Now that you understand the female reproductive system, it'll be easier to understand the how and why of medicated cycles.
For example, you now know that it takes quite some time -- over 9 months -- for an immature follicle to get ready to race towards ovulation. This is why some lifestyle changes can take time to make a difference in your fertility. Also, drugs like metformin, an insulin resistance drug that is sometimes used to treat infertility in women with PCOS, can take up to 6 months to work.
Fertility Drugs
You can also better understand why you take certain fertility drugs at particular times during your cycle. For example, Clomid is taken during the early part of the follicular phase of your cycle, because that is the time when the follicles are growing and preparing for ovulation.
During an IVF cycle, you may take what is known as a GnRH antagonist for a week before you expect your period. The GnRH antagonist prevents your pituitary gland from releasing LH and FSH, so that your doctor can control the cycle.
Drugs like Gonal-F and Follistim are made of FSH hormones. You now know that FSH is the hormone responsible for stimulating the growth of the follicles in your ovaries. Drugs like Ovidrel, often referred to as the "trigger shot", replace or boost the LH surge which triggers the final maturation of the egg and eventually ovulation.
And after ovulation, progesterone supplements may be given. During IVF, when the eggs are retrieved, the follicle is also removed, which means there's no corpus luteum left behind to produce the progesterone required to support the uterine lining for potential pregnancy. That's why you need to take progesterone during IVF treatment.
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