Fertility Programs: Injectables And IUI

How Injectables And IUI Work

Injectables and IUI are one of the most commonly used procedures to help couples suffering from fertility problems conceive a child. IUI or IntraUterine Insemination is an easy and safe procedure usually done in a clinic by a fertility doctor or a specially trained nurse. It does not need anaesthesia and is similar to having a pelvic exam. IUI procedures start with the insertion of a speculum to expand the uterus so that sperm insemination can be directly done using a soft catheter. Now to make sure that the sperm will get to fertilize mature and healthy egg cells, fertility medications are generally used to stimulate egg production in females.

As you may have known there are two basic types of fertility medications that are used to stimulate egg production. They are classified as oral fertility medications and injectable fertility medications.  When oral fertility medications like Clomid fail to stimulate the ovaries to produce healthy eggs, injectable fertility medications will be used. Injectables and IUI are more effective in most couples who suffer from fertility problems. The effectivity of this procedure does vary depending on several factors like: the age of the woman, the condition of the fallopian tubes (at least one tube has to be open) and the overall quality and quantity of the sperm that will be inseminated in the uterus.

Fertility medications can help you conceive with IUI because these medications work to stimulate your ovaries to produce more eggs than in a normal cycle, which greatly increases the sperms’ chance of getting to a mature and healthy egg. Some fertility specialists may use Clomid or clomiphene citrate at first. The timing of the IUI with a Clomid cycle may be done with urinary ovulation prediction kits or using ultrasound monitoring. If Clomid doesn’t help you get pregnant, your doctor may recommend injectables and IUI.

There are several benefits of injectables and IUI aside from its good success rates in most couples. The procedure of injectables and IUI is relatively safe, easy and has few to none life threatening side-effects. The overall cost and expense for injectables and IUI is relatively modest compared to other fertility treatments and procedures. The downside to injectables and IUI compared to oral medications like Clomid and IUI is the cost, generally Clomid and IUI is relatively cheaper than injectables and IUI however, recent studies show that injectables and IUI have a higher success rate. The chances of multiple pregnancies like twins are also higher in IUI and injectables. Remember, only your fertility specialist can truly know what would be the best procedure for you to undergo since there are several factors involved with the success rates of the different fertility procedures. We hope that this post has helped you better understand how injectables and IUI work to get you pregnant.

Learning About Your Infertility Injections

Your Guide To Infertility Injections

Learning about infertility injections really helps as these are prescribed next if previous fertility treatments failed to work. IVF Infertility medications are mainly responsible in getting sufficient follicles and eggs in preparation for the in vitro fertilization process. The female is stimulated with infertility injections to develop multiple follicles.

Generally speaking there are two kinds of injectable medications used in IVF drug stimulation protocols. The first type is given to suppress or inhibit ovulation from occurring before the eggs are harvested and the other type is used to stimulate multiple egg development.

More About Infertility Injections

Gonadotropins, as stated previously, are hormones that function by stimulating the ovaries to produce follicles each which contains multiple eggs. Gonadotropins are released by the pituitary gland. The pituitary produces two types of gonadotropins- luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Both hormones act on the ovaries and work together and develop ovarian follicles.

Given the advances in medical technology, gonadotropins are now obtained either as a purified product from human sources (hMG) or are the results of genetic engineering and biotechnology (recombinant FSH). Examples of hMG that contains FSH with variations in the amount of LH are Bravelle, Repronex and Menopur. Gonal-F and Follistim are types of genetically engineered gonadotropins and contain only FSH.

These infertility injections are administered via injections. There are two kinds: subcutaneous injections which are injected under the skin and intramuscular which are injected deep in the muscle tissue. These infertility injections stimulate the development of follicles if ovulation does not occur naturally.

There are several side effects associated with infertility injections such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, weight gain, tender breasts, bloating or swelling, headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and depression. Despite the above-mentioned side effects, many women still turn to infertility injections as it is found effective to help achieve pregnancy.

Simple Steps To Finding The Best Priced IVF Drugs

IVF Drugs Guide

IVF drugs can be very expensive however, they play an important part in most fertility treatments and procedures. Remember, your fertility treatment may not work effectively if you are not taking the right set of IVF drugs. Since most prescription plans will only pay a certain portion or worse do not cover them, they can easily take a huge portion on your overall fertility treatments cost. In order to cut down on your IVF drugs cost you need to be smart and know several practical ways to save on your IVF drugs. To help you get started, here are some practical means you can try to save on your prescriptions.

1. Inquire with your local specialty pharmacy about discount programs and cash back options. A good way to save on your IVF drugs would be to know what types of programs or rebate schemes your specialty pharmacy has to offer. There are pharmacies that offer huge discounts if you buy your IVF drugs in bulk and they even offer certain cash back options for multiple IVF cycles. There are also several pharmacies across the nation that have the IVF Greenlight discount program. This program is available to self-pay patients. It allows you to save up to 50% on selected fertility products with a minimum purchase. The best part about this program is that there is no financial criteria to qualify for, no long income verification to complete and no waiting to see if you have been approved for this program.
2. Participate in clinical trials. Clinical trials are often sponsored by big pharmaceutical companies that sell IVF drugs, normally these clinical trials would be used to test the effectivity of a new fertility medication. Clinical trials sometimes provide cheaper or free fertility medications. Be sure to check first with your fertility doctor before you participate in any sponsored clinical trial.
3. Choose generic over brand names. The rising cost of many brand name prescriptions, including fertility drugs, has led to the increased production of generic medications. Many IVF drugs have a generic equivalent. It is always a good idea to know if your prescribed IVF drugs have a generic equivalent. Be sure to ask your fertility doctor about your generic IVF drugs options.

By following these simple steps, you can significantly cut down on the cost of your IVF drugs and focus on your fertility treatments. It is always a good idea to know your options first before you make your purchase. By being smart and patient, you can easily save on your prescriptions today!

How Effective Is IUI With Injectables?

Understanding The Procedure Of IUI With Injectables

If you are wondering how effective IUI with injectables are then this is the article you need to read. IUI or IntraUterine Insemination is one of the very first procedures used to treat infertility in couples. This is normally done in a clinic  by a fertility doctor or a specially trained nurse and is similar to having a pelvic exam. Before the procedure of IUI is done certain preparations like taking fertility medications is important. Fertility drugs both oral and injectable can assist women to produce healthier eggs for the sperm to get to during IUI.

The procedure of IUI involves the insertion of a speculum in your uterus to expand it. Then the sperm is inseminated directly in the uterus through the use of a soft catheter. IUI is an easy and quick procedure and does not require the use of anaesthesia. Most women do not feel any pain, however, there are some that report they felt some mild discomfort.

To give you a better idea of how effective IUI with injectables are, here are some of the latest IUI success rate statistics:

IUI With Injectables Success Rates

• With just one IUI cycle, most women have a 10 to 20 percent chance of getting pregnant.
• The more IUI cycles done, the higher the chances of getting pregnant. For example, with 3 to 6 IUI cycles your chances of getting pregnant can be as high as 80 percent.
• Like with most fertility treatments, the overall effectiveness and success rate of the procedure will also depend on several factors like: the age of the woman, the status of the fallopian tubes (at least one open fallopian tube) and the quality and quantity of the sperm to be used.
• As a woman gets older, her chances of a successful IUI with injectables procedure gets lower. For example, women under 35 years old are 10 to 20 percent likely to get pregnant. Women between the ages of 35 and 40 has a 10 percent chance of getting pregnant while women 40 years old and above has only 2 to 5 percent chance of getting pregnant.
• The use of fertility medications both oral and injectable can help stimulate the production of mature eggs in women. Like in most cases of infertility, most couples have had a higher success rate of getting pregnant with injectable fertility drugs because of its more direct effect. That is why most fertility specialist would start you off with IUI with oral medications for about 1 to 2 cycles and if that fails the next cycles will be IUI with injectables.

In most cases, IntraUterine Insemination  (IUI) can get you pregnant after 3 to 6 cycles. If after 6 cycles you still do not get pregnant, your fertility doctor will perform a different procedure called IVF. Like with any other fertility treatment, IUI with injectable will only work well with certain fertility problems. Only your fertility specialist can recommend the right fertility treatment and medications for you.

Understanding Your IVF Medication

You And Your IVF Medication

Learning about your IVF medication will help you better understand the intricacies of the IVF procedure. During an In Vitro Fertilization or IVF cycle, your fertility specialist will prescribe a number of medications to prepare your body for the cycle.

The prescribed IVF medication will vary depending on the protocol and infertility type. The fertility specialist or doctor will determine the kind of medication, dosage and period of medication. If at the middle and end of the cycle the desired results are not achieved, the IVF medication may be changed to improve the quantity or quality of egg production.

Below is a list of the most commonly prescribed medication during IVF:

Gonadotropins. These are hormones used to stimulate follicles containing eggs during the stimulation phase. This kind of IVF medication is taken by injection and includes Follistim, Gonal-F, and Bravelle.

Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Agonists. Prevents the surge of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and estrogen inhibiting pituitary hormone secretion. Examples are Synarel, Lupron, and Zoladex and are either injected or taken by nasal spray.

Another IVF medication, Antagonists are used to prevent premature ovulation and enhance ovulation-inducing medications. Ganirelix, Antagon, and Cetrotide are some examples and are taken by injection.

Other injectible IVF medication includes hCG, and r-hCG a recombinant version of hCG, hormones used to trigger the final maturation of the egg inside a follicle.

There are other medications that are not injectables and are taken orally such as Clomid, Androxal, and Omifin and often used during mini- IVF cycles. Other medications that are taken orally include Medrol, a steroid hormone used to assist in implantation of the embryo and Doxycycline,  an antibiotic given to both the male and female during stimulation to reduce low levels of bacteria in the reproductive tract.  

In Vitro Fertilization is a complicated procedure that makes use of IVF medication in different stages of the process. Given this, it is recommended to know all the steps and potential side effects of the IVF medication used in the procedure.