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Acupuncture & IVF How can Acupuncture and Herbs help IVF?
Preparing for IVF with Chinese Medicine It is best for the preparation to begin three months before IVF treatments begin. In this time, the goal of the TCM practitioner is to improve the function of the ovaries to produce good quality eggs. The treatment method is varied, depending on the patient’s individual diagnosis and factor of infertility. Some methods used include tonifying the kidneys, spleen, qi, and blood, smoothing the liver qi, and circulating the blood. At Dr. Liang’s office, many patients have seen results of decreased FSH levels, resumed regular menstrual cycles, and some even became pregnant naturally! Starting IVF with Chinese Medicine STEP ONE - BIRTH CONTROL PILLS The first step with IVF is to start taking one month of birth control pills. This is done to give the ovaries a rest and regulate the hormones. This can be thought of as a field on a farm that is not cultivated for a season in order for it to be replenished with nutrients. This helps ensure an even growth of the follicles once the stimulation begins. In TCM, the treatment method is circulate the qi and blood by smoothing the liver qi, which ensures the smooth flow of qi throughout the body. When the qi is flowing smoothly so too will the blood. This in turn increases the blood circulation to the ovaries, nourishing them and preparing them to produce good quality eggs. It is important not to over tonify at this time, so that the TCM treatment method is symbiotic to the western medicine treatment. STEP TWO - LUPRON The next step is that the patient begins to take Lupron a few days before the end of the birth control pill cycle. Depending on the doctor, the dosage of Lupron varies. The dosage of Lupron is decreased once stimulation of the ovaries begins but is to be taken up to the day before the retrieval of the eggs. There are some side effects associated with Lupron that are similar to menopause symptoms and the severity of these side effects depends upon the dosage. Many patients experience symptoms of anxiety, irritability, sadness, overall emotional instability, palpitations, and headaches. The treatment method during this time, is to smooth the liver qi and calm the spirit. This helps to relax the patient and make them more calm and emotionally stable. It is also very helpful with their physical symptoms of palpitations and headaches. Many patients have experienced relief from the side effects of this important drug, Lupron, and are able to go on with the process of IVF. STEP THREE - STIMULATION The third step is stimulation of the ovaries to create follicles that will eventually become viable eggs. Two to three days after the period has begun, the ovaries are stimulated with such drugs as Follistim, Gonal-F, and Repronex. These drugs function like the body's hormones, FSH and LH, which help the body produce more follicles. During this time, the goal of TCM is to make the ovaries respond well to the drugs and to produce more follicles of good quality. The method used is to tonify the kidneys, spleen, qi and blood, thereby nourishing the ovaries with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Once the eggs have been retrieved and fertilized in vitro, it is now time to transfer the embryos into the uterus. STEP FOUR - TRANSFER OF EMBRYOS In this stage of the process, it is important to receive acupuncture as close to the time of the transfer as possible. This is because acupuncture can help to dilate the cervical opening. This allows for a more easy transfer of the embryos into the uterus. It also helps to relax the patient, thereby relaxing the uterus so that when the transfer is being done, the patient does not experience any pain or cramping. It also helps prevent the uterus from contracting, which better enables the embryo to implant upon the uterus. The treatment method employed here is to smooth liver qi, nourish heart blood to calm the spirit, and tonify qi to help the embryos implant in the uterus. Smoothing the liver qi and nourishing the heart blood both help to calm the spirit and relax the patient during this very anxious time. STEP FIVE - AFTER THE TRANSFER This may be the most important time in the whole IVF process, because once the goal of implantation has been completed, it must be supported and maintained in order to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy. It is important to keep increased blood circulation to the uterus to maintain the implantation of the embryo and nourish its growth process. It is still important to keep the patient relaxed so that the uterus is relaxed because uterine contractions may cause damage to the implanted embryo, causing bleeding and leading to miscarriage. With acupuncture and herbs, Dr. Liang has had much success in preventing miscarriage. The treatment method used is to nourish the kidneys and blood, tonify spleen qi, and calm the spirit. She uses an herbal formula, An Tai Fang, which translated from Chinese means "Peaceful Fetus Formula". Many patients are able to become pregnant with IVF but for patients over forty years old, there is approximately a 46% rate of miscarriage after six weeks. This can be greatly reduced with Chinese herbs and acupuncture. In China, prevention of miscarriage is about 90% successful. |