Ovulation Induction

Ovulation induction is a process by which the ovaries are induced to produce eggs. Ovulation induction is usually done for two reasons. In a patient who does not produce eggs, ovulation induction may be used to induce production of eggs. For example, patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome may not be ovulating regularly, and have irregular menstruation. Hormonal medication such as Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid) or Human Menopausal Gonadotropin (HMG) may be used to induce ovulation in these kinds of patients.

Ovulation induction can also be used to induce so-called “superovulation,” where medication is used to produce more than one egg. Generally, a woman produces one egg per cycle. When we are doing infertility treatment, however, we often would like to increase the number of eggs, and therefore increase the odds of pregnancy.

Ovulation induction medications can be oral or injectible. Oral medications such as Clomid, Letrozole, Tamoxifen will either induce egg production in patients who are not ovulating or multiple egg production in cases where we want to increase the number of eggs.

Injectible medications are used to induce ovulation in patients who are resistant to oral medication, don’t respond to oral medication, or who have attempted oral medications without success; or patients who are undergoing in vitro fertilization and attempt to produce multiple eggs. In general, injectible ovulation induction medications are medications which contain Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), which stimulates follicle production in the ovary.

In order to choose the correct type and form of medication for a patient undergoing ovulation induction, one should consider the patient’s history; prior ovulation induction protocols that have been used; and the patient’s age, weight, hormone levels and prior response to medication. For example, in a patient who has never tried ovulation induction and is young, Clomid or one of the other oral medications may be their best choice, or in a patient with breast cancer Tamoxifen has been used to induce ovulation successfully without increasing the risk of the breast cancer recurring. On the other hand, in older patients, generally stronger medications are preferred, and injectible medications may be the preferred choice for ovulation induction. There are multiple kinds of injectible medications, including Gonal-F, Follistim, Repronex, Menopur, Bravelle, Lepori (?), Pergonal, and Luveris, among other medications, that have been used to successfully induce ovulation.

At Reproductive Fertility Center we have great experience with using ovulation stimulation medication, which is customized to the patient’s needs to optimize the chance of pregnancy in the patient.