Accupuncture and infertility

[Anonymous]

Can anyone share their experience (positive or negative) with accupuncture and infertility? If you believe it helped you conceive, can you recommend an accupuncturist in the DC metro area? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I just posted this on another thread:

I had a highest FSH of 18.5 (averaging more like 12 on most months) at the age of 40 when ttc. I was doing IUI with injectibles (rather large doses too) and only producing one mature follicle each cycle. My RE was beginning to talk about donor eggs and let me know in no uncertain terms that I was not a candidate for IVF. An additional challenge in our case was that we were using frozen donor sperm (lesbian moms), which is far less successful than fresh sperm. I started doing acupuncture and taking traditional chinese medicine (individualized herbal blends that are brewed specifically for you based on the assessment of the acupuncturist) to augment our efforts. Acupuncture usually has a lag effect due to its nature of working to shift your own body toward health rather than just ramp something up artificially. The first month of doing acupuncture and TCM, my FSH reduced to 9 - still one mature follicle but more antral follicles than previously. On my second cycle during the period of doing acupuncture and TCM (in addition to the IUI and injectibles) my FSH was 6, and I produced four mature follicles and ended up pregnant.

We now have a healthy, amazing 3 year old dc.

My practitioner was in NYC. Here is his website, maybe they have a referral in this area:

http://www.acupuncturecenter.com/

[Anonymous]

Acupuncture really helped me to manage my stress during fertility treatments, but it was no cure for the genetic issues that were keeping us from getting pregnant.

And to be honest, going to the gym would have produced the same endorphins that I felt at the end of one of my 3-tiems-a-week acupuncture sessions. Acupuncture is really expensive, and they also try to push you to buy herbs, which I thought was just ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Why are herbs ridiculous and acupuncture is not? They go together, hand in hand. Only here in the states do people try to separate everything that is supposed to work together. Acupuncture is best when combined with herbs, massage, cups and chiro...but again they separate all the practices in the states when they aren't supposed to be, because people don't understand how it works here and chalk it up to being ridiculous.

It's like getting a prescription drug and only taking half the recommended dose...it won't work to it's fullest if you only take half!

[Anonymous]

20:55 here. ITA with the pp. The herbs were a very powerful part of the treatment, imho.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone share their experience (positive or negative) with accupuncture and infertility? If you believe it helped you conceive, can you recommend an accupuncturist in the DC metro area? Thanks!

I believe it helped me. I used Don Diggs in Bethesda. SOrry don't have his # handy. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I am still TTC, but have been seeing an acupuncturist in Alexandria for the last couple of months. She's close to National Airport, so convenient to DC. Her name is Njemile Carol Jones and she only treats patients with fertility issues so she is very knowledgeable and I trust that what she is doing will he helpful in the long run. Typically I go 3 times per cycle, which is what she has recommended and although I am willing to try, she has not suggested any herbs or teas to be thus far. Here's contact info: [e-mail], 202-306-2386. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

i've been TTC for 5 months and have been seeing drthur fan in tys for 2.5 or so. def helps reduce my stess -- although as pp said, going to the gym would prob help a lot too! i'm not ovulating -- although this cycle saw at 2-3 LH surges (via opk) just no change in temp... he did say you will have to be very patient -- as another pp said -- it works to really redirect your body and that can't happen immediately!
going to see an RE next week -- then will have to make some decisions whether to continue acupuncture or not...

[Anonymous]

I am 20-weeks pregnant and acupuncture and Chinese herbs got me here. I had a couple of regular periods after I went off the pill, and then they stopped. That, an ultrasound, and some other symptoms led my doctor to diagnose me with PCOS. He suggested that I go on Metformin and Clomid, but after doing some research online I decided to try a more natural method first. I had weekly acupuncture treatments for 5 months with an acupuncturist who specializes in infertility. I charted my temperature and she gave me different herbs every week depending on what was going on with my basal body temperature. After 5 months my temperature went up and stayed there for the first time...and it never come down again

I kept seeing the acupuncturist (but stopped the herbs) every two weeks during the first trimester b/c it helps direct blood to the uterus to prevent miscarriages. It also helps with early pregnancy symptoms.

If you're going to do acupuncture, make sure it's with someone who has experience treating your problem. The first one I saw (just twice) didn't know what he was doing and kept telling me I wouldn't get pregnant unless I started eating meat (I eat a very healthy vegetarian diet and my issues were hormonal...had nothing to do with my eating habits).

My acupuncturist's name is Yun Brown and she's in Silver Spring. I highly recommend her.

[Anonymous]

any reputable acupuncturists in VA for breast issues?

[Anonymous]

I underwent IVF, and used acupuncture during the process. I got pregnant the first cycle, which can be due to lots of different things, but I really enjoyed the acupuncture sessions. I believe they contributed AND I always felt better afterwards--calm, centered. And I am not a person that knows that much about holistic medicine and alternative treatments--not that I dont believe in them, just am ignorant about them.

I would HIGHLY recommend the acupuncturist that I went to, she focuses on fertility issues only. Her name is Lisa Eaves, she is located in Tenleytown. She does lots of different activities as well--mind-body fertility workshops, support groups, etc. She is great, I really enjoyed working with her. Her practice is called Heal From Within, and her website is www.heal-from-within.com

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I saw this post and felt that I should add my comments on Njemile Carol Jones. I was a patient of hers until recently and would NOT recommend her.

She was fine when I first started seeing her, but became increasingly defensive whenever I asked any questions, and her manner was downright rude on more visits than not. She seemed to not want to be bothered with anything I had to say and only wanted constant praise for her "difficult job". She even went as far as to tell me that I had made her job very tough since I had come in for one visit on the verge of tears due to a family emergency. No concerns what so ever for me, just bothered that she had to deal with it.

In addition, she is consistently late....15-30 minutes every single time. I can't speak to her knowledge....I was with her through 5 IUIs and am now on to IVF, so its hard to say f it was a help or not...can't say it wasn't, but again, there's really no way to measure.

[Anonymous]

Njemele comes across as cold, that's true. I have seen her before too.

[Anonymous]

I noticed the comments about Njemile Carol Jones and wanted to chime in. I agree that I would absolutely NOT recommend her! I went to her during my first (and only) IVF cycle. After a very emotional journey trying to conceive, I was willing to try anything....even though I was terrified of additional "poking and prodding" and had no idea what to expect with accupuncture. I agree with 13:34....she was pleasant on the phone and then nice during the first visit (although patted herself on the back several times for spending her own money to get thinner needles....couldn't figure out if she wanted me to reimburse her for them or what?!?!). During the second appointment, she was rude and condescending. I went back because I was mid-IVF cycle and wanted to stick with it (pardon the pun!). I knew I would go to someone else the next time and had already started calling around. During my third appt, I asked her a question and she seemed annoyed. I apologized for being a little anxious and said that it helped me to to relax to know what she was doing/where she was putting needles etc...Her comment in a mocking/nasty tone was something to the effect of ....If you're anxious about this, how do you expect to handle being a mother? I just remember the tears pouring down my cheeks because I was just so fragile at that point....she said nothing. If I had to do it all over, I would have gotten up, told her what I thought of her and walked out (although I had little needles sticking out all over!)...but I was so desperate for this to work. I also never went after that third appointment.

Fortunately, I did get pregnant during that first cycle and believe accupuncture helped....I would just go to someone else!

[Anonymous]

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SUZZANNE LORH (and yes, it's with two "z"s and two "n"s!!!

i am a massage therapist who has been trying to get pregnant for over two years. i am 28 now, so i am still considered "young" in biological sense, but because of that i was puzzled as to why i couldn't get pregnant.

Suzzanne actually specializes in natural induction acupuncture, but those same techniques, as well as others, are used for infertility and women TTC. i know this because i specialize in prenatal massage, and my fertility massage is the same as my induction massage. it's all about helping your uterus, kidneys, liver and heart function to the best of their ability (these are the fertility organs in TCM).

Anyhow, Suzzanne helped me to gain a lot of insight not only on a health and biological level, but on an emotional and psychological level. A lot of what keeps women from conceiving is stress. Stress in turn does not allow adequate blood flow and nutrients to be delivered to the uterus and ovaries. So she is helping me immensely with reducing my physical stress. But I'm also aware of my hormonal imbalances that also contribute to my "infertility" and i am working diligently with my husband and family members to reduce my stress level/load at home.

I have ridiculous PMS before my menstrual cyle, which doesn't help, so I personally asked for chinese herbs to help manage that at home. She never pushed the herbs on me, she only told me that if that is a route I would like to take that she could custom make a blend specifically for me and my "issues".

I am seeing her once every two weeks, and I came to this regiment myself. She, of course, says that the more often I come the better the chances of conceiving will happen sooner, but she also said that if coming in multiple times a month causes me stress because of the money factor, then it would not be worth it. So she just told me to schedule whenever I see fit.

I love her to death. She's so easy to talk to and she has a lot of experience with women TTC, pregnant women, and postpartum women.

She's in DUPONT CIRCLE, right off the metro. Her website is www.suzzannelohr.com.

Oh, and your insurance may even reimburse you for these visits. She gives you the appropriate receipt for reimbursement.

Hope this helps!