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There are so many different avenues people use to treat their PCOS when conventional medicine doesn't provide the answers and solutions needed. Before talking about the avenues I've explored to treat my PCOS, Recurrent Miscarriage and Infertility, I wanted to point out that working with your Doctor/ GP/ Specialist is always of the utmost importance when it comes to exploring other avenues alongside your medical treatments... it is really important to let your healthcare provider know exactly what your are thinking about trying and doing before commencing any new treatment to make sure it is safe.
The other point I wanted to make is that if you are experiencing any issues with PCOS, miscarriage, or infertility it is helpful to get a referral to consult with a well regarded specialist in that particular field first as there are many test and scans that they can do to find a reason for your health concerns. When I first went to see my fertility specialist she ran a huge amount of blood tests and screens for many things from insulin resistance, thyroid function to blood clotting factors, lupus etc... I also had internal examinations and ultrasounds to investigate the structure of my reproductive organs.
When my testing was complete and the reason for my recurrent miscarriage unexplained I decided to try complimentary therapies to see if they could provide some solutions alongside my conventional treatments. Over this journey I have become an avid participator in the online fertility world, as we all do from time to time, and have learned about different methods and treatments used around the world.
The first was vitamin supplementation for PCOS. I remember watching a Youtube vlog a while ago where a fellow PCOS "cyster" talked about vitamin D and that her doctor had found many women with the condition are found to be low in the sunshine vitamin, so I immediately got tested in my doctors office and sure enough I was low. From then on I started supplementing and trying to go get as much exposure to the sun as possible... all my BFP's have been achieved after my levels rose, my cycles have become more frequent, albeit still very long compared those without PCOS, but I would definitely say that for me this has made a marked improvement. My doctors don't seem to say much when I talk about the improvements I see after having taken Vitamin D so I don't think there is anecdotal evidence to say that it helps necessarily, just so you know. If you are thinking about trying Vit D, it is important to get your levels checked first and then follow the advice of your Dr. regarding the kind of supplement needed and the safe levels to take as too much Vit D can be harmful.
I did consult with a Naturopath once, as I had heard there are many useful treatments out their to combat reproductive issues. I haven't revisited this option as yet which could have been due to the person I saw or the way I was feeling at the time, I did get a host of vitamins and supplements during that consultation that are still sitting in my cupboard... I got a little scared about the idea of bombarding my body with too many things at once and I chickened out... the Naturopath also felt I needed 6 months to sort myself out with supplements and I was due to start Clomid the next week - I got my BFP the next month but miscarriage again at 9 weeks so perhaps she was right or perhaps it was a coincidence - who knows?. This may be something I think about re visiting next year.
Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture is something I have been doing for the last 10 weeks. I started just after my last miscarriage in desperation to try something new in the hope that it would be our ticket to success. The clinic I visit specializes in reproductive health including IVF support which I felt was important. I can't say I have found its changed my life but I do feel better, less anxious, happier and more relaxed which I attribute to my weekly sessions. I stopped taking the herbs as instructed by my fertility specialist but will continue with acupuncture after any future BFP's to support and increase blood flow. My cycles haven't become normal through this treatment but I am 12 weeks post miscarriage and have had two D&C's so I wasn't expecting too much this early on.
I have also found walking for 30 minutes each day has been a nice way to relax and hopefully strengthen my reproductive health and I will continue to do this throughout my next treatment cycle and beyond. Diet reform has also been a huge plus with dealing with my PCOS see here for a run down.
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