| A common method to treat infertility in women over | | | | 3. Follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH (Gonal-F, |
| 40 is with the use of fertility drugs. Couples who | | | | Follistim) works in a similar way to hMG. It is also |
| wish to get pregnant but need help will come across | | | | injected and it interacts with the ovaries to stimulate |
| several drug treatments that their doctors will | | | | ovulation. Infertility conditions such as PCOS typically |
| prescribe. The U.S. Department of Health and Human | | | | have low levels of FSH. |
| Services' Office on Women's Health lists six of the | | | | 4. Women who have irregular ovulation cycles will |
| most common fertility drugs used to help women get | | | | often be treated with gonadotropin-releasing |
| pregnant. | | | | hormone (Gn-RH) analog. The HHS also cite that this |
| The following is a simple, brief overview on what | | | | is used for women who ovulate before the egg is |
| each of these common fertility drugs do. To see if it | | | | ready. Gn-RH analogs are often injected but are also |
| is right for you, you should first seek the advice of a | | | | given with a nasal spray. |
| medical professional. | | | | 5. If you are a woman who has insulin resistance and |
| 1. Clomiphene citrate (Clomid) causes ovulation by | | | | or PCOS, your doctor may recommend you take |
| interacting with the pituitary gland. If you have | | | | metformin (Glucophage). What it does is help lower |
| polycystic ovarian syndrome or any other ovulation | | | | the high levels of male hormones in women if you |
| problem, you are very likely going to hear about this | | | | have these conditions. Doing so helps your body |
| drug. | | | | ovulate. You may be asked to take this drug in |
| 2. Another drug the HHS list is the human menopausal | | | | combination with clomiphene or FSH which is a |
| gonadotropin or hMG (Repronex, Pergonal). The HHS | | | | common practice. |
| states that this medicine "is often used for women | | | | 6. Prolactin is a hormone that causes milk production |
| who don't ovulate due to problems with their | | | | and if there is a high level of prolactin in the body, |
| pituitary gland." However, this drug is different from | | | | ovulation problems may occur. If this is your |
| clomiphene in that hMG is injected and it interacts | | | | condition, Bromocriptine (parlodel) will most likely be |
| directly on the ovaries to stimulate ovulation. | | | | prescribed. |