THE BASICS OF OVULATION INDUCTION THERAPY

Medical therapy used to help produce the development of eggs is known as ovulation induction. A large number of women undergo ovulation induction therapy every year with great success, as the medical therapy triggers the development of more than one viable egg during the cycle.

The treatment is designed to help a woman produce multiple eggs while or making them ovulate so that the rate of fertility is increased. The fertility clinics offer ovulation induction as an option to increase success rates for conception.

Why Is Ovulation Induction Used?

Women who do not ovulate regularly may benefit from ovulation induction therapy.  The ovaries are stimulated with fertility drugs to help produce one or more eggs during the monthly cycle.  The method is used to assist with who do not have regular menstrual cycles.

There are times when inducing ovulation allows two or three eggs to be released at one time.  This increases the chances of pregnancy in women who do ovulate.

Ovulation Induction Medications

Clomiphene Therapy

This medication is administered orally and woks to stimulate the pituitary gland, signaling the ovary to produce an egg.  Indications for this method of therapy include women with irregular menstrual cycles, polycystic ovaries or prolonged menstrual cycles.  Patients with unexplained infertility may also be candidates for clomiphene therapy.

Gonadotropin Therapy

Medications often given by injection to stimulate the development of eggs are known as gonadotropin therapy.  This kind of therapy is designed to stimulate the development of eggs or when the production of more than one egg would be beneficial.  Gonadotropins stimulate the ovaries and act as natural hormones that are normally released by the pituitary gland.

Women respond differently to gonadotropin therapy, and at different rates.  Since there is no known norm or rate at which women respond – a fertility specialist must carefully monitor the therapy process so that the correct amount of therapy medication can be administered.  Some women require the dose to be increased while others require it to be decreased during the cycle.  The monitoring requires blood testing and ultrasounds performed to measure follicle growth in the ovaries.

The injection is administered on a daily basis over the course of 7 to 14 days.  The injections are given at the same time each day, and are usually given in the late afternoon or evening hours.  A friend or significant other may administer the injection.  Your fertility specialist will help train the injection provider.

Letrozole Therapy

Letrozole works in a similar manner as clomiphene, except that letrozole more rapidly clears from the body.  Letrozole only works for the cycle it is taken and is less likely to impact the uterine lining or the cervical mucous.  This type of therapy is prescribed for five days within a cycle, usually around day three and running for several days.

Dr. Deborah Smith at Rocky Mountain Fertility Center is the premier fertility doctor in Colorado (as named by HealthTap). With over 20 years experience, she offers very high success rates to help women reach their fertility goals with treatments such as ovulation induction, IVF Denver, ICSI and PGD Testing.