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[Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical practitioner. Any medical information is strictly my opinion based on research and personal experience, and not to be taken as advice. Always seek the advice of a licensed physician for your medical needs. Read my full disclaimer here.]
If you’ve read any of my other posts, you’ve probably realized that I am a firm believer in figuring out the root cause of what doctors call “unexplained infertility,” no matter what tests that requires. I’ve refused to take “unexplained” for an answer. Admittedly this has cost me. BUT: I have a hard time believing that IUI/IVF (which would also cost me) is the answer to unexplained infertility. In some cases, I’m sure it does work, because it corrects an underlying issue that maybe you didn’t know you had.
But for me personally, I have a hard time trying them right now since I believe something else needs to be corrected first…something that I’m not convinced can be remedied with traditional treatments. That being said, I sought out a functional medicine doctor who brought up several different possible causes of unexplained infertility. She also did two more tests that go beyond the traditional bloodwork and HSG test performed at a typical fertility specialist’s office. Those two tests were the DUTCH test and the NutraEval. Here is my experience + review of each:
(I think the NutraEval helped me discover the root cause of my unexplained infertility– read below for the details!)
The DUTCH Test
About the test:
This is a hormonal test. It tested my estrogen, progesterone, androgens, and cortisol, among other things. There are various tests this company offers. Since it seemed to be unlikely that I had a major problem with my hormones (other bloodwork has come back normal, indicating that I ovulate normally), I did the DUTCH Complete test, which is the simplest and least expensive. There are other tests that evaluate your levels every day of your cycle; this one evaluated them a week or so after ovulation, mainly to determine if I ovulated and have adequate progesterone.
Cost for me:
$250 (I believe this could depend on the provider ordering it)
My experience:
This test was pretty simple and painless. You are required to pee on a piece of paper 4 different times between days 19 and 22 of your cycle, let the paper dry, and then send it in to the company. (As I mentioned, this is for the DUTCH Complete test…other DUTCH tests are more involved and require more samples.)
What I found out + was it worth it:
As expected, everything was fairly normal for me, with some very minor issues (slight adrenal fatigue) I will take additional supplements for. However, if you suspect you have an issue with ovulation, I would definitely recommend this test. Either way, if you are determined to find a root cause for your unexplained infertility, I think hormonal tests are essential.
The NutraEval Test
About the test:
This is an intense test, but it gives you a ton of information. It essentially provides you with a breakdown of all of the nutrients in your body — antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc. In addition, it gives insights on your gut health (recommendations on whether or not you need more probiotics in your system, gut dysbiosis markers, malabsorption markers, etc.). This test even tells you the amount of toxins in your body (lead, mercury, etc.). The test also includes the option for a couple of genetic test add-ons — MTHFR and COMT, for example — which can be useful when talking about fertility. (Read more on MTHFR here.) This test does not focus exclusively on fertility; it is helpful for investigating any medical issue, really, or just your overall health.
Cost for me:
$439 (Again, I believe this could depend on the provider ordering it). This cost included the MTHFR and COMT add-ons (I think that was $20 or so extra).
My experience:
This test is much more involved than the DUTCH test, because it gives much more information. It involves a urine sample, blood/plasma sample, and saliva sample (if needed for the genetics add-on). The test comes with step-by-step instructions that are crucial to follow exactly. (The urine sample must be frozen, for example, and saliva swab taken first thing in the morning without having used mouthwash the previous 24 hours.)
What I found out + was it worth it:
I know this test is pretty pricey. However, I would highly recommend it to anyone with any complicated or unexplainable medical issue (or even someone who wants to find out how to improve their overall health), as it is extremely comprehensive. Not to mention, it was SUPER interesting to find out so much about my overall health!
Perhaps more importantly and relevant to you, I believe this test was helpful for me in figuring out a contributing factor to my unexplained infertility (although I can’t be sure). I have a deficiency in an amino acid called arginine. This is a very rare deficiency and not tested regularly, so I’m sure I would have never known. This amino acid is essential for vascular health and proper blood flow and circulation (also I believe the cause of my Raynaud’s, which I’ve always believed had something to do with my infertility).
Turns out this arginine supplement is (controversially) used as a fertility supplement sometimes…controversially because it would be rare to have a deficiency. In my case, I think this could make the difference. (Read more about Raynaud’s, infertility, and L-Arginine in my post here.) That said, I do recommend forking over the cash for this test. It investigates possible causes of unexplained infertility that you or your doctor may not have ever thought to check!
One Last Note
I am very thankful that I have a doctor (read more on my functional doctor here) who went over the tests for unexplained infertility with me and explained the results. Although there are videos online and samples for you to interpret test results, the results for both tests do come back in a form that is somewhat confusing (if you are not in the medical field). Although you could likely figure it out by digging and doing research on how to read the results, having someone to go over them with you is very helpful.
Hi,
Were this tests somehow helpfull? I mean-did you get rid of the problem of infertility?
I’m not sure yet — I mean, I haven’t gotten pregnant yet! I do think the tests were definitely helpful — and I THINK my issue is this arginine deficiency that I mentioned that I discovered, but I haven’t been taking it for even a full cycle yet (just about the last two weeks). So I really don’t know yet…but I will be sure to update if this does indeed solve my problem!