Fertility Medications

Clomid (Clomiphene Citrate)

Clomid is an anti-oestrogenic pill. It works by increasing a patient’s own FSH production, which in turn causes stimulation of follicles in the ovaries to grow.

Are there side effects to Clomid?
The following adverse reactions have been associated with the use of Clomid: mood swings, breast tenderness, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, headaches, fatigue, irritability, depression, weight gain, ovarian cysts, and thinning of the endometrial lining.

Femara (Letrazole)

Femara is a pill primarily used to treat hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. For fertility promoting purposes, Letrozole is used at a much lower dosage to inhibit estrogen synthesis and thereby increase a patient’s own FSH production. This results in enhanced follicular recruitment. Letrozole is quickly cleared from the body and less likely to adversely affect the endometrial lining than Clomid.

Are there side effects to Femara?
The following adverse reactions have been associated with use of Femara: hot flashes, fatigue, sweating, joint pain, and headache.

HCG/Ovidrel/Pregnyl

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is a natural hormone produced by the placenta and purified from the urine of pregnant women. The action of HCG is virtually identical to that of pituitary LH as it triggers ovulation.

Are there side effects to HCG/Ovidrel/Pregnyl?
The following adverse reactions have been associated with administration of HCG/Ovidrel/Pregnyl: headache, irritability, restlessness, fatigue, breast tenderness and nausea.

Suprefact

Suprefact acts on the pituitary gland. This medication causes suppression of the ovarian response, unless the ovary has been stimulated with other drugs such as Puregon or Gonal F.

What are the side effects of Suprefact?
The following adverse reactions have been associated with administration of Lupron/Suprefact: joint pain, headache, hot flashes, bruising and tenderness around the injection site.

Orgalutran/Cetrotide

Orgalutran/Cetrotide acts on the pituitary gland. This medication causes suppression of the ovarian response. It is used to prevent premature release of eggs.

What are the side effects of Orgalutran/Cetrotide?
The following adverse reactions have been associated with administration of Orgalutran/Cetrotide: joint pain, headache, hot flashes, bruising and tenderness around the injection site.

Gonal F/Puregon

Both of these medications are made from highly purified human Follicle Stimulating Hormone prepared by recombinant DNA technology. Both are non-urinary products and contain only FSH. There is no LH component.

Bravelle

Bravelle is a highly purified urinary human Follicle Stimulating Hormone and contains 2% of LH.

Menopur

Menopur is a highly purified preparation of naturally derived human Menopausal Gonadotropins (HMG) which contains both FSH and LH activities. This is a urinary product.

What are the side effects to Gonal F/Puregon/Bravelle/Menopur?
Some women experience abdominal discomfort, headache, weight gain, irritability and breast tenderness. The most serious side effect is ovarian hyperstimulation. Hyperstimulation occurs when many follicles develop in response to Gonal F/Puregon/Menopur stimulation. This causes sudden enlargement of the ovary and the abdomen may become distended with fluid. Hyperstimulation is usually mild to moderate. However, severe hyperstimulation occurs in 1-3% of patients. Treatment consists of bed rest and careful monitoring of fluid levels.

Compounded Progesterone Suppository/Prometrium/Crinone/Endometrin

Progesterone is a steroid hormone that is naturally released by the post-ovulation Corpus Luteum to maintain the endometrium. Supplementation of additional progesterone in the luteal phase and continuance up to 10 weeks of gestation has been found to be beneficial in promoting fertility and preventing miscarriages.

What are the side effects of supplemental progesterone?
The following adverse reactions have been associated with the use of supplemental progesterone: drowsiness, dizziness, mood changes, nausea, breast tenderness, joint pain and bloating.