FertilityTies posts tagged with medicine

Infertility and Complementary Medicine

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:13:27 -0600

Infertility and Complementary Medicine:

Mechanisms of Action

Historically, infertility—particularly “functional” infertility—was attributed to psychological problems of one or both partners. Preliminary works in the 1940s and 1950s considered “psychogenic infertility” as the major cause of failure to conceive in as many as 50% of cases. As recently as the late 1960s, it was commonly believed that reproductive failure was the result of psychological and emotional factors. Psychogenic infertility was supposed to occur because of unconscious anxiety about sexual feelings, ambivalence toward motherhood, unresolved Oedipal conflict, or conflicts of gender identity.

Fortunately, advances in reproductive endocrinology and medical technology, as well as in psychological research, have de-emphasized the significance of psychopathology as the basis of infertility. Stress does, however, play a part.

A study done at Harvard showed that stress reduces the hypothalamic-anterior-pituitary-ovarian axis function, and should thus be considered in the infertility workup. Acupuncture releases endorphins that mitigate one’s response to stressful stimuli, thus enhancing the possibility of conception. Biologically, since the hypothalamus regulates both stress responses as well as the sex hormones, it’s easy to see how stress may contribute to infertility in some women.

Excessive physical stress may even lead to complete suppression of

the menstrual cycle, and this is often seen in female marathon runners, who develop “runner’s amenorrhea.” In less severe cases, it could cause anovulation or irregular menstrual cycles. When activated by emotional stress, the pituitary gland also produces increased amounts of prolactin, and elevated levels of prolactin can contribute to irregular ovulation. The female reproductive tract contains stress-hormone receptors; stress can affect fertility.

However, more complex mechanisms may be at play, and researchers still don’t completely understand how stress interacts with the reproductive system. This is a story that is still unfolding, and during the last 20 years, the new field of psychoneuroimmunology has emerged. This field focuses on how your mind can affect your body. Research has shown that the brain produces special molecules called neuropeptides in response to emotions, and that these peptides can interact with every cell of the body, including those of the immune system. In this view, the mind and the body are not only connected, but inseparable, so that it is hardly surprising that stress can have a negative influence on fertility.

Stress can reduce sperm counts as well. Testicular biopsy specimens obtained from prisoners awaiting execution (who were obviously under extreme stress) revealed complete spermatogenetic arrest in all cases.

The stress factors that acupuncture addresses stems from both psychological and emotional factors as well as physical ones. For example, extremely painful premenstrual or mid-cycle pain can be debilitating. This type of physical stress no doubt produces emotional stress as a result of missed work, interference in activities, and the pain itself, which in turn can compromise the function of the reproductive system.

The hormone ACTH, which is released as a response to acupuncture needle stimuli, has an antiinflammatory effect that may improve fertility (for example, by improving tubal factor–based infertility as a response to pelvic inflammatory disease). In addition, the insertion of acupuncture needles has been shown to effectively increase blood circulation. Enhanced blood flow to the reproductive environment clearly improves pregnancy outcomes.

A Diagnostic Window: East Meets West

It is becoming more and more prevalent that research conducted by Western scientists and physicians are highlighting the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine. In an article published in the December 2002 issue of the medical journal Fertility and Sterility, the authors reviewed existing evidence regarding the role of acupuncture in the treatment of infertility, and identified a number of studies indicating that acupuncture can increase the success rates of infertility treatments, including IVF.

In a study conducted by Dr. Wolfgang Paulus (Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, Germany) and colleagues, half of a group of 160 women who were about to undergo IVF were randomly assigned to receive acupuncture therapy before and after embryo transfer. In the women who received acupuncture, the needles were placed at points believed to influence reproductive factors (for example, by improving blood flow to the uterus).

The acupuncture group had a higher rate of pregnancy compared with those not given acupuncture (43% versus 26%), suggesting that acupuncture can be used to improve pregnancy rates during IVF.

One alternative medicine diagnosis that exists which may be help to explain male or female infertility is called Liver qi stagnation. Key identifiers of an individual with this condition are anger, rage, frustration, depression, and anxiety.

Dr. Secondo Fassino (University School of Medicine, Turin, Italy) and colleagues recorded the personal characteristics of 156 infertile and 80 fertile couples, and measured their degree of psychopathology. When the researchers divided the couples according to the nature of the infertility—organic, functional, or undetermined—they found that anxiety, depression, and a tendency toward anger suppression could predict the diagnosis of organic or functional infertility in women with 97% accuracy. For infertile men, anxiety was also an important independent predictor of functional infertility, increasing the likelihood of having this form of infertility five-fold, while depression was more predictive of organic infertility. However, unlike in women, anger did not appear to influence infertility in men. These results suggest that, beyond the distress that accompanies the failure of repeated attempts to conceive a baby, psychological problems may contribute to functional infertility.

Herbal Medicine

The exact mechanisms of action of herbal medicine intervention are not, at this time, completely understood. However, herbal medicine has been used successfully to treat infertility for thousands of years.

Practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine rarely use a single herb in treatment. Chinese herbs are formula based; many herbs are mixed together to create the perfect ‘decoction’ specifically designed for the individual patient.

Some formulas contain two herbs and some thirty or more herbs. Each herb has many functions. Each herb has its own flavor, nature, temperature and trophism. Prescribing the correct herbal medicinals requires extensive training and clinical experience.

Self-medicating with herbal medicine presents a dual dilemma. At best the herbs will be useless, as the key to correct formula prescription is an accurate differential diagnosis that can only be rendered by a licensed, Board-Certified, experienced practitioner. In the worst case, self-prescribing of herbal medicine may prove harmful.

One should take herbs only when they’re prescribed by a Board-Certified herbalist. Not only is herbal medicine safe, it is highly effective and free of harmful side effects that often accompany pharmaceutical drugs. There are more than one million hospitalizations per year as a result of drug-induced side effects; not so with herbal medicine.

I have used herbal formulas for 11 years to successfully lower elevated FSH levels, to regulate irregular menstrual cycles, to mitigate pain in the endometriosis patient; to mitigate pain in the patient who presents with ovulation and/or menstruation-related migraines; to thicken an unresponsive endometrium; to treat the amenorrheic patient, the oligomenorrheic patient; to treat patients with partial tubal occlusion, and the patient with unexplained infertility. Additionally, I have had marked success with males who present with sperm abnormalities.

The Berkley Center’s Approach to Treating Fertility Challenges

The Berkley Center has formed an alliance with Batzofin Fertility Services under the directorship of Dr. Joel Batzofin, a Harvard trained reproductive endocrinologist. Dr Batzofin has twenty-five years of clinical experience under his belt. Dr. Batzofin views each and every patient as an individual and treats each and every patient with a precise, individualized protocol created specifically for their set of presenting signs and symptoms. He does not, as so many doctors do, use a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach to patient care. Dr. Batzofin also has what, unfortunately, in this day and age is frequently missing from the milieu of medicine: a warm, caring and compassionate approach. He spends time, answers questions and is always available and responsive to his patients. Dr. Batzofin views patients as people first. Dr. Batzofin also endorses acupuncture and herbal medicine under the care of Dr. Berkley. We are seeing excellent results utilizing our unique ‘East meets West’ approach to fertility enhancement.

Clearly, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of action of acupuncture and herbal medicine in treating the infertile patient. Nevertheless, it is my opinion, based on eleven years of clinical success that the best-case scenario for any infertility patient is to offer them every reasonable option which may serve to address their underlying condition. The integration of acupuncture and herbal medicine into the treatment protocol of the infertile patient, based on long-standing empirical evidence, makes sense.

For more information http://www.berkleycenter.com 877-965-BABY

Dr. Mike Berkley

Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture in the Treatment of Infertility

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:12:35 -0600

Dr. Mike Berkley

Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture in the Treatment of Infertility

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:10:48 -0600

Although the goals of Complementary medicine and conventional Western medicine are the same, their ideas about what causes a disease, the nature of the disease itself, and the process used to regain health are very different. The physician learns that disease must be cured by prescribing medicine or by surgery. There is nothing inherently wrong with this approach. It often works. But why does Complementary medicine succeed where conventional Western medicine sometimes fails? What is it about acupuncture and herbal medicine that can result in relief of symptoms or even a cure that is often lacking in conventional Western medicine?

Though the ultimate result of Complementary medicine care is to cure the patient, the doctor of Complementary medicine attempts to do this by treating the whole person, taking into account the various attributes of an individual that, when combined, account for an individual’s health status. A person, according to the tenets of Complementary medicine, is more than their condition. To treat just the condition may yield results, but, however impressive, these results are usually temporary.

People are not, according to Complementary medicine, represented solely by their illness, but by the accumulation of every human interaction engaged in from the moment of their birth and by the culture they are exposed to. The emotional experiences, eating habits, work habits, work and living environment, personal habits, and social network all contribute to their disease, and are factors that, when changed appropriately, may lead to regained health.

The power and effectiveness of Chinese medicine is evidenced by its long history of continued success. More than a quarter of the world’s population currently uses Complementary medicine as part of their health-care regimen. Chinese medicine is the only form of classical medicine that is regularly and continuously used outside of its country of origin.

The experienced doctor must use his or her own interpretive skills and consider not only what the patient reports to them about their condition, but also what they reveal without meaning too and what they don’t express. This leads to a better understanding of who the patient is and what the deeper, underlying cause of their condition may be.

The doctor of Chinese medicine is trained to observe one’s tone of voice, complexion, eyes (in Complementary medicine, the shen or sprit of an individual is said to be revealed through the eyes), facial expression, overall demeanor, and how one walks, sits, and stands, and to use these observations to arrive at a diagnosis. Before the patient says one word, the doctor already has some idea of who this person is, clinically, simply by observing them.

A great doctor is one who can process a mix of medical knowledge with a personal sensitivity based on experience. The doctor of Complementary medicine specializes not just in inserting needles or prescribing herbal remedies, but in being able to see ‘hidden’ or subtle conditions that may not been seen or understood by practitioners of other types of medicine. This ability to see these hidden elements is difficult to master, and is done without the benefit of modern technology.

The only diagnostic tools used by doctors of Chinese medicine are the “Four Examinations”: Observing, Listening/Smelling, Questioning, and Palpating. This method of diagnosis dates back over 3,000 years, and although it may seem quite simple, it is far from simplistic. Each of the Four Examinations can take years to master, and the astute practitioner uses them to arrive at a differential diagnosis. With the advent of technology—as amazing, necessary, and beneficial as it is—there seems to be a direct correlation between advances in technology and a decline in doctor sensitivity to the patient, and thus, misdiagnosis. The ability to listen and observe clearly, yields gems that are clues to the cause of disease. This is the stuff of Complementary medicine.

Proper treatment in Complementary medicine is more than the elimination of the disease. In addition to attacking a factor that is contributing to the disease process, it is the responsibility of the doctor of Complementary medicine to support the individual in his or her goal of achieving overall total health, which includes the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the patient. This multidimensional approach is crucial to the process of healing. Without it, doctors are merely “chasing” the sickness and forgetting that the patient is much more than their disease. They are a whole person—the sum of a lifetime of experiences.

Pathologies are guests (and we hope temporary ones!) in a home that serves as a gracious host—our physical, emotional, and spiritual selves. Complementary medicine first is concerned with strengthening the immune function, which includes balancing the physical, emotional, and spiritual attributes of the patient, so as to be able to assist the patient in his or her endeavor to do battle and destroy the “enemy at the gates.” When people can’t sleep because they are anxious and depressed, they become chronically exhausted and chronically sick as a result of a compromised immune system.

The key to cure is to not view curing the disease itself as the be-all and end-all in treatment, but instead to treat the root of the disease—the anxiety and depression that causes the insomnia, which facilitates exhaustion, which lowers the immune function, which leads to chronic illnesses. So rather than prescribing antibiotics repeatedly, a doctor of Complementary medicine might address the patient’s anxiety/depression syndrome or refer them to a psychotherapist for appropriate intervention while simultaneously providing Complementary forms of treatment.

Infertility and Complementary Medicine: Mechanisms of Action

Historically, infertility—particularly “functional” infertility—was attributed to psychological problems of one or both partners. Preliminary works in the 1940s and 1950s considered “psychogenic infertility” as the major cause of failure to conceive in as many as 50% of cases. As recently as the late 1960s, it was commonly believed that reproductive failure was the result of psychological and emotional factors. Psychogenic infertility was supposed to occur because of unconscious anxiety about sexual feelings, ambivalence toward motherhood, unresolved Oedipal conflict, or conflicts of gender identity.

Fortunately, advances in reproductive endocrinology and medical technology, as well as in psychological research, have de-emphasized the significance of psychopathology as the basis of infertility. Stress does, however, play a part.

A study done at Harvard showed that stress reduces the hypothalamic-anterior-pituitary-ovarian axis function, and should thus be considered in the infertility workup. Acupuncture releases endorphins that mitigate one’s response to stressful stimuli, thus enhancing the possibility of conception. Biologically, since the hypothalamus regulates both stress responses as well as the sex hormones, it’s easy to see how stress may contribute to infertility in some women.

Excessive physical stress may even lead to complete suppression of

the menstrual cycle, and this is often seen in female marathon runners, who develop “runner’s amenorrhea.” In less severe cases, it could cause anovulation or irregular menstrual cycles. When activated by emotional stress, the pituitary gland also produces increased amounts of prolactin, and elevated levels of prolactin can contribute to irregular ovulation. The female reproductive tract contains stress-hormone receptors; stress can affect fertility.

However, more complex mechanisms may be at play, and researchers still don’t completely understand how stress interacts with the reproductive system. This is a story that is still unfolding, and during the last 20 years, the new field of psychoneuroimmunology has emerged. This field focuses on how your mind can affect your body. Research has shown that the brain produces special molecules called neuropeptides in response to emotions, and that these peptides can interact with every cell of the body, including those of the immune system. In this view, the mind and the body are not only connected, but inseparable, so that it is hardly surprising that stress can have a negative influence on fertility.

Stress can reduce sperm counts as well. Testicular biopsy specimens obtained from prisoners awaiting execution (who were obviously under extreme stress) revealed complete spermatogenetic arrest in all cases.

The stress factors that acupuncture addresses stems from both psychological and emotional factors as well as physical ones. For example, extremely painful premenstrual or mid-cycle pain can be debilitating. This type of physical stress no doubt produces emotional stress as a result of missed work, interference in activities, and the pain itself, which in turn can compromise the function of the reproductive system.

The hormone ACTH, which is released as a response to acupuncture needle stimuli, has an antiinflammatory effect that may improve fertility (for example, by improving tubal factor–based infertility as a response to pelvic inflammatory disease). In addition, the insertion of acupuncture needles has been shown to effectively increase blood circulation. Enhanced blood flow to the reproductive environment clearly improves pregnancy outcomes.

A Diagnostic Window: East Meets West

It is becoming more and more prevalent that research conducted by Western scientists and physicians are highlighting the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine. In an article published in the December 2002 issue of the medical journal Fertility and Sterility, the authors reviewed existing evidence regarding the role of acupuncture in the treatment of infertility, and identified a number of studies indicating that acupuncture can increase the success rates of infertility treatments, including IVF.

In a study conducted by Dr. Wolfgang Paulus (Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, Germany) and colleagues, half of a group of 160 women who were about to undergo IVF were randomly assigned to receive acupuncture therapy before and after embryo transfer. In the women who received acupuncture, the needles were placed at points believed to influence reproductive factors (for example, by improving blood flow to the uterus).

The acupuncture group had a higher rate of pregnancy compared with those not given acupuncture (43% versus 26%), suggesting that acupuncture can be used to improve pregnancy rates during IVF.

One alternative medicine diagnosis that exists which may be help to explain male or female infertility is called Liver qi stagnation. Key identifiers of an individual with this condition are anger, rage, frustration, depression, and anxiety.

Dr. Secondo Fassino (University School of Medicine, Turin, Italy) and colleagues recorded the personal characteristics of 156 infertile and 80 fertile couples, and measured their degree of psychopathology. When the researchers divided the couples according to the nature of the infertility—organic, functional, or undetermined—they found that anxiety, depression, and a tendency toward anger suppression could predict the diagnosis of organic or functional infertility in women with 97% accuracy. For infertile men, anxiety was also an important independent predictor of functional infertility, increasing the likelihood of having this form of infertility five-fold, while depression was more predictive of organic infertility. However, unlike in women, anger did not appear to influence infertility in men. These results suggest that, beyond the distress that accompanies the failure of repeated attempts to conceive a baby, psychological problems may contribute to functional infertility.

Herbal Medicine

The exact mechanisms of action of herbal medicine intervention are not, at this time, completely understood. However, herbal medicine has been used successfully to treat infertility for thousands of years.

Practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine rarely use a single herb in treatment. Chinese herbs are formula based; many herbs are mixed together to create the perfect ‘decoction’ specifically designed for the individual patient.

Some formulas contain two herbs and some thirty or more herbs. Each herb has many functions. Each herb has its own flavor, nature, temperature and trophism. Prescribing the correct herbal medicinals requires extensive training and clinical experience.

Self-medicating with herbal medicine presents a dual dilemma. At best the herbs will be useless, as the key to correct formula prescription is an accurate differential diagnosis that can only be rendered by a licensed, Board-Certified, experienced practitioner. In the worst case, self-prescribing of herbal medicine may prove harmful.

One should take herbs only when they’re prescribed by a Board-Certified herbalist. Not only is herbal medicine safe, it is highly effective and free of harmful side effects that often accompany pharmaceutical drugs. There are more than one million hospitalizations per year as a result of drug-induced side effects; not so with herbal medicine.

I have used herbal formulas for 11 years to successfully lower elevated FSH levels, to regulate irregular menstrual cycles, to mitigate pain in the endometriosis patient; to mitigate pain in the patient who presents with ovulation and/or menstruation-related migraines; to thicken an unresponsive endometrium; to treat the amenorrheic patient, the oligomenorrheic patient; to treat patients with partial tubal occlusion, and the patient with unexplained infertility. Additionally, I have had marked success with males who present with sperm abnormalities.

The Berkley Center’s Approach to Treating Fertility Challenges

The Berkley Center has formed an alliance with Batzofin Fertility Services under the directorship of Dr. Joel Batzofin, a Harvard trained reproductive endocrinologist. Dr Batzofin has twenty-five years of clinical experience under his belt. Dr. Batzofin views each and every patient as an individual and treats each and every patient with a precise, individualized protocol created specifically for their set of presenting signs and symptoms. He does not, as so many doctors do, use a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach to patient care. Dr. Batzofin also has what, unfortunately, in this day and age is frequently missing from the milieu of medicine: a warm, caring and compassionate approach. He spends time, answers questions and is always available and responsive to his patients. Dr. Batzofin views patients as people first. Dr. Batzofin also endorses acupuncture and herbal medicine under the care of Dr. Berkley. We are seeing excellent results utilizing our unique ‘East meets West’ approach to fertility enhancement.

Clearly, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of action of acupuncture and herbal medicine in treating the infertile patient. Nevertheless, it is my opinion, based on eleven years of clinical success that the best-case scenario for any infertility patient is to offer them every reasonable option which may serve to address their underlying condition. The integration of acupuncture and herbal medicine into the treatment protocol of the infertile patient, based on long-standing empirical evidence, makes sense.

For more information http://www.berkleycenter.com 877-965-BABY

Dr. Mike Berkley

Backache Pains

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:05:08 -0600

Hi Dr Q,

What can I take that's safe for backaches? I'm hoping that I'm pregnant, but haven't gotten a positive sign yet. I just don't want to risk it by taking something that will be bad for the baby.

Thanks,

Suzanne

Djin

are cough drops and medicine okay to take if your pregnant?

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:57:41 -0600

im not sure YET if I am or not but I have had the worse sore throat and earache in the world and I was wondering if cough drops would hurt the fetus if I was indeed pregnant? thanks!

LaurieH

NO CARBONATION? IS HE KIDDING?!!?

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:34:36 -0500

I went to see Blair Lewis last night, he is a PA as well as a homoeopathy guy and very cool I might add.

I went for 3 reasons, 1 to help me to get off the lexapro and be “normal” again as well as helping with infertility, which he specializes in. He said that 90% of the infertility people he sees are in fact helped by the homoeopathy stuff. And to help my son with ADHD and/or turrets.

Anyway, it was very very interesting while we were taking. He asked a bunch of questions, some very strange like what foods I crave and how I am when I am angry. At the end he found a “remedy” that he feels will help me. I forget what its called but when I get it later this week (in the mail) I will letcha know. He said that what I will be taking is something that lawyer ladies with infertility have. Stressful and driven people I guess.

He also found something for my son - he will be taking “fosforsus” except I cant spell it so it’s the mineral that sounds like what I typed! LOL!

The thing that he read about the people who take this sounds like it was written for my son, down to bites finger and toenails, hates orange juice, sudden nose bleeds and bruises easily. It was truly amazing as I listened to him read everything about my son. I am so hoping this will help. Eventually he will take nothing so thats cool too.

He told me that coffee was bad for this, which I thought I knew, but it isnt the caffeine - it’s the actual coffee bean that cancels out the “remedy” that you take... alright, I can cut the coffee I only have 1 cup a day anyway.... then he throws the BOMB at me! NO, I mean, NO carbonation!! WHAT?!!?!?! No more Diet Mt Dew???? He said that the carbonation messes with the CM.... thats one I had not heard b4. I asked what the heck im spose to drink then, lol.

I said “can I NEVER have a soda then” and he says “well, alright, on the kids 2nd bday you can treat yourself” lol, he is a smart and funny guy. :)

Im gonna drink myself silly till I get my remedy in about 5 days then cutting it off..... OMG, this is gonna be harder than stopping smoking!!!

Bear with me ladies, its gonna be rough!!!

chelsharmony

questions about mexican medications!

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:54:16 -0500

Hi I went to mexico to the doctor to find out why after 1 year and a half my husband and i have not been able to conceive. My periods started getting really irregular from what i have seen in the past year but i dont know if it is because i am so caught up in triying to get pregnant that i noticed or because it has always been! Any way the doctor prescribed 2 mg a day for ten days of luteral to get my period started then the 5th day of my period i have to take omifin (Which i am assuming is like clomid) 100mg a day for 5 days and rest for 4 days which are my fertile days i assume, and then start on luteral again for 10 days. he said that after taking the 10th pill of luteral i should get my period and if i dont it means i am pregnant! i am just scared that while i take the 10 pills if i am pregnant i would have been taking those pills while pregnant! I hope you understand and this is not too confusing!! Please help!!! thanks so much!

merlyrosales

comid

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:04:19 -0500

can I take comid after my monthly PMS or afater my monthly PMS on days 1-5?

Samantha

Decongestant During Pregnancy? (TMI)

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:50:20 -0500

I'm about 6 weeks. Please tell me what decongestant I can take because I'm dying. My nose is both stuffy and runny. Breathing sucks. My post nasal drip is pooling in my stomach and making me cough and making me more nauseous because I know it's in my stomach. I'm blowing and cough out all I can but I'm like drowning in snot and it's gross. I normally don't take medicine but the nettle tea is doing nothing for me and I need something like now.

Infertility Editorial

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:35:49 -0500

This past month, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) declared that "Infertility is a disease", marking the first time such a declaration is made by a medical society. This medical declaration may now push insurance companies to provide coverage for those who need it. Furthermore, by calling infertility a disease, we hope that public opinion will change for the better, so that people realize that having this condition maybe no different than having any other condition that may be temporary, such as a "broken bone"...

In addition, a new criteria was added to infertility, so that now it is no longer those who ttc for 12 or more months, but also those who are >35 y/o who have ttc for 6 months or more. Furthermore as many of you have seen me emphasize on this site, the ASRM committe has stated that "Earlier evaluation and treatment may be justified based on medical history and physical findings". An example of this are those who aren't ovulating require immediate diagnosis and treatment to ttc...

Recurrent Miscarriages were also classified "as a disease" by the committee, and the same applies to what I stated above. Those who have undergone two or more miscarriages have by definition this diagnosis, with each loss meriting careful review. "After three or more losses, a thorough evaluation is warranted". The ASRM committee did state that a pregnancy in this case is that of at least a clinical pregnancy, and/or one that was able to provide a specimen.

These appear to be steps in the right direction that will allow appropriate changes from all fascets of society (medical, insurance, perception). This acknowledgement of infertility we hope will provide prompt treatment to those who need it while making this journey a lot easier for everyone involved

Dr. Q

Dr. Q

pregnancy

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:26:30 -0500

can taking dollar general pain relief medicine affect my baby??

shellybug

Dr Q question about whilte spot on u/S on babies heart?

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:14:24 -0500

Could a recent intake of milk cause this..and does this sound right what this doc has told me?

The babies look great but for baby A they have found a little white spot on U/S on her heart. The Maternal Fetal Specialist says that this signifies that there is calcium that is being deposited in her heart.(notice i said her) Now this is no need for alarm. He said that my blood work came back excellent when I did the NT testing. He said the possibility for me having a baby with a defect it way lower than other 27 year olds. He says that women my age have a 1 in 800 chance of having a baby with defect. He combined with the U/s and the initial blood work I have the risk of 1 in 4000. He also told me to remember that this is a screening test not a diagnostic test and that i could do an amnio but it the risk would not out weigh the possibility of having a baby with a defect. He also said that my chances 1 in 4000 are like if i were 10 year old having a baby..so he said they are super low..he also said that he sees no other signs of any defects such as thick neck folds, fluid in the ventricle of the brain or fluid on the spine. He said that 99.9 % of these cases that they see turn out to be nothing and clears on its own and attribute it to a problem that the mom or dad had when they were younger. As he said this i remember that when i was in elementary school i had a heart issue where i had to where a heart monitor for 2 weeks and it cleared up on its own. and he said that that is most likely what it is..and my mom said this also..She said that i had an irregular heart beat and a murmur but it cleared with age. My Dr did not notice it unitl i was about 10 during a school physical..So i am not too concerend about this we will have another u/s in 4 weeks..but the maternal fetal Dr is has reassured me and i go to one of the best if not the best high risk pregnancy practice in the richmond, va area. Oh and i had a question I recently started drinking a glass of milk a day and they did not see this on my last U/S do you think this could be what the calcium came from?

FameraTwins!!

Ok while breastfeeding?

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:13:36 -0500

Are the following things safe while breastfeeding?

Benedryl

Tylenol Cold (both AM and PM)

Chamomile Tea

Green Tea

Aspirin

Unisom (not that I intend to take this ever! lol)

These are just the most common "drugs" I use, and I want to make sure they are safe.

Also.. my midwife's partner told me I should take 2 extra b-complex vitamins in addition to my prenatals. Is that really safe? Not too much for baby or anything? I know you cant' OD on them... but I want to make sure it won't hurt his tummy or anything.

Thanks!

Meghan

More Tired Than I Have Ever Been...

Mon, 26 May 2008 13:59:08 -0500

Hi Girls!

There is so much going on right now on here! So awesome!! New babies and IVF successes! Congrats to all!

Anyway...I did alot of meds this month and am taking prometrium (vaginal suppositories) 200 mg daily and these last two days especially, I am just so tired I can't hardly function.

Have any of you experienced this level of sleepiness? And did you find anything that helped?

I am not sure how many dpo I am? I did my hcg trigger shot on May 16th.

Thanks girls!

Much love and blessings to all!

Stephanie Beckner

Is it safe to take Airborne While Pregnant?

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:26:46 -0600

I typically take 3-4 tablets of airborne when i'm sick and i just got either a nasty cold or flu. Is it safe to take airborne even though it has high concentrations of vitamins? if not, is there something that i can take?

oliver12

Question for Dr.Q

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 11:44:54 -0600

Dr.Q-

I started Bromocriptine Mesylate tablets 2.5mg about 1 1/2 weeks ago for elevated levels of prolactin. I was wondering if this can effect my cycle with ovulation? Could it make me ovulate later than I normally would??

Thanks in advance for answering my questions Dr.Q!!!

Holly

FDA issues cold medicine health warning for babies.

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:50:00 -0600

hi everyone, thought I'd pass this along for the moms out there and future moms,

By Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.com

January 17 2008: 11:13 AM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The FDA warned parents not to give over-the-counter cold medicine to children under 2, because of "serious and potentially life-threatening side effects."

This warning affects drugmakers Johnson & Johnson (JNJ, Fortune 500), Wyeth (WYE, Fortune 500) and Novartis (NVS), but not by much, as over-the-counter medicine makes up just a sliver or those companies' sales.

For example, over-the-counter drugs make up less than one-tenth of Wyeth sales, and cold medicine for babies and toddlers make up a smaller fraction of those revenues. Also, the warning was expected, as the FDA has been investigating the use of cold medicine in children for some time.

"It reaffirms our voluntary recall in October," said Wyeth spokesman Doug Petkes. "We felt this was a way to reduce dosing errors, and overdosing in children, who we felt were the most vulnerable."

Les Funtleyder, analyst for Miller Tabak, said the sales impact on drugmakers is "limited."

"Higher value drugs and medical devices are more meaningful to sales than cold medicine," said Funtleyder. "I think more important issue here is not business, but public health. This will cause anxiety among parents because while there's a warning, there are no suggestions about alternate types of treatment or therapy."

The Food and Drug Administration said it was continuing to investigate the safety and effectiveness of over-the-counter cold medicine in children between the ages of 2 and 11.

Veronica

Can my doctor safely prescripe a medication for migraines during pregnancy?

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:50:29 -0600

Pre-pregancy I had migraines every 7-14 days. Up until friday, I hadn't had any. However, Friday I had a migraine, and Now, I've currently had another migraine since yesterday (Sunday) it's making me nauseas and exhausted feeling.

Tylenol isn't helping, and aspirin free excedrin makes me jittery, but doesn't touch the headache. I tried having my hubby massage my head and neck, but it made me so nauseas I had to make him stop.

If I were to talk to my doctor, is there anything she can give me to help that is relatively safe??

Meghan

Dr Q.. question about Tylenol Cold Medicine and Constricting blood vessels.

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:46:56 -0600

You said before taking Tylenol cold would be fine, as did my doctor, but when I went in to buy some the other day, the Pharmacist sort of chastised me for taking it, saying it constricts blood vessels, thus reducing blood flow to the placenta which can hinder development..

I only took one dose because that was all I needed.. I took it for three days straight in my first trimester when I was sick.. and just this once now.. is it really as dangerous as the pharmacist made it out to be?

Meghan

acupuncture when TTC

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 11:30:32 -0600

Anyone know anything about the success rate of acupuncture when TTC?

What do they do and how does it work? I am willing to try anything at this point.

chelsharmony