The Really Useful TCM Thread

[calliebaby]

Make sure to keep your back covered for at least 2 days after having a cupping treatment. Cupping opens up the pores in the back and if left uncovered after a treatment, can lead to what TCM calls "wind-cold invasion". Basically you are more likely to get sick/ a cold. The "marks" that cupping causes are more like hickeys. They look like a bruise but do not hurt. The amount of suction can be adjusted, so if you do it again, let your practitioner know if it is too strong for you. The last thing that an acupuncturist wants is for their patient to be uncomfortable in a treatment that should be very relaxing. If you have any questions about Chinese medicine/acupuncture, feel free to ask me/pm me.

 

[Jen1802]

Hey Glitterqueen I've literally just started last Tuesday. How many sessions have you gone to so far? The doctor had told me that I wasn't ovulating and I'm being referred to the infertility clinic at the Royal but wanted to try TCM in the meantime as I think it'll definitely help! Have you noticed any improvments so far? The herbs are awful but I'm managing to take them ok at the moment. I def think there is liquorice in it just from the taste. I'm supposed to be going on Thursday again but going to try and get it reorganised to tomorrow evening. Will let you's know how I get on! My bbt is doing my head in though. Apparently I ovulated on Friday but there was no preovulation dip so I don't know plus my temps are just steadily coming down now. So frustrating as I don't think I have ovulated as my temps are now coming straight down again. Argh!! Oh well patience is a virtue. I reckon it'll probably take about 3 cycles or so to sort itself out.
Hope everyone is well! The cupping sounds painful Muncho think I'll stick to the acupuncture for now!
xox

 

[abster]

Hey girls,
I have acu this afternoon (4th appt) and am interested to see what she'll do as I'm on CD1 today. Sodding witch got me
Abi x

 

[abster]

Jen man, what're you on about?? You ovulated!! Not everybody has a pre-ov dip, so don't worry about that. You've had 3 elevated temps way above the line and you haven't gone back down below the line yet. I'd say the acu is working very well for you!
My just-finished chart is certainly a lot healthier after my first acu session - a combo of the effects of the acu and measuring my temp after 3 hours, bugger the time. Hey, maybe this cycle will be the one for both of us!
Abi x

 

[Jen1802]

Hey girls,
I have acu this afternoon (4th appt) and am interested to see what she'll do as I'm on CD1 today. Sodding witch got me
Abi x

Oh Abi damn witch!!! I already know I'll be getting a visit from her this month as well coz of my temps. I don't know if they do anything on CD1 that book says rest for the first 3 days unless the pain is really bad and no herbs but maybe your practitioner may do something different. Let us know how you get on!
xo Jen

 

[Jen1802]

Jen man, what're you on about?? You ovulated!! Not everybody has a pre-ov dip, so don't worry about that. You've had 3 elevated temps way above the line and you haven't gone back down below the line yet. I'd say the acu is working very well for you!
My just-finished chart is certainly a lot healthier after my first acu session - a combo of the effects of the acu and measuring my temp after 3 hours, bugger the time. Hey, maybe this cycle will be the one for both of us!
Abi x

Your probably right but I thought there was always supposed to be a pre ovulation dip. That's me happy now! LOL! Are the temps not supposed to continue up until AF though and then drop??? Mine seem to be dropping rather quickly. Oh well here's hoping the acupuncture and herbs have more of an impact next month. Your cycle looks good Abi, I've not been keeping an eye on the time I've been taking the temps just as soon as I wake up. FX'd for next month!!! Let me know how you get on today with your acupuncture!
xo Jen

 

[muncho]

Had acu yesterday (post ov i think) so he did exactly the same as usual but no needles in mu ovaries this time.
Im beginning to get very tense when the needles are going in as a few time he has gone in too deep or hit a nerve or something which has sent shooting pains down my leg or hand..


Abs, i dont think he will out needles in you .If anything it will be on your back, as in chinese medicine you interefere with the flow of blood...or thats what i was told. Ill be interested to see what happens

 

[glitterqueen]

heygirls
just read a blog on care fertility web site where the fs said that anyone having ivf should never take the chinese herbs as they are full of toxic substances. the accu is ok but no herbs-just wondered if anyone else heard that. I will check with FS at appt in Jan but just wanted to put it out there!
3rd appt with Cathy on friday morning-she is changing accu points ad I ov on 7/ 8th dec so will be going for implantion boost-heres hoping there is a sticky bean in there I was a bit of a muppet and POAS this morning 8 days after ov cuz I felt queasy but was negitive so told myself off!!! Just hopeful what with the lap and the accu so fingers crossed xx
sorry the witch got you abs x

 

[muncho]

Oh thats interseting glitter..
mine has not mentioned any herbs,he has only given me tablets. Nothing to boil or anything, Is that the same?

 

[glitterqueen]

Hi Muncho
prob is - i have tablets and also ground herbs which I mox with hot water and drink-don't have to boil them. I think i will take them but stop before I start ivf. My practitioner is specilist in ivf so I am sure she would stop me anyway-the article was on the care sheffield bulletin board so take a look. Good luck for Norway incase I forget !!
x

 

[abster]

Hi girls,
Jen, your temp stays up but doesn't necessarily keep going up and up. It can stay up and then plummet. With a progesterone deficiency, such as mine, the temps don't go all that high because it's the prog that elevates your temp.

Randine Lewis doesn't mention anything about avoiding herbs during IVF. ISn't the stuff they use for IVF a little bit toxic? Like you say, though, she'll know what to do.

Quing told me to stop taking my TCM pills until cd4, which is exactly what you said Jen. I'm taking some others she's given me to ease my chesty cold.

Got to go, back soon xx

 

[WelshRose]

Hey Girls...:wave:

Hope you're all doing ok

Sorry the nasty got you Abi

Jen...I'm definately with Abi Hun.....those crosshairs are for real....I think I've only had a pre-O dip once in the year that I've been charting Hun....fingers crossed for you sweets

Muncho...when are you testing Hun? Hope you get your

Glitter...I just wanted to wish you heaps of luck for the IVF Hun, I've read that the chances of it being successful are drastically increased when combining it with acu...Everything crossed for you lovely

Well nothing exciting to report from this end....I'm desperate for the to arrive just to end this nightmare cycle
'THE' Book arrived yesterday and I've munched my way thru the first two chapters....as you said Abi...very inspirational

Right girls I must go and sort DS's brekkie now but will look forward to checking in on the thread later.....can't wait to be a valid poster

 

[abster]

Thanks welshrose x

Hey Jen, was reading THE BOOK again last nigth (a friend has had it for a week) and she does say that you should have a pre-ov dip, which I get every month, but you've definitely still ovulated. I wish she mentioned the significance of the drop, it would be very useful! Probably to do with a sudden, final surge in teh oestrogen level. Having the dip certainly isn't the be-all and end-all though because my progesterone levels are still buggered.

Glad you're enjoying THE BOOK welshrose, it's a real eye-opener, don't you think?

Need to do my post about yesterday now.
Abi x

 

[abster]

Right, yesterday, when I had the session, was CD1. We had a chat about my chart - my progesterone is still too low & my LP is too short and it's all a matter of how quickly my body responds to the treatment.

On the plus side, my six-day, pms-free, pain-free, clot-free bright red flow is perfect, as is the lask of any kind of ovulation pain. Yay! Think I could do with ovulating earlier; it seems my follicles aren't developing fast enough. Either that or a longer LP please. My friend with 3 little ones (who's tried for a total of 6 cycles. DOn't get me started....!!!!!!!!!!!) has 35-day cycles so I'm not too bothered about the perfect 28-day cycle length. I digress...

I told Quing (pronounced Ching, I now know) that my chest is still bad - any kind of exertion has made me breathless for example - and she seemed quite concerned about this.

I started on my front with needles in the top of my back (for my cold), needles in the bottom of my back, as usual and the heat lamp on me.

After a while she put a cup on my upper back instead of the needles (I now know what she out on me last week was a cup, not a rubbery, heavily-weighted thing, because she told me what she was doing this time).

Then I went onto my back and had needles for my cold in my chest, creases of my elbows and my right ankle. For my cycle I had needles in my abdomen (about 4 I think) and my right leg. She left me for quite a long time, checking in every so often and I nearly fell asleep.


She's told me not to take the pills I already have until CD4. Has given me some pills for my chest - 15, twice a day. If these haven't worked by the end of today I'm to up it to 30, twice a day. If I'm not better on Thursday I'm to ring her and arrange to go in on friday morning and she'll give me some herbs to cook up.
I want to point out that she began by telling me when he was treating me that I should see my doctore about my chest and I asked if there's anything she could give me instead, rather than being given antibiotics. I also asked if I could see her again if they've not worked by thursday.

I have to say, my chest seems a bit better already today. Huzzar! Now, where's my embryo??

Abi x

 

[glitterqueen]

Hey Glitterqueen I've literally just started last Tuesday. How many sessions have you gone to so far? The doctor had told me that I wasn't ovulating and I'm being referred to the infertility clinic at the Royal but wanted to try TCM in the meantime as I think it'll definitely help! Have you noticed any improvments so far? The herbs are awful but I'm managing to take them ok at the moment. I def think there is liquorice in it just from the taste. I'm supposed to be going on Thursday again but going to try and get it reorganised to tomorrow evening. Will let you's know how I get on! My bbt is doing my head in though. Apparently I ovulated on Friday but there was no preovulation dip so I don't know plus my temps are just steadily coming down now. So frustrating as I don't think I have ovulated as my temps are now coming straight down again. Argh!! Oh well patience is a virtue. I reckon it'll probably take about 3 cycles or so to sort itself out.
Hope everyone is well! The cupping sounds painful Muncho think I'll stick to the acupuncture for now!
xox

hey jen managed to miss this post- i am going on thurs i will be day23 so she said she will be changing needles etc but woke up this morning with af feelings in tummy so prob out for this cycle boo x

 

[Jen1802]

Hey Abi
Thanks for that. I'll assume I've def ovulated though because of the rise in temps. If only I could get this stupid luteal phase sorted out!!! I've my acupuncture this evening so interested to see what she'll do at CD 24? Was getting crampy kind of feelings last night but I've not had any ovulation pain this month at all. That's a first! Interested to see if I'll get any AF pains this month. Due on Sunday (I've no doubt the witch will arrive!) so will just have to see what the weekend brings. I'm hoping no cramps for a change!!!
xo Jen

 

[Betheney]

Hey Jen

Thought i'd reply to you here as i thought this would be the most related place. Its not that i'm against Acupuncture even if you can do it without needles, and i know this is going to sound silly but i prefer not to deal with the bad things, i get it from my mother she's a total bury your head in the sand kind of person, when i get bills i don't open them and put them aside somewhere because i just think "i can't deal with that now" and whenever hubby wants to go over finances or talk about something crappy i just say "i'm not dealing with that right now" i don't think i could go to an acupuncturist because it would be admitting that something is definitely wrong and i don't think i can do that yet.... i have in insane pain in my right ovary most of the month and i know this sounds really really really dumb but i can't bring myself to go to the doctors yet, and about that book well i'd probably convince myself that i have everything wrong with me if i read it, as soon as i read symptoms i convince myself i have them all and thats whats wrong with me, (something else i developed from my mother) a few months ago i was convinced i had pelvic inflammatory disease then last month i was sure i have PCOS and then this month i'm positive i have progesterone deficiency although now with this super sore ovary i'm sure i have a cyst. hahaha. but i'm still not ready to go and ask for help, in case the answer will be bad. I'm just terrified of those bad answers, i feel somethings wrong but i couldn't be told something is.... not yet....

this doesn't really make much sense i don't think i'm wording it right.

When you ever thought something was wrong did you put off going to the doctors? thats what i'm doing with doctors and the Acu. I just couldn't do that right now. Plus i don't really have a doctor as i've moved inter state and my old doctor was a family friend so i could never ask anything female related.

and i would seriously convince myself everything is wrong if i read that book and then i'd be an anxious freak for weeks.

 

[Jen1802]

Hey Jen

Thought i'd reply to you here as i thought this would be the most related place. Its not that i'm against Acupuncture even if you can do it without needles, and i know this is going to sound silly but i prefer not to deal with the bad things, i get it from my mother she's a total bury your head in the sand kind of person, when i get bills i don't open them and put them aside somewhere because i just think "i can't deal with that now" and whenever hubby wants to go over finances or talk about something crappy i just say "i'm not dealing with that right now" i don't think i could go to an acupuncturist because it would be admitting that something is definitely wrong and i don't think i can do that yet.... i have in insane pain in my right ovary most of the month and i know this sounds really really really dumb but i can't bring myself to go to the doctors yet, and about that book well i'd probably convince myself that i have everything wrong with me if i read it, as soon as i read symptoms i convince myself i have them all and thats whats wrong with me, (something else i developed from my mother) a few months ago i was convinced i had pelvic inflammatory disease then last month i was sure i have PCOS and then this month i'm positive i have progesterone deficiency although now with this super sore ovary i'm sure i have a cyst. hahaha. but i'm still not ready to go and ask for help, in case the answer will be bad. I'm just terrified of those bad answers, i feel somethings wrong but i couldn't be told something is.... not yet....

this doesn't really make much sense i don't think i'm wording it right.

When you ever thought something was wrong did you put off going to the doctors? thats what i'm doing with doctors and the Acu. I just couldn't do that right now. Plus i don't really have a doctor as i've moved inter state and my old doctor was a family friend so i could never ask anything female related.

and i would seriously convince myself everything is wrong if i read that book and then i'd be an anxious freak for weeks.

LOL, I understand Betheney but the book isn't all doom and gloom. It's quite the opposite actually and more or less explains what you can do to make sure you are giving yourself the best possible chance of conceiving. Plus see the stress your putting yourself under at the moment it really is not going to do anything for you if anything it will make it 10 times more difficult to conceive. Check out his link, it's by the same author. https://www.howtomakeafamily.com/experts/lewis/stress_and_unexplained_if.htm
XO Jen

 

[muncho]

Abs, how does he know you have low progesterone?

 

[abster]

Hi Munch,
Short LP and low post-ov temps are indicators of low progesterone levels. I have clear ovulation, but my temps post-ov don't go as high as they should and don't rise as immediately as they should, rather in a step-like way.
Abi x