Popular Fertility Treatment Drugs Overview
The drugs you can take fall into one of four https://teachmixer.com/coloring-pages/general-coloring-page-10116/ general categories during fertility treatment:
- Drugs engineered to induce ovulation (fertility drugs)
- Drugs designed to suppress or regulate the menstrual cycle (used during IVF)
- Medicines for treating other forms of fertility
- Medicines developed to treat an underlying medical disorder that affects your fertility
Medications may be used alone or may be used in combination with intrauterine insemination (IUI), treatment with IVF or surgical procedures.
While infertility almost equally affects men and women, women are still more likely than men to take fertility treatment drugs. This is because it is not possible to cure most male infertility issues with medication. However, men can also take hormones or other medications as part of fertility treatment in some cases.
Clomid, the most popular fertility drug:
You've probably already heard of Clomid. The first drug attempted while treating ovulatory dysfunction is sometimes clomid, or clomiphene citrate. For couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility, it may also be prescribed in the early stages of care. Some cases of male infertility can be treated with Clomid, although it is not normal.
Clomid is an orally administered tablet. Clomid is most often used on its own. But Clomid may also be paired with other antidepressants, fertility treatments, or IUI therapy.
Headaches, hot flashes, and mood swings are the most common side effects. Conceiving twins or a higher-order multiple pregnancy, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, and vision problems are some complications of Clomid care. Compared to the stronger injectable fertility medications, side impacts and risks are moderate.
Femara: A Clomid Substitute
Femara, or letrozole, was not supposed to be a treatment for fertility. It's a breast cancer drug, in fact. However, to treat ovulation issues, it is still commonly used off-label.
Femara is, like Clomid, taken orally. It can be used alone or as part of IUI care, alongside other medicines or fertility medications. Femara could be more successful than Clomid in women with PCOS and women who are otherwise Clomid-resistant, according to some studies. (Clomid-resistant only means that, as predicted, Clomid does not induce ovulation.)
There are very similar side effects and threats of Clomid. During pregnancy, Femara is not safe to use. That said, since Femara is taken early in the menstrual cycle before pregnancy occurs, when used for fertility purposes, most doctors consider it safe.
Gonadotropins: Injectable Drug Ovulation Stimulation
The strongest ovulation-stimulating drugs are gonadotropins. They contain follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), or a mixture of the two, which are biologically identical. Those are the hormones in female reproduction that stimulate the ovaries to develop and release eggs.
These medications are taken by injection into the fatty tissue, normally (also known as subcutaneous injections). You will be told by your fertility doctor how to give yourself these injections at home.
During IVF therapies, gonadotropins are used. These medications have formerly been used with other therapies, such as IUI, but it is no longer a common practice.
Headaches, nausea, bloating, breast tenderness, mood swings, and injection site pain are among the most common side effects of gonadotropins. With gonadotropins, the chance of conceiving twins, triplets, or higher order multiples is considerably higher than with oral drugs like Clomid. Your chance of developing the syndrome of ovarian hyperstimulation is also much greater.
While gonadotropins are mainly used in women, injectable fertility drugs can be administered to men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism to boost the levels of testosterone and improve the health of semen.
The following are the gonadotropins that your doctor can prescribe:
Follistim (beta follitropin) and Gonal-F (alpha follitropin): These medications in your body imitate the hormone FSH. They are developed using recombinant DNA technology in a laboratory, making them bio-similar to natural hormones.
Bravelle, Fertinex: These hormonal fertility medications are often FSH, except that the hormone is collected and refined from postmenopausal women's urine instead of being artificially produced in the laboratory. These drugs are considered less potent but less expensive than FSH developed using recombinant DNA technology.
Ovidrel (choriogonadotropin alpha), Novarel, Pregnyl, A.P.L.: These medications are made from the hormone hCG for pregnancy. In the body, the hormone hCG is identical to LH. The hormone which triggers ovulation is LH. Novarel, Pregnyl, and A.P.L. are purified from pregnant women's urine, while Ovidrel is developed using recombinant DNA technology in laboratories.
Luveris (lutropin alpha): This is an LH hormone developed by recombinant DNA technology in a laboratory.
Repronex, Menopur, Pergonal, Humegon: These fertility medications, also known as human menopausal gonadotropins, are paired with LH and FSH (hMG). They are not used commonly, although in certain special cases they can be used.
Drugs used during IVF therapy to monitor or inhibit ovulation
Ovulation is suppressed by certain drugs used during fertility care. Drugs are used to avoid ovulation during IVF therapy before the eggs can be surgically extracted. They will not be found or used for IVF until the eggs have been ovulated into the body. To coordinate cycles with a prospective egg donor or gestational carrier, ovulation can also be suppressed.
Pills for birth control: These can be recommended for the month before treatment with IVF. Therapeutically, birth control can also be used. For example, if they take birth control pills for two months before treatment, women with PCOS who do not respond to Clomid will have a stronger response to the medication.
Antagon, Ganirelix, Cetrotide, Orgalutran (ganirelix acetate and cetrorelix acetate): GnRH antagonists are such fertility drugs. This suggests that they act in the body against the hormones LH and FSH, preventing ovulation. Through injection, they are taken. Abdominal discomfort, headache, and injection site pain are among the most common side effects.
Lupron, Synarel, Suprecur, Zoladex (leuprolide acetate, nafarelin acetate, buserelin, goserelin): GnRH agonists or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists are the following drugs. In FSH and LH production, they cause an initial surge but then cause the body to stop producing FSH and LH. Ovulation is stopped by this. Typically, these medications are used during IVF therapy, helping the doctor to monitor gonadotropin ovulation. They can also be used to treat fibroids or endometriosis. Hot flashes, headaches, mood swings, and vaginal dryness are the most common side effects.
Medications for treating such problems with fertility
Medications meant to stimulate the ovaries are fertility drugs. However, during fertility treatment, these are not the only drugs that your doctor might prescribe.
Aspirin or heparin: If you have had a chronic miscarriage or have been diagnosed with a blood thrombophilia disorder (a situation in which small blood clots may lead to loss of pregnancy), your doctor can prescribe aspirin or injections of the blood-thinning medicine heparin to your baby every day.
Progesterone: Progesterone supplementation may be recommended by your doctor, either as a vaginal suppository or through injections. If you are having recurrent miscarriage or have a suspected luteal phase deficiency, vaginal progesterone suppositories may be proposed. During IVF therapy, injectable progesterone is most commonly used.
Estrogen: If your endometrial lining is too thin, if you experience vaginal dryness or pain during intercourse, or to improve the consistency of your cervical mucus, your doctor can prescribe vaginal suppositories of estrogen. Thicker cervical mucus, which may interfere with pregnancy, is a potential side effect of using Clomid. A thinner endometrial lining may also result from prolonged Clomid use. With these problems, estrogen may help.
Drugs for treating underlying medical problems
Often, the fertility is reduced by an underlying medical condition. In such instances, the problem must be dealt with first. Treating the underlying problem can be sufficient to increase your fertility. You may be able to conceive on your own after medication.
However, a combination of solutions is required in other cases. Besides fertility treatments or surgical procedures, you may need to get treatment for the medical condition.
Glucophage (metformin): Metformin is a diabetes medication intended for the care of those that are immune to insulin. PCOS women are often diagnosed with resistance to insulin. Some research has shown that treatment with metformin in women with PCOS may help restart or control ovulation. Other studies have shown that it can decrease the risk of miscarriage and help Clomid function in women who could not ovulate alone on Clomid.
Antibiotics: Reproductive tract infection can decrease fertility in men and women alike. An infection can lead to scarring in some cases. This scarring can prevent the meeting of the egg and sperm. As long as there is no scarring, to enhance fertility, antibiotics alone might be enough. However, surgery or IVF treatment may also be needed if the fallopian tubes are blocked or filled with fluid.
Parlodel and Dostinex (bromocriptine and cabergoline): Dopamine agonists are these drugs. Hyperprolactinemia can be recommended for them. Hyperprolactinemia is a disorder in which prolactin hormonal levels are abnormally large. High levels of prolactin can cause ovulation in women to be abnormal or absent and cause low sperm counts in men. Parlodel and Dostinex may reduce levels of prolactin. Headaches, nasal inflammation, headaches, and dizziness are potential side effects. This may also bring back ovulation or regular development of sperm. There is a need for surgery or extra fertility therapies in some situations.
Thyroid-regulating hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism medications: in men and women, an under- or over-functioning thyroid may cause fertility problems. Women may have irregular periods, while men may have low counts of sperm. Deregulation of the thyroid can also cause fatigue and weight gain. Obesity will influence fertility more.
- Drugs engineered to induce ovulation (fertility drugs)
- Drugs designed to suppress or regulate the menstrual cycle (used during IVF)
- Medicines for treating other forms of fertility
- Medicines developed to treat an underlying medical disorder that affects your fertility
Medications may be used alone or may be used in combination with intrauterine insemination (IUI), treatment with IVF or surgical procedures.
While infertility almost equally affects men and women, women are still more likely than men to take fertility treatment drugs. This is because it is not possible to cure most male infertility issues with medication. However, men can also take hormones or other medications as part of fertility treatment in some cases.
Clomid, the most popular fertility drug:
You've probably already heard of Clomid. The first drug attempted while treating ovulatory dysfunction is sometimes clomid, or clomiphene citrate. For couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility, it may also be prescribed in the early stages of care. Some cases of male infertility can be treated with Clomid, although it is not normal.
Clomid is an orally administered tablet. Clomid is most often used on its own. But Clomid may also be paired with other antidepressants, fertility treatments, or IUI therapy.
Headaches, hot flashes, and mood swings are the most common side effects. Conceiving twins or a higher-order multiple pregnancy, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, and vision problems are some complications of Clomid care. Compared to the stronger injectable fertility medications, side impacts and risks are moderate.
Femara: A Clomid Substitute
Femara, or letrozole, was not supposed to be a treatment for fertility. It's a breast cancer drug, in fact. However, to treat ovulation issues, it is still commonly used off-label.
Femara is, like Clomid, taken orally. It can be used alone or as part of IUI care, alongside other medicines or fertility medications. Femara could be more successful than Clomid in women with PCOS and women who are otherwise Clomid-resistant, according to some studies. (Clomid-resistant only means that, as predicted, Clomid does not induce ovulation.)
There are very similar side effects and threats of Clomid. During pregnancy, Femara is not safe to use. That said, since Femara is taken early in the menstrual cycle before pregnancy occurs, when used for fertility purposes, most doctors consider it safe.
Gonadotropins: Injectable Drug Ovulation Stimulation
The strongest ovulation-stimulating drugs are gonadotropins. They contain follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), or a mixture of the two, which are biologically identical. Those are the hormones in female reproduction that stimulate the ovaries to develop and release eggs.
These medications are taken by injection into the fatty tissue, normally (also known as subcutaneous injections). You will be told by your fertility doctor how to give yourself these injections at home.
During IVF therapies, gonadotropins are used. These medications have formerly been used with other therapies, such as IUI, but it is no longer a common practice.
Headaches, nausea, bloating, breast tenderness, mood swings, and injection site pain are among the most common side effects of gonadotropins. With gonadotropins, the chance of conceiving twins, triplets, or higher order multiples is considerably higher than with oral drugs like Clomid. Your chance of developing the syndrome of ovarian hyperstimulation is also much greater.
While gonadotropins are mainly used in women, injectable fertility drugs can be administered to men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism to boost the levels of testosterone and improve the health of semen.
The following are the gonadotropins that your doctor can prescribe:
Follistim (beta follitropin) and Gonal-F (alpha follitropin): These medications in your body imitate the hormone FSH. They are developed using recombinant DNA technology in a laboratory, making them bio-similar to natural hormones.
Bravelle, Fertinex: These hormonal fertility medications are often FSH, except that the hormone is collected and refined from postmenopausal women's urine instead of being artificially produced in the laboratory. These drugs are considered less potent but less expensive than FSH developed using recombinant DNA technology.
Ovidrel (choriogonadotropin alpha), Novarel, Pregnyl, A.P.L.: These medications are made from the hormone hCG for pregnancy. In the body, the hormone hCG is identical to LH. The hormone which triggers ovulation is LH. Novarel, Pregnyl, and A.P.L. are purified from pregnant women's urine, while Ovidrel is developed using recombinant DNA technology in laboratories.
Luveris (lutropin alpha): This is an LH hormone developed by recombinant DNA technology in a laboratory.
Repronex, Menopur, Pergonal, Humegon: These fertility medications, also known as human menopausal gonadotropins, are paired with LH and FSH (hMG). They are not used commonly, although in certain special cases they can be used.
Drugs used during IVF therapy to monitor or inhibit ovulation
Ovulation is suppressed by certain drugs used during fertility care. Drugs are used to avoid ovulation during IVF therapy before the eggs can be surgically extracted. They will not be found or used for IVF until the eggs have been ovulated into the body. To coordinate cycles with a prospective egg donor or gestational carrier, ovulation can also be suppressed.
Pills for birth control: These can be recommended for the month before treatment with IVF. Therapeutically, birth control can also be used. For example, if they take birth control pills for two months before treatment, women with PCOS who do not respond to Clomid will have a stronger response to the medication.
Antagon, Ganirelix, Cetrotide, Orgalutran (ganirelix acetate and cetrorelix acetate): GnRH antagonists are such fertility drugs. This suggests that they act in the body against the hormones LH and FSH, preventing ovulation. Through injection, they are taken. Abdominal discomfort, headache, and injection site pain are among the most common side effects.
Lupron, Synarel, Suprecur, Zoladex (leuprolide acetate, nafarelin acetate, buserelin, goserelin): GnRH agonists or gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists are the following drugs. In FSH and LH production, they cause an initial surge but then cause the body to stop producing FSH and LH. Ovulation is stopped by this. Typically, these medications are used during IVF therapy, helping the doctor to monitor gonadotropin ovulation. They can also be used to treat fibroids or endometriosis. Hot flashes, headaches, mood swings, and vaginal dryness are the most common side effects.
Medications for treating such problems with fertility
Medications meant to stimulate the ovaries are fertility drugs. However, during fertility treatment, these are not the only drugs that your doctor might prescribe.
Aspirin or heparin: If you have had a chronic miscarriage or have been diagnosed with a blood thrombophilia disorder (a situation in which small blood clots may lead to loss of pregnancy), your doctor can prescribe aspirin or injections of the blood-thinning medicine heparin to your baby every day.
Progesterone: Progesterone supplementation may be recommended by your doctor, either as a vaginal suppository or through injections. If you are having recurrent miscarriage or have a suspected luteal phase deficiency, vaginal progesterone suppositories may be proposed. During IVF therapy, injectable progesterone is most commonly used.
Estrogen: If your endometrial lining is too thin, if you experience vaginal dryness or pain during intercourse, or to improve the consistency of your cervical mucus, your doctor can prescribe vaginal suppositories of estrogen. Thicker cervical mucus, which may interfere with pregnancy, is a potential side effect of using Clomid. A thinner endometrial lining may also result from prolonged Clomid use. With these problems, estrogen may help.
Drugs for treating underlying medical problems
Often, the fertility is reduced by an underlying medical condition. In such instances, the problem must be dealt with first. Treating the underlying problem can be sufficient to increase your fertility. You may be able to conceive on your own after medication.
However, a combination of solutions is required in other cases. Besides fertility treatments or surgical procedures, you may need to get treatment for the medical condition.
Glucophage (metformin): Metformin is a diabetes medication intended for the care of those that are immune to insulin. PCOS women are often diagnosed with resistance to insulin. Some research has shown that treatment with metformin in women with PCOS may help restart or control ovulation. Other studies have shown that it can decrease the risk of miscarriage and help Clomid function in women who could not ovulate alone on Clomid.
Antibiotics: Reproductive tract infection can decrease fertility in men and women alike. An infection can lead to scarring in some cases. This scarring can prevent the meeting of the egg and sperm. As long as there is no scarring, to enhance fertility, antibiotics alone might be enough. However, surgery or IVF treatment may also be needed if the fallopian tubes are blocked or filled with fluid.
Parlodel and Dostinex (bromocriptine and cabergoline): Dopamine agonists are these drugs. Hyperprolactinemia can be recommended for them. Hyperprolactinemia is a disorder in which prolactin hormonal levels are abnormally large. High levels of prolactin can cause ovulation in women to be abnormal or absent and cause low sperm counts in men. Parlodel and Dostinex may reduce levels of prolactin. Headaches, nasal inflammation, headaches, and dizziness are potential side effects. This may also bring back ovulation or regular development of sperm. There is a need for surgery or extra fertility therapies in some situations.
Thyroid-regulating hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism medications: in men and women, an under- or over-functioning thyroid may cause fertility problems. Women may have irregular periods, while men may have low counts of sperm. Deregulation of the thyroid can also cause fatigue and weight gain. Obesity will influence fertility more.
Comments
Post a Comment