Red light therapy - hocus pocus or new essential?

[Darcy1996]

hi all,

Am reading a lot in other forums about red light therapy for male & female partners in infertility, to help cellular regeneration. I knew it was supposed to be good in a led face mask but is it going to help my old ovaries too?

[AnotherLaura]

Good Morning, this is just my findings but I have not noticed any improvements since doing it, I was also doing PRP at the time and less eggs have been retrieved despite the treatment. Bear in mind everyone reacts differently. I guess this is still in fledgling stages in terms of tangible evidence. I wish you all the best hun!

[Darcy1996 in reply to AnotherLaura]

Thank you so much. Did you have any improvements with quality after PRP, or also hard to say?

I read an article on red light which quoted some interesting & authentic sounding studies, but then the article had affiliate links to red light products which gave me 🚩 vibes!

[AnotherLaura in reply to Darcy1996]

No worries at all, we can only share the findings we accumulate. I have heard very good testimonies about it but, again, yet to know anyone who has reported a positive outcome, or noticed positive changes.

With PRP I noted a decline in egg count and my IVF treatment was unfortunately cancelled. So hard to know what to do!

[Darcy1996 in reply to AnotherLaura]

I'm so sorry to hear that. It's so v frustrating.

I took a similar length break as you did, between our round 2 and 3, and invested heavily in a nutritionist, a change of acupuncture practitioner, a new diet plan, a focus on sleep and yoga and better boundaries at work, and a truck-load of high quality (read high ££) supplements...and we had our lowest number of eggs received yet. Highest fertility rate % and an increase in OH's morphology (still <4%) but lowest egg numbers and ultimately nothing to freeze or biopsy. I'm looking at new clinics, new protocols and possible DE now, but I always keep an eye out for those little magic wands 😆

[AnotherLaura in reply to Darcy1996]

Absolutely. It boggles the mind, can't lie, not only did it leave me scratching my head but also incredibly deflated, and broke after spending £4k on essentially 'holistics'. God knows... One day Darcy, we'll be mamas <3

[Darcy1996 in reply to AnotherLaura]

..and it will all be worth it 💜

[Spicycurry]

Have you tried on the supplements from it starts with the egg? They are good for male fertility. My husband’s morphology went from 2% to 4%. We also added lycopene from Holland and Barrett as he hates fresh tomatoes and wheatgrass. We both went on wheatgrass. You need about 30g of wheatgrass for at least 6 months. It can lower fsh in women but not dramatically. However, that and ubiquinol can have an effect on egg quality, but again not dramatically for women.

[Darcy1996 in reply to Spicycurry]

Hi, I found the book was quite a lot for me but I did hire a nutritionist for a plan which had my partner downing organic puree…he was delighted 🤣

[Axel131]

HI Darcy1996, so I used red light on my last IVF which was my best yet at age 45 (my 7th IVF) in that I got 4 good quality blasts. Now unfortunately they were aneuploid but I do think it made a difference to me. I will also say though that I used a professional laser device at a physios and not an at-home device because these positive studies are based on the more powerful lasers. Since then I have purchased an at-home device as I'm not sure if I'm going to do another cycle with my OE or not. What I will say is that when I use it for various niggles such as shoulder pain and knee pain, there is a definite improvement within one or two sessions so it's doing something positive. So the thinking is that even if it doesn't directly help with egg quality (which I think it can do somewhat) it can decrease inflammation and improve circulation which all helps. It is such a minefield though and I dread to think what I have paid on all these supplements and extras, it's eye watering on top of the actual IVF!

[Darcy1996 in reply to Axel131]

It is - my first 3 months of supplements for OH and I was £1.3k! If I add acupuncture, private tests etc it is EYE-WATERING! (I think c £5k now on top of treatment) I guess (re light grade) it is the same with LED masks for wrinkles or rosacea - the clinic grade will always be the gold standard vs what I can afford at home..interesting re inflammation - I have IBS and allergic reactions and am keen for anything that helps that.

[Axel131 in reply to Darcy1996]

It's good to hear someone else is paying crazy amounts for the supplements too! That's what I'm hearing a lot of with fertility issues, that some of it is down to inflammation either in the gut or womb from past infections or scarring which is difficult to pick up. Either way I think it can only help as there's nothing with the red light that can be detrimental so as with everything, I thought it was worth a shot.

[Sharbertn in reply to Axel131]

Hi Axel131 , what at home device did you buy? It's a minefield out there!

[Axel131 in reply to Sharbertn]

It absolutely is! So I ended up going with the Mitolight bulb 4th generation. It's their smallest light so a good price but I liked that you could direct it wherever you needed to and it has 6 wavelength including the 830nm which is the most studied for fertility. As I say so far helpful for the few muscular niggles I have so it has to be doing something even though it mightn't feel like it at the time.

[Kcoxy]

Hi Darcy,

I did HBOT below for my last cycle. Tbh I don't know if it made a difference or not, with my last successful cycle, I tried it as it was reccomended by a friend to me prior to egg collection for a coiple of months every other week,and had postive outcome outline from what I saw.

Ive shared below some potential benefits.

There hasnt been any advanced trials on it.

hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment that may help with fertility by increasing oxygen levels in the body and improving blood flow to reproductive organs. HBOT may be beneficial for people experiencing infertility due to a number of reasons, including:

Endometriosis

HBOT may improve endometrial receptivity, which can lead to better pregnancy implantation

Poor egg or sperm quality

HBOT may improve sperm DNA fragmentation and erectile function in men, and may help create healthier eggs in women

Blood flow issues

HBOT may improve blood flow to reproductive organs, which can help with fertility

During HBOT, a patient breathes pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. The increased pressure allows oxygen to dissolve in the body's fluids and reach tissues that are normally difficult to access.

HBOT is generally safe, but it should only be conducted under medical supervision, especially for people with specific health conditions. Common side effects include ear discomfort, temporary vision changes, or feelings of fullness.

The number of HBOT sessions needed varies depending on individual needs and recommendations from a healthcare provider.

[Axel131 in reply to Kcoxy]

Thanks for sharing Kcoxy, I've considered this but never actually done it but bringing more oxygen around the body can only be a good thing. It's another super expensive thing to add on if you're doing it regularly though!