Acupuncture treatment in menstrual disorder after oocyte donation

INTRODUCTION

Oocyte donation or egg donation is a process in which one woman donates eggs (oocytes) to another woman in order to conceive. The process involves in vitro fertilization and it is seen as third party reproduction in the assisted reproductive technology. The oocytes from the donor are combined with the spermatozoa from the recipient to produce embryos. Donors are generally between 21 and 34 years of age and need to be free of infections like hepatitis C, HIV, gonorrhea and chlamydia. The donor is prescribed drugs for fertility to stimulate the ovaries. However, the treatment has some risk factors and side effects that afterwards need to be taken care of. Side effects from the drugs are breast tenderness, fatigue, headaches, mood swings and other. The drugs can also cause ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome which occurs when too many eggs are developed in the ovaries. The risks are bleeding when the needle is inserted into the ovary, infection, delay in the period, pleural and pericardial effusions ascites, venous thromboembolism and other.^1-3

Acupuncture as part of the 5000 years old traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is used very often as a treatment for many gynecological disorders. It is most commonly used to treat dysmenorrhea, irregular menstrual cycle, endometrioma, uterine myoma, infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome and other.⁴ Acupuncture can be also extremely beneficial in IUI (intrauterine insemination/artificial insemination), IVF (in vitro fertilization), egg freezing and donor egg transfers by improving the hormones, increasing the blood flow to the uterus, lessening the side effects from the drugs, regulating the immune system, preventing uterine contractions, decreasing the chances of miscarriage and reducing physical and emotional stress.^5,6

According to the TCM theory, if the blood doesn’t circulate freely and properly throughout the body, then blood stagnation may occur and lead to disease. Acupuncture can effectively improve the immune response and stimulate the nervous system to release hormones and neurotransmitters, can help the body to function more efficiently, help the patients to become fertile, improve the blood and Qi circulation throughout the body, reduce stress and chances of blood stagnation (which lead to infertility and pain) and balance and harmonize the energy flow throughout the body.^7,8

CASE REPORT

The treated patient is a 34 year old woman with 3 months of delay in the period after receiving hormone therapy for egg donation. The patient has already given birth to one child one year ago. Other parameters like blood sugar, sleeping, appetite, blood pressure were normal. The patient was treated with acupuncture in a clinic for TCM and acupuncture in Skopje, Macedonia. Treatments were made indoor, on a room temperature, with duration of 35-40 minutes both sides of the body. In the treatment were used fine sterile disposable needles with dimensions 0.25×25 mm manufactured by Wuijuiang City Medical & Health Material Co., LTD. The patient has made 6 acupuncture treatment, once weekly. After only one treatment the period was back and normalized. After the 6^th treatment the second period was normal again. The patient was treated with normal needle acupuncture on the meridians of spleen, kidney, pericardium, stomach, liver, large intestine, bladder, ren mai and du mai.

Menstrual disorders can be caused by internal (over-thinking, anger, sadness) and external (cold, dampness, wind) pathogenic factors. Lifestyle changes including the egg donation and consumption of hormonal medications can lead to kidney, spleen and liver deficiencies. In turn, these changes may block the smooth blood flow in women, and thus, cause menstrual problems.⁹

The acupuncture points are chosen with aim to help and improve the patient’s condition, to bust the Yang energy, disperse stagnation, nourish and tonify the kidneys, move the blood stasis, transform the dampness and phlegm and important immune factors.⁷ The treatment also helps to improve the microcirculation, correct the imbalances in the reproductive system, regulate the menstrual cycles, resolve the created masses, invigorate the blood circulation, improve the blood circulation, balance the Yin and Yang, notify the vital essence, restore the ovarian function, clear the heat, dissipate the cold, supplement the Qi, regulate the hormone secretion and decrease the systematic inflammations.^8-10

CONCLUSION

Acupuncture treatment as part of the 5000 years old TCM, as in many other menstrual disorders, it is as well successful treatment in menstrual disorder after egg donation and gives very satisfying and positive results in a very short time.

Funding: No funding sources

Conflict of interest: None declared

Ethical approval: Not required

REFERENCES

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