After you’ve been diagnosed with infertility, you may wonder about your next step. Though only you and your doctor can determine the best course of action, infertility treatment often starts with drugs that stimulate your ovaries to produce more eggs and increase your fertility. In fact, problems with ovulation account for most cases of infertility in women.
Dr. Sharon Moayeri and Dr. Nidhee Sachdev — the OB/GYNs and fertility experts at OC Fertility — treat infertility at their offices in Newport Beach, Southern California. If you have trouble ovulating, they may recommend fertility medications to help you produce eggs at the right time so that you can become pregnant.
Below is a brief guide to some of the most popular types of fertility medications that we use in our clinic. In addition to explaining how to use them during your consultation, we also provide instructions on our website.
Clomephine citrate — known by its brand name Clomid — is the world’s most popular fertility drug. Doctors have used Clomid to stimulate ovulation in women with fertility problems since 1961.
Women who benefit most from Clomid are those who have higher than normal levels of testosterone, such as those with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and other forms of hyperandrogenism. Women with normal estrogen levels who don’t ovulate — a condition known as anovulation — also respond to Clomid.
Depending on the dose and desired effect, your doctor may use Clomid to produce multiple eggs during a single menstrual cycle. She may do this if you’re planning to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) or other assisted reproductive technologies (ART). More eggs increase your chances of a successful IVF.
You take Clomid orally, in a tablet form. Your fertility expert may recommend taking Clomid alone, or in combination with other treatments and medications, depending on your fertility work-up.
Femara, the brand name for the drug letrozole, originated as a treatment for breast cancer. However, like Clomid, Femara stimulates ovulation. Femara may be the best choice for women with PCOS, who can be resistant to Clomid.
You shouldn’t use Femara while pregnant. Your expert times this oral medication so that you take it early in your cycle to stimulate your ovaries to produce eggs. You then discontinue Femara while you try to become pregnant.
Follistim and Gonal-F are brand names for the gonadotropins, which are drugs that are similar to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Both FSH and LH stimulate your ovaries to produce eggs.
Unlike Clomid and Femara, Follistim and Gonal-F are injectable drugs, not oral drugs. You have to inject Follistim or Gonal-F into your fatty tissue, such as that on your buttocks or abdomen. We show you how to inject the drugs comfortably and safely.
Other gonadotropins that we may recommend include:
We may prescribe these drugs if you’re undergoing IVF. You might also use them in conjunction with intercourse or when undergoing artificial insemination.
Omnitrope and Saizen are types of human growth hormone (hGH). You use these drugs during a controlled ovarian stimulation cycle to improve the quality of your eggs and subsequent embryos. Omnitrope and Saizen are usually recommended for women over the age of 40 who hope to become pregnant.
You may also need other kinds of treatments and medications, depending on the issues involved in your infertility. Your partner may also require treatment.
To learn which fertility medications are right for you, call us at 949-706-2229 to schedule a consultation or book an appointment on our website today.
