A perfect storm is an unusual combination of events or things that produce an unusually
bad result. People with fertility problems are often desperate to
have a child. Companies are allowed to sell supplements without any proof that
they work or are safe to use. Together, these two things have created a perfect
storm. Fertility supplements have become a dangerous billion dollar industry.
Scientists and doctors have accumulated enough data at this point to say that unregulated
fertility supplements like CoQ10 and DHEA do not help improve the chances for pregnancy.
They do not improve egg quality. The supplement serrapeptase does not unblock fallopian tubes
or get rid of pelvic adhesions. For certain people, like women who don’t ovulate, prenatal
vitamins and vitamin D might have some benefit but herbal supplements do not help anybody.
Because of the fact that people with fertility problems are desperate to have a child,
they are still shelling out a lot of money for these herbal drugs. Infertile people typically
say that they realize that these supplements are ineffective but they ask, What’s the harm?
Unfortunately, there is harm that comes from fertility supplement use. I want to tell you
about a recent case that demonstrates this fact. Recently, a 39-year-old woman presented
to the emergency department 3 times over 6 weeks with abdominal pain, constipation,
nausea and vomiting. She was so sick that they admitted her to the hospital. They ran a bunch
of tests trying to figure out what was making her so sick. They did blood tests looking at her
hormones and blood chemistries. They tested her urine. They looked into her stomach with a scope
going down through her throat and they looked at her bowels by putting a scope up through her
colon. Still they couldn’t find the cause for her problems. Next, they did a laparoscopy and
looked in her abdomen for endometriosis. Nothing. They even did a painful bone marrow biopsy.
Gradually, while in the hospital, she began to feel better and eventually she was discharged
from the hospital, even though the doctors could never figure out what was wrong with her.
Two weeks later, she followed up with her doctor. Although her abdominal pain had improved, she now
had shortness of breath, headaches and ringing in her ears known medically as tinnitus.
Eventually, a new doctor was brought on to her case. This doctor found out something
interesting. The patient had been trying to become pregnant and had been taking herbal
fertility supplements for about a year. She had stopped them temporarily while she was in the
hospital. That is why she started feeling better while in the hospital. After she was discharged,
she started them again and that is why she got worse. A test discovered that she
was suffering from lead toxicity. Her lead levels were 50 times higher than normal.
Her doctors tested the herbal drugs she was taking and discovered that they were the source
of the high lead levels. But wait, it gets worse. Some of the supplements tested also had extremely
high levels of other toxins like mercury and arsenic. Some of the supplements also contained
prescription medications including steroids and hormones. One of the hormones was a type
of progesterone used in birth control pills. Let that sink in for a minute. Not only did her
fertility supplements contain dangerous poisons that made her severely ill,
they were also likely interfering with her ability to become pregnant.
There is no governmental oversight into the manufacturing of supplements. In 2015,
an investigation by the New York Attorney General tested the herbal supplements from
major retailers. Lab tests determined that only 21 percent of the products actually contained
the supplement advertised on the labels. From 2007 to 2016, the Food and Drug Administration
identified 776 supplements that were spiked with pharmaceutical drugs. While these supplements
are risky for anybody, they are especially concerning for people who are pregnant or
trying to become pregnant. Elevated lead levels are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes
including preterm birth, small for gestational age infants and pre-eclampsia, a deadly blood pressure
complication. Prenatal lead exposure is associated with impaired cognitive development in children.
Our InfertilityTV Bottom Line is this. I have been a fertility specialist for
over thirty years. I have taken care of thousands and thousands of people
with infertility. I get how desperately you want to have children. Unfortunately,
there are people out there who are trying to take advantage of your desperation.
Besides taking your money, these supplements can cause you real harm. Please, please avoid them.