Is is possible to improve ovarian reserve ?

Posted by nurul Saturday, May 8, 2010 0 comments

I had just advised a young woman who had oopause ( poor ovarian reserve) to try empirical therapy, with DHEA, wheat germ , yoga and acupuncture , before we started her IVF treatment.

She wanted to know the rationale behind my advise. " Doctor, on one hand you are saying that I have poor ovarian reserve, which means that I only have few eggs left in my ovaries. Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have and I cannot make any new eggs any more. In that case, how will taking all these medicines help me to grow more eggs during my IVF cycle ? "

This was my reply.

" Yes, it is true that we cannot make you grow new eggs. Your ovary contains all the eggs you will ever have. These eggs are in a resting phase, and are contained in primordial follicles. Each month some of these these follicles are selected and start growing. This group is called a cohort, and this is a response to the high FSH levels during the follicular phase. Of these follicles , only one will mature, while the others will die ( a process called atresia). It is our hypothesis that yoga and acupuncture will help us to recruit more of your follicles , so that if the cohort is larger, hopefully more follicles will mature when we superovulate you during your IVF treatment."

I enjoy being a doctor because my patients keep me on my toes !