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Your fertility depends on if you can ovulate. This is when an egg is released from an ovary. If you are not ovulating, you may be given hormone medicine to help. Read below to find out how these work.
Hormones are chemicals that your body makes naturally. Each type of hormone has its own function. In some cases, hormones are used for assisted reproductive treatment (ART). Hormone medicine can help:
Make more eggs. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) causes the ovaries to make more mature eggs each month. Normally 1 egg matures each month. Note that this does not make you run out of eggs faster.
Trigger ovulation. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is used to cause ovulation. This can help by controlling the timing of when an egg can be fertilized after sex. It may also be used for ART.
Hormone medicine can also help change the levels of other hormones. To help you ovulate, you may be given medicine to treat:
Anovulation or oligovulation. This is when you don't ovulate or don't ovulate regularly.
High levels of the hormone prolactin. This can stop ovulation from occurring.
An imbalance of thyroid hormone levels. This can possibly cause problems with fertility. It can also cause miscarriage.
This chart shows some hormone medicines that can help with fertility. Talk with your health care provider about how they work. Be sure you know how and when to use them. Know about the possible side effects. Some medicines carry a small but serious risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). This needs treatment right away.
Medicine
How it works
How it is taken
Possible side effects
Clomiphene citrate
Causes eggs to develop
Pills
Hot flashes, blurred vision, breast tenderness, nausea, mood swings, ovarian cysts, and increased chance of having twins
Follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH
Causes the ovaries to make more mature eggs
Injections
Increased chance of multiple births. Small but serious risk for OHSS.
Human menopausal gonadotropin or hMG
Human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG
Triggers ovulation
May make enlarged ovaries worse when combined with hMG or FSH medicines
Dopamine agonists
Decreases prolactin, a hormone that can prevent ovulation
Nausea, nasal stuffiness, dizziness, and headache
Levothyroxine
Restores thyroid hormones to a normal level
Nervousness, irritability, headache, insomnia, diarrhea, weight loss, and changes in menstruation
Progesterone
Helps the endometrium get ready and helps maintain a pregnancy
Pills, vaginal cream
Breast tenderness, mood swings
Note: This chart is not a complete list. It does not endorse any type or brand. It does not show every side effect or reaction. It does not show every precaution or interaction. Only your health care provider can advise or prescribe these types of medicine.