Case Study: Fertility Support with Chinese Medicine
While I wrote a case study a while back about a patient’s fertility journey, this time I would like to share my own personal fertility case. While I took measures to maintain a healthy diet, nutrition, and lifestyle, I mostly became a patient and let my own Chinese Medicine Doctors treat me with acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine.
Case Study :
The Patient (me) started trying to conceive in November 2022, at age 36. Prior to that, I was not using any hormonal birth control methods. My cycle was pretty regular although for the last 3 years, my menses became shorter (only 3 days). I had minimum discomfort during my menses. I had a healthy diet, and being a vegetarian I paid attention to getting enough protein from plant-based sources as well as cheese and eggs. I took daily vitamin B12 and Chinese Herbs as needed. My fiancé and I had been contemplating starting a family since the beginning of last year so I started getting regular acupuncture twice a month to prepare my body.
After not being able to conceive for about three months, I started to become worried. I started checking my temperature every morning and tracked my LH surge around ovulation to determine the best window for conception. I saw a gynecologist, and she ran the basic tests, my TSH, blood sugar, and Anti-Müllerian hormone (while AMH levels can provide insights into ovarian reserve, they don't provide a complete picture of fertility on their own.) were all within the normal range. She recommended trying a few more months, and if I still couldn’t conceive within a year then I should go to a fertility clinic. While I usually have a low-stress lifestyle, during January and February I had unexpected stress that really affected not just my fertility but also my overall well-being. First I heard the news about the devastating earthquake in my home country Turkiye. Around that same time, I learned that my father’s Alzheimer’s had progressed and I was in a dilemma about whether to go to Turkiye to support my mom who is his main caregiver because I was also dealing with some stressful transitions at the clinic. During that time I had two periods in a month. By April, work was stable enough that I decided to go to visit my family in Turkiye, but I again had two periods in a month, and I started to worry about whether I needed to go to a fertility clinic, spend hundreds of dollars on supplements, and if Chinese Medicine alone was not enough.
Luckily my Chinese Medicine Doctor assured me that stress was most likely the cause of the changes in my menstrual cycle and he gave me Ding Jing Tang minus Jing Jie to emulate my menses, support my blood, and regulate the qi.
Tu Si Zi (Semen Cuscutae Chinensis, Chinese Dodder Seeds, Cuscuta) - tonify kidney
Bai Shao Yao (Radix Paeoniae Lactiflorae, White Peony root, Peony) - nourish liver blood, soothe liver
Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Chinese Angelica Root, tang -kuei) - soothe liver, nourish blood, invigorate blood
Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae Glutinosae Conquitae, Cooked Rehmannia) - tonify kidney and nourish blood
Shan Yao (Radix Dioscoreae Oppositae, Chinese Yam, Dioscorea) - tonify kidney
Fu Ling (Sclerotium Poriae Cocos, China Root, Poria, Hoelen) - drains dampness
Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri, Hare's Ear Root, Thorowax Root) - soothes liver, regulates Qi, eliminates stagnation.
After taking Ding Jing Tang for a month, I switched the formula to Wen Jing Tang to further nourish the blood and support the Liver and Kidney.
Wu Zhu Yu (Fructus Evodiae); disperse Cold and stop pain.
Gui Zhi (Ramulus Cinnamomi); it enters the nutritive Qi to improve circulation in the Blood vessels and disperse Cold.
Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis); soothe liver, nourish blood, invigorate blood
Chuan Xiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong); nourish blood, warm blood
Bai Shao (Radix Alba Paeoniae); nourish liver blood, soothe liver
E Jiao (Gelatinum Corii Asini) substitued with sheng di huang ; tonify kidney and nourish blood, cool the blood
Mai Men Dong (Tuber Ophiopgonis); nourishes the blood, tonifies the Yin, and regulates the liver
Mu Dan Pi (Cortex Moutan); dispels Blood Stagnation and facilitates the menses, clears any Empty Heat which might arise from Blood Deficiency
Dang Shen (Radix Codonopsis); tonifies Qi and harmonizes the Spleen and Stomach
Ban Xia (Rhizoma Pinelliae); transforms dampness and phlegm
Zhi Gan Cao (Radix Glycyrrhizae); tonify qi
Sheng Jiang (uncooked Rhizoma Zingiberis) tonifies Qi and harmonizes the Spleen and Stomach to strengthen the digestive system.
At the end of June, I got pregnant naturally after eight months of trying. I believe that stress played a big factor in not being able to conceive sooner. While stress itself might not directly cause infertility, it can influence the body's hormonal balance, menstrual cycle, and overall well-being, which in turn can affect fertility. I believe that eliminating the stressful situation in my life, taking herbal formulas to align my body and mind, and supporting my body with acupuncture helped me to be able to conceive naturally at 37.5 years old.