Blog 2007

Thanks for All You all have done for Pre~Seed!!!

We get letters like this one from our wonderful users every week– thanking us for Pre-Seed and wanting to help us spread the word.

“Dear Makers of Pre-Seed:
I wanted to share my story with you and I hope you use it on your site to offer encouragement to others who have been TTC and have been unsuccessful. My husband and I started TTC on Oct. 13, 2006… When I went in for my yearly check up in August, of 2007, my GYN had no reason for me not being pregnant… Fast forward to Sept, 2007, I started having PMS symptoms so I know you know who was coming. Well once she arrived, I went on line and read about Pre-Seed…Oct’s cycle came and went and I knew exactly when my fertile window was. We used Pre-Seed every-other-night believe it or not, just twice. Guess what, I got a BFP today, I’m a little over 4 weeks. This stuff works!!!!! No pipe dream here. It’s the real deal and very affordable. The moral of this story is, we tried unsuccessfully for a year, used Pre-Seed really one month, and now I’m pregnant!!!

Thank you Pre-Seed. I wish I had known about your product sooner.” M in SC

This type of word of mouth to Friends and Family, to chat room members, to your doctors and nurses, is what has grown Pre~Seed to where it is today! We are grateful to all of you who keep us posted, who send those great baby pictures and who help us grow. This also goes for the growing number of non-trying to conceive users, who just love the way our products feel for pure–no means to an end– lovemaking!

We have had more and more physicians contacting us for Pre~Seed samples and this is often thanks to you all telling your doctor about the product. Many of you have even written us with your doctor’s contact information so we were able to send them samples and our Science review. When we have a doc that recommends the product in an area, then we can often find a local independent pharmacy who will try stocking it, and boy are you guys GREAT about visiting our local pharmacy locations to buy up their Pre~Seed!!

For example, we have a new pharmacy in San Diego (finally… It took DH over two years to find a pharmacy in San Diego that would carry the Pre~Seed!!!!)–within 30 minutes of putting Pre~Seed on their shelf, they sold all of their first order!

Yeah, you guys are awesome…keep up the great work. It benefits us all, because the more product we sell, the more affordable we can make the product for everyone!

And to those of you always writing to ask why we aren’t on the Today Show or Oprah or… don’t ask me, ask them! We have sent them our information

Thank you all again and Blessings during this hectic time of year!

Dr. E

Thanks for All You all have done for Pre~Seed!!!

We get letters like this one from our wonderful users every week– thanking us for Pre-Seed and wanting to help us spread the word.

“Dear Makers of Pre-Seed:
I wanted to share my story with you and I hope you use it on your site to offer encouragement to others who have been TTC and have been unsuccessful. My husband and I started TTC on Oct. 13, 2006… When I went in for my yearly check up in August, of 2007, my GYN had no reason for me not being pregnant… Fast forward to Sept, 2007, I started having PMS symptoms so I know you know who was coming. Well once she arrived, I went on line and read about Pre-Seed…Oct’s cycle came and went and I knew exactly when my fertile window was. We used Pre-Seed every-other-night believe it or not, just twice. Guess what, I got a BFP today, I’m a little over 4 weeks. This stuff works!!!!! No pipe dream here. It’s the real deal and very affordable. The moral of this story is, we tried unsuccessfully for a year, used Pre-Seed really one month, and now I’m pregnant!!!

Thank you Pre-Seed. I wish I had known about your product sooner.” M in SC

This type of word of mouth to Friends and Family, to chat room members, to your doctors and nurses, is what has grown Pre~Seed to where it is today! We are grateful to all of you who keep us posted, who send those great baby pictures and who help us grow. This also goes for the growing number of non-trying to conceive users, who just love the way our products feel for pure–no means to an end– lovemaking!

We have had more and more physicians contacting us for Pre~Seed samples and this is often thanks to you all telling your doctor about the product. Many of you have even written us with your doctor’s contact information so we were able to send them samples and our Science review. When we have a doc that recommends the product in an area, then we can often find a local independent pharmacy who will try stocking it, and boy are you guys GREAT about visiting our local pharmacy locations to buy up their Pre~Seed!!

For example, we have a new pharmacy in San Diego (finally… It took DH over two years to find a pharmacy in San Diego that would carry the Pre~Seed!!!!)–within 30 minutes of putting Pre~Seed on their shelf, they sold all of their first order!

Yeah, you guys are awesome…keep up the great work. It benefits us all, because the more product we sell, the more affordable we can make the product for everyone!

And to those of you always writing to ask why we aren’t on the Today Show or Oprah or… don’t ask me, ask them! We have sent them our information

Thank you all again and Blessings during this hectic time of year!

Dr. E

New study shows different impact of Viagra versus Cialis on Sperm Motility

A unique study was recently done evaluating the effects of either Viagra or Cialis on sperm motility in INFERTILE men ages 32- 39, after a ONE time dose on a semen sample taken 1-2 hours later (see bottom of the post). This study found that the average percent of motile or swimming sperm went up from 28% for controls (no meds) to 37% with the Viagra, and down to 21% with the Cialis.

Why is this study important?
1) They used younger infertile men. This is the exact population that occasionally needs a little “help” to deliver a good semen sample for assisted reproduction, or semen analysis, or during intercourse at home– who may be having “burn out” from the stress of Sex on Demand at ovulation.
2) They used one dose of the meds, like a couple might want to do to make sure there are no ED issues or stress at a critical time- again either for a fertility test or procedure, or on key days at home.
3) Viagra significantly increased average sperm motility and took it almost to a normal level (40% motile or higher is normal).

Discussion: Many, many couples who are having trouble conceiving end up with male performance issues due to a variety of reasons. This is far more common than you would think, and than your doc will tell you about – mostly because few couples tell their physician about this. These issues include: stress of sex on demand, having to have frequent intercourse (without time for a build up of desire), having to perform for a procedure or test. Ladies, imagine what it would be like if conceiving a child REQUIRED you to orgasm on a certain day!!! You can see why our men get stressed!

If performance issues arise (where DH can’t get the job done at a critical time), it can really make a couple sideways and puts even more stress on him the next time around. I have received many emails from couples where baby-dancing during a peak fertile day ended up in tears!

If you are experiencing this, or are worried about it for a big fertility procedure, ask your doctor for a one time dose of Viagra (some studies have shown chronic use may affect other types of sperm function).

Also, be sure and keep things slippery and fun for intercourse with Pre~Seed, or for manual semen collection with Pre’. The more he is stimulated the better semen sample he can produce. And part of proper stimulation is a well lubricated experience- it really does matter!

Dr. E

Fertil Steril. 2007 Oct;88(4):860-5. Epub 2007 Jun 4. Links
Alterations in sperm motility after acute oral administration of sildenafil or tadalafil in young, infertile men.Pomara G, Morelli G, Canale D, Turchi P, Caglieresi C, Moschini C, Liguori G, Selli C, Macchia E, Martino E, Francesca F.
Urology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Pisana, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acute effect of sildenafil and tadalafil on seminal parameters in young, infertile patients. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover clinical investigation on semen parameters after the administration of a single dose of sildenafil (50 mg) or tadalafil (20 mg). SETTING: An academic hospital as well as a male infertility center and clinical andrology laboratories. PATIENT(S): Eighteen young, infertile men. INTERVENTION(S): Oral administration of a single dose of sildenafil (50 mg) or tadalafil (20 mg) in a blind, randomized order. The semen samples were collected 1 or 2 hours after each treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Changes in sperm parameters after sildenafil and tadalafil administration, compared with the basal conditions. RESULT(S): A significant increase in sperm progressive motility (median value, 37.0% vs. 28.5%) was observed after sildenafil administration as compared with baseline; in contrast, a significant decreased value was observed after tadalafil (median value, 21.5% vs. 28.5%). CONCLUSION(S): These preliminary results indicate that sperm motility appears to be acutely affected in young, infertile patients by a single dose of sildenafil and tadalafil, with opposite effects: stimulatory by the former and inhibitory by the latter.

Why are Pre~Seed & Pre’ Less Irritating Than Other Lubricants?

The following two emails to INGfertility showcase how mild our patented formulas in Pre~Seed and Pre’ are.

“Hello and thank you for the previous supply of Pre and PreSeed samples that you sent to my office — these products have been very helpful to many of my vulvar pain patients, and also in women who are postmenopausal and have contraindications to estrogen products. I specialize in treating chronic pelvic and vulvar pain, and many of my patients have been able to have sexual contact for the first time without pain after using your product.” CO, Nurse Practitioner, San Diego, CA

“I am a 26 year old female experiencing vulvar burning and intercourse pain. I have tried just about all the lubricants sold in the drug stores and many natural substances and they all caused irritation. My doctor recently gave me a sample of pre-seed and I love it. Works great as a lubricant and didn’t irritate me at all.” DJF, New York City

What makes our formulas so unique is the fact that they are isotonic or have the same ion (salt) concentration as your body’s fluids. A recent study done at Ghent University showed that the ion concentration of a lubricant was almost perfectly related to how irritating it would be (you can see the study here http://preseed.com/TheScience/Full_Publications.php ). Specifically, the higher the ion concentration the more irritating the lubricant was, with Astroglide (having the highest ion concentration) causing actual tissue damage in the models used for this study.

Basically, most lubricants contain glycerin, glycerol or propylene glycol and these cause them to have high ion concentrations, which causes the irritation. This contact irritation is far more common than we have been told. In fact, in some studies KY products caused 20% of women to have symptoms of irritation after use.

If you feel burning or irritation after using typical lubricants, give Pre~Seed or Pre’ a try. We give you our 100% money back guarantee that our products won’t cause you irritation!

You deserve pain free intimacy!

Dr. E

New Evidence that Varicocele Repair Can Help Some Men

I just received an advanced copy of a meta-analysis study done at Cleveland Clinic on whether or not surgical repair of varicoceles increases spontaneous pregnancy rates. This data will be in ob/gyn Perspectives Fall 2007. It looked at results from 5 different well designed studies and found that 33% of couples following surgery became spontaneously pregnant, while only 16% did without repair.

The authors concluded “Surgical varicocelectomy in infertile men with palpable lesions and at least one abnormal semen parameter improves the odds of spontaneous pregnancy”. I very much agree with these findings, in particular because varicoceles increase the percentage of sperm with damaged DNA or genetic material, and repairing the problem allows DNA damage of sperm to lessen for most men.

Often medical clinics that promote no repair are those that heavily push for assisted reproduction to obtain pregnancy. I am much more a fan of trying to fix a problem in the man, to support as many natural pregnancies as a couple wants-with proven safer outcomes for all!

Dr. E

When Trying to Conceive Becomes Work

“Not again!” When you are trying to conceive, sex can become anything but enjoyable. Fear of failure, fertility medications, performance and anxiety all help because at least 1/3 of infertile couples to develop some level of sexual dysfunction often coupled with depression. Because conception requires intercourse, if sexual dysfunction arises, TTC couples “keep at it” even if positive feelings about their sexual relationship diminish. Studies can’t agree which is the chicken or the egg (depression because of lack of fulfilling intimacy or poor quality sex because of depression?), but one thing is sure, almost all infertile couples go through some mourning for the loss of a ‘normal’ sex life.

Well, who cares if you enjoy making love or not while trying-to-conceive? After all, you want a baby! Actually, the quality of intimacy you have during ‘that time of the month’, (when you are fertile of course!) can be critical. First of all, numerous studies have shown that the more stimulated or ‘turned on’ the man is the more motile sperm he can produce. Significant increases in sperm counts and sperm motility have been found following more foreplay and/or stimulation before ejaculation. In particular, for men with low sperm counts, spending time getting your husband good and in the mood, should be a part of the plan.

Enjoyable intercourse isn’t just good for sperm counts. Overall marital discord is lower in couples that enjoy satisfying sexual relations even when the woman is ovulating. The investigators in this study found that couples who are able to stay in sync in the bedroom while working on procreation, were better able to function as a team in dealing with the larger issues and stresses of infertility.

One common TTC complication is vaginal dryness in the female partner, with 75% of TTC couples reporting an increased incidence during timed intercourse. Fear of failure and fertility medications can make many women lack natural lubrication. Unfortunately, three decades of research have shown that most vaginal lubricants cause rapid losses in sperm motility and viability, equivalent to contraceptive gels. This is true even if they don’t contain a spermicide and even if they are water based. There is tremendous misinformation on this topic. However, Pre~Seed has been recently introduced for couples who need relief from vaginal dryness while trying to conceive. Being able to have intercourse throughout your fertile time, without pain, is an important part of TTC and is important for your well being as a couple.

Once dryness isn’t an issue, use your fertile time to experiment with new things to up the romance and sizzle while making love. Although overstated, it often isn’t implemented during TTC because everyone’s stress levels can preclude being more imaginative. Most importantly, when you are making a baby take time at least once a month to recall why you fell in love, and to put some of that same energy you used to put into planning a special rendezvous into enjoying each other, even if you happen to be ovulating! Don’t blame each other when things get sideways, but be creative and communicative to find new ways to enjoy your intimate friendship.

Happy Baby-making!

Dr. E

What is arabinogalactan and why is it in Pre~Seed?

Arabinogalactan (AG) is a large plant sugar from the larch or tamarack tree with unique properties in supporting cell function. In fact, the whole journey to start INGfertility and develop Pre~Seed started around my discoveries that AG supported sperm function in the laboratory. This was one of those crazy discoveries that was meant to be! Specifically, in 1994 I was studying how sperm survive in the Fallopian Tube after ejaculation into the female. This survival of sperm in the woman involves binding or attachment of the sperm to the cells lining the tube through a sugar interaction. This binding protects sperm and keeps them happy as they wait for the egg to fertilize. I was trying to find a natural sugar substance that sperm could bind to in the lab in order to mimic this attachment in the Fallopian tube. A colleague (who would become my partner) suggested a unique tree sugar, arabinogalactan, because her father had studied it for many years. It had been shown to have special abilities to protect cells, including being the active fraction of the herb Echinacea (to enhance immune systems).

So I merrily coated AG on the bottom of Petri dishes hoping to have sperm stick to the sugar, and create a little “Fallopian tube” in the laboratory. Surprisingly, or not! The sugar was very water soluble and as soon as I added the sperm in solution the AG dissolved… but what I observed over the following several days was amazing!!! The human sperm that I had placed into the Petri dish lived and lived and lived….They were happy and swimming well, far past the usual times for human sperm to survive in the laboratory. Needless to say I was shocked! I called a patent attorney that week and since have developed over 8 patents on the use of AG to optimize cell function, including that of sperm in several different assisted reproduction products. Sperm are very susceptible to oxygen free radical damage or oxidative stress that can occur in the laboratory or in the vagina from a hostile environment. This can interfere with their swimming and can actually damage their DNA (genetic material). Antioxidant support for sperm is critical to protect from this damage. In fact, infertile men have HALF of the antioxidants in their semen of normal fertile men. So although we still don’t understand exactly what all AG does to help sperm maintain their normal function, we can assume that the antioxidant support it provides is probably important.

Happy Baby-Making!
Dr. E

New Swiss Study Finds Pre~Seed “Fertility-Friendly”

I was just forwarded a report on Pre~Seed from the independent Foundation Faber, in Lausanne, Switzerland, A foundation with a mission to study ways to treat infertility. In this study, Pre~Seed alone provided optimal conditions for sperm function, in contrast to other products tested. The foundation then suggested that physicians recommend Pre~Seed to their trying to conceive couples suffering from vaginal dryness.

This report also pointed out the damage to sperm caused by ultrasound gels that could occur during assisted reproduction procedures. Pre Lubricant (a companion product to Pre~Seed) can be used to facilitate insertion of diagnostics probes, such as during transvaginal procedures.

We are very excited about this new independent study!

Dr. E

Choosing a Doctor for Male Infertility

Subfertility (the preferred term over “infertility”) is a medical problem that MUST be investigated based on the couple, not either partner in isolation. Subfertility is a result of both the man and the woman at the same time 50% of the time, with ONLY the man or the woman being the issue 25% of the time each.

Fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology (”fertility specialists”) typically takes place in departments of obstetrics & gynecology where there is frequently very limited expertise in examining the man and investigating male factors that cause, subfertility. Also, the great majority of urologists have not received specialized training in subfertility.

EVERY couple that is having troubles conceiving, should have the man evaluated by an individual specifically trained in “andrology” or male reproduction. This could include a urologist with a true specialty in fertility medicine or and andrologist (the male side of a gynaecologist).

Men’s Health Best Life, March, 2006 had a GREAT quote from some of my dancing buddies in American Society of Andrology on how to choose such a doctor. The article states and I quote–
“In other fields (of medicine), fundamental expertise is relatively easy to gauge. A cardiologist can’t treat heart patients unless he is board certified in cardiology; a doctor can’t go by the title “oncologist” unless he’s trained to treat various forms of cancer. But many urologists can and do treat male infertility without ever having received specialized training in reproductive medicine. “Make sure your doctor has that extra fellowship training” says Jon Pryor, MD chair of urology at University of Minnesota School of Medicine. “After all, who’s better at fixing a Volvo- a dealer or the mechanic down the street?”
Ask your doctor what percentage of his practice is infertility related. “It should be at least 1/3″, says Jay Sandlow, MD, vice chair of urology at Medical College of Wisconsin. Also ask him what societies he belongs to. If “andrology” “infertility” or “sexual” isn’t in the title, then he’s not active in the field and probably doesn’t keep up with the latest advances.”

Another alternative to a Urologist is the Clinical Andrologists. These are often PhDs (such as myself) that study sperm physiology and male reproduction. You should always ask if your RE clinic has a Clinical Andrologist on staff, what level of education they have (it should be a PhD) and if they belong to the American Society of Andrology, or Society for Male Reproduction and Urology. Also, confirm that any clinic you work with adheres to World Health Organization guidelines for sperm analysis… if they don’t, ask for a referral specifically for your husband elsewhere, for evaluation.

Finally, since the advent of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (”ICSI”), where fertilization can be achieved in the laboratory by injecting a single sperm cell into an egg, many doctors simply look at the man as being a source of sperm, and have the couple undergo assisted reproductive technology treatment (”ART”) without worrying about diagnosing or attempting to treat cases of “male factor subfertility” directly. While this can certainly be seen as a quick way to achieve a pregnancy, it might not be the cheapest, or safest, means of doing so. However, such medical management decisions must always be taken by a physician fully trained in all aspects of subfertility diagnosis and advice cannot be provided outside of such a patient-doctor relationship.

Nonetheless, from a scientific perspective, it is clear that many “infertility doctors” could benefit from more extensive, or more recent, training in male reproductive biology and medicine. This opinion is based on the many patients who have received advice that is contrary to the recommendations of the World Health Organization’s Manual for the Standardized Investigation, Diagnosis and Management of the Infertile Male, which is intended as a “lowest common denominator” approach to investigating and managing subfertile couples with a male factor, that can be applied everywhere, including Third World countries.

Unfortunately, there is no simple way for a couple to verify that their managing physician has proper expertise in clinical andrology, but patients must never be afraid to ask questions, perhaps especially about the nature of their doctor’s training and expertise in clinical andrology, and about what options other than ICSI have been considered and might be available to them. As a generalization, based on experience from centers where andrology is integrated into their operation, only 35 to 40% of in vitro treatment cycles actually need ICSI.

Cervical Mucus and Sperm- Don’t Stop Their Journey!

After ejaculation, sperm have to be able to swim through the cervix to reach the Fallopian Tube where fertilization of the egg occurs. However, the interactions of sperm and cervical mucus (CM) that allow this migration are often disrupted in fertility patients. It is thought that at least a third (if not more) of subfertile couples have some disruption of sperm-cervical mucus interactions that limit sperm transport to the tubes.

The importance of normal CM in natural reproduction is widely recognized. For most of a woman’s cycle the CM is a thick gel and hostile to sperm, with a low pH and a structure that stops sperm transport by the presence of closely spaced microfibers. During ovulation, however, the CM becomes more alkaline (higher pH), and the fibers align in parallel with an expanded distance between them. This allows the sperm to swim through the mucus. Normally, the volume of daily CM also increases 5 fold at ovulation. CM is a hydrogel of 90% water, and its primary function appears to be bathing sperm in a fluid medium to protect them during transport. The presence of sugar-proteins in the gel that hold the water is controlled by hormone changes at ovulation (especially the presence of estrogen). These sugars increase the mucus gel’s capacity to hold water, expand fiber spacing, & allow sperm migration. Taken together, these changes permit sperm to rapidly swim through the cervix and proceed to the Fallopian tube for fertilization.

In women with poor sperm-CM interaction there is a reduction in CM fiber spacing making sperm travel difficult, a primary cause of which in many women may be not enough water in the gel. This may be caused by advancing age (with low grade hormonal disruptions); and following the use fertility medication such as clomiphene citrate (or clomid). Clomid is a widely prescribed fertility drug. In fact, it has become increasingly used as a first line therapy for couples with fertility issues. With easy internet access, many women are also taking Clomid without doctor oversight. Estimates are that 40% of couples with fertility problems utilize Clomid at some point for the woman. Although it’s wide spread use has helped many couples conceive, it does cause significant problems with vaginal dryness and CM production and function. Specifically, numerous studies have shown that Clomid causes decreases in: volumes of CM; quality of CM (”egg-white like appearance”); and sperm ability to swim into CM. In fact, women on Clomid are seven times more likely to have “hostile” CM that is difficult for sperm to penetrate than are women not on the medication.

Women on Clomid also have an increased prevalence of vaginal dryness, which can cause pain at intercourse and decrease enjoyment for the man (which can decrease sperm counts). Many women on Clomid (which is already making them prone to poor sperm-cervical mucus penetration) are therefore also using lubricants that can harm sperm such as KY, Astroglide and Replens. These women may be creating a vaginal environment that limits sperm transport. Pre~Seed “fertility-friendly” Intimate Moisturizer can replenish vaginal moisture without harming sperm. We are planning on a clinical trial to evaluate the effect of Pre~Seed on sperm and cervical mucus interactions, especially for women on Clomid.

Happy baby-making!

Dr. E

Welcome to Our New Pre~Seed Blog

Dear Friends,

I am really excited to have this blog to share with you!!! Many of you will recall when I used to have my Q&A with folks at Toni Weschler’s Ovusoft site. I loved discussing topics from using Pre~Seed to sperm physiology to keeping love-making spicy when TTC…you all did too! In fact, when I got to having to answer over 50 questions a week, I decided it was time for a break. If I get several questions in an area then I will bring them up here. If you send personal fertility test info, I will not respond to it (that is between you and your doc) - but general questions about topics related to: male fertility, pre~Seed or Pre’, enjoying love making at different life stages, sperm storage in the woman or fallopian tube physiology—– all fair game.

I will be back next week with some great info on why lubricants can cause irritation sometimes, and how to prevent that.

Take care-

Dr. E