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Medications for Infertility

I hear a lot about fertility drugs. Can you tell me more about them.

Ovulation induction medications, what are commonly called "fertility drugs", are used to stimulate the follicles of the ovaries to produce multiple eggs in one cycle. Sexual intercourse may then be scheduled around the time of ovulation to achieve pregnancy. These medications may also be used to control when you ovulate (that is, release eggs) so that procedures like artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization can be performed. There are several kinds of fertility drugs, so it may take a few cycles to determine which treatment works best for you.

What are the different fertility drugs?

There are three main classes of drugs that stimulate follicle (egg) development. There's clomiphene citrate (which goes by the brand names Clomid® and Serophene®. This comes in a tablet form and can be used if you have infrequent periods or long menstrual cycles. The most common side effects are headaches, blurred vision and hot flashes. (Contact your doctor if you experience pelvic pain.)

The second is an injectable medication called mentropins (brand name: Repronex^TM). If the clomiphene doesn't work, we often try mentropins, which is also used to produce multiple eggs to treat unexplained infertility before in vitro fertilizaiton. The most common side effect is enlarged ovaries, which can cause abdominal pain.

Finally there's follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH. This is an injectable medication that stimulates the natural hormone, FSH. It is prescribed if treatment with clomiphene was not effective, especially for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). It's also used to produce multiple eggs before in vitro fertilization. The most common side effect is enlarged ovaries, which can cause abdominal pain.

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