Case Study – PCOS/Infertility
POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME AND INFERTILITY
One of the most heart-breaking conditions is infertility. The story is all too common.
A young couple is excited to have their first baby, and month after month, the test is negative. Or, as in this case, they achieve pregnancy, only to feel the heartbreak of miscarriage. This couple’s hearts were broken by two miscarriages before calling True Health.
They made an appointment at a fertility clinic, which is the ‘first stop’ for most heart-broken couples. I’m not sure why they decided to trust nature to heal. Perhaps they read this study. It says that plants work twice as well as pharmaceuticals for infertility.
Doctors in Australia performed a literature review and found 40 double blind clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of plants for treating infertility. Nature was effective 60% of the time, while Western Medicine was effective 33% of the time.
So far, Dr. Stone and True Health have been effective 100% of the time.
By choosing Nature, this couple not only got their wish, Momma also experienced the “side effects” of natural medicine, health and healing.
HISTORY: Momma’s cycles had been irregular and when they happened, the cramping was severe. Three years ago, she had been diagnosed with PCOS and prescribed birth control pills as her treatment plan.
When the young couple decided to have a baby, birth control pills weren’t an option for her pain.
She rated her energy levels as two out of ten, and she suffered with frequent insomnia. She also had severe back pain that started after a fall years ago, which was finally concluded to be a ‘permanent injury’ by her doctor. (We’ll see about that!)
LABS: We ran a full system lab plus a female hormonal panel both at day 7 (peak estrogen phase), and day 21 (peak progesterone phase) and an adrenal hormone panel (24 hour). The point of the testing was to evaluate the domino effect of hormones during a female cycle.
During the first half of the cycle, a gradual increase in estrogen signals to the ovaries to release an egg…so if the estrogen peak is too low…no signal and no egg. In the second half of the cycle, progesterone gradually increases to thicken the lining of the uterus in preparation for implantation…so if the progesterone is too low…no warm, cozy home for the baby, often the cause of miscarriage.
We discovered that her progesterone levels were very low on day 21 (19, with a minimum of 65 needed to nourish the uterine lining sufficiently enough to make a safe home). Fertilization occurred, but the fertilized egg could not implant and/or survive in the undernourished uterine lining.
Why was she not producing progesterone normally!?
Your adrenal glands are known as the “stress glands” because they were designed to survive famine. If you have no food, these glands produce a hormone called cortisol, which instructs the liver to convert stored energy (fat) into glucose for energy production. (I know what you are thinking, but, sorry, starvation doesn’t work for fat burning, because it also suppresses your thyroid to lower metabolism).
Obviously, this would be a bad time to become pregnant (during famine). So God created us in a way that cortisol and progesterone are made from the same raw material…cholesterol! So, if you need more cortisol to survive, you cannot make progesterone for reproduction because the raw materials are being used for survival. (which, of course, is a higher priority in that moment!) Pretty flipping amazing and well constructed, right??!!
We discovered very high levels of cortisol, and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), because her liver was failing to convert fat to glucose. Her energy creation system was “broken!” And without energy to ‘thrive,’ her body refused to make progesterone, or a baby!
TREATMENT: One of the nutrients that the liver needs for energy production is an amino acid called Methionine, along with its partner, Vitamin B12. We prescribed both to “mend” her broken energy machine.
This was likely a genetic weakness, and this partnership strengthens that weakness, not only providing energy, but protection from genetic diseases! (Visit the ‘Resources’ page on our website for a video about protecting your genetic weaknesses!)
The next nutrient was Phosphatidyl-Serine. Ok, ok, forget the name (long and complicated)…remember the function! This nutrient is used by NFL players to decrease the effects of spring training (serious physical stress!!) It reduces the production of cortisol after stress.
This is a regular in our natural medicine cabinet for the stress of being a parent, and a kid! (I think the kids take it MORE!)
We also used two adaptogenic plants, which are thus named because they seem to help us adapt to and reverse the effects of stress, called American Ginseng and Eleuthero, also known as Siberian Ginseng. (They don’t resolve stress, but help your body hold up to it!)
Current research indicates that these plants reduce stress hormones and increase energy and reproductive hormones.
The perfect match for this energy, healing, and reproduction stressed out woman! Energy is required for healing and reproduction, and neither were working (remember the ‘permanent’ back injury?)
RESULTS: As mentioned, Progesterone levels at day 21 were 19 in April, with 65 being the bare minimum for a healthy uterine lining (aka Baby Home). By July, her progesterone levels were 61…more than tripled!
She started asking about “planning and trying” again. I shared, “I have five kids, and here’s how it works, let nature guide when it is time. Your libido will rocket launch and your husband will suddenly look irresistible…just follow natures urges.”
In the fall, she remarked during one visit that her husband suddenly looked like Brad Pitt, but just for a week. (I’m paraphrasing…read that as “Quite Desirable!”) Her next lab showed that her progesterone levels were 108, (ready for baby), but her hormones (and handsome husband) “naturally” beat me to reporting that to her. She was already pregnant!! And now she is a proud Momma, of a beautiful baby, conceived naturally, with no harsh drugs!! (That has to be better for baby and momma, don’t you think?!?)
And yes, her “permanent” back injury was resolved by the end of her first month of care, using the healing power of ‘energy’ and a neat resource called ‘cold laser’ which aids muscle and ligament healing.
I referred to cold laser as ‘magic,’ because what, other than magic, could heal a “permanent” injury!!??
Her energy and sleep are wonderful, when baby allows them, and her menstrual irregularity is completely resolved, because she is nursing her baby (which tends to keep her cycle from returning)!!
When her cycle returns, and if she still needs it we have wonderful resources for PMS! Oh, how many hugs and thanks I have received, for the comfort True PMS Relief offers a female cycle!!
But I bet nothing could compare to the relief of resolving infertility.
If you have PCOS and/or struggle with infertility, True Stress Resilience, Blood Sugar Control, and Fem Vitality would closely match her treatment protocol.
You can get all three from our online store by clicking shop at the top of this page. And yes, they are validated by scientific research. Click here to read the study.