Your Doctor May Not Want You To Take Chinese Herbs. Do you know the reasons Why?
In the world today, Female Infertility rates are at 30-40%. We have Male Infertility rates at 30%. The rest of couples have Unexplained Infertility.
Taking steps to assist and improve your fertility is well worth it. So Why wouldn’t you try anything and everything to help if you wanted to try naturally? Lets take a look at why Doctor's are cautious around herbs.
Infertility іn women іѕ often found tо bе associated wіth medical conditions, like endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, problems wіth ovulation, fallopian tube damage, poor egg quality, and more.
So let’s be clear - If there is structural damage to the reproductive tract, this is something Chinese Herbs cannot influence.
In the case of Endometriosis, PCOS, Fibroids, Poor Ovulation and Poor Egg Quality, Chinese Medicine has a scope to help these women! Herbs can regulate hormones and improve fertility.
Even with Male Infertility - Improving Sperm Count is a positive and useful strategy that Chinese Medicine can assist with.
The reasons why your Doctor may not want you to try Herbs is because:
- They think there is No Evidence
They see no evidence to support Herbal Medicine influencing Fertility in any way.
Solution: What they may not know is that there is scientific research to support the use of some herbs in fertility cases.
Here are some examples:
- Oocyte quality improvement using a herbal medicine comprising 7 crude drugs
- Acupuncture and Chinese herbal treatment for women undergoing intrauterine insemination
- Effects of Chinese Medicines for Tonifying the Kidney on DNMT1 Protein Expression in Endometrium of Infertile Women During Implantation Period
- Clinical Observation of Chinese Medicine Treatment on Secondary Dysmenorrhoea Associated with Endometriosis
And there are more research reviews to explore if you click here.
There are more an more clinical trials happening all around the world on Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and its effect on Fertility, Pregnancy and Women's Health.
- Drug Interactions
They may also be concerned if you’re already on medication or fertility drugs that herbs will upset the balance and they call this Drug Interactions.
Solution: Working with a registered or Licensed Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner means they are fully qualified to prescribe herbs. They also understand the drug interactions and have access to specific information about which herbs interact with drugs. They would then prescribe a formula without these cautioned herbs.
- Do they know what they’re doing?
Doctor’s aren’t that familiar with The Complementary Medicine Industry.
Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine is a 4 year Bachelor of Health Science degree at University. So Registered Practitioners have been given very thorough training.
These days, Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine is also registered in Australia. This means Registered Practitioners are accountable to National Law and the Government about how they practice. It pretty much means you, the public, are protected by law. So a fully qualified, registered practitioner would only want to help you, not hurt you if their reputation is at stake.
Solution: Yes, they know what they're doing if they’re a registered Practitioner.
Find a registered practitioner through AHPRA here. Or if you're on Sydney's Northern Beaches, email me here at info@springfertility.com.au
7 Bonus Tips about Taking Chinese Herbal Medicine:
- Fully Qualified - Approach а Registered Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner fоr instructions tо assisting infertility wіth Chinese herbs.
- Drug Interactions with IVF - As a rule of thumb, I don’t prescribe herbs when someone is actively taking fertility drugs such as IVF. We don’t want to overwhelm the body, nor there be any drug interaction with the herbs. What this means is between egg collection & Embryo transfer, there may be an opportunity for you to take herbs for those 5 days between. My rule is either you’re taking the fertility drugs or the herbs but not both simultaneously.
- Other Meds & Drug Interactions - A Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner needs to check any prior medication you’re on to ensure no Drug Interaction. There are practitioner resources I can access to double check for any pharmacological drug interactions.
- The aim is for the Herbs to HELP you, not hinder you, so full disclosure of medication history is required on your part to a Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner.
- Full Disclosure the other way is also appreciated. Tell your doctor that you are taking Chinese Herbs and what for. Heck, even take the bottle or packet of herbs in to show them! Everything that is TGA approved must be labelled with ingredients. Communication between the Doctor and the Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner should be welcomed as well.
- Ultimately, YOU have a choice. All I'm saying is if you are aware of your medications and have clarified that with your TCM Practitioner, then a Doctor's disapproving looks shouldn't deter you from trying Chinese Herbs.
- No medications? - Even better! Take the Chinese Herbs as prescribed by your Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner's instructions and begin to look for any changes in your health & wellbeing.
So don't be afraid of Chinese Herbs. When used properly and with proper therapeutic rationale, Herbs will be a great addition to your Fertility Plans. If you conceive, then it will have all been worth it. If you're taking herbs to manage stress, help you sleep or simply regulate hormones, then it all contributes to that outcome you ultimately want - a healthy baby.
