Do you have unexplained infertility?
Have you had some kind of blood test/treatment/procedure or taken some kind of supplement/vitamin/shady internet herbal tea that helped you diagnose or improve your issues?
If this sounds like you, then please leave a comment below! My insurance is currently being super accepting of all of this testing I keep asking for, so I am willing to have just about any and everything done to explain my unexplained infertility.
I mean hey – why not, right?
Here’s a brief rundown of what we’ve tried so far:
2009:
- Natural cycles… hahaha…
2010:
- Thyroid blood work – normal
- Thyroid u/s – normalHSG – tubes open and clear
- Semen analysis – normal on all counts
- Clomid (TI, no u/s monitoring) – ovulation confirmed w/blood work
- EPO + baby aspirin – umm… yeah. I was an uninformed victim of Dr. Google.
2011:
- CD3 E2, LH, FSH – all normal
- CD21 Progesterone – good
- Antral Follicle Count – good
- Femara + Ovidrel (TI, u/s monitoring) – respond well
2012:
- Semen analysis – low morphology (2%)
- Clomid + Novarel (IUI x4) – respond well
- Femara + Menopur + Ovidrel – respond well
- (BFP, MMC at 9wks)
- Chiropractic & massage
2013:
- Repeat semen analysis – all great, morphology up from 2% to 12%
- AMH tested – low-normal (2.5)
- Thyriod – low-normal (.80)
Scheduled tests for next week:
- Vitamin D3
- DHEA
- Planning to ask for a full thyroid panel at PCP visit on Tuesday…
I swear I’m not a whack-job.
I just love this community, and trust that many of you have tried things I haven’t. I’m willing to consider and research many options, so please feel free to suggest away. If I have to be reduced to a reproductive science experiment, I might as well be an online public guinea pig, too. 😉
Thanks, friends!
Just Stop Trying and It Will Happen... 
Well, I haven’t been in the game as long as you. But I recently started TCM. (Traditional Chinese Medicine.) Had 3 sessions of acupuncture so far (4th tomorrow) and just started today with my herbs. I never thought I would be able to do acupuncture, since I am a major wuss with needles. But…maybe I’m becoming a bit of a grown up? Going to see fertility specialist on Valentine’s Day. How romantic…
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I just made my first acupuncture appointment, so we’ll see how that goes!
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Awesome, good luck!
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I never found out the answers as to why my cycles were whacko but my DH did have issues.
While we were TTC before DH issues were known. I did 8 cycles of duphston, 2 cycles of clomid unmonitored. I think went on to Vitex – bought online. My cycles became somewhat regular and I became pregnant. I took Vitex for 10 months or there abouts.
My DH went through alot of testing ad 10 months of antibiotcis and supplements, He was suppose to go back for a review on how things worked out in Jan of 2012 but we found out in Dec ’11 I was expecting. My conclusion at one could swim!
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I have the husband taking a multi along with zinc and vitamin C. His numbers seem to be great, though, so hopefully I can do something to improve myself!
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I did 6 mos of acupuncture before RE- but couldn’t afford to do both. Now I take CoQ10, Zinc, PreNatal and DHA, Femenessence (Maca)[ from AF to O] and Royal Jelly. Also drink FertilTea from AF to O. I try to get a massage at least once a month. I’m giving serious consideration to Chinese Herbs as the next step bc we can’t afford anything beyond IUI
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I really need to get a massage more often… I think the acupuncture place also does massage, so maybe I can incorporate the two. Thanks! 🙂
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Have you not had a lap to check for endometriosis? Sometimes it is asymptomatic. Had I not had laps, I would be unexplained, because all my tests (and dh’s tests) came back normal.
Just a thought.
sorry that its such a struggle. ((Hugs))
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I agree with Anna. Has your RE mentioned laproscopy to take a look around inside? Mine did and found some scare tissue on an ovary from a past cyst. Now I didn’t get pregnant after that was removed but I was ‘older’ also.
Good Luck!! And try to keep your head up. You’re going to be OK 🙂
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I’m agreeing with previous commenters about the lap for endometriosis, and acupuncture. I’m starting acupuncture my next cycle, and going for a consult for the lap if my next experiment (progesterone and clomid) is unsuccessful. With one pregnancy, I conceived after a 21-day raw vegan juice cleanse (Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr), the idea being to alkalinize the body. Maybe it worked, but I miscarried at week 10. I had also been walking a lot. Maybe have your B vitamins checked — I’ve been extremely low on b12 in the past. Have you and your husband had karyotype testing for chromosomal issues? Might be worth a shot. Good luck!!
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I’m giving some serious consideration to the lap, ladies! There are two suspicions I have that make me think this would be useful: One is that I have so many digestive issues when AF is in town, it makes me wonder if endo is at fault.
The other reason is that many ultrasounds I’ve had show some shadowy area near one of my ovaries. Every tech always says it just looks like debris from an old cyst, but wouldn’t that go away? Maybe it’s scar tissue…
I’m planning to talk to the doc about this soon!!
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all of my level look normal during the process, but I was still given metformin,
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damn phone. Also progesterone suppositories and injectable follicle stimulating hormone.
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I’ve done the injects and progesterone, and will do them at least one more time… I haven’t taken metformin, but my PCP tried to throw it at me the other day. I don’t think she knows what she’s talking about, lol.
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It’s a lot of trial and error! 😦
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Well, my IF is unexplained, but I don’t ovulate on my own so really it isn’t technically unexplained expect for the fact that they don’t know WHY I don’t ovulate naturally (all hormone levels appear normal on western tests, no PCOS, etc.). The only things I’ve tried that you haven’t already are acupuncture along with Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal decoctions and Royal Jelly & EPO. I did several months of acu & TCM herbs without any western treatments after I burnt myself out on Clomid (f that drug!). Without Clomid or Femara (and sometimes even with these drugs) I don’t ovulate or cycle regularly and acu/TCM herbs were able to regulate my cycle down to 32-37 or so days, really nothing short of a miracle. Also the acupuncture generally helped me calm down and work through some of the grief from my miscarriage (BFP resulting from Clomid cycle #3). That said, after several months of those treatments I got antsy and decided to start western treatments again. I opted for one last round of Clomid (#5, plus 4 rounds of Femara) before moving onto IVF. That cycle I also added EPO and Royal Jelly daily from menses to ovulation. Sure enough it was the one. I’m thinking that our success was due largely to having several months of acu & herbs that balanced out my hormones, then the Clomid & supplements gave my sad, underperforming ovaries the final boost they needed to make the lucky follicle that became the baby I’m soon to meet. 🙂
Good luck! I hope your insurance will cover a lap or some other testing that will yield answers.
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Your story gives me so much hope!! I’m going to just keep trying, and I did make my appointment for for acupuncture. They also do TCM, so maybe I’ll give that a shot, too.
Thanks, friend!! 🙂
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I also vote for acupuncture and herbs from a certified TCM! Lots of issues that are ‘unexplained’ by western medicine can be resolved with TCM. It reversed my thyroid issue, and has helped two friends conceive. It can also help IMMENSELY with side effects of clomid and other treatments if you do them at the same time. Its great because it works with your body and its desire to be in balance, and not against your system.. in other words, you will feel less like a science experiment! Good luck!!
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I’m on board with acupuncture, and I’m open-minded about TCM! We shall see! 🙂
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Have you tried changing your diet to organics and whole foods? I hope I don’t get you upset by suggesting such as I’m sure you’ve tried just about everything but I know that diet plays a major role in fertility. There’s a great book by Food Renegade coming out soon (you can pre order on Amazon) called Beautiful Babies and in it the author talks about other cultures and what their diets are like and why they are so fertile.
Believe me, I understand your struggle. I was there for a long time and I somehow managed to get pregnant but I have had alot of health issues to go along with it. I think if I had changed my diet drastically a long time ago I might not have dealt with infertility and the issues I have now. I just know we all run to science and doctors for so much and sometimes they just don’t have the answers that we are overlooking. God bless and I’m praying you get your rainbow baby soon! I’m so sorry for all that you have and are going through!
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I’ve been working on my diet for a couple of months. We’re pretty healthy as it is, but I successfully cut all caffeine and refined sugars. We don’t eat much processed food, and I buy organic when I can. I’ll have to check out that book! Thank you!! 🙂
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I did acupuncture for the 2 years we tried, she helped regulate my cycles and it definitely helps with stress. She put me on a bunch of chinese herbs, but taking about 20 pills a day ran a bit tiring, so I stopped on my own. After my miscarriage a year ago, they tested my hormone levels and my progesterone was LOW and something else was low. So, I took to the interwebs and self “medicated”, I bought progesterone cream and took Maca. I didn’t do straight maca, but a blend with other herbs from Whole Foods. It’s called Femmenessence Macaharmony. I got pregnanat 1 month later after using the maca. I also incorporated glowing green smoothies (Kimberly Snyder receipe). We also put a time limit on it, but I think that caused more stress, but it gave me a definite end date and I started accepting, it just may not happen for us. Not sure if anyone thing helped, but something did…
I keep hoping for you and your desires are fullfilled!
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I may have mentioned this before (I apologize if I did) Down here (Ar.gentina) it’s protocol to have exploratory laparoscopic surgery to search for scar tissue/ mild endometriosis. I was ‘unexplained’ till I had it (I had very mild endo) I was pregnant THREE MONTHS AFTER THAT!! (I’d lost 4 precious years with a quack). Hope it helps!! ❤
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Thank you all so much for your comments and suggestions!!
Here’s what I’ve put into place since writing this post:
I had my vitamin D tested – awaiting results.
I had my thyroid panel done (minus the antibodies because doc didn’t want to do that?) – awaiting results.
I had my DHEA tested – awaiting results.
I made an appointment for fertility acupuncture – two weeks from now.
I know that many of you asked about a laparoscopy, and no, I haven’t had one. I am planning to ask about it, but I don’t think my doc wants to. I can always get a referral to a surgeon, but we’ll cross that bridge when and if we come to it.
Thank you all again, and I’ll update when I know more!
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After reading Alice Domar’s book I have started to try to meditate. Not on a daily basis, but a few times a week. I plan on ordering Circle and Bloom IVF soon.
I also started fertility acupuncture last week.
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