My friend has been going to a fertility specialist - here are the list of supplements they recommend

[tim_o]

Direct from the document she shared with me:

Optimizing your fertility can be challenging. Studies suggest that these supplements may be beneficial during your In vitro fertilization IVF treatment. Below are additional supplements that may be recommended for you to start 2-3 months prior to starting your treatment for maximum benefit.

Female Fertility Supplements:
FOR EVERYONE:
- Prenatal Vitamins with 400-800mcg folate daily
- Omega-3 (fish Oil) 500-1000mg daily

FOR WOMEN OVER 35 YEARS OF AGE OR WITH LOWER EGG QUANITY OR QUALITY CONSIDER ADDING:
- Vitamin C 500-1000mg daily
- Co-Enzyme Q-10 (CoQ10) 200-600mg daily
- Pycnogenol 100mg daily
- Melatonin up to 3mg at bedtime
- DHEA 25mg three times daily (avoid if you have polycystic ovarian syndrome)
- N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine up to 1200mg (1.2grams) daily

Additional supplements may be recommended by your Physician:
- TRU NIAGEN 300mg DAILY. (Purchase at website) Truniagen.com
- Myoinositol 2 grams twice daily x 6 weeks with PCOS
- Acai Berry 1000mgdaily

ONCE PREGNANT, PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR PRENATAL VITAMIN WITH FOLATE, AND OMEGA-3 SUPPLEMENTS AND DISCONTINUE THE ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS LISTED.

Male Fertility Supplements:
FOR EVERYONE:
- Multivitamin
- Omega-3 (fish Oil) 500-1000mg daily

FOR MEN OVER 40 YEARS OF AGE OR ABNORMAL SEMEN PARAMETERS (LOW COUNT, MOTILITY, OR MORPHOLOGY) CONSIDER ADDING:
- Vitamin C 500-1000mg daily
- Co-Enzyme Q-10 (CoQ10) 400mg twice daily
- Increase Omega-3s to 1000 - 2000mg daily
- Folic Acid – 400mcg daily
- Zinc 15-30 mg daily
- Pycnogenol 100 mg daily

 

[margieb]

@tim_o OP, can you share what country this recommendation has come from and from whom? Some of these don’t have much clinical evidence.

 

[tim_o]

@margieb Yes, this is in the US, Southern California. I think when it comes to the additional supplements, the evidence is pretty light (though there are some out there). I think the point here is to maximize any potential benefits to support IVF efforts. There’s no guarantee any of this is going to result in conception.

I would also heavily recommend that for any of the “additional” supplements, you should talk to a doctor about that before taking all on your own especially if you’re on other medication.

 

[theylivewesleep]

@tim_o So I'm over 35 and the only thing my fertility specialist recommended was 600mg of COQ10 daily, in addition to prenatals.

That's it.

 

[clough]

@tim_o A daily melatonin? I feel like this can just training your body not to sleep without it. IIRC, I’ve read studies that say melatonin should be used sparsely, just to give your body a gentle nudge to sleep at a certain time, but that you shouldn’t take it daily. Is it possible your friend talked about a myriad of things effecting her and some of these supplements are lumped in with the prenatal ones?

 

[tim_o]

@clough There have been small studies that show melatonin’s antioxidant properties help with oxidative balance in couples with unexplained infertility. Essentially, women with unexplained fertility may have a reduced amount of naturally occurring melatonin so supplementation has shown to help increase the live birth rate. More studies need to be done on the broader population, but there’s clinical evidence of melatonin supporting fertility - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6769719/.

 

[clough]

@tim_o Wow! TIL! Thanks for sharing

 

[will009]

@clough Me, needing 10mg of melatonin and unisom to sleep every night. Smh

 

[txfinds]

@tim_o Is 36 too old to get pregnant? Recently had mirena removed had it in since 2010 and would like at least one more child with my future husband.

 

[minobimaaduziwin2024]

@txfinds No, it’s not! It’s a good idea to focus on egg quality for 3 or so months before trying though.

 

[engelbea]

@minobimaaduziwin2024 How do you focus on egg quality?