Expert Commentary: Zhanhai Zhang, MD, Ph.D, LAC 11-16-2009

There is no need for special wisdom, a scientific mind or even extensive clinical data to make the conclusion that fertility drugs definitely have some undesirable effects and some negative impact on the body of those patients who are taking them.

It’s sensible to believe that fertility drugs are suspicious for breast cancer. In my two decades of clinical observation and experimental studies, I have seen many factors (emotional or chemical) lead to complications. In most situations, breast bloating will gradually leading to breast cysts, and when the cysts happens, a biopathy is necessary due to the increased risk of cancer.

Numerous women who are undergoing IVFs come to our Fertiologist Acupuncture and Herbology Centers to reduce the unpleasant side effects. We typically reduce the incidence of hot flashes, invoke emotional tranquility, and reduce breast bloating and tenderness.

Our strategy is: If a woman has a major medical issue such as a blocked tube, IVF treatment may be the best option. In other instances natural fertility is effective – especially in cases of uterus lining issues, hormonal imbalance (especially high FSH level), and egg quality. All these situations are a challenge to treat, even for many IVF procedures. If IVF is found to be a necessary course of action, we utilize natural therapies to reduce the side effects and the negative influence of fertility drugs as well as increase the success rate of IVF therapies.

As a side note: It’s important for me to emphasize that for unexplained infertility, syndrome diagnosis can find out the primary reasons why a woman may be infertile. We would recommend patients first go this route before undergoing very expensive IVF procedures that may involve fertility drugs. Since the debate surrounding these drugs involve cancer risk and long-term effects, I stress that these therapies should be looked at only if recommended by a professional.