Fertility drugs may be prescribed to women with infertility to assist in conceiving. For women who don’t already ovulate, these medications can induce ovulation (release of an egg). For those who already ovulate, they can be used to cause the release of more than one egg to improve the chances of conceiving.
Fertility Drugs Types
Reproductive endocrinologists often prescribe medications, commonly called fertility drugs, to assist a woman in becoming pregnant.
Ovulation induction drugs
– these medications aid the ovaries in releasing eggs. They work to stimulate ovulation that is not occurring or to increase the number of eggs that develop and ovulate. Common types of ovulation induction drugs are listed below:
- Clomiphene citrate – Clomid® or Serophene® – the most commonly prescribed oral ovulation medication, this medication stimulates the ovaries to produce one or more eggs. Standard dosage is 50mg daily for 5 days although higher doses can be used.
- Letrozole – Femara® – classified as an aromatase inhibitor, this oral medication can also induce ovulation. It is frequently used for women who don’t ovulate related to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Gonadotropins – this medication is given as an injection (usually subcutaneous) contains follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and sometimes luteinizing hormone (LH). Given early in the menstrual cycle to assist with follicle maturation, these drugs are typically used in conjunction with intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin – hCG – given to trigger ovulation once the follicles mature to a specific size
- Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) agonists – Lupron(R) – typically used to suppress a woman’s natural cycle so she does not ovulate too early. Suppression of a woman’s natural cycle is usually necessary during a standard in vitro fertilization cycle to facilitate the egg retrieval.
- Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone antagonists – like the GnRH agonists, these medications are injected daily for a specific number of days to reduce the risk of premature ovulation
Fertility drugs are important tools in the treatment of infertility. However, like most medical therapies, they carry some risk. Fertility specialists carefully monitor women taking fertility drugs since the drugs are associated with a higher risk of both pregnancy with multiples and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, a condition associated with swollen and painful ovaries.
