For many couples, infertility can feel overwhelmingly and frustrating. Thanks to modern medical science, Dr. James Douglas and our team at IVF Plano offer a host of treatments that can assist couples who are having trouble getting pregnant. Our fertility clinic, located in the Dallas TX area, is committed to addressing infertility issues with options such as ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination (IUI) , IVF , and surgical therapy , when necessary. With proper treatment, Dr. Douglas has helped numerous couples resolve their fertility issues and increase their likelihood of getting pregnant. If you need a fertility clinic in the Dallas TX area, IVF Plano can help. Achieve the family you desire. Call our fertility clinic today and make an appointment with Dr. Douglas. Fertility Medications for Ovulation Induction If you don’t ovulate you can’t become pregnant. To address this problem, Dr. Douglas can prescribe medications to induce ovulation.

Fertility Treatment Information Ovulation Induction Treatment Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Treatment for Endometriosis Treatment for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Surgical Treatments for Infertility Male Infertility Treatment

There are two major types of fertility medications used for ovulation induction:

• Oral medications
  
• Injectable medications

Oral Fertility Medications
Clomid®, or clomiphene citrate, and letrozole which is also known as Femara®, are the two most commonly used oral medications. Dr. Douglas recommends medication for women who have irregular menstrual cycles, or ovulation dysfunction. However, this treatment can be used in people with completely regular menstrual periods to increase the number of eggs the female produces so that their chances of success on any given month are increased. Clomid and letrozole will generally cause a woman to make two eggs. In some months, the number might be one, some months it might be three or four, but the average is approximately two. The most common side effects of these medicines include hot flashes, mood swings, ovarian tenderness, occasional headaches, and rarely stomach upset.

Injectable Fertility Medications
Medications such as Follistim®, Gonal-F®, Menopur®, Repronex®, and Bravelle® contain follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and/’or luteinizing hormone (LH). FSH, which naturally occurs in a woman’s body, causes the follicles in the ovary to begin to make oocytes every month. Follicles are fluid-filled sacs located on the ovaries; the immature egg (oocyte) is attached to the inner wall of the follicle. As the egg becomes more mature, the follicle becomes larger. In a normal month, when the woman’s body regulates the cycle, secreted hormones will cause several follicles to grow, but only one follicle will mature to ovulation. In IVF cycles, Dr Douglas controls the growth of the follicles, causing multiple follicles to grow and produce many mature eggs. For different types of cycles, He will change the amount of medication given. Usually, the higher the dose given, the larger the number of mature follicles we will see, resulting in a higher number of eggs retrieved. For patients going through an insemination cycle, we prescribe much lower doses of the injectable medicines so that two to three eggs will mature at the appropriate time. If you are going to go through an in vitro fertilization cycle, we would like to have 8 to 15 eggs and the doses of gonadotropins will be higher to increase the stimulation of your ovary for an IVF cycle.

Injectable gonadotropins require daily subcutaneous injections to maintain adequate blood levels so that the follicles continue to grow. Dr. Douglas will monitor your blood work (estrogen, LH, and progesterone) as well as perform transvaginal ultrasound examinations every two to three days to monitor the size of the growing follicles. The ultrasound will give Dr. Douglas a clear picture of how the follicles are growing and when the retrieval step can occur. The gonadotropin stimulation usually takes8 to 12 days, but each case may differ slightly.

Once the follicles reach maturity, as determined by their size as well as their estradiol production, you will receive a dose of HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, also called a “trigger shot”. We plan this injection 36 hours before the scheduled retrieval to allow for maturation, which prepares the eggs for fertilization and readies the ovary to release the eggs.

Read more about Fertility Medications for Inducing Ovulation

Monitoring Ovulation Induction During Fertility Treatment
During ovulation induction, we will monitor your progress with transvaginal sonograms. You will take the medicines for a specific number of days. Then, a sonogram will be performed to determine how many eggs are growing, how quickly they are growing, and whether or not any more medicine is required. Once the follicle around the egg reaches a certain diameter, another medicine called HCG is given. Patients will release the eggs approximately 39 to 41 hours after this HCG injection. This is when we will do IUI or the couple with have intercourse.

To increase your chances of fertilty, Dr. Douglas may recommend perfectly timed intercourse since we will know the exact time of ovulation. For best results, you will schedule routine visits and ultrasounds to predict the time of ovulation, which will determine when you and your partner should have intercourse or IUI. Timed intercourse can better ensure that the sperm and eggs will come together at the optimal time. A more advanced form of timed intercourse includes the use of an ultrasound to monitor the development of the follicle and the lining of the uterus coupled with medication to stimulate ovulation, which maximizes the odds of success.