my body is not responding well to them. She did the muscle testing and still is not able to get to the root cause of what is causing my thyroid troubles.

I did acu with the usual needles. I am not relaxed on the table anymore at all. I am anxious and want to get up these days. Afterward she took out the needles and did the bloodletting from my ears again. It wasn't as freaky this time because I was expecting it. So it was a pretty routine session, and I do seem to feel a little better afterward.

I've been going to Dr. Liu for six weeks now, and most of my symptoms--fatigue, heart palpitations, and restlessness, are getting worse. However, I was pleased that I had a heavier flow with AF though. Also, my tongue is changing and evening out. I guess positive things are happening and things aren't just staying the same. Right now I just want to protect the positive things I've gotten out of acu while getting more aggressive treatment for my thyroiod. I am due to get my thryoid test results tomorrow so hopefully that will confirm what Dr. Liu has been telling me and I can get in to see an endocrinologist.