Unexplained Infertility

Unexplained Infertility

Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:

Saw Palmetto Extract [1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. Palmetto extract may cause side effects, though these are uncommon. They may include headache, vomiting, dizziness, constipation, diarrhoea, insomnia or fatigue. Long term effects have not yet been researched.

Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that saw palmetto helps to treat infertility. More research is needed.)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

Mugwort (Artemisa Vulgaris) [1, 2, 3, 4]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It has been proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has been discounted due life-threatening side effects

Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that mugwart helps to treat symptoms of infertility. More research is needed.)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

Meditation:

Recommendation: no recommended (there is insufficient evidence to show that meditation can help treat infertility)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

Native American Healing:

Recommendation: no recommended (there is insufficient evidence to show that Native American healing can help treat infertility)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

* www.gradeworkinggroup.org

Summary References

Treatments:

1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009

2. Anliker MD, Borelli S, Wüthrich B. Occupational protein contact dermatitis from spices in a butcher: a new presentation of the mugwort-spice syndrome. Contact Dermatitis. 2002;46:72-74.

3. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/mugwort

4. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2004.

5.  http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/saw-palmetto

6. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/palmetto/

7. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-sawpalmetto.html

8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12137626

9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16467543

10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18423748

11. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/saw-palmetto/NS_patient-sawpalmetto


 

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