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Fertility Case Reports

Advanced Maternal Age

"Barbara," a 42 year-old woman, came to our office in July '06, one month before she was going to move to Europe with her husband. She wanted to try acupuncture because she had gotten pregnant two years ago but miscarried. She had tried several rounds of Clomid but was not successful. In the last year, her cycle had changed from 28 days to 32 days, and the bleeding was water and pale. While she was a tall and well built woman, her pulse was weak, especially in the Kidney and Spleen positions. Barbara complained of frequent urination at night that disturbed her sleep.

We treated her weekly with acupuncture and added Liu Wei Di Huang Wan to help with the night urination. She was very happy that she no longer had to wake up at night to urinate and her energy was much better. After about a month, and only a week before she moved to Europe, Barbara had a positive pregnancy test. We gave her herbal supplements to prevent miscarriage and advised her to find an acupuncturist near her new home.

"Lanie," a 39 year-old woman, first came to see us in September '05. She had her first child two years ago through IVF but was having trouble conceiving again. Lately, her period had become scantier, with the cycle only lasting 26 days. Her FSH was 9.4. She also had been diagnosed with Lyme disease earlier that year and was struggling with joint pain.

We treated her with acupuncture and added herbs, Si Wu Tang plus various Kidney Yin tonics to boost her blood and Yin. We saw her for about two months and her periods became heavier with bright red blood. We got a phone call from her a few months later – Lanie had gotten pregnant naturally and was already 3 months along.

"Heather," a 39 year-old female, first came to our office in August '06 the day before doing an IUI. She already had a 2 ½ year old daughter and had been trying naturally for one year. Heather was a healthy and petite woman. Her cycle was usually 30-32 days, and her periods were clotty with bad PMS. We treated her with acupuncture before her IUI, and it was not successful.

The next month, Heather came back when she was starting an IVF cycle. With acupuncture treatments twice a week, and before transfer, she was able to transfer three good eggs. Heather conceived and we are currently treating her for morning sickness and helping her through her first trimester.

Blocked Fallopian Tubes

"Diane", a 35 year-old woman, first came to our office in March 2008 because she was trying to get pregnant with her fourth child. She had already been trying for 9 months and was worried that something was wrong. Her cycle tended to be irregular, ranging anywhere from 28 to 35 days, and she had a short luteal phase that lasted from 6-12 days. She recently found out that her uterus was tilted to the left and front, and HSG showed that the C-sections from her three previous pregnancies had scarred her left fallopian tube completely shut. Diane never knew when she ovulated because she did not have any fertile mucus.

We immediately gave Diane a follicular formula to boost her Kidney Yin and blood in an effort to increase her cervical mucus. Her luteal formula was aimed at tonifying Qi and Kidney Yang in order to lengthen her luteal phase. The next cycle, Diane felt ovulation cramps in her right ovary which was the side with the open fallopian tube. She ovulated on day 15 and for the first time ever, she saw plentiful egg-white cervical mucus. Almost two weeks later, her period hadn't started yet and she started experiencing nausea, fatigue, swollen breasts and frequent urination. Diane's pregnancy was confirmed the very next day.

High FSH

"Donna," a 39 year-old female, came to see us in the fall of 2007. She had a 5 year-old son that had been conceived naturally, but she had been trying for her second for the last 2 years. Donna had numerous failed IUIs as well as 2 failed IVFs. Her FSH was 14 and her doctor had suggested donor eggs. Donna’s husband also had surgery for varicocele but still had low count, motility and morphology. She had a regular cycle but suffered from terrible PMS, cramps and clotting. She also had very low energy and a stressful lifestyle.

We diagnosed her with diminished kidney Yin and essence, liver Qi stagnation and blood stasis as well as spleen Qi deficiency. We put her on a modification of You Gui Wan and gave her husband Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan. Donna changed her diet and cut out wheat and dairy. She added wheat grass, fish oil, royal jelly and antioxidant supplements. She came in for acupuncture three times and conceived naturally shortly after. Donna is now 24 weeks pregnant.

"Hanna," a 32 year-old female, first came for a consultation in November '06. Hanna was a thin, nervous and highly stressed woman with a demanding academic job. She had a miscarriage a year earlier and had not been able to conceive after that. She had a slightly long cycle with an average of 32-34 days and painful periods. Hanna told me she felt healthy and that she didn't think anything was wrong with her. When I took her pulse and looked at her tongue, I could see that she had Kidney Yang deficiency, blood deficiency along with Liver Qi stagnation. She was tired often and also told me she was very anxious about getting pregnant. Hanna did not want to take herbs and would only come for acupuncture sporadically, each time saying that she just needed one more visit to get pregnant.

After I hadn't seen her for several months, Hanna came into the office in tears. She had just completed blood work, HSG, Clomid challenge test, and her husband had a sperm analysis. While most results looked normal, her FSH had shot up to 11.3, then 13. The doctor suggested a medicated IUI or IVF and Hanna did not want to do it. Her stress had gotten worse at her job and her periods became irregular with nagging low back pain during PMS.

Hanna agreed to follow a treatment plan that included herbs, regular acupuncture, fish oil and dietary changes. I gave her a modification of Gui Shao Di Huang Wan along with additional herbs for Yin tonification and Qi stagnation. We waited for her next period to come and it never did. Hanna was ecstatic, especially because she did not have to do IUI or IVF. I gave her a new formula to prevent miscarriage. Hanna suffered a little nausea in the coming weeks but sailed through her first trimester with no problems.

"Katie," a 37 year-old female, contacted our office in February '07 shortly after a failed IVF. She had been trying to conceive for 8 months and her FSH had recently gone from 11 to 14. Her husband's sperm analysis showed high sperm count but low motility and low morphology. Katie exhibited many of the signs that often come about with high FSH – vaginal dryness, hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia. She also had bad premenstrual signs such as moodiness, cramping, bloating, low back pain and breast tenderness. Her periods were dark red with clots and she spotted before and after. Katie seemed to be under a lot of stress and was eager to jump into another IVF cycle.

We convinced Katie to take a break for one month and just do acupuncture and herbal treatments. We treated her with acupuncture to reduce her stress, clear deficient heat, nourish kidney Yin, and invigorate qi and blood stasis. She also took variations of Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan and Jia Wei Xiao Yao San. Just a few weeks after Katie started acupuncture and herbs, she had a positive pregnancy test!

We continued to treat Katie with acupuncture throughout her first trimester. She suffered very mild morning sickness, with just nausea and fatigue. She is well on her way through a healthy pregnancy.

"Alice," a 38 year-old female, came to our office in January '06. She was a counselor, athletic build, healthy and with a positive attitude. She had been trying to conceive for 2 years and had one IVF in 2005 where she miscarried twins. The second IVF half a year later was a donor cycle using her sister's eggs. She had another miscarriage. Amy decided to undergo surgery to remove her left fallopian tube which was twisted and completely blocked, and to clean out the endometriosis.

When Alice came to see us, she was discouraged from the failed IVFs. Her FSH was 19, and she also suffered from asthma symptoms, low energy and poor circulation. We began to treat her with acupuncture and Chinese herbs and her energy increased, her asthma disappeared and slowly her hands and feet became warmer as the circulation improved. Alice decided to try an IUI with injectibles about a month after seeing us. At this time, her FSH had dropped to 10. The IUI wasn't successful, so she began to prepare for an IVF. After a couple months of acupuncture and herbs, she went in for an IVF and produced 4 good eggs. Although Alice had a great cycle, she didn't conceive.

Alice continued acupuncture and herbal treatment for another cycle before starting another IVF cycle. This time, her FSH was 5 and she had 3 good eggs transferred. Alice finally conceived and we were all thrilled. Since she had a history of miscarriages, we saw her once a week for the first trimester. She experienced minimal morning sickness and had great energy. She is now 5 months pregnant and expecting a baby girl.

Endometriosis

"Karen," a 34 year-old female, came to our office in September '05. She had already had two IUIs and two IVFs and had miscarried three times. She suffered from endometriosis and she spotted premenstrually, had brown blood with bad cramps and PMS. Karen also had IBS and her bowel movements fluctuated between diarrhea and constipation, especially before her period. Her diet consisted of coke, sweets, salads and a lot of junk food. She also felt like her uterus was cold constantly and her extremities were always chilly. She was very stressed and anxious because of numerous miscarriages.

We treated her with acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal supplements (Wen Jing Tang variation). During the next three months, her period improved, she felt warmer, and she noticed that sexual activity became less painful.

Karen tried another IUI after three months of treatment, and this time it was successful. However, since she had a history of miscarriage, we monitored her progress closely. She had a lot of bleeding and cramping initially and felt chilly and tired. We gave her herbs to prevent miscarriage and treated her with moxibustion often. Her HCG levels fluctuated and finally started increasing by leaps and bounds. We continued to treat her for several weeks after the heartbeat was detected in order to help her with the nausea and fatigue. Karen is now expecting a healthy baby girl.

Post-Cancer and High FSH

"Eleanor," a 33 year-old female, first came to our office in September '06. She was healthy, medium build, and very emotionally stressed. Three years ago, after giving birth to her son, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and breast reconstruction, and is currently cancer free.

About 6 months ago, Eleanor and her husband decided that they wanted to try for another child. She went to a top fertility clinic and was told that her FSH was 22 and she would never conceive naturally, and her chances with IVF were only 5%. Devastated, Eleanor sought out alternative therapies and came to our office. She had already been seeing an acupuncturist near her house and got her period back last year. However, her stress level was sky-high, she couldn't sleep well, she felt fatigued, irritable and moody, she urinated frequently, and was constipated. During her periods, the flow was clotty and she had bad cramps with terrible PMS.

We had her cut out refined sugars and carbohydrates from her diet, increase organic fruits and vegetables, and cut out dairy products. We treated her with acupuncture and herbs. Eleanor responded very quickly. Her energy increased, stressed became more manageable, the cramping during ovulation decreased, and her period was brighter with less clots. Within two months, Eleanor had a positive pregnancy test.

"Janice" was 34 years old when she came to our office in September '05. She was a petite and slim woman who had suffered from breast cancer during her first pregnancy the year before. She had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction and chemotherapy. Her pregnancy was not affected by the cancer treatments and she had a healthy baby girl.

When Janice first came to us, her doctors had told her that her FSH was 44 and that she was in menopause. The told her that she would never be able to conceive again naturally. She only had 2 periods since her chemotherapy treatments had finished 1 ½ years ago, there was no vaginal discharge, no sensation in her lower abdomen, and her sex drive had dried up. Janice also suffered from severe hot flashes and night sweats, and felt angry and thirsty all the time. She was very constipated and this was aggravated with stress.

We started treating her with acupuncture and herbal supplements to supplement the Yin and clear deficient heat. Janice also took fish oil and changed her diet to include lots of organic fruits and vegetables. Within a month, her hot flashes, night sweats and bad moods completely disappeared. She began to have some cervical mucus.

We changed her herbal formula and treatment plan to nourish the blood and Yin and invigorate the Qi. The next month, Janice got her period. Her BBT chart, which had shown consistently low temperatures in the 96 and 97 range, began to normalize and she began to ovulate around Day 16. We continued to modify her formula and treatment, and three months later, Janice conceived naturally. Janice and her husband are now parents to a beautiful baby boy.

Early Menopause & Donor Cycle

When "Teresa," a 45 year-old woman, first came to our office, she was complaining of excruciating back pain and sciatica. It turns out that she was also starting to go through a donor cycle. Teresa had very early menopause – her period had ended at 40, so having a child naturally had never been an option. After a routine visit with her gynecologist, she found out that she might be able to try one donor cycle. Since money was tight, Teresa and her husband put together what they had and started the cycle.

We first alleviated her back pain, then began preparing her for the cycle with acupuncture. Teresa responded well to the hormones and two perfect eggs were transferred. We were thrilled when she came back with a positive pregnancy test! Teresa had a lot of fatigue and swelling, and even some spotting during her early pregnancy. We helped her along during the first trimester and continued to treat her back pain. Teresa and her husband are now happy parents to a wonderful little girl.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

"Sara," a 27 year-old graduate student, had been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome 6 months ago. Since adolescence, she had long irregular periods that would sometimes skip several months. However, in the last year, she also started developing other symptoms such as weight gain, acne, body hair and low libido. Blood work showed high androgen and low estrogen. Sara also had a history of depression and anxiety, poor digestion and headaches. When her husband went in for a semen analysis, results showed that although his count was normal, motility and morphology were low.

Sara was very discouraged when she began treatment. Not only was she dealing with the news that both she and her husband had infertility issues, but she had a lot of stress from her PhD program as well. We advised her to start on the Spleen and Dampness diet, eliminating white flour and sugar, cold raw foods and dairy. Sara and her husband started taking herbs and she quickly saw results. Sara's herbs helped boost Kidney Yang while draining dampness and regulating Liver Qi stagnation. She began to have more regular cycles, 30 days instead of 5-6 weeks and her digestion improved. She tried IUI twice in the next two months without success. When she developed a cyst, her doctor advised her to take a month break. She felt disheartened by the news and just wanted to wait for her next period. Much to Sara's surprise, she never got her period that month and her doctor confirmed that she was pregnant!

"Ana," a 28 year-old woman, first came to the office in July '06. She recently had a failed IVF as well as two miscarriages two years earlier. She was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome two years ago and her husband had low sperm count and low motility. Ana had an irregular cycle, with her period coming anywhere between 4-8 weeks and no obvious ovulation. She had chronic indigestion, frequent diarrhea, nausea, and acid reflux. She was under a lot of stress, felt tired often, experienced bad headaches and noticed profuse vaginal discharge. It was difficult to try naturally with her husband because his job required him to work out of state five days of the week.

When I first started treating Ana, I decided to address the phlegm signs in order to help her digestion and stop the vaginal discharge. Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San and Cang Fu Dao Tan Wan variation did the trick. During the next few months, we worked on regulating her cycle and brought it to five weeks. She continued to take herbs to boost her kidney Yang, move Qi and blood, tonify the spleen and drain phlegm.

Ana and her husband decided to try IVF again. Previously, when they had tried IVF, Ana responded well to Follistim and had produced 20+ eggs but they were poor quality. When she started the IVF cycle, we treated her with acupuncture with electric stimulation on Zigong and ST30 as well as moxibustion. Ana used moxibustion at home every other day. She responded amazingly well – 34 eggs were retrieved and 30 fertilized with ICSI. Two perfect eggs were transferred on day 3 and she conceived twins! She was able to freeze 6 embryos. We continued to treat her throughout the first trimester in order to prevent miscarriage. With the help of acupuncture, her morning sickness was minimal and she mostly experienced nausea and fatigue. Unfortunately, one twin only made it to 8 weeks but the other is thriving. Ana's due date is in November '07.

Irregular Menstrual Cycle

"Ellen", a 29 year-old woman, had been trying to conceive for over 2 years when she and her husband, "Rick" first came to our office. They were a loving couple, and very supportive of each other as both had undergone fertility treatments. He had varicocele surgery but that had only raised his sperm count from 1 to 2 million. Ellen had already been through 9 cycles of Clomid with her doctor. The drugs caused her to gain 30 pounds and give her a short irregular cycle. When Ellen and her husband came for a consultation, they had already had two months of acupuncture and herbs which had helped to regulate her cycle and raise his sperm count to 12 million. Ellen still felt a lot of stress, had hot flashes and night sweats especially before her period, and had no fertile cervical mucus during ovulation. In fact, she felt especially dry during that time.

Ellen was already taking variations of Liu Wei Di Huang Wan and Gui Pi Tang. By adding a few herbs to clear deficient heat and calm the spirit, her hot flashes went away, her sleep improved, she reported plenty of egg-white cervical mucus during ovulation and increased libido. We waited for her period to come, and it never did. Ellen and Rick were so excited to find out that she was pregnant!

"Bettina," a 33 year-old woman, came for a consultation in September '07. She and her husband had been trying to get pregnant, but over the last eight months, her cycle length had gradually gotten shorter and shorter and she noticed spotting that occurred from ovulation until period. She had a short luteal phase that lasted less than 10 days. Bettina had a stressful job and personal life and often had headaches, bloating and insomnia, especially before her period.

After pulse and tongue diagnosis, we determined that she had Spleen Qi and Kidney Yang deficiency as well as Liver Qi stagnation. Bettina modified her diet and cut out the diet sodas, white flour and sugar, dairy and coffee. Her bloating went away completely and her headaches came less frequently. Bettina took Liu Wei Di Huang Wan plus blood and spleen tonics during her follicular phase, and Jian Gu Tang modification with Qi stagnation herbs for the luteal phase. Immediately her mid-cycle spotting stopped and her cycle began to go back to a normal length.

For the next three months, she ovulated consistently on Day 12 and had a 26-day cycle with no mid-cycle bleeding and no PMS. On the fourth month, Bettina went on vacation with her husband and with plenty of rest and relaxation, she conceived and is now having a healthy pregnancy.

Hyperprolactinemia (Elevated prolactin levels)

During the winter of '07, "Carrie", a 30 year-old woman came to our office with irregular cycles due to hyperprolactinemia and luteal phase defect. She had just gotten married less than a year ago and was eager to get pregnant but her BBT charts were inconsistent, frequently showing very late ovulation and luteal phase lasting less than 10 days. Blood work showed elevated prolactin levels. Carrie was a slim and quiet woman who complained of having a tremendous amount of stress at work. This caused a lot of anxiety, depression and bad moods. Other than breast swelling and occasional lactation, her health was very good. Her tongue was red and swollen and her pulse was wiry and full.

Carrie started taking herbs to clear heat and smooth Liver Qi stagnation along with herbs to boost the Kidney. Her stress decreased and she felt very relaxed after each acupuncture session. When her cycle did not return to normal the next month, she visited her doctor who prescribed Dostinex. Within a month of taking herbs plus medication, her prolactin levels normalized, much to the surprise of her doctor who expected it to take several months.

We hoped that pregnancy would happen soon but months passed and Carrie's cycle still remained irregular. She tried several months of Clomid, then one round of IUI with Follistim. Each of these cycles was a disappointment because she had a lot of side effects and produced several large cysts. We advised her several times to take try naturally without medication. Carrie took a month off during the holiday time to wait for a cyst to dissolve. She just took herbs and tried naturally. She and her husband were amazed to find out shortly before Christmas that she was pregnant. An ultrasound on Christmas Eve showed two heartbeats – Carrie was pregnant with fraternal twins!

Unexplained Infertility

We first met "Lara," a 35-year old attorney, at our office in February 2008. She had been trying to conceive her second child for 8 months and had been unsuccessful. She had a regular cycle but had very little fertile mucus around ovulation time. Lara also suffered from lymphocytic colitis which gave her gas, bloating and diarrhea. She had a stressful lifestyle and insomnia but was otherwise quite healthy and had a positive attitude.

Lara's pulse and tongue diagnosis showed that she had Kidney Yin deficiency as well as Spleen Qi deficiency. We treated her with acupuncture and herbs to boost her Yin and Spleen energy. The next time Lara ovulated, she had 3-4 days of plentiful egg white cervical mucus. When we felt her pulse, things seemed promising. A few weeks later, we heard from Lara and found out that she was 7 weeks pregnant. She was so happy and said that she was able to get pregnant because the acupuncture and herbs had increased her fertile mucus during ovulation time.

"Mary," a 35 year-old woman, came to our office in April '07. She had a miscarriage four months ago and was unable to get pregnant again. She had already been to a clinic and was going to start IUI. Mary was an unusual case because she had no real clear diagnosis. She was healthy, petite and had a calm personality. Her cycle was regular, with clear ovulation and plenty of fertile mucus. Periods were a little crampy, but the flow was bright red with no clotting. Mary ate well, slept well and had great energy. Her pulse was strong and her tongue was pink with a slight white coat.

In a case like this, we decided that she had some Qi and blood stasis because she did claim to feel stressed, and her periods were slightly painful. Because of her age, Mary likely had some Kidney deficiency as well. She took herbs for Qi and blood stagnation along with Kidney tonics and reported that she felt great. Her first medicated IUI resulted in a false pregnancy. After her second IUI failed despite producing plenty of follicles, Mary and her husband decided to pursue IVF.

While Mary was doing injectibles, she came for acupuncture and moxibustion twice a week. She produced 12 eggs and retrieved 7, all of which fertilized. The doctor transferred 3 eggs and Mary finally got a positive pregnancy test! Her HCG levels were so high that all of us suspected twins, which was indeed the case. We treated her throughout her first trimester because of her previous miscarriage, and were happy to see that her pregnancy signs were much stronger. She is expecting a boy and a girl in a few months.

"Susie," a 36 year-old woman, came to see us in October '05. Although she was still young and healthy, she had chronic fatigue, hypothyroidism, allergies and felt cold all the time, with frigid hands and feet. Susie had already had two IUIs and three IVFs without success. She felt irritable, anxious and stressed.

We treated Susie with acupuncture and moxibustion during her fourth IVF cycle. Her energy improved, her mood improved and she began to feel warmer. She retrieved five follicles and transferred 3. With the help of Chinese medicine, Susie conceived, and although she continued to spot for two weeks, we helped to prevent miscarriage, and she went on to experience a normal pregnancy.

Other Gynecological Cases

"Jenna," a 30 year-old woman, came to our office 6 days past her due date. She was pregnant with her first baby and wanted to have a natural childbirth. Her doctor told her that she would be induced in 2 days if she didn’t go into labor before then. Jenna had an easy pregnancy and had already been having contractions on and off for a couple days. We treated her with acupuncture and a tens unit. Strong needle stimulation quickly caused Jenna to start feeling contractions. The needles were retained for 40 minutes and by the time they were removed, she was having contractions every 4-5 minutes. We used magnetic pellets on surgical tape for ST 36, SP 6, LV 3, ear shenmen and uterus and asked her husband to continue massaging them throughout the day.

Later that night, Jenna went into labor and by the time she arrived at the hospital, she was 6cm dilated. She labored for 3 hours drug-free and delivered a beautiful baby girl at 5am. Jenna was so happy to have a natural birth.

"Laila," a 44 year-old woman, called us to inquire about treatment for breast cysts. Four years ago, she had a small cancerous lump removed and was worried about developing more cysts. Upon examination, we found that both breasts had dense fibrous tissue which became worse with her menstrual cycle and stress. She had irregular scanty periods and suffered from constipation frequently. Her tongue was pale with a thick white coat and her pulse was weak. Laila had been seeing an acupuncturist for months but had not seen any changes.

We treated her with Dr. Tan's acupuncture points and after the needles were removed, her breasts immediately felt softer to the touch. Because Laila lived far away, we continued treatment with herbs to dissipate phlegm, regulate Qi stagnation and tonify blood. She noticed that her breasts became much softer and less fibrous within a couple weeks. We saw her again a month later and her tongue looked pink with normal coating and her pulse felt stronger.

"Tamara," a 31 year-old woman, visited our office in December '06. She had been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and had gained 50 lbs in the past three years. She was taking birth control pills and had ceased having her period except for two days of dark discharge. She felt bloated, constipated and had very little appetite. Tamara also had a history of migraines and complained of oily skin, acne and profuse vaginal discharge. Her tongue was swollen, pale and had a thick coating. Her pulse was weak but slightly slippery.

We treated her with acupuncture to regulate Qi, drain phlegm, tonify her kidney and spleen, and move her bowels. We started her on a variation of Cang Fu Dao Tan Wan. In the next three months, Tamara noticed that her digestion became regular, energy improved and migraines decreased. She was pleased that the herbs reduced her oily skin and vaginal discharge and even increased her libido. We were happy when Tamara decided to stop birth control pills. She was thrilled when she had her first real period with a normal bright red flow for five days. Tamara continued herbal treatment and is having her period regularly every month.