If you have been struggling to conceive, fertility medications and treatments can increase your chances of conception. Fertility medications are typically the first treatment option for women with ovulation disorders. These medications can be administered orally or injected.

Fertility medications aid in releasing certain hormones that activate and/or regulate ovulation. As such, they are a crucial and necessary component of fertility treatments, even with assisted reproductive technology like in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination.

Oral medications for infertility

Clomid (clomiphene citrate) has been used to effectively stimulate ovulation for over 40 years in women who have trouble ovulating normally. Clomid works by blocking the hormone estrogen in an effort to stimulate the hypothalamus and pituitary gland to release the hormones GnRH (gonadotropin releasing  hormone), FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), and LH (luteinizing hormone), which will trigger the ovaries to produce more eggs.

Injectable hormones for infertility

Injectable hormones are usually the next step when Clomid isn’t successfully stimulating the ovaries to produce eggs. Some injectable hormones include:

  • Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
  • Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
  • Human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG)
  • Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)
  • Gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH agonist)
  • Gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH antagonist)

What to expect

Fertility medications change the way your body naturally produces hormones. Though side effects are normally mild, you may experience some of the following while on fertility medications:

  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Blurred vision
  • Bloating

Your individual treatment plan will depend on what’s causing your infertility, how long you have been struggling with infertility, you and your partner’s age, as well as many other factors. Many women can become pregnant and have successful pregnancies with the use of fertility medications. Our team of experienced physicians and staff at the Center for Reproductive Medicine can help you get there.

If you have been struggling to conceive and would like to meet with a reproductive specialist, call the Center for Reproductive Medicine today at (612) 863-6137 to schedule your first appointment.