Fertility Drugs: Clomid and Injectable Hormones

Let’s talk about fertility medications. I want to talk about two of the most popular medicines that women turn to when it’s determined that they need some assistance in trying to conceive. Let’s discuss what they are, how they work, and their effectiveness.

When will a doctor prescribe fertility drugs?

The first thing I want you to know is that typically the doctors are not going to prescribe these medicines to you until you and your partner have been trying unsuccessfully for a year to conceive. So if you’re in the midst of trying to conceive, you’ve been trying for a couple of months or just a handful of months, and you’re not having success, try really hard not to jump to conclusions.

It is perfectly normal for perfectly healthy couples to take several months to conceive and several doesn’t mean two. I mean several, so take deep breaths and try not to panic and worry. Only 25% of couples will get pregnant within their first month of trying, 60% within six months, 75% within nine months and 90% within a year-and-a-half. Should you find yourself at that point where, it’s determined you need some medical intervention, there’re two main types of drugs that are prescribed. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here

Clomid

The first and most commonly prescribed fertility drug is called Clomid. It’s typically what you’ll start out with and it is designed for women who aren’t ovulating regularly, and it ensures a regular cycle and ensures that your ovaries are both producing and releasing eggs. In some cases, women’s ovaries just don’t ever release the eggs and – hello! that’s a problem – no egg equals no pregnancy.

Typically you start on a dosage of 50mg per day for 5 days beginning 4-5 days after your period begins. That medicine should cause you to ovulate exactly 7 days after you’ve taken the last dose. It is fairly simple to use, being in pill format, and the cost is far less expensive than any other fertility medications out there, the average cost being about $100 per 5-day course.

If you aren’t pregnant within 6 months of trying Clomid, the doctor would usually say it’s time to try something different. It’s pretty effective as 60-80% of women who tried Clomid, successfully ovulate, and of those, about 50% find themselves also pregnant thanks to help from this drug.

Injectable hormones

The second most popular fertility drug are injectable hormones. These are usually tried after Clomid alone has proven to be unsuccessful. There are many different types of injectable hormones, like Follistim, Bravelle, or Novarel. Read more in-depth about injectable hormones here.

Ranging in purpose from triggering your ovaries to releasing the FSH and LH hormones from your pituitary glands, the dosage just depends upon your specific situation and specific types of hormones that your doctor determines you need.

So, typically injectable hormones begin or your second or third day of your cycle and are given for 7-12 consecutive days. Since they are injectable, yes that means they are shots. That can be kind of tough for some people, you either have to inject yourself or have your partner do that for you, it’s just something to keep in mind. It’s not uncommon to be prescribed injections in conjunction with Clomid, if Clomid alone didn’t get the results that you are looking for.

Injectables also have a high rate of success for getting women to ovulate, and once again, about 50% of those who ovulate with the help from this medicine will find themselves pregnant. Unlike Clomid though, injectables are far more expensive ranging from $500-$2000 monthly. Close monitoring by your doctor will also be required, with frequent sonograms and blood tests necessary.

The bottom line

So, if you’re at the point where you need medical intervention, do not despair, these are highly effective drugs that are on the market. I don’t want you to worry, I want you to feel excited about the possibilities because there have been hundreds of thousands, if not millions of women who have successfully gotten pregnant thanks to these type of drugs and medications.

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Tiffany Merritt
Tiffany Merritt | ConceiveEasy
Tiffany is a mompreneur & editor whose parenting tips and product recommendations can be found at her popular blog, Stuff Parents Need, where she's busy making life a little less hectic for new parents.

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