Bravelle belongs to a class of medications called gonadotropins and is generically known as urofollitropin, an IVF medication that stimulates the ovaries and mimics the action of follicle stimulating hormones (FSH).
How Bravelle Works
Bravelle is used typically in conjunction with another hormone (hCG) to help ovulation and fertility if the woman’s body is unresponsive to clomiphene treatment. HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a medication which causes ovation to occur by mimicking a natural hormone in the woman’s body called luteinizing hormone (LH). Together these two medications help with infertility problems to become pregnant. The medication is also used with in-vitro fertilization methods as part of assisted reproductive technology procedures. Bravelle contains both a purified form of the FSH and luteinizing hormones.
How to Use Bravelle?
Bavelle comes in a vial of lyophilized, white to off-white powder or pellet, containing 75 IU of FSH, plus 20 mg of lactose as the monohydrate and 0.005 mg tween in a sterile, lyophilized form which is to be injected under the skin or into a muscle. It is important to check with your doctor or other health care professional to show how exactly to mix and draw up the medication into the needles and then the proper way to administer the injection. Once it has been mixed and prepared, is should be used immediately.
One should check with their doctor to verify the amount needed because many variables can affect the dose, such as body weight, specific medical conditions, and other medications a patient may be taking.
The dosage for urofollitropin must be individualized because it really depends on what it is being used to treat. For instance, in the case of infertility treatment (other than IVF), the usual starting dose is 150 IU daily for the first 5 days of treatment, while for those patients undergoing IVF, the starting dose is 225 IU for the first 5 days. However, in both cases, the response to the medication is determined by blood tests and ultrasound readings. You will be asked to have a blood test and ultrasound to test the amount of estrogen in the bloodstream and to determine the size of the follicles.
Common side effects include bloating, breast tenderness, headache, nausea, mild-stomach/abdominal pain, vomiting, and redness/pain at the injection site.
References
Bravelle. (1996-2014). Retrieved from www.canada.com: http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/drug_info_details.asp?channel_id=0&relation_id=0&brand_name_id=4792&page_no=1
Bravelle. (2014). Retrieved from www.rxlist.com: http://www.rxlist.com/bravelle-side-effects-drug-center.htm
Your Own Baby Story Could Begin with Bravelle. (2014, July). Retrieved from www.ferringfertility.com: https://www.ferringfertility.com/bravelle/
