Intro & Question (Living Child Mentioned)

cmhawkins1709

Hi, I'm Chelsea. I'm a 24 year old--Long story short, we've been married since Oct 17th, 2009, I have PCOS, HX of Endo, M/C in Jan 2011 and 1 DD by Clomid born last year on January 30th. DH and I recently got a surprise (surprise because we'd been told we could never get pregnant without Clomid/assistive measures!) BFP on February 6th this year, and later miscarried on the 15th of February (Chemical Pregnancy). We are going to try all natural measures to conceive before delving back into more advanced measures, and are stacking up on supplements. DH has low motility and is on Zinc, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, B12 & Omegas for overall health and sperm quality/quantity. I am currently on Prenatals only but was exploring other options such as Chasteberry, Black Cohosh, Melatonin, Maca, and Coenzyme Q 10. Can any of you ladies lend advice on any of these, and success stories you've heard of related to them? I'm just trying to figure out what to take and how much of each to improve our chances. I wasn't sure where this post belonged, really...we're TTCAL, so I thought this board might be okay. If I'm in the wrong place, can someone please (KINDLY) point me in the right direction? I would appreciate it a ton! Thank you.

almostamissus

Sorry for your loss. I hope you are able to find success in trying naturally. I went through your list and there's only a couple that I know of or have researched.
My re only recommends coq10 for AMA so I'm not taking it. And when I looked into black cohosh there was a lot of question about wether or not it causes severe liver damage- so I stayed away from that one. The other thing my re mentioned was to make sure dh's multivitamin isn't full of iron. Apparently too much iron can be a problem for sperm production in men.

The other supplement I've had actual success with is soy isoflavones. You can pick them up at gnc. They function as a weaker version of clomid- both are SERM. Soy won't thin your lining though. You take it in the same way as clomid (ie cd5-9). And it is dangerous to take it if you have any thyroid problems. I discussed it with my re and it's something she finds "very interesting" she also said that while there is no evidence to suggest it works, that she has- antecdotally- seen a few women in her practice have success with it.
If you're going to try it, I'd recommend thoroughly researching it as I firmly believe most natural supplements are no different than px drugs.
*** eta: the soy worked to give me a bfp after 12 unsuccessful cycles, but obv it did end in mc

cmhawkins1709

@almostamissus: Thank you for your advice. I will be sure to check into the soy isoflavones. I have never heard of them, or anything that worked like Clomid that was natural! Also, I'm very sorry for your loss. GL2U in attaining your rainbow!

@EurydiceNymph: Thank you. It's a tough road, I hate it that we're all having to travel it. I may see if I can tolerate looking into the PGAL board for advice.

@wickedsugar: I was not intending to "dictate" to anyone...I mean, obviously, if someone is going to be hateful or rude or condescending in a post, they're going to do it; doesn't matter what I say, because my words have no magic effect. But FYI, I was putting a word emphasis on "Kindly" rather than commanding people to respond kindly. It's a thing I do in my head, I guess. I emphasize certain words in sentences when I'm frustrated or have been looking for an answer for a while, and it translates to CAPS in a sentence when I type. I have also already spoken to my doctor and got the general response that supplements are not FDA regulated and should be taken with a grain of salt because success stories are anecdotal. Sorry if my question offended you in any way. I understand we can all be a bit touchy when it comes to our losses. 

PinkCamino

Always speak with your doctor before taking anything, vitamin or not.

I'm sorry for your loss. Good luck.

almostamissus

@cmhawkins1709
Thanks for the luck, I will take all I can get!! I came across them by googling "natural clomid" on a whim. Haha! There's a recent study on mice (Apr 2013) which shows promising results using them for fertility. If you have questions, send me a pm- I'm just starting them again today.
Hope you get your rainbow quickly!

rmpar29

I'm very sorry for your loss.  I do not have any advice on supplements, but definitely talk to your doctor before talking anything.  I hope your stay here is short. (((HUGS)))

taberbtb

I am sorry for your loss. I don't have any experience with the supplements you have mentioned, but I think PPs gave you some great advice. I wouldn't recommend starting any supplements without 1.First discussing it with your doctor. Only they know your history and what is best for you and 2.Doing your own research. Please don't just start taking something because one person on the internet told you they do and it worked for them.

Frenchteachermama

So sorry for your loss, no advice on the supplements.  Welcome to the board, hope your stay here is short! 

alm288

No advice here - I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you doctor can help you. Welcome!

peggels24

I'm sorry for your loss.  Welcome to the board.

gscoville

mlal78 said:

I am sorry for your loss, welcome.
I am taking metformin, prenatal and I just added vitamin d.  I would talk to your dr before going whole hog on a bunch of different supplements, and make sure you do your research too.

Some of them are only to be taken during certain phases of your cycle.  I would recommend doing a lot of research about the soy before thinking about taking them.  I have heard that they can really mess negatively with your cycle, something about the higher levels of estrogen.

I know that a couple of graduates had some bad stories about it.

I'm sorry for your loss, OP.  I totally concur with all of the above, especially the bolded.  So often people try to self-medicate but only end up doing more harm than good.  Honestly, you've got quite a list of things you want to try there, I'd caution strongly against diving into so many, not to mention thinking that throwing a bunch of herbs and supplements into your body is going to magically lead to success. If it was really as easy as that, we'd all have our rainbows by now.  Unfortunately there is no cure-all.  Of course, some things can help with certain conditions, but you have to know exactly what you're treating and what might help that specific function in order to get the right mix - and then do your research to make sure one thing you're taking isn't going to react with or counteract another thing you're taking.  More is definitely not always better.

almostamissus

I just want to concur with all these ladies who say you need to clear any supplements with your doctor. I know that I tried soy and it worked, but it definitely could be a coincidence.
Also. I spent a FULL two months researching the sh*t out of them, AND talked it over with my gp and my Re.

I'm going to say it again for emphasis-
supplements are NO different than prescription drugs. Many, many pharmaceuticals are plant based.

libby+nate

I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't take anything other than food based prenatal and Nordic natural Dha supplements. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything you have faced and I hope it works out naturally for you like you want