 Artical regarding infertility prescriotions and alternative treatments
I read the below article today and thought maybe some of you might find it a bit interesting. Neither alternative nor prescriptive meds alone worked for me but the combination was the reason I am now able to conceive. The article mentions that many doctors basically overlook alternative treatments patients are doing even though its chart documented. I must say I found that to be true. I used a combination of alternatives with script and for me my nurse only wrote down the script meds I was on. So in my case the alt. tx. never even made it to my chart.
Infertile couples often use alternative medicine By Megan Rauscher
Mon Mar 12, 10:15 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Alternative medicines and therapies such as herbs, chiropractic care, and acupuncture, are widely used by couples seeking treatment for infertility, often in conjunction with prescription medicine, a study shows -- and the fertility specialist is often unaware of it.
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It's possible that these therapies may interact with each other and impact the odds of a woman becoming pregnant, experts say, as the safety and efficacy of complementary medicines used to treat infertility or in conjunction with established treatments is unclear.
Dr. Marcin Stankiewicz, a fertility specialist at Flinders Medical Center, Bedford Park, South Australia, said it's important to "tell your doctor/fertility specialist" about complementary medicine use. "Ask about ingredients and interactions with other drugs as well as safety."
In a survey of 97 new patients being seen at an infertility clinic, reported in the Australia & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stankiewicz and colleagues discovered that two-thirds reported using complementary medicine.
Nearly half of them said they had consulted with a complementary therapy provider, such as a chiropractor, acupuncturist, or naturopath.
Over three-quarters of the patients reported taking over-the-counter multivitamins, and about a quarter to one-third used herbal remedies including chamomile, echinacea, peppermint, and chaste tree berry.
It's been shown that the hormonal effects of chaste tree berry may promote the development of a serious condition called "ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome" in women having in vitro fertilization, Stankiewicz pointed out.
Use of complementary medicines and therapies declined 6 months after the initial visit to the infertility clinic, a follow up survey showed.
Only 29 percent of those surveyed at the infertility clinic said they talked to their doctor about their use of complementary medicine. In addition, a review of 200 patient records at the same clinic showed that use of complementary medicine was "poorly documented by clinical staff."
Better documentation, Stankiewicz said in a statement, "may contribute to identifying any positive or negative effects it (alternative medicine) has on fertility outcomes."
SOURCE: Australia & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, April 2007. | 
