Want to share your experience with Chinese medicine

[Anatelle]

Been TTC for a while and it’s been very hard to cope with negative tests lately…
Anyway. I’ve booked an appointment with Herball Inn and I’ll give Chinese medicine a try. I’m still on metformin and clomid (although I’m having a break from Clomid this month. Menses starting today and going on holidays in 10 days where I & OH will share the bedroom with my mother around ovulation time…).
The appointment with the Chinese doctor is Wednesday night. I wonder what he/she’ll tell me. I’d rather do reflexology than acupuncture. I can’t help thinking there’s a risk their needles might not be clean… I know it should be safe, but…

Anyone out there who could share their experience with Chinese medicine?

 

[MissMonty]

Hi Anatelle

I'm currently having IVF in the UK and my clinic warns against using Chinese herbal medicine, there have been some studies that have shown using Chinese herbal medicine can adversely affect fertility, please research this more before going ahead with this. Sadly some people try and take advantage of us ladies going through the stresses of infertility and try and cash in on it. Wishing you all the best x

 

[muncho]

Hi
this may be agood thread for you to join..

Its all about TCM and a few girls have recently got bfp. im doing acupunctute as im having ivf

good luck x

https://www.babyandbump.com/trying-to-conceive/232366-really-useful-tcm-thread-35.html

 

[Mrs R]

Hi Anatelle

I'm currently having IVF in the UK and my clinic warns against using Chinese herbal medicine, there have been some studies that have shown using Chinese herbal medicine can adversely affect fertility, please research this more before going ahead with this. Sadly some people try and take advantage of us ladies going through the stresses of infertility and try and cash in on it. Wishing you all the best x

My clinic have warning on the wall in the waiting room advising the same thing. They also sent me a letter saying the same thing, just to reiterate! Do your homework on this one

 

[muncho]

if you are having IVF you shouldnt take the herbs but if you are not having IVf i think its ok. my acu man has never given me herbs as he knows about the ivf. so just having acu which has helped

 

[CareBear]

I think the warnings in the IVF clinic about chinese herbs are because they could affect how effective the medication for IVF is. In general I don't think they adversely affect fertility, if you google there are a lot of reports stating how good they are. A lot of IVF and FS's recommend acupuncture as it can aid IVF very positively.

I'm currently having acupuncture at the minute, my first cycle with having it so I'm keeping my fingers crossed

 

[Alchemist]

i went to a accupuncturist who gave me chinese herbs for my liver (i looked 3 months preggy last year). Turns out i had this HUGE fibroid on my uterus and when i had my lap my doc saw a PERFECT liver while checking out my pelvis. soooooooooo, i threw them away, took my vitamins and omegas and stopped thinking thta some stinky chinese medicine would help me get rid of endo, a uterine deformity and fibroids and am thanking G-d for conventional medicine.

BUT each to their own, i am sure some have been helped along the way

 

[wishes27]

I had not had a regular period for 2 years and I tried accupuncture and chinese herbs. About two months after going on a weekly basis my periods became exactly 28 days apart. I still haven't been able to conceive but it did seem to help me.

 

[chocci]

Hi Anatelle

I'm currently having IVF in the UK and my clinic warns against using Chinese herbal medicine, there have been some studies that have shown using Chinese herbal medicine can adversely affect fertility, please research this more before going ahead with this. Sadly some people try and take advantage of us ladies going through the stresses of infertility and try and cash in on it. Wishing you all the best x

I ditto the above statement, my clinic are really strict on it!! DONT DO IT. Chinese herbs have all sorts of crap in them!! If there was any basis in using Chinese medicnines then they would have been regulated by WHO and be used world wide. My clinic get mad with people self prescribing like when people take baby asprin too when they read it on a forum!! Only use what your told by a reputable fertility specialist to use or regret it and wonder if any problems have been caused by using drugs, herbs or supplements that are not regulated!! xx

 

[Anatelle]

Oh, that's a good lot of warning. I am not having IVF, but still takig clomid + HCG injections... so i don't think i'd risk to mess it up with herbs... But reflexology seams to me like a soft (and more enjoyable) way to help...

 

[chocci]

Refelxology or thing s like that are cool, anything to help relax but yeah defo dont put anything in your body that could cause problems now or in the future, you dont want to be thinking if only i hadnt had those dodgy erbs xx

 

[Carrie29]

i have had a good experience with them so far... i hadn't had a period since the 23rd September and started weekly acupuncture in Dec and then herbs 2 weeks ago, all from qualified TCM practicioners.. before taking the herbs the doctor also did full checks on my pulses, tongue and full medical history and he said his aim was for me to have a period within the next 2 weeks and then they should become regular, meaning regular ovulation too!.. i have PCOS so with my long cycle i was obviously not ovulating. Anyway exactly a week after taking the herbs AF arrived.. my first proper one for ages!! the previous 2 since coming off the BCP were very light, whereas this one was actually a proper one.. but with no cramping and PMS..

With the amount of chemicals and risks that go along with conventional medicine i do think Chinese herbs are a more natural route, but only get them from a TCM qualified doctor. I would never self diagnose or order them online.

Allot of research has shown that Acupuncture can work very well with IVF etc too. But again only with a qualified acupuncuturist!. There have been many success stories including some on the TTC thread.

 

[chocci]

Accupuncture is fine, there is no disputing that, as is refelxology but here is the post from the CARE fertility forum and if you goole you will find many other fertility specialists issuing warnings about chinese herbs and medcines:

https://www.carefertility.com/ivf/viewtopic.php?t=12853

 

[Carrie29]

I have no idea about ivf at this stage but as that is a medical procedure i would personally go just with what the medical doctors recommend along with acupuncture. But i think the herbs are very useful for other symptoms and treating things such as endo and PCOS. Doctors still seem to know very little about PCOS other than giving metformin and Clomid for helping ttc, but this only treats the surface not the underlying problem.

If i do not have any luck with Chinese herbs after say 6 months i will then look into taking clomid etc and would certainly be open to IVF if i still have problems in years to come. I am going to try and keep an open mind the whole time.

I hope the IVF works well for you.. x

 

[Jen1802]

I just wanted to share my experiences with TCM. My husband has low count and I had an extremely short lp, had been trying for 8 months. After 7 acu session as well as taking the herbs which the tcm practitioner prescribed I'm now pregnant. Another girl on the forums who is also going to the same practitioner as me also got her bfp this week after starting tcm in December. I don't have very much faith in western medicine at all now given that my gp said that me and dh would only ever conceive through assisted conception...obviously he was wrong and the tcm practitioner was correct. If you want more info on it though you should get the book by randine lewis called the infertility cure. That's what I did and I made an informed decision to go the tcm route....I'm really glad I did otherwise I would still be waiting on the nhs to refer me to a fs. Good luck everyone!

 

[chocci]

Good luck to you all, but i would imagine you would have got your BFPs regardless of wether you started taking Chinese medicine or not. Like i have said before any techiniques or medicines that have any use or benefit are licenced, i.e. reflexology and accupuncture which feriltiy clincs RECOMEND!! Think of it this way, Chinese medicines contain all sorts of crap like WHALE PENIS!!! They kill WHOLE whales just for there BITS becuase they believe that it makes men MORE FERTILE...... i think i would trust my doctor, but if you get comfort from taking herbs which more advanced and developed western medicine says are completely pointless and perhaps damaging then go aheaad, all i know is IVF or NO IVF i will put nothing in my body that could cause ovulation or fertilisation OR DEVELOPMENT problems with any future children, since that is a very realrisk that you take taking UNLICENSED medicines!!

Its just my opinion i just worry people do not understand enough to be taking the risk

 

[Carrie29]

Hi Chocci

FYI - If herbs are bought from recognised TCM herbalists, they do not contain things such as Whale!! or any other animal.. they are legal herbs which they are permitted to sell!.. I am an avid supporter and member of the Whale and Dolphin organisation and would never go near anything that causes harm to animals! and clomid causes ovulation!

 

[chocci]

Haha i do know clomid causes ovulation i have been through plenty of fertility treatments hun!

The thread isnt just about TCM herbalists though and many people read these threads i am just stating the case against using ANY herbs that are not recognised by WHO if they were they would be prescribed by the NHS and FERTILITY specialists along with your clomid!!!

 

[fitzy79]

As the old saying goes...To each their own...

We are all grown adults who can chose to make informed decisions based on whatever research we do and information we are provided with.

Based on recommendations from two friends who managed to conceive through attending my TCM practitioner for accu and herbs I have decided to go down this route too. Both women in question had been TTC for 5 and 8 years respectively and had exhausted all possible routes that Western doctors had suggested. TCM was a last resort..both are now Proud Mothers...I personally don't think that this is coincidence!!

Following four sessions my period, which had been AWOL, arrived. Now we were working towards obtaining a regular cycle. Coupled with this has been a major turnabout in my attitude. More positive, far more balanced and less inclined to burst into tears or stress over things...probably due to a balancing out of hormone levels.

Good luck to all who are on the TTC journey.Whether the road takes you down the Eastern route, the Western route or on a combination of both, let's hope the end result is the one we all long for and deserve!!