Fertility Drugs: Lupron, Clomid, hCG


Many infertility treatments begin with women taking fertility drugs to induce ovulation, stimulate their ovaries to produce more eggs and to synchronize their menstrual cycles. Some fertility medication can be taken in tablet form and others are administered as injections, either at home or by a doctor. Infertility medication is used to control female progesterone levels and the levels of the hormones LH and FSH. 

 

Lupron: Leuprolide, commonly known by the brand name Lupron, is commonly prescribed before IVF treatment cycles to control the timing of ovulation. Specialists use the fertility drug to control the release of LH and FSH hormones. 

Clomid: Clomiphene Citrate is used to stimulate egg production in the ovaries. The medication has been proven to increase the rate of ovulation by 65%.

hCG: If Clomid is unsuccessful after three cycles, doctors may advise combining Clomid with hCG injections. hCG is a hormone produced naturally by the body to encourage vital progesterone production during pregnancy.

Risks of Fertility Drugs: Medication prescribed to assist with fertility treatment is considered safe and there are few side effects or risks to taking fertility drugs. The use of fertility drugs and IVF treatment increases the rate of multiple pregnancies by 5%. In rare cases, women prescribed ovary stimulating medication suffer from ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a condition causing the ovaries to swell and in severe cases, leak fluid into the abdomen and lungs.