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Fertility Drugs and Cancer Risk

Many women undergoing treatment for infertility are given fertility drugs when they are trying to conceive. Two of the most commonly used fertility drugs are Clomid and injections of a class of drugs known as gonadotropin releasing hormones. These contain follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) to induce ovulation. I took both of these drugs during the six years we were trying to conceive our first child, who is now ten years old. Women continue to take both classes of drugs today. For years, there have been whispers about a link between certain cancers and fertility drugs. These … Continue reading →

Fertility Drugs: Metaformin

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects approximately seven percent of women. Women with PCOS tend to have numerous small cysts in the ovaries, irregular or absent menstrual cycles and high levels of male hormones, known as androgens. This is responsible for the excessive hair growth experienced by many women with PCOS. Women with PCOS typically have difficulty in conceiving. Traditionally, drugs such as Clomid or injections of gonadotropins have been used to induce ovulation in women with PCOS. A newer medication used to treat this condition is metaformin. Metaformin is a medicine that has been used for years to help control … Continue reading →

Fertility Medications: Provera

For many women, irregularity with the menstrual cycle contributes to infertility issues. Without a regular cycle, ovulation and conception are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. The drug Provera is given to get the menstrual cycle going. Provera actually has several uses related to female health, although it is often known for starting a stalled menstrual cycle. It may also be described for abnormal bleeding, treating endometriosis, pre menstrual symptoms and menopausal symptoms. The exact dosage and instructions will vary from woman to woman. Provera comes in dosing options of 2.5, 5 or 10 mg. The best dosage for you … Continue reading →

Do OTC Medications Affect Fertility?

The topic for this blog came from a question asked in our forums. In fact, there is some evidence that certain medications can interfere with fertility. Whether or not these medications would completely prevent pregnancy is unclear. It is actually widely believed that some common medications can interfere with ovulation. These are drugs known as NSAIDS, and sold under names like Aleve, Advil and Ibuprofen. In the book Stay Fertile Longer: Everything You Need to Know to Get Pregnant, the author talks about this link. The reason cited is that these medications block the production of prostaglandins, which interferes with … Continue reading →

The Pregnancy Blog Review June 7-21

Each month in the pregnancy blog, I try to cover topics related to infertility, conception, pregnancy, birth and the post partum period after your baby is born. The blog review is a good place to get caught up on the recent topics covered. Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by low blood sugar and excessive insulin production. It is common during pregnancy. To learn more read Hypoglycemia in Pregnancy. The high price of airplane tickets causes many families to take road trips for vacation. Sitting in the car for long periods of time isn’t always fun, particularly when you are pregnant. … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Blog Review for April 29 – May 10

Welcome to the pregnancy blog review. This is a good way to view all the recent blogs in one place. As always, I welcome topic suggestions for future blogs. Femara was originally prescribed for the treatment of breast cancer and is now used as a fertility drug. Initial studies look promising. Read more in Fertility Drugs: Femara Midwives in Maine will now have access to medications for use in home births. A new law will allow midwives to obtain certain medications directly from a pharmacist. Read more in New Law Gives Maine Midwives Access to Medications Yoga has many benefits … Continue reading →

Fertility Drugs: Femara

The fertility drug Femara is also known as Letrozole. Originally used in the treatment of breast cancer, the drug was found to be effective for infertility. Initial studies show Femara is more effective than the very popular Clomid. Femara and Clomid have similar results, but work differently. Clomid works by blocking estrogen receptors. Femara works as a aromatase inhibitor. Aromatase is an enzyme which results in the production of estrogen. By blocking this enzyme, estrogen levels are decreased. Both drugs have similar side effects, resulting from the lower estrogen levels when taking either drug. The most common side effects on … Continue reading →

Infertility Medications: Progesterone Therapy

A variety of treatment options are available for infertility, depending on the nature of the problem. Progesterone therapy is one treatment which may be used if your body is not producing enough progesterone to support a pregnancy. Progesterone is naturally released by the corpus luteum after ovulation has occurred. Progesterone increases the thickness of the endometrial lining, creating the optimum environment for the fertilized egg to implant and begin to grow. In some cases, not enough progesterone is released by the corpus luteum. As a result, the lining of the uterus doesn’t get thick enough for the egg to implant. … Continue reading →

Affording Fertility Medications

Fertility medications are expensive, especially the injectibles. A prescription for pills such as Clomid will cost about $50 per cycle. If this doesn’t work, your doctor will probably recommend one of the injectable medications. These are really expensive. For one cycle, the cost is approximately $2,000 per cycle. For many couples, the high cost of fertility medications is not in the budget. As the economy worsens, couples are finding it even more difficult to afford the treatments and the cost of the drugs needed for the treatments to work. The first step in affording fertility medications is to check with … Continue reading →

The Pregnancy Blog Review for Jan 29 – Feb 9

The pregnancy blog has recently covered topics related to infertility, birth, VBAC and other health related topics. If you haven’t been reading or missed something, the pregnancy blog review is a good place to catch up on the recent topics. Fatigue is one of the side effects of pregnancy that women complain about most. A condition such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome compounds the problem. Read more in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Pregnancy. By now, most women have heard that caffeine is not good during pregnancy. There is mounting evidence to support eliminating caffeine from your diet. A recent study confirms … Continue reading →