Fertility Drugs - An Overview

When You Need Help

Many couples experience infertility and have sought help from specialists to help them conceive and bear children.  Most often the response to these situations is fertility drug treatments.  Fertility drugs are the primary treatment for infertility, focusing on women with ovulation disorders.  Many fertility drugs used to treat this condition are known as ovulation inducing agents, such as Clomid and FSH.  Some are taken orally and some are injected.  Either way, these drugs work by inducing the release of hormones that will trigger or regulate ovulation.  Fertility drugs are even used with in vitro fertilization as part of the treatment.

Basic Concepts

When a menstrual cycle is normal, the eggs have grown and developed in the ovaries.  When mature, they make their way to the fallopian tubes where they can be fertilized by sperm.  A fertilized egg then implants itself in the uterus.  There is a specific hormone relationship which triggers and fulfills this entire process called the hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary axis (HPA).  Sometimes conditions cause imbalance or an adverse reaction in the HPA which may result in a lack of ovulation and ultimately, infertility.  Failed ovulation may be the result of any number of causes and there are fertility tests available to help discover the specific reason for anovulation.

Types of Fertility Drugs

The number and names of all of the fertility drugs available today would make anyone's head spin.  There are some common types of drugs prescribed for the treatment of infertility, perhaps the most recognizable being Clomid or Serophene.  If Clomid on its own is not successful, injectable hormones may be recommended in order to stimulate ovulation.  Among these injectable hormones are:

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), such as Pregnyl, Novarel, Ovidrel, and Profasi.  Used in accompaniment with other fertility medications, these drugs help to encourage the ovaries to release mature eggs.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), such as Follistim, Fertinex, Bravelle, and Gonal-F.

Human Menopausal Gonadotropin (hMG), such as Pergonal, Repronex, and Metrodin.  Both FHS and LH are combined together in this drug.

Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (Gn-RH), such as Factrel and Lutrepulse.  This drug stimulates the pituitary gland to release FSH and LH.

Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Agonist (GnRH agonist), such as Lupron, Zoladex, and Synarel.

Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Antagonist (GnRH antagonist), such as Antagon and Cetrotide.

Indications and Side-Effects

Any number of fertility situations can be addressed with the use of any of these hormonal drugs which stimulate or control ovulation.  All of these drugs are injected in different doses, depending upon their specific application.  As a rule, the injections begin on the second or third day of the menstrual cycle and continue for 7 to 12 consecutive days.  They have a high rate of success in stimulating ovulation and in many cases result in pregnancy.  The side effects are relatively mild and include swelling, bruising at the injection site, blood blisters, possible infection and tenderness.  There is a risk of overstimulation of the ovaries wherein they become large and tender.  This overstimulation can also lead to a multiple pregnancy, raising risks for both mother and child.