Does acupuncture for PCOS work?
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Anonymous
| I was diagnosed with PCOS after 2+ years of TTC with 1 pregnancy that resulted in MC early last year. My obgyn advised me to do acupuncture for a few months to see if that regulates my cycles, but I don't like the thought of wasting several more months on something that may not work in the end. Has anyone with PCOS had success with acupuncture only? I am thinking I should just see an RE now, especially since there is a known issue. Any advice or insight would be appreciated. |
Anonymous
Talk to an RE. Acupuncture has not been proven in clinical studies to have any effect on fertility. Obviously do it if relaxes you and you like it but also see an RE. |
Anonymous
| No |
Anonymous
| IVF should work much better than acupuncture. |
Anonymous
| Have you tried going low-carb? I have PCOS and diet plus exercise help normalize my cycle. |
Anonymous
| dont waste your time. listen to your gut and go to an RE. I had 2 kids w PCOS. gynos are clueless. |
Anonymous
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That's absurd. Your cycles are off because there is something wrong with your body's chemistry. Even Chinese doctors use medicines in addition to acupuncture to fix that.
They have found that women with PCOS have significantly lower levels of vital minerals and amino acids. First, have you had your ferritin levels tested? It's separate to the iron result that comes back with your CBC. Also, even though it's not completely accurate, you might want to get a magnesium test or simply start taking magnesium because odds are you are low in magnesium. If you don't have enough magnesium in your body, any iron supplement you take won't be particularly effective. Then, I'd stop drinking caffeine - or at least minimize it. Don't drink it first thing in the morning or if you do, wait two hours to eat. The caffeine will inhibit the absorption of minerals in your body. Second, consider your amino acid levels. I believe this is an under-researched area where women's health is concerned. When they talk about going "low carb" what they really should be talking about is going "low arginine." People who eat lots of wheat and other processed foods have an imbalanced arginine-lysine ratio. You can fix that by eating less wheat and chocolate but also by adding lysine supplements to your diet. You can also try experimenting with other amino acid supplements until you find what seems to work for you. "Fish, chicken, beef, lamb, milk, cheese, beans, brewer's yeast, mung bean sprouts and most fruits and vegetables have more lysine than arginine, except for peas. Gelatin, chocolate, carob, coconut, oats, whole wheat and, white flour, peanuts, soybeans, and wheat germ have more arginine than lysine." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4743341/ https://peacewellnesscenter.com/Portals/0/Documents/Nutritional%20Guides/Lysine-to-Arginine-Ratio.pdf Finally, I've suggested this elsewhere and I was told doctors may be reluctant to prescribe but go to your primary care doctor or an endocrinologist and have them prescribe metformin, a common, safe medicine. Metformin is great for pregnancy and frequently prescribed first for it overseas - here they seem to push IVF quite quickly. But try the first two suggestions first because then you will have a healthier body, healthier pregnancy, healthier baby. https://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/20/2/85 |
Anonymous
I also have PCOS and I tried acupuncture/Chinese herbs before moving on to fertility treatments. It didn’t get me pregnant, but it did make my cycle and BBT charts more regular. I also cut out caffeine, alcohol and dairy based on the acupuncturists recommendation, so I’m not sure how much of the positive effects were due to acupuncture vs lifestyle changes. I would say go ahead and try acupuncture. It couldn’t hurt. But go see an RE at the same time to get the process started because the diagnostic tests and pre-treatment requirements can take a long time. You want to be ready to go ASAP if you decide to go the treatment route. |
Anonymous
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I would do it in addition to seeing an RE. I did it just to try everything and was shocked that it improved my cycles and ended my monthly cramps. Don’t know how it works, but as a former total skeptic, I’m here to say that it does.
Also, with PCOS, check your vitamin D levels, and supplement to get up to a level that’s at the high end of the normal range. Studies show a connection between pcos and low vitamin D. |
Anonymous
+1 I have lean PCOS. After 1.5 years of trying unsuccessfully with 1 failed IUI...my second RE suggested I just try going low carb with metformin before doing another IUI. Within 1.5 months of changing my diet and metformin, we were able to conceive naturally. |
Anonymous
Metformin helped me too. |
Anonymous
Metformin for the win. I got pregnant after taking it right as they took it off the market apparently. Is it still accessible? What’s going on with it? Will be TTC in the next year and have been wondering. |
Anonymous
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Thanks everyone, it's helpful to hear your experiences and gives me hope. I have an appointment with an RE set up and have done a couple of acupuncture sessions in the meantime. I will see what the RE says about continuing those, but I guess it can't hurt. I will definitely ask the Dr. about Metformin!
I already had a low-carb and almost no dairy diet but have been trying to cut out gluten because some have had success by going strictly no gluten no dairy. I've been taking Vit D, fish oil, magnesium, zinc, and a prenatal for a long time but will ask the RE what else I can be taking. |
Anonymous
+1 Obgyn misdiagnosed me and wanted to start injectables. RE has me diagnosed in one appointment, on metformin the same day and pregnant on the next cycle. Skip straight to an RE ASAP |