How long should I take fertility drugs?

Fertility Drugs and Natural Fertility Help

There are several types of fertility drugs available. For the best results in fertility and pregnancy, make sure to follow your doctor’s guidelines for dosage and length of treatment. The risks of using drugs to enhance fertility may increase if exposure is prolonged beyond the recommended period of time. In fact, research from several years ago seemed to indicate a link between prolonged exposure (over 1 year) to Clomiphene and cancer of the ovary. More recent studies have not proved conclusive, and research is still ongoing. Nonetheless, remember that there is only so much fertility help you can give your body before it becomes too much of a good thing.

Clomiphene is often easier to use than other fertility drugs because it can be taken as a pill rather than given as a shot. If desired fertility resulting in pregnancy does not occur after 3 months, you and your health care provider will decide whether increasing the dosage of clomiphene or switching to other treatments is the right course of action. As stated previously, it is important not to overuse this drug – that is, for longer than a 12-month period. Most women go through a maximum of 3-6 cycles on Clomiphene. For men, a cycle of Clomiphene consists of 1 pill daily for 3-6 months.

Natural Fertility Help from Human Hormones

Human Menopausal Gonadotrophin (hMG) is a mixture of two human hormones. These hormones work to directly stimulate the ovaries to produce and mature eggs. For women, treatment with these fertility drugs may begin at any non-ovulational stage of your period and continue on a daily basis for between 7 and 12 days each month (the exact length will be determined by how long it takes your eggs to mature). After the 7-12 day period, you will receive an injection of hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin, a hormone which stimulates your ovaries to release the egg (sometimes more than one) that have just matured. A man’s cycle of hCG translates to 2-3 weekly injections for no longer than 6 months.

7/19/2007 11:18:26 AM