Poor Ovarian Reserve - Unproven Treatments With Possible Merit

Unproven Treatments With Possible Merit

• Melatonin: One double blind study showed that extended treatment with melatonin lowered FSH levels (only in woman with low initial nocturnal melatonin levels) and in some cases restored normal menstruation in early menopausal women. The authors state fertility was restored in the women with resumption of normal menstruation, however, no ultrasonography was done to verify follicular development and ovulation. One Japanese study (IVF-ET) showed improved fertilization rate (50.0% versus 22.8%, p < 0.01) and pregnancy rate (11/56 versus 6/59, result not statistically significant) in poor responders with treatment of 3 mg melatonin daily from 5th day of previous menstrual cycle.
• Maca: One double blind, placebo-controlled study of eight menopausal women between the ages of 45 and 62 showed a statistically significant decline in serum FSH levels after eight months of treatment with oral administration of capsules containing 2000 mg pre-gelatinized dried and pulverized hypocotyls of Maca (Lepidium peruvianum Chacon). (See table below.) However, in perimenopausal women Maca elevated E2 and FSH. Though such supplementation may have led to statistically significant changes in FSH, this may be less likely to have clinically meaningful impact. The reason is that many IVF studies show no live births with FSH > 17-20 and case reports of live births (i.e. not just pregnancy with a miscarriage) with an FSH >25 are exceptionally rare.

• Homeopathy plus herbs, vitamins and lifestyle changes may possibly help. An article by Liz Lalor titled "Fertility Success using homeopathy" outlines a protocol that she states has been successful in forty out of fifty cases of infertility. Of note is that two of the ten that failed later conceived in one IVF cycle and she writes: "it was reported back to me that the doctors were very surprised at the quality and numbers of eggs as well as the health of the endometrium."