Ovulation Induction (Oi)
If a woman is not ovulating, ovulation induction may be necessary. Fertility issues that arise most frequently include: fatigue, weight fluctuations, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Other factors may include pituitary disorders, thyroid disorders, and elevated prolactin levels. Often failure of ovulation is due to ovarian failure. Post-menopause can occur following treatment for cancer or start of menopause – premature ovarian failure.
If a woman has an irregular menstrual cycle, ultrasounds (follicle tracking) and hormone assays may help identify the fertile period of the month. The cause of ovulation problems needs to be identified with such tests. There are a number of tests including an ultrasound scan of the ovaries and womb, blood tests to assess a range of hormones, and androgens (male hormones).
It is also necessary to make sure the ovary will respond to the treatment. There is a high risk of ovulation failure due to the menopause. If the FSH (> 10) and AMH concentrations are low when measured at the start of a cycle, ovarian failure is probable. If fertility treatment is less effective, Ovulation can only occur if medical intervention is triggered by the start of menstruation. If tablets do not function, you will need stronger fertility injections to help your ovaries produce eggs.
Ovulation Is Induced Using One Of Two Main Drug Regimens:
Clomiphene (or clomid) tablets, or tamoxifen, increase the pituitary development of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), thereby stimulating follicles and hence egg growth. This tablet is given at a starting dose of 50 mgs from the 2nd to the 6th day of the cycle. If the cycles are really infrequent, it might be appropriate to offer a different kind of pill called Norethisterone. Gonadotrophins are given by injection.
It contains follicle stimulating hormone. Examples are: Menopur, Gonal F and Bemfola. These injections are given every day at a dosage of 75 IU. A scan will display any reaction to any medications issued. We recommend intercourse after the follicles have reached an acceptable size. A hormone shot can be given at that point. Monitoring of reaction can not be reliable, and often the cycle may need to be stopped and restarted if care is inadequate or too powerful. Treatment is typically provided for six months, which can be carried out consecutively without a break.
Potential side effects have various side effects. Pregnancy may be a risk of ovulation treatments. In up to ten percent of cases, treatment with Clomiphene or gonadotrophins may lead to twins. Twin pregnancies occur in about 1% of cases. Multiple pregnancies can be minimized, but they are not removed.
Ovidrel And Trigger Shots
Ovidrel (choriogonadotropin alfa injection) is a fertility medication used to cause ovulation. Ovidrel is a type of injectable medication that can be used by itself or along with other fertility drugs. Ovidrel is used to help get pregnant in a cycle of timed sexual intercourse intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Overview Ovarian hormone is made of rHGC (r-hCG).
Genetic technology has been used to make infertility medicines. They are a molecular form of body hormone. The r-hCG used in the test is a related hormone released by the body (LH). LH causes ovulation during the menstrual cycle. Accuracy. It will raise the risk of ovulation, but not guaranteed you will get pregnant. Clomid does help many women ovulate, but it also fails. If Clomid does not result in ovulation, it is immune to Clomid.
Approximately 40% to 45% of women who use Clomid can get pregnant within six cycles of use. What if it doesn’t work? You do not need to switch to more specialized treatments right away. Your doctor may prescribe Clomid to help take metformin along.
Letrozole which is a cancer treatment medication used off-label for infertility helps women who are clomid-resistant ovulate. Period Clomid can not be used indefinitely. Also, there is an increased chance of developing ovarian cancer. Research has investigated whether fertility drugs improve cancer risk. Clomid use alone is not a risk factor for cancer, but could raise risk of infertility.
If it helps you get pregnant, conceiving and giving birth can decrease the cancer risk. The bad news is that some studies have shown that, even though treated for a longer term, Clomid raises risk of breast cancer in infertile women. Research seems to suggest that infertility is a risk factor for cancer, but doctors generally recommend restricting care to 12 months. Some are more conservative, restricting care to six months.
They May Move You Onto A Drug Called Letrozole.
Fertility medications include follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), or a mixture of the two. Drugs are used to cause ovulation. I might be acquainted with Gonal-F, Follistim, Ovidrel, Menopur, and Luveris. Gonadotropins are informally known as Injectable. They are different from fertility drugs such as Clomid (clomiphene) and Femara (letrozole) . Gonadotropins include FSH and LH. The natural hormones in the body are identical to synthetic forms of the FSH & LH hormones you produce naturally.
Treatment With Gonadotropins (Gonal-F
You must first understand how the female reproductive system functions. Find a helpful step-by-step guide to the female reproductive cycle here. Here’s a really short list of the key points. Typically, your pituitary gland develops FSH and LH before your menstrual cycle. The FSH moves to the ovaries. LH is stored in the pituitary gland before ovulation. FSH tells the follicles in your ovaries to wake up and expand.
FSH stands for “follicle-stimulating hormone.” It makes perfect sense. Gonadotropin FSH or FSH along with LH drugs function similarly. Your follicles are encouraged to grow and develop. LH peak at the point of ovulation in a natural cycle and allows mature eggs to go through one last growth spurt, and release. During treatment with hCG, you may be given an injection of hCG, which acts as a natural LH spike, which will cause ovulation.
Gonal-f® contains an injected hormone in a stoppered glass vial. The hormone is in the form of a white powder. There is a carton containing a vial called “Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP”. The white powder and transparent liquid are blended together to make a clear liquid for injection. There are injection syringes for Gonal-f® included in the carton. These injection syringes can only be used to administer Gonal-f®.
Gonal-f® is only available by prescription. Follitropin alpha (FAA) is a related human hormone to the human hormone ‘follicle stimulating hormone’ (FSH). FSH is a hormone associated with reproduction. FSH allows the ovaries to produce eggs. In males, FSH induces sperm output.
The hormone in Gonal-f® is developed to meet consistency and purity requirements. It cannot be taken by mouth because it is a hormone. Gonal-f® Multi-Dose is given as an injection every day or three times a week. It is administered to patients requiring hormone supplementation to develop eggs or sperm. The vial is loaded with 600 IU of medication in order to produce 450 IU in many smaller daily doses. It offers 2 to 6 daily recommended doses. The Gonal-f® Multi-Dose vial is loaded with 1200 IU of Gonal-f® to produce 1000 IU in smaller daily doses.
This offers between 3 and 14 prescriptions daily. Your doctor or nurse will inform you the amount of Gonal-f® per dose and the number of days to use the same vial. A small amount of medication is left in each vial that can not be extracted with a syringe.
This is natural. Any medications left in the vial after the treatment are discarded. Your doctor will teach you how to inject the recommended dose. Typically, people use injection sites like the stomach, leg, or arm. After mixing the liquid solution, the liquid should be kept at room temperature for a period of 28 days. Do Not Freeze. The solution would become a loss. Be vigilant of dosages. Should you administer more than prescribed, call the doctor immediately.
You should explore with your doctor the dangers and benefits of using Gonal-f® Multi-Dose. Make sure you tell your doctor about any side effects or improvements in your health. The most common side effects include side effects including a fever, or headaches, ovarian cysts, upset stomach, sinusitis, breast pain, or tiredness. Injections can cause some pain.
Fertility drugs may result in fertilization of more than one egg. This can cause complications and birth of 2 or more infants. Women who are using fertility medications are more likely to experience a miscarriage. Gonal-f® is a potent medication which should be used at the lowest dosage to produce the desired effects. Your doctor should monitor your reaction to decide whether you need more Gonal-f®.
If you are prescribed Gonal-f® and experience extreme pain or bloating in the stomach or pelvic region, severe upset stomach, vomiting, and weight gain, contact your doctor right away. In rare cases, women have developed ovarian cancer while taking fertility drugs.