Fertility Drugs and Hormones
Learn how fertility drugs work. Learn about Clomid, hMG, FSH, hCG, Progesterone and more.
See a fertility specialist now
We're a national network of over 100 fertility specialists.
Two primary fertility hormones control follicle development and ovulation
in women and sperm development in men. If the body does not produce these
hormones in exactly the right way, a hormone imbalance or deficiency can
cause infertility.
Pituitary/Ovary Hormonal Interaction
In women, treatment with gonadotropins or "fertility drugs" can increase
the likelihood of conception by stimulating inactive ovaries to ovulate
or produce more than one egg at a time. In men, gonadotropins can
stimulate sperm production.
Your physician will monitor your body?s response to these drugs.
The fertility drugs used in hormonal therapy and in IVF treatment
include:
Clomiphene Citrate (Serophene®, Clomid®) is an anti estrogen that acts on
the brain to stimulate release of more hormones to stimulate the ovaries.
Patients take clomiphene citrate (Clomid) tablets by mouth during the
early part of a cycle. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine
(ASRM) recommends that patients use Clomid for no more than 6 months.
Human Menopausal Gonadotropin or hMG (Menopur®, Repronex®)
contains luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).
These hormones stimulate the ovaries to produce more follicles, thus
increasing the number of eggs. These medications may be prescribed to be injected
intramuscularly (into a muscle) or subcutaneously (under the skin).
Follicle Stimulating Hormone or FSH (Follistim®, Bravelle®, Gonal-F®)
stimulates the ovaries to produce more follicles, thus increasing the
number of eggs. These medications may be prescribed to be injected intramuscularly
(into a muscle) or subcutaneously (under the skin).
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or hCG (Profasi®, Pregnyl®) is a hormone that
matures the developing follicles and triggers release of an egg from its follicle. It is taken as an intramuscular (IM) injection.
Progesterone is a hormone that helps prepare the endometrium, the lining
of the uterus, for the arrival and implantation of an embryo.
Progesterone is delivered by intramuscular (IM) injection or by vaginal
suppository
Leuprolide Acetate (Lupron®) acts on the brain to suppress the body's own
hormone production, thus preventing follicle development and egg release.
Doctors use it in combination with other medications to improve their
control of the woman's cycle.
Antagonist (Cetrotide®, Ganirelix®) these medications are
used for pituitary suppression in an IVF cycle.
See a fertility specialist now
We're a national network of over 100 fertility specialists.