High FSH what can I do naturally?????

[n710]

Hi All,
I was actually on here quite a bit a year or so ago getting ready for my blue sway. I had 4 kids (1 boy, 3 girls) in 5 years so no trouble with fertility. Anyway, my youngest was 6 months and on our second attempt I found out I had high FSH. (18) Age35
Anyway, we did try two IUI cycles unmediated when my number was 10 or below and spent all the rest of the months trying on our own.
So my regular OBGYN recommended acupunture, but it's not in the budget, $65/session.
I did go though and she felt my pulse, checked my tongue and gave me herbs in pill form to try for the end part of my cycle. So I will start that this month, but I really want to try some other things too. Any advice for the high FSH???

I was taking wheatgrass tablets last summer/fall before our ttc, but stopped after a couple months when I learned about the high FSH and they really make things sound hopeless.

So, I am planning to add back the wheatgrass tablets,
Vitex (even though I am ttc blue-maybe it will help with FSH?)
and maybe bee pollen/royal jelly

I am already taking prenatal, Vit. D, CoQ10 (50mg), DHEA (10mg).

Also I have noticed my temps have been higher in the luteal phase (so higher progesterone?)
And the past 3 cycles, my temps have stayed high 3-4 days into my period. So it's like my progesterone isn't dropping off right away.

Anyone have that??? Is that normal? Is it part of high FSH???
Thank you to anyone who has any advice, etc?

[atomic sagebrush]

HI! So happy to hear from you!

Just giving it to you straight here, the best data we have indicates that FSH is kind of a set thing. There are herbs that appear to lower it, but they are probably masking the problem and not fixing anything. The good news is, you CAN get pg even with higher than normal FSH. But it requires patience and luck. Do whatever it takes to improve your egg quality and overall good health and then just TTC and await the "golden egg".

I would have you stay away from the vitex. I have not seen the best results with vitex for older moms - everything seems like it should work and be ok but then people don't get pg till they drop it. I would also not have you do DHEA unless yours has been tested and found to be low. If you don't need to take it, then DHEA can up testosterone at the expense of estrogen and that is not going to help you get pregnant. I don't love the RJBP either but that's because I don't think it's safe for people to take. I'd have you use a B complex or else brewer's yeast for B vitamins and be sure you're getting some good quality protein and healthy fat.

It can be a variant of normal for your temps to stay high a few days during AF. It's not that your prog is staying high, it's that your body hasn't had time for estrogen to rise and lower temps yet.

[n710]

Thanks AS, I can't tell you how much of an anchor you provide for people trying to navigate through all the info. and no info out there!

Would Maca root be helpful do you think? Or False Unicorn Root?

I know I read that in your boosting egg health essay along with the Vitex. Or do you think it would be too much like Vitex. Crazy because everything out there says Vitex can help with FSH, shorter cycles, etc.

How much B?
I am switching off btw One A Day and my prescription prenatals which have 3mg of B1, 3mg of B2, 15mg of B3, 20mg of B6, and 12mcg of B12

The One A Day have more in all B's except B6, which are lower (6mg)

I am a vegetarian, but definitely do 4 eggs/day, nuts and raisins every day and 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt in a shake in the am.
I will drop the DHEA, wasn't sure about it anyway which is why I only got got the 10mg.

Thank you for the tip about the high temps, with my cycles getting shorter and then that as well as actually having PMS now I haven't known what is going on other than my OBGYN just telling me that high FSH isn't normal at my age, but there is nothing I can do.
All of this has made me feel very middle age to old all of a sudden. I never knew something like infertility stuff could happen so quickly. My youngest DD was 6 months when I had the first high reading and now she is 18 months and before this I was always pregnant by my youngest's 1st birthday. I hope other women out there don't wait if it is something they will regret. It feels so sad to want another baby and not be able to have one.

[nuthinbutpink]

I would use DHEA. It has helped many of us in HT with high FSH. The ongoing study has women on 75 mg per day. It improves quality if it works. I don't see the harm in trying it at all

[atomic sagebrush]

I am not a fan of the Maca, I think it's a bit of an unknown for now and I know a couple people who had some weird stuff go down when they were taking it.

FUR is an endangered species and I don't think it does much anyway so I don't feel its use is justified when it is driving the plant to extinction.

perfect level of B's. I think those levels are much better than the megadose B's.

with vegetarian diet, some evidence indicates that may be best anyway.

With the DHEA, HT works different than natural cycles IMO because you need to keep ovulating on your own without medical intervention, so if something like DHEA can fudge up your natural ovulation (Google and there are lots of horror stories about this), it doesn't matter if you have better egg quality if you're not making enough estrogen to ovulate/sustain pregnancy. Additionally it may not be best for those with DOR. Here is a better explanation from Dr. Sher
DHEA and IVF: Harmful in Certain Cases | IVF Authority and some of the good stuff about DHEA is coming from people who are profiting on it (that doesn't mean it doesn't work!) Supplements, Part I: DHEA | the infertile chemist
and even most of the doctors who have studied it don't recommend taking it without dr supervision. DHEA: Ignore the Hype

I know we have seen good results for those doing HT but just for my way of thinking, something that works for HT doesn't necessarily translate to natural cycles.

[atomic sagebrush]

I am not a fan of the Maca, I think it's a bit of an unknown for now and I know a couple people who had some weird stuff go down when they were taking it.

FUR is an endangered species and I don't think it does much anyway so I don't feel its use is justified when it is driving the plant to extinction.

perfect level of B's. I think those levels are much better than the megadose B's.

with vegetarian diet, some evidence indicates that may be best anyway.

With the DHEA, HT works different than natural cycles IMO because you need to keep ovulating on your own without medical intervention, so if something like DHEA can fudge up your natural ovulation (Google and there are lots of horror stories about this), it doesn't matter if you have better egg quality if you're not making enough estrogen to ovulate/sustain pregnancy. Additionally it may not be best for those with DOR. Here is a better explanation from Dr. Sher
DHEA and IVF: Harmful in Certain Cases | IVF Authority and some of the good stuff about DHEA is coming from people who are profiting on it (that doesn't mean it doesn't work!) Supplements, Part I: DHEA | the infertile chemist
and even most of the doctors who have studied it don't recommend taking it without dr supervision. DHEA: Ignore the Hype

I know we have seen good results for those doing HT but just for my way of thinking, something that works for HT doesn't necessarily translate to natural cycles.

[n710]

Thanks AS! I am taking your advice on the DHEA. I think I need to not take things that affect hormones even though I must have an imbalance it seems as though you just have to get your body as healthy as possible and see if allows for a good egg.

I will be returning the Vitex and Maca, keeping and trying the Bee Propolis as I ordered that one online. I have been stung quite a bit in my lifetime, at least 15 times so don't think I am allergic.
Also, keeping the multi/prenatal, Vit D, CoQ10, Wheatgrass.

I am cutting down on my 30 Day Shred work out (been doing that for a couple years now) and doing more yoga and trying to meditate (easier said than done with all the kids

Maybe we can save for some acupuncture, but it looks like the regiment is once a week for that and $65 a time, just won't work out.

Are there teas I should be drinking?

Anyone know more about the Chinese herbs the acupuncturist has you take? Are there certain ones specific for the health of your endocrine/pituitary system?
After the herbal consult she put me on a relax combination supplement with
Dong Quai,
Ginger, Bai-zhu,
Chinese peony,
Bupleurum,
Chinese licorice,
Chinese mint.
I take it for the last week of my cycle into the first few days of a new cycle. Not sure if any of these things are red flags? Are these what others are given?

[The Anchor]

This is great advice atomic. I'm just going to add my 2 cents.

There is no use lowering your FSH. FSH is just an indicator of depleting ovarian reserve. So lowering it doesn't mean you are fixing anything. This comes straight from my RE.

My RE also recommended ubiquinol, which is the more bioavailable form of COQ10. It is basically recommended for anyone over 35.

STAY AWAY from vitex, maca, bee pollen and EPO. I am fairly sure that each one of those things completely messed up my normally perfect 26 day cycles. I should add that I WAS taking RJBP in honey when I got my boy...who was a OHW but like atomic says, it's just a combo of b-vitamins and some amino acids, not some magical elixir

I've been doing the acupuncture, every other week. I love it, but I'm still not pg. I was taking the dong quai and turmeric and some "warming" blend for yin (?). Two months ago I knocked out all supps (including chinese) except vit D, ubiquinol, prenatal, krill oil, folic, probiotics. This month I returned to my perfect cycle.

Good luck to you...

[n710]

Thanks Anchor! It is so helpful to hear others' advice and experience especially when you are not using fertility treatments. Everything I read online is about the injectables on low FSH months and IVF/IUI, follicles size, etc. We do have a few IUIs left that our insurance will cover, but it seemed too stressful going in for all the blood tests, monitoring, etc. (Not that is has worked on our own though) It feels like if the egg is a good one we'll be able to get pg. naturally w/out the IUI especially since we've already had kids. I just assume that we aren't because the egg hasn't been healthy enough yet. This has definitely been a change for us though having gotten pregnant the last 3 times on the first month we tried.

Can I ask if you think the RJBP screwed up your cycle as well? Do you think it is that strong of a thing?

Nothing is a sure thing, I have read so many stories about people doing acupuncture and getting pregnant in a couple months and then people doing it for years and nothing. It seems the ones that get pregnant probably would have w/out the acupuncture just happened to be their month. I guess the common thread seems to be get as healthy as possible, reduce stress, etc.
That makes a lot of sense about your RE said about the FSH. It is probably more impt. that you are still ovulating and that there is fluctuation in the number means you are not in menopause. Are you trying to do treatments then?

Why did you choose to stop the Chinese herbs? I am wondering the same, how long I should give them? The acupuncturist said I think a lot and I think there are supposed to help with that.

[The Anchor]

We are a lot alike

All three of my pregnancies were one hit wonders. I miscarried my third about a year ago and have been TTC ever since. We tried naturally for 6 cycles afterwards, then a couple of rounds of IVF (BFNs) and now I am back to trying naturally.

The RJBP didn't screw up my cycle when I was taking it to sway boy. That was a few years ago though, and I'm 41 now . I stopped taking everything because my cycles were suddenly WHACK, and I couldn't explain it. It is very possible that my age has something to do it...perimenopausal? Probably. I'm hoping that it's not all over for me. I just dropped everything to be on the safe side, IYKWIM.