Fertility Injections: What Are Your Options?
During fertility treatment, it is acceptable to be anxious, but don’t lose hope. Infertility affects many women and men; rest assured you are not alone. Since you are on fertility injections treatment, you increase chances of becoming pregnant; you have patiently waited to conceive for a number of years. You will receive countless injectable fertility drugs in a single fertility cycle. Your infertility diagnosis is a determinant on specific types of fertility injections you require in one fertility cycle. If the doctor has recommended ART (assisted reproductive technology) for example, IVF, you will receive IVF injections. Fertility injections make the body ready for conception and a successful pregnancy.
HCG Fertility Injections
HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and it is available in the form of injections. HCG injections for fertility are hormones which aid in development as well as the maturation of your eggs in the ovary. They stimulate ovulation. HCG injections fertility triggers ovulation and restores fertility if you are infertile. It can be used by men to increase sperm count. Before using HCG, inform the doctor about your medical history. HCG injections for fertility can lead to a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, and quadruplets). Follow the doctor’s advice on a multiple pregnancy since it is a high-risk pregnancy.
Below Are Types of HCG Fertility Injections:
- Novarel – it deals with fertility issues in premenopausal women. If you are allergic to its ingredients, avoid using it.
- Ovidrel – it is used together with a follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
- Pregnyl Intramuscular – you use Menotropins first and then take Pregnyl intramuscular. If your ovaries don’t produce eggs, avoid using the drug. If you become pregnant, inform your doctor to discontinue using it.
- Profasi Intramuscular – if you have a primary ovarian failure, don’t use it. In case you experience unwanted effects, inform your doctor immediately
The above medications should be prescribed by the doctor and can prompt birth defects during pregnancy; once you conceive let your doctor know and discontinue using the drug. HCG fertility injections are often used with other fertility drugs to induce ovulation. They are used in IUI (intrauterine insemination) stages.
What is IUI?
It is a procedure in which sperms are prepared and injected inside the uterus for fertilization to take place. Your ovaries are stimulated by HCG fertility injections to increase the probability of conception. The aim of IUI is to make sperms get to the fallopian tubes. Therefore, HCG is injectable fertility drugs for IUI and is administered daily for ten days.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists (GnRH) & Gonadotropin-Releasing Antagonists (GnRH)
They are injections for fertility that are injected on fat deposit under the skin. They subdue your normal function of the hormones and hinder you from premature ovulation. The infertility injections normalize ovulation and increase chances of becoming pregnant. The injection favors women on IVF. Examples of hormone injections for fertility under this category entail:
- Lupron
If you have endometriosis or uterine fibroids, Lupron is the injection to consider, the two conditions can result in infertility, thus, Lupron shots restores fertility. It is also used in IVF treatment. Lupron stops ovulation or menses for the eggs to mature, the eggs are later retrieved during IVF.
- Zoladex
It is a synthetic hormone which controls your body processes and treats endometriosis which can render you infertile. It improves symptoms of endometriosis by thinning the lining of the uterus.
- Orgalutran (Antagon)
it is combined with other hormones such as follicle stimulating hormone and human Chorionic Gonadotropin. It inhibits hormone release like luteinizing hormone. The eggs have adequate time to grow and mature.
- Cetrotide
Hinders premature ovulation during ovarian stimulation. The dose will depend on body weight and medical conditions you might have. You inject Cetrotide under your skin, just below the navel.
Other Injectable Fertility Medications
- Gonal-F
It is used in both men and women. It nourishes production of sperms in men. But it is not effective if a man has a primary testicular failure. In infertility women, it supplies follicle stimulating hormone to prompt the ovary for ovulation.
- Bravelle
It is used during IVF procedures if the levels of FSH are low and used together with HCG. With combined medications, infertile women are treated and pregnancy is achieved.
- Puregon (Follistim)
It cures infertility in a woman who has been unresponsive to some therapy, it contains FSH.
- Repronex/Menotropins
It is a combination of FSH and LH (luteinizing hormone). It aids in egg production and ovulation.
It is important to note that the above injections fall under the category of gonadotropin medications. Gonadotropins are only used to stimulate your ovaries after fertility drugs like Clomifene has been unsuccessful. Gonadotropins are used in ART like IVF because the chances of success depend on controlled development and release of eggs. LH and FSH are paramount for ovulation to take place. Gonadotropins are injectable fertility medications in the form of these types of hormone. Human menopausal gonadotropins (HMG) contain a combination of FSH and LH and they are the most commonly used, for example, Repronex. Some gonadotropins injections contain purified follicle stimulating hormone only such as Bravelle. Gonadotropins are used together with HCG in the last stage for egg maturation and stimulation of ovulation. The doctor will show you how to inject yourself to avoid going to the clinic daily. If you are scared of doing it yourself, speak to your spouse to be taught to help you.
While on IUI fertility drugs injections, the doctor will do regular ultrasound scans to check the ovaries and determine when you can ovulate. Also, blood tests will be performed to monitor the levels of the hormone. If the scans portray the eggs are fully developed, you will receive HCG fertility injections for ovulation to take place. If on IVF, the eggs will be collected 36 hours after the HCG injection. If the injection is to provoke ovulation, without in vitro fertilization, you will have sexual intercourse a day after the last shot. Well, high chances are you will become pregnant. However, if you don’t conceive, you can always go through another fertility injections cycle. If need be, you can consult your doctor for other treatment options for infertility.
