Types Of Fertility Drugs For Women

Some fertility drugs are used for ovulation in a woman who is not ovulating regularly. Others are hormones a woman must take go before artificial insemination like IUI or IVF.

Drugs to cause ovulation:

In female infertility, some women ovulate regularly but some do irregularly or not at all. ovulation drug help to regulate their ovulation.

Some ovulation drugs that can treat these issues include:

• Metformin (Glucophage): This drug can decrease insulin resistance. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), especially those with a body mass index over 35, may be insulin resistant, which can cause problems with ovulation.
• Dopamine agonists: If the female has an increase in prolactin can affect ovulation. These drugs reduce levels of a prolactin hormone. 
• Clomiphene (Clomid): This drug is used to trigger ovulation. Many doctors recommend it as the first-line treatment option for a woman with ovulation problems.
• Letrozole (Femara): Like clomiphene, letrozole can trigger ovulation. Among women with PCOS, especially those with obesity, letrozole may work better. Study shows that 27.5 percent of women with PCOS who took letrozole eventually gave birth, as compared to 19.1 percent of those who took clomiphene.
• Gonadotropins: This group of hormones stimulates activity in the ovaries, including ovulation. When other treatments do not work, a doctor may recommend using a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and a luteinizing hormone (LH) in the group. People receive this treatment through injection.

Hormones before artificial insemination:

Drugs cannot treat some causes of infertility. When drugs do not work, or when a doctor cannot identify the cause of infertility, they may recommend artificial insemination.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI):  IUI involves inserting sperm directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation after tracking the ovulation day. This process may improve the chances of conceiving when there is an issue with the cervical mucus or the mobility of the sperm, low sperm count or when the doctor cannot detect the cause of infertility.

A doctor may recommend the following drugs before performing IUI :

• Ovulation drugs: Clomiphene or letrozole drugs are given to induce the body to ovulate and, possibly, to release extra eggs for better results.
• Ovulation trigger: The time of ovulation is essential when artificial insemination is performed, many doctors recommend an ovulation “trigger” injection (5000IU or 10000IU)  of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
• Progesterone: This hormone can help sustain early pregnancy, and a woman usually takes it via a vaginal suppository, oral medicine, or injectable.

In vitro fertilization (IVF): IVF involves removing one or more eggs from female ovaries so that a doctor can fertilize them with sperm in a lab. If the eggs grow and form into embryos, the doctor implants them into the uterus.

IVF requires many drugs, including:

• Ovulation suppression: If a woman ovulates too early, IVF may not work. Many doctors prescribe gonadotropin antagonist hormones to prevent early ovulation.
• Ovulation drugs: IVF is more likely to succeed, like IUI, if the ovaries release several eggs. A doctor will prescribe clomiphene or letrozole to cause this.
• Ovulation trigger shot: IVF also has a better chance of success if the doctor can control the moment of ovulation using a trigger shot with the hormone hCG.
• Progesterone: A woman receiving IVF will take progesterone to help support early pregnancy in the form of a vaginal suppository, oral medicine, or in the form of injection.

When treating infertility, a doctor may recommend taking hormonal birth control medicine temporarily to help regulate the menstrual cycle. It can also help prepare the body for artificial insemination.