A 36 year old nurse, Jenny came to our clinic after trying to get pregnant for the past year. Her story was a familiar one.  She had been on the pill for nearly a decade to help ease and manage her periods. When she and her husband were ready to grow their family, she came off the pill and figured they’d get pregnant within 3-4 months.

Very quickly though, she began to notice some red flags. Her cycles were irregular and long (ranging from 40-60 days) and her ovulation predictor tests never came up positive.  

6 months later and still not pregnant, she went to her Obgyn, who after some bloodwork told Jenny that she had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

The two main characteristic of PCOS are high androgen levels (high levels of male hormones) and anovulatory cycles (cycles where you’re not ovulating).

PCOS & Coming off the Pill

Jenny fit the bill on both ends, but it seemed like her case might be temporary post-pill pcos. It is typical for some people to experience a rise in male hormones along with irregular cycles after being on the pill. Often times this will get resolved with time, but in some instances, the symptoms can persist for months.

It was a frustrating diagnosis, feeling like her body was ‘broken,’ unable to do something that it normally used to do. To top it all off, she felt like she wasn’t getting any younger and that she was running out of time.

Her Obgyn’s approach was to stimulate ovulation using a drug called clomid and to do an IUI. She went through three rounds of clomid + IUI but still no pregnancy.

Solving the PCOS Puzzle

Jenny was referred to our clinic through a friend who had good success with their women’s health issues at our clinic. She knew we specialized in fertility and was looking for answers.  

Her first acupuncture session was less about the acupuncture and more about gaining an understanding of what was going on with her body and catching on to its clues. We went over her cycles: what sort of symptoms she experienced pre-menstrually and on her period – and what it all meant in terms of her hormone health.

She was put on a weekly acupuncture + supplement regimen and by the 3^rd month her body began to ovulate on its own – without the help of clomid. What’s more is that as her menstrual cycle’s rhythm was beginning to restore itself, her cycles became shorter and more in the ‘normal range.’ Her mood swings, period aches and pains all became drastically less.

Fast forward to 4.5 months from her first acupuncture treatment, Jenny found out she was pregnant!

The following are Jenny’s top 2 takeaways that helped her overcome her PCOS diagnosis and achieve a healthy pregnancy:

1. Take the time to learn about the difference phases of your menstrual cycle. Understanding the different phases made it easier to look out for signs of ovulation. For people with irregular/long cycles, it can be difficult to pinpoint the 5-day fertile window during which to try.
2. Just because you’re not ovulating right now, doesn’t mean your body can’t do it in the future. Your body can recover and restore its natural cycles.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can overcome your PCOS, come meet us in person/online and learn more. Your initial consultation is free: click here to request your free initial consult.

So you’ve entered the world of Basal Body Temperature (BBT) charting and you have questions.

Taking your BBT can be a very new and overwhelming experience for so many women. How to do it, when to do it, what do all the temperatures mean, etc. Ultimately, you want to work with a qualified professional to interpret the findings, but that doesn’t mean you can’t already start to learn about your own body now with an understanding of the basics.

With that being said, let’s dive into the top 10 questions I get from patients about taking one’s BBT.

We understand this can be a lot of information and overwhelming: if you are looking for more support and answers, set up a free consultation with our Fertility specialist Dr Jafari. Share your story, get your questions answered and learn how you can set yourself up for greater success when it comes to achieving a healthy pregnancy.

Why should I take my Basal Body Temperature?

Long story short: charting your BBT gives you an inexpensive and natural way to observe the health of your menstrual cycles.

As you observe your BBT, you learn to follow and appreciate the ebbs and flows of your cycles. You begin to notice that your body has certain tendencies or needs at certain times of the month. It is one of the first steps towards body literacy.

It allows you to identify if you ovulated. It helps you recognize when to have sex if you’re trying to get pregnant or vice versa. It can help confirm early on if you’re pregnant.

And when you work with a health professional, it can even give you a window of insight into your hormonal health.

All of this incredible, rich information simply from a list of temperatures.

Amazing, isn’t it?

What is my Basal Body Temperature?

Your basal body temperature is your body’s temperature when it’s at rest.

When should I take my Basal Body Temperature?

The ideal time to take your BBT is first thing in the morning when you wake up. Do it as soon as you’re awake and before you do anything else.

Have your thermometer next to your bed on the nightstand. When you wake up, just reach over to get your thermometer and take your temperature while still lying in bed.

If you get out of bed and then take your temperature, it will cause your temperature to rise. We don’t want that. We want that baseline resting temperature when you’re awake but still in bed. This way, when we compare the temperatures to each other, they were all taken against the same baseline.  

You want to take it after having at least 4 hours of good sleep.

Ideally, you want to take your temperature around the same time every day. But, let’s be realistic. We don’t always wake up at the same time daily, especially on weekends. So even if you wake up at a much later or earlier time than you usually wake up, still take your temperature. I would just place an asterisk next to that temp and note the time you took it at.

You can take your temperature orally (under the tongue) or vaginally. It doesn’t matter which method you choose, but just stick with one.

Recap:

1. Before you go to sleep, place your thermometer within reach next to your bed. You should be able to reach it without getting out of bed

2. Set your alarm for the same time every day

3. When you wake up, reach for your thermometer and take your temperature while lying down in bed

4. Record your temperature in your chart or menstrual app on your phone

5. Take your temperature every day. I generally recommend patients to take their BBT for at least 3 months in a row so that we can identify trends in the body

Tip: I love Lisa Hendrickson-Jack’s (Fertility Friday) suggestion on getting more accurate temperature readings. She suggests leaving your thermometer in your mouth for about 10 minutes before pushing the button to take the temperature. This is supposed to give the thermometer time to adjust to your mouth’s temperature. You may consider this if your temperature readings are very unusual or off. Instead of immediately suspecting something is wrong, try this first and see if your temperature readings are more normal.

We understand this can be a lot of information and overwhelming: if you are looking for more support and answers, set up a free consultation with our Fertility specialist Dr Jafari. Share your story, get your questions answered and learn how you can set yourself up for greater success when it comes to achieving a healthy pregnancy.

What is the best basal body thermometer?

Everyone’s always asking: what’s the best thermometer?

There are a ton of basal body thermometers out on the market. And yes, they can be pretty pricy. They can sync with an app, record temperatures, etc.

Spoiler Alert: You don’t need a fancy thermometer or even a basal body thermometer. A regular digital thermometer will work just fine. As long as it takes temperatures to one decimal place (eg 97.8⁰ F), the thermometer is adequate for charting purposes.

What factors lead to abnormally high temperature readings?

There are several factors that can affect your BBT and give you unusually high temperature readings. The following are some of the most common reasons:

Poor sleep: You had a night of restless sleep, where you woke up repeatedly and weren’t able to get at least 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Bad sleep the night before can definitely cause your temperature reading to be abnormally high.

Alcohol: Drinking alcohol the night before can cause higher than normal readings.

Feeling ill:  If you feel like you’re catching a cold and you have a fever, this will naturally cause a rise in temperature

Moving before you take your temperature: The moment you get out of bed and move your temperature will rise. This is why you want to take your temperature as soon as you wake up, while you’re still lying in bed.

Allergies

If you get an abnormally high reading, don’t stress or fret. Just record it and place an asterisk next to the temperature. You can simply make note that you had a fever or alcohol or bad sleep next to the temperature.

Does the BBT predict ovulation?

No! Your BBT cannot predict ovulation. BUT, it can confirm that ovulation did happen after the fact.

Predicting ovulation requires a combination of methods including temping, checking your cervical mucus, and observing the position of the cervix. Using a combination of these methods, you can make an educated guess regarding ovulation.

The valuable information that BBT charting gives us is an indication that you did ovulate and can sometimes even shine light on the quality of that ovulation.

How do I know if I’ve ovulated?

You can follow a very simple rule to tell if you’ve ovulated.

1. After you ovulate, you will see a rise in your temperature. This shift can be .5 to 1 degree.

2. The next three normal temperatures are higher than the previous 6 temperatures. In other words, the temperatures of the first 3 days after you ovulated should be higher than the previous 6 temperatures you took. Here is a graphic to help you visualize this better:

Ultimately, what you should be noticing is a shift between your pre-ovulatory temperatures and your post-ovulatory temperatures. Post-ovulatory temperatures should be higher. This is because your body releases a hormone called progesterone after you ovulate. Progesterone raises the body temperature and also helps prepare the uterus for a potential pregnancy.

What if my temperature goes up and then back down?  

If your temperature spikes but then goes back down, it’s most likely that you didn’t actually ovulate. Remember, you want to see three temperatures that are higher than the previous six temps in order to confirm ovulation.

Is my BBT supposed to dip before ovulation?

No, this is not always the case. You certainly can see menstrual charts that display a drop in temperature the day before ovulation, but I have seen many cycles where there is no drop.

If you’re worried if you really ovulated because you didn’t have a “dop,” don’t be. Instead check your chart using the method I outlined in the previous question about how to tell you’ve ovulated.

What should my BBT be if I’m pregnant?

After you ovulate your BBT rises and generally stays high until before your period. Once your period starts, you’ll notice that the temperatures drop back down to their normal pre-ovulatory temperature levels. If you’re pregnant, you will not have a period and your temperatures will stay elevated.

Your body’s post-ovulation phase (called the Luteal Phase) can only last for a maximum of about 16 days. So if it’s been longer than 2.5 weeks since you ovulated, and you’re still seeing elevated temperatures – it’s very likely you are pregnant.

What’s a normal BBT?

During the first half of your cycle (pre-ovulatory phase), normal temperatures are considered to be anywhere between 97.0 to 97.6. If it’s a little bit ± .10 below or above, that can be considered normal too.

During the second half (post-ovulatory phase), normal temperatures range from 97.7 to 98.3.

These ranges can vary person to person. But if you’re noticing an obvious discrepancy between your temperatures and the listed reference ranges above, it would be a good idea to work with a qualified practitioner to investigate the meaning behind it.

Bonus 11^th Question: How long should I chart for?

I always like to recommend that you chart your temperatures for at least 3 menstrual cycles. Three cycles worth of data generally allows us to better identify trends, patterns, and areas of concern.

Ways to Chart your BBT

Printable BBT Chart: https://www.londonwomenscare.com/doc/bbt-blank.pdf

App: Kindara & Fertility Friend

We understand this can be a lot of information and overwhelming: if you are looking for more support and answers, set up a free consultation with our Fertility specialist Dr Jafari. Share your story, get your questions answered and learn how you can set yourself up for greater success when it comes to achieving a healthy pregnancy.

You’re reading this wondering if there’s something out there that can help you or a loved one with psoriasis.

People that are looking for alternative solutions to their psoriasis generally fall into three categories: 1) they want to go the holistic route from the get-go, 2) they’ve tried conventional treatments like corticosteroids or immune-suppressing drugs without success, or 3) conventional treatments have worked for them but the side-effects were too much for their body.

Regardless of the path that’s led you here, the goal is the same: you’re looking for a way to manage your skin and the complications that come along with it.

Because most people don’t get it.

Psoriasis isn’t just a skin condition. It’s an autoimmune condition. It’s a systemic disease that affects the whole body. It creates inflammation not only in the skin but also in the joints. And to top it all off, it greatly affects emotional health.

The goal of this post is to outline the opportunities that exist for your psoriasis using acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Does acupuncture help with psoriasis?

Take a look at the pictures below. The difference between these two photos is 3 months.

This is a patient who had lived with psoriasis for over 20 years. The condition had affected her elbows, scalp, ears, knees, and entire back. She also had pain and swelling in some of her joints, a condition known as psoriatic arthritis.

By the time she had come to my clinic she had already been trying to manage her psoriasis for decades with various conventional treatments like topical corticosteroids and light therapy. While the topical steroids helped clear her skin, the moment she stopped using them the skin inflammation would return.

Eventually she decided to try and see if she could naturally manage her skin without the use of medications.

We decided on a three-month long treatment plan to see if the treatments could sustainably help her. The plan consisted of:

1) Acupuncture

2) Herbal Medicine

3) Nutrition advice

As you can see, the changes were significant. Her skin was feeling and healing at a level comparable to the use of the topical steroids. She was incredibly happy that she found a way to manage her skin naturally and was able to avoid the side-effects that come along with steroid treatments.

Below is her progression from the first month to the third month.

Does acupuncture help with psoriasis?

One of the principle features of Chinese medicine theory is the focus on treating the underlying pattern rather than treating a particular disease. In this sense, TCM does not have a set diagnosis and treatment protocol for the disease “psoriasis.” Instead, it has a set of differential diagnoses and treatment protocols for specific symptom presentations in the general category of skin disorders. The following are the various differential diagnosis patterns that would be applicable to a psoriasis patient (1):  

• Blood-heat: “red macules or papules that increase and proliferate rapidly. Red scales pile up and are easily shed when scratched.”
• Blood-deficient and dry: “pale and very dry plaques which are covered by a thin layer of white scales.”
• Blood Stasis: “dark-purple plaques covered by thick scales.”
• Damp-Heat: “dark red macules or papules covered by greasy or thick, crust-like scales. The skin weeps. There may also be pustules.”
• Toxic Heat: “erythematous or pustular lesions which develop and spread rapidly, often piling up together. There are red scales that shed easily and there is itching, burning, and pain.”

In clinical practice, we find that a patient presents with a mixed pattern. This means that they don’t just fall into a single pattern of blood-heat or toxic heat. Very often, they’ll present with two or more of these patterns at the same time. It is then up to the practitioner to discern which pattern is more dominant in the patient’s presentation and to treat accordingly.

Does acupuncture help with psoriasis?

Acupuncture is the use of sterile, thin needles on different points along the body to illicit a healing response in the body. Acupuncture has been shown to promote the release of the body’s own natural painkillers, reduce inflammation, decrease stress, and improve blood flow.

Acupuncture can help with the following symptoms of psoriasis:

• Red, burning skin lesions
• Itching
• Dry, scaling, flaking of skin
• Joint pain
• Depression and anxiety

You may be surprised to see depression and anxiety on the list. But the fact is that a large number of individuals with psoriasis suffer emotionally: they often report experiencing anxiety, depression, shame, low self-esteem, etc.

Acupuncture can have wonderful regulating effects on the nervous system and help individuals reduce their stress and anxiety. It is for this exact reason that many western doctors are open to acupuncture. Acupuncture’s effect on reducing stress is well documented. Since stress and anxiety can exacerbate autoimmune diseases, many doctors are open to having their patients try acupuncture for its calming benefits.  

Herbal Medicine for Psoriasis: Natural Remedies for Psoriasis

Chinese medicine also relies heavily on the use of herbal prescriptions as a way to naturally help the body recover. Different herbs have different properties and effects on the body. The key is to use herbs that treat the patient’s disease pattern.

We talked about disease patterns earlier in the article. How there isn’t just one single treatment for psoriasis. That two people with psoriasis can present with different symptoms and thus different disease patterns. An individual with redder and burning psoriatic lesions will require different herbs than the individual whose psoriasis is very pale, dry and flaky.

The key is to differentiate and identify the appropriate pattern.

Many of the herbs used for psoriasis have a heat-clearing effect. In other words, they have an anti-inflammatory mechanism.

The theory behind anti-inflammatory herbs is that they allow the skin to heal by interrupting the chronic inflammatory process continuously damaging the skin. This helps to reduce burning, redness, and plaques on the skin.

What Foods Trigger Psoriasis?

It’s important to remember that psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease. So we want to avoid foods that promote inflammation in the body. Please note: diet should never be dogmatic. What works for one person’s body, may not be as beneficial for another’s body.

The age old debate of eating meat vs not eating meat is a perfect example. Some people feel healthier and great when not consuming animal protein, whereas others react the exact opposite. The idea is to understand what works for your body.

When trying to understand what triggers your psoriasis, an anti-inflammatory diet is a great place to start. The basic guidelines for an anti-inflammatory diet are as follows:

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, lean proteins, whole grains, and lots of fresh produce. In other words, a Mediterranean diet.

Certain foods are avoided because they tend to promote inflammation. These foods include:

• Dairy
• Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, etc)
• Eggs
• Gluten
• Refined sugars
• Alcohol
• Processed foods

The idea is to avoid all possible triggers (pro-inflammatory foods) for about 3-4 weeks. Once you’ve done that and your symptoms feel calmer overall, you begin to reintroduce the foods you’ve been avoiding one by one. You’ll reintroduce one new food every 3 days, and it’s important to keep track of how your body is feeling during this time. This allows you to succinctly identify what foods cause flare ups for your psoriasis.

Conclusion

Ultimately, if you decide to work to go down the holistic route, it’s important to find a Chinese medicine practitioner that you trust and work well with. Interview your practitioner before you commit. Ask them about their experience treating psoriasis and their approach. See if that approach aligns with your beliefs. It’s not just about finding the best doctor; it’s about finding the right doctor for you!

References

1) Maciocia G. Diagnosis In Chinese Medicine. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2004.