Hormone Therapy for Pregnancy

When a couple is struggling with infertility, hormone therapy is often the first treatment doctors recommend to increase the chances of conception and pregnancy. Fertility drugs are generally the least expensive and least invasive among popular fertility treatments and there are a number of options available based on the issues a couple is experiencing. Most hormone therapy is design to stimulate ovulation in a woman but treatments for men may be used when sperm problems are believed to be a cause of infertility.

  1. Types

    • Clomiphene, often called Clomid, is a pill that promotes the release of the follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH) and luteinizing hormones (LH) to induce ovulation. If clomiphene is unsuccessful your doctor may suggest gonadotropin injections, which use FSH to stimulate the production of multiple eggs and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to release those eggs into the fallopian tubes. Bromocriptine, a vaginal or oral pill, is used when a woman has unusually high levels of prolactin in the bloodstream that are causing irregular menstrual cycles.

    Side Effects

    • Women taking clomiphene may experience stomach pain, breast tenderness, nausea, fatigue, irritability, headaches, weight gain and depression while gonadotropin can cause bloating, weight gain, fluid retention and tenderness in the abdomen. Both occasionally lead to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) which occurs when the ovaries swell painfully. Hospitalization or bed rest may be required for recovery. Both clomiphene and gonadotropin increase your chances of having multiple babies in one pregnancy, which in turn increases the risk of miscarriages and pregnancy complications. Side effects of Bromocriptine include headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and diarrhea.

    Success

    • About 80 percent of women will ovulate within three months of using clomiphene and 40 percent of those women will get pregnant according to BabyCenter.com. Bromocriptine produces ovulation in about 90 percent of users and 65 to 85 percent of the women who ovulate will become pregnant. Anywhere from 20 to 60 percent of gonadotropin users will get pregnant. It's important to understand that these drugs are used to promote and regulate ovulation, which is only one part of getting pregnant. There are many other factors involved in successful conception and a healthy, live birth.

    Cost

    • Costs for hormone therapy drugs vary widely; the overall cost will depend on the length of treatment as well as the associated expenses of clinic visits and tests. Clomiphene is the least expensive at $50 per cycle, with most women undergoing three to six treatment cycles. Gonadotropin can cost $2,000 to $5,000 per cycle and the average length of treatment is three to six cycles. Bromocriptine costs $75 to $112 per cycle and you may need to take it for a few months before a regular menstrual cycle begins.

    Hormone Therapy for Men

    • Clomiphene and gonadotropin can also be used to correct a hormonal imbalance in men that causes reduced sperm count and quality; however, these drugs have yet to receive FDA approval for this purpose. According to BabyCenter.com, they're only about a third as successful for men as they are for women. These drugs are usually administered as pills or injections and treatment lasts about three to six months.

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