[ Music ]
>> Prescription medications are a common component
to most, if not all fertility treatments.
This means women going through fertility care need to take medication in order
to improve their chance of conceiving.
Depending on your individual situation, your physician will recommend the types and doses
of medication that will best increase the likelihood of conception.
[ Music ]
So, what do fertility medications actually do?
There are several types of medications; those that help the ovaries release mature legs,
those that prevent the release of eggs prior to harvest,
and those that simulate the growth of one or more eggs in a cycle.
Fertility medications can be used in conjunctions with both IUI,
intrauterine insemination, and IVF, in vitro fertilization.
Fertility medications can also be used to help women who are having difficulty
but still trying to conceive via intercourse.
Regardless of the specific treatments, fertility medications are meant
to increase the likelihood of conception.
[ Music ]
There are three increasing levels of fertility medication treatments for women trying
to conceive through intercourse or IUI.
The purpose of these medications is to stimulate egg production in the ovaries.
The three levels are oral, oral and injectable, and injectable only.
Common oral fertility medications include Letrozole
and Clomid, names you may have heard before.
Some commonly used injectable fertility medications include Gonal-F, Follistim,
and Menopur, all of which can be administered at home.
Then after a pre-determined amount of time taking your medication,
an ultrasound will be conducted to monitor your body's response.
If everything is proceeding as expected,
you will then take a trigger shot to induce ovulation.
This starts the timeline for intercourse or your IUI procedure.
If you do not become pregnant after medication and intercourse, or IUI,
we may recommend you progress to IVF and a fourth level of medication.
If you do move forward with IVF, or in some cases you may have started with it,
you will self-administer injectable medications
that help produce several eggs and prevent premature ovulation.
Then once your body is ready, you will again be instructed to take a trigger shot prior
to your egg collection procedure.
Finally, it's also worth noting that sometimes progesterone supplementation is also recommended
with certain therapies, specifically treatments that include injectable medications.
Progesterone is a hormone produced in the ovaries and plays a role
in maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
Progesterone can either be injected or inserted vaginally, depending on your treatment plan.
[ Music ]
Once you've been prescribed your fertility medication,
you may be wondering where you can get them.
First, if you have health insurance, we encourage you to check to see
if any of your medications are covered.
In some cases, insurance providers will require you to use a particular pharmacy.
Regardless of whether your medications are covered by insurance or not,
your provider will give you a list of medications and reputable pharmacies
that have provided excellent care for our patients in the past.
[ Music ]
Like most prescription medications, there may be side effects.
It is important to understand and accept the potential risks with fertility medications.
You may experience discomfort comparable to the feelings of early pregnancy
or prior to your menstrual cycle.
Under rare circumstances, you may experience ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or OHSS.
This is when the ovaries grow too large too quickly.
However, this is carefully monitored to decrease the risk of this happening.
There is also a chance of multiple gestations occurring,
which means an increased chance of carrying twins or more.
So, as you can see, fertility medications play an important role
in your fertility and ability to conceive.
If you have any other questions about fertility medications or any other part
of the fertility process, please talk to your provider,
they'll be glad to answer any questions you may have.
[ Music ]