Infertility Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Written by Blueheronclinic.com

Polycystic ovary syndrome (also known as PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting up to 10% of  women between the age of 12–45 years.  This disorder is thought to be one of the main causes of female infertility or subfertility.

The principal features are obesity, anovulation (resulting in irregular menstruation) or amenorrhea, acne, and excessive amounts or effects of androgenic (masculinizing) hormones.

For women diagnosed with this issue trying to get pregnant can be a difficult task. Options to resume natural ovulation include weight loss, hormonal drug therapy, IVF and alternative medicine treatments such as Acupuncture. 

The severity and symtoms of PCOS can vary greatly among women. While the causes are as yet unknown, insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity are all strongly related to anyone suffering from PCOS. 

 Symptoms of PCOS

• Menstrual issues- mostly oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea but other types of menstrual problems may be present.
• Infertility -  generally resulting from lack of ovulation e.g. absence of an egg for sperm to fertilize.
• Hirsutism - symptoms of hyperandrogenism, such as acne or hypermenorrhea.  Approximately three-fourths of patients with PCOS (by the diagnostic criteria of NIH/NICHD 1990) have evidence of hyperandrogenemia.
• Metabolic syndrome - this may be characterised by obesity, insulin resistance and other symptoms.

PCOS can manifest at any age during a woman's reproductive years, serum insulin, insulin resistance and homocysteine levels are significantly higher in women with PCOS

Infertility and PCOS

Not all women diagnosed with PCOS have difficulty getting pregnant. For those women who do, anovulation is usually a major cause cause of not concieving.  The occurence of ovulation may indicate the woman is not infertile it does not rule out infertility by other causes related to polycystic ovary syndrome.

For overweight women with PCOS, who are anovulatory, diet adjustments and weight loss are critical for with resumption of natural ovulation function.

Woman who after weightloss still are anovulatory clomiphene citrate (Clomid) and FSH are the principal medical treatments used to help infertility. For patients who do not respond to clomiphene, diet and lifestyle modification, there are other options available including assisted reproductive technology procedures such as controlled ovarian hyperstimulation using follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) injections then followed by in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

Though surgery is not usually an option, a wonam's polycystic ovaries can be treated with a laparoscopic procedure called "ovarian drilling", which often results in either resumption of normal ovulation or ovulations after medical treatment with clomid or FSH.

Acupuncture and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

In a recent study of 20 women suffering from PCOS, researchers discovered that 16 weeks of acupuncture therapy led to regulated menstrual cycles and reduced levels of testosterone.

This study also showed that electro-acupuncture also calmed the women's sympathetic nerve activity which is thought to arise from elevated testosterone levels.

Another study listed on PubMed.gov states the following: "Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment to PCOS as the adverse effects of pharmacologic interventions are not expected by women with PCOS. Acupuncture therapy may have a role in PCOS by: increasing of blood flow to the ovaries, reducing of ovarian volume and the number of ovarian cysts, controlling hyperglycaemia through increasing insulin sensitivity and decreasing blood glucose and insulin levels, reducing cortisol levels and assisting in weight loss and anorexia. However, well-designed, randomised controlled trials are needed to elucidate the true effect of acupuncture on PCOS." 

 Medical Management of  PCOS

Medical treatment of PCOS is tailored to the patient's requirements consisting of:

• Lowering  insulin levels
• Restoration of fertility
• Treatment of hirsutism or acne

In each of these areas, there is considerable debate as to the correct treatment. One of the major reasons for this is the lack of large scale clinical trials comparing different treatments. Smaller trials tend to be less reliable and hence may produce conflicting results.

General interventions that help patients to reduce weight or insulin resistance can be helpful for all these aims, because they do address what is currently believed to be the underlying cause.

Your Diet & PCOS

When PCOS is associated with obesity, successful weight loss is considered to be the most effective method of restoring normal ovulation/menstruation, but unfortunately many women find it very difficult to sustain significant weight loss. Low-carbohydrate diets (e.g. the cave man diet) and sustained regular exercise may help. Many experts recommend a low GI diet in which a major part of carbohydrate requirements are obtained from fruits, vegetables and natural whole grain sources.

Foods to Avoid

• Sweets - Refined sugar causes elevated insulin levels. This means that sugary desserts and candies, along with ice cream, cookies and sweet baked goods should be avoided for women with PCOS issues.
• Beverages - Soda's and sports drinks are very high in sugar and, like sweets, should be avoided. In addition, fruit juices that contain added sugar should be minimized. Substitute wth water next time you are thirsty to avoid affecting your insulin levels.
• Processed Grains - White bread is considered the worst of the processed grains and it is another food that will increase insulin resistance. Women with PCOS should try to avoid eating white bread.
• Refined Carbohydrates - White rice and pastas are the bad boys of refined carbohydrates which elevate insulin levels, you should replace foods such as these with those made from complex, unrefined carbohydratess, such as brown rice or whole-grain pasta.

The Blue Heron Clinic uses Acupuncture and Fertilty Products to treat women with PCOS who are suffering from infertility.