During Endocrinology this morning, a naturopathic physician brought up some interesting points regarding anovulation:
- Sleep with your room absolutely black as this blocks melatonin production. If you cannot get your room black, get an eye mask.
- Evaluate serum prolactin levels as elevated prolactin stops ovulation. (this is why breastfeeding mom's do not ovulate).
- Evaluate thyroid hormone levels because if they are elevated, then TRH is elevated which then elevates prolactin.
- If you are taking melatonin supplements, this may be a factor as melatonin slows the release of GnRH which triggers sex hormones to be released.
- Have a full spectrum light and stare into it for 30 minutes every morning.
- As mentioned above, make sure your bedroom is pitch black every night except for nights 12-14 have a 5 watt night light plugged in. This little light acts as artificial moonlight which is known to trigger ovulation. Make sure that the night light is only 5 watts and on for nights 12-14 of your cycle.
A woman of child-bearing age who was not ovulating was evaluated for infertility. The doctors found that she had a fibrotic fallopian tube which prevented her from getting pregnant. They said the only way she could get pregnant is if they surgically repaired the tube.
I guess they forgot that woman have two fallopian tubes.
She came to see a naturopathic physician as she didn't want the surgery. The ND ordered the following labs: TSH, prolactin, CBC, chem panel, female sex hormones along with a few others. Her labs showed she was hypothyroid, had elevated prolactin and her estrogen and progesterone levels were fine.
The ND prescribed armour thyroid, multivitamin, and told her about how to sleep properly with a dark bedroom except for nights 12-14 with the night light, stop taking her melatonin supplement and to stare into the full spectrum light each morning for 30 minutes.
In 3 months, she was pregnant as her thyroid stabilized, prolactin went back to normal levels and allowed her body to ovulate.
If you're diagnosed as infertile, locate a physician who will work with you to find the cause. Why are you infertile? That is the question and then it is up to your physician to assist you in finding ways to resolve it.
It is not always necessary to have expensive treatments.
Labels: anovulation, hormones, infertile, infertility, ovulation, pregnant, thyroid
