Archive for the ‘Fertility Drugs’ Category

As part of FertilityAuthority.com’s Ask the Expert series, Dr. John Zhang, Founder and Director of New Hope Fertility Center in New York, explains Mini-IVF, an IVF treatment that uses fewer fertility drugs and costs less than standard IVF treatment.

There are many factors that may affect an individual’s or couple’s ability to conceive. Several myths often circulate that confuse couples as they try to discover a cause that will explain their infertility or difficulty conceiving. Speaking to a fertility specialist is the best way to obtain more information about infertility. A fertility doctor will be able to help the couple pinpoint the cause of their infertility and will recommend treatments that may provide solutions to a couple’s infertility.

Couples should speak to a medical professional in the field for more information, but the first step in discovering the source of one’s infertility is to go through a few tests and answer a few questions. Doctors will try to ascertain enough information about the individual and his or her partner to identify the problem.

One possible cause of infertility is advanced age. Generally, when people get older, their chances of conception go down. For instance, men over 35 may be less fertile than men under 25. Older men may also be more likely to have children with birth defects than younger men. The same can be said of women as they age. By the time women reach 40, their chances of conceiving may drop significantly compared to the chances of a woman in her twenties.

Lifestyle choices in the list of fertility facts may not surprise many people. If a person drinks alcohol heavily, smokes cigarettes or uses drugs, they may be at a greater risk of being infertile than those who do none of these things. Furthermore, obesity may create hormonal imbalances that may affect an individual’s ability to conceive.

It may surprise some to discover that according to studies, men who expose themselves to wet heat (hot tubs, baths) for at least 30 minutes a week may experience a decrease in sperm production and/or movement. Prescription drugs may also affect a person’s fertility, and patients taking prescription drugs should speak to their doctor for more information.

Diet may play a role in one’s ability to conceive. Some studies show whole fat dairy products as better for women trying to get pregnant than low fat options. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables may also be helpful for couples trying to conceive. More research needs to be done on diet’s relationship to fertility, but staying healthy is always important for women as they are trying to get pregnant and after they become pregnant. For more fertility facts, patients should consult a fertility specialist.

Arron, Sonia and Gunner Avery. May 2004 to November 2007. We are the luckiest people in the world: we have not only found true love together but now have also been blessed with our precious son, our true Miracle Baby conceived by IVF. A little bit about us, our video and birth story: The lady in the lab coat holding our son is the doctor who did our IVF cycle. Gunner was born against all odds because we both had fertility problems and I didn’t respond well to fertility drugs. He was also born 2 full weeks overdue and had the cord very tight around his neck. My doctor had suspected this was why he didn’t want to come out and she was right. Labor was only 6 1/2 hours but there was thick meconium and he was in some distress. We are very very fortunate to have had a competent, experienced doctor attend the birth and deliver him safely. They had to deep suction him and put him in the NICU for a few hours for observation, but thank God he was perfectly fine. He is our greatest joy and blessing.

Instructions for administering injectable fertility medications – Cetrotide

Instructions for administering injectable fertility medications – Lupron

How can you best increase your fertility to get pregnant? Step back and look at how you live, where you live, your daily routine – including your job and work place. Why? Because ALL of them can seriously impact on your chances of conceiving.

Change # 1 – Quit Smoking Tobacco

Smoking tobacco has a seriously detrimental effect on the fertility of both women and men. So if you or your partner smoke, quit – NOW!

For women who smoke it can reduce ovarian reserve and cause early menopause. Older woman trying to get pregnant are particularly vulnerable. Furthermore, ALL female smokers expose themselves to an increased risk of suffering a miscarriage or stillbirth.

Men who smoke can experience problems with their sperm. Smoking tobacco can lower their sperm count, make their sperm less mobile and increase the number of abnormal sperm. All this makes it less likely that the sperm can fertilize the women’s eggs.

Change # 2 – Establish a Healthy Routine

Keeping stress under control is vital if you are trying to get pregnant. Let’s face it, trying to conceive – especially if you are already having trouble getting pregnant – is pretty stressful in itself. A consequence of too much stress is it can cause irregular ovulation or even stop your periods all together.

Indulging in some ‘ME!’ time can help you to de-stress. Pursuits such yoga, exercise, journaling, or meditation are excellent past-times to help you unwind.

Try exercising every other day. Thirty minutes of aerobic activity four times a week can benefit both mind and body, helping you keep in tip-top shape in your attempts to get pregnant. You don’t need to be pumping iron down at the gym. For example, walking is an excellent aerobic activity. So be imaginative. Create opportunities where walking becomes a natural part of your daily routine.

Getting at least eight hours sleep a night can be very beneficial. Try to make your bedroom an oasis of calm. Don’t allow it to be a ‘busy’ place where you eat, read and watch TV.

Women should also try re-scheduling taxing events and happenings in your life to the week following your period. This helps reduce your stress level as well as decreasing your overall suffering.

Stress in men can also impact on their fertility. Stress can lower men’s testosterone production, which in turn impacts on sperm quality and quantity.

Change # 3 – Don’t Do Housework and House Repairs!

Or to be more accurate, check very carefully the products you use for these activities.

You need to be cautious of certain store-brought products you regularly buy, possibly without thinking of the consequences to your health. Such products include furniture polish, all-purpose cleaners, bug sprays, bathroom cleaners and room deodorizers. All of them contain toxic chemicals. Accumulatively, regular use of these products in the home can reduce your ability to conceive by as much as 33%. A viable, safer solution is to switch to organic, non-toxic alternatives as a means to reduce the toxins in your home.

You should also take precautions any time you decorate the house. Paint thinners, paint fumes, paint strippers, household glues and oil paints can all be toxic and negatively affect fertility. Some decorating products you may think to use are so toxic they can increase your risk of a miscarriage when pregnant.

When shopping for items such as household cleansers, home decorating or repair products, give them a quick ‘sniff’ test. If they have a strong and offensive smell, it is probably wiser to avoid them and find alternatives. The same can be said for new carpets and furniture.

Change # 4 – Get a New Job!

Radical advice, you might think. But statistically, some occupations and their work environment are more high-risk than others. Let’s consider a few examples.

Both women and men who work in the agricultural or pesticide industry are potentially ten times more likely to experience infertility problems.

Are you a woman working in a micro-electronics assembly plant? If so, if and when you get pregnant you potentially face a higher risk of spontaneous abortion four times above the average. This is because of your greater exposure to chemical solvents used in the manufacturing process.

Women who work in dry cleaning services, or material production, are exposed to dry cleaning chemicals and textile dyes which can increase the risk of infertility.

Women working in the pharmaceutical industry or in health care may be sabotaging their chances of getting pregnant without knowing it. How so? Well … if your job entails unpacking or handling antibiotics, it may result in a delayed pregnancy of at least 12 months. So if you are trying to get pregnant and your job does entail these activities, maybe you should consider asking to be moved to a different assignment.

Change # 5 – Don’t Take Recreational Drugs

Women who smoke marijuana regularly secrete small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in their vaginal fluid and also have trace amounts present in their reproductive organs. Sperm that come into contact with THC absorb the drug and become over stimulated. This causes sperm to slow down when they approach the egg and they are unable to break through the egg’s outer casing to fertilize it. Conception is impossible.

Smoking marijuana also has consequences for men’s fertility. Male sperm count is lowered, there is a decrease in the volume of seminal fluid and poor sperm motility results.

The long-term use of other recreational drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy, can also have dramatic, negative affects on female and male fertility.

The risk for women is a higher probability of experiencing ovulatory dysfunction, menstrual irregularities and reduced ovarian reserve. By contrast, men may experience a reduced libido, poor sperm count and abnormally-shaped sperm. Any or a combination of those conditions is highly likely to reduce a couple’s chances of conceiving.

So … do you do any of the five things listed above? If so, try making some changes to your life and lifestyle. It might just make all the difference in your attempts to get pregnant and having the baby you so desire.

Instructions for administering injectable fertility medications – Delestrogen / Estradiol Valerate / E2V

The question of toxicity to the gonads: testes and ovaries is a point of concern for all those who work with infertility. This toxicity is determined by any chemical agent, physical or biological agent that can alter the endocrine system or spermatogenesis, causing changes in reproductive physiology. The interruption of the normal biological process may occur by direct action of the agent, or indirectly through their metabolites. In addition to these, factors such as stress, age and weight should be taken into account:

Testicular Trauma:
Patients who did not drop one or two testicles to the scrotum before birth usually have lower quality sperm, regardless of the realization early surgical correction. Other testicular factors that can determine a lower quality of semen testicular pain would be stronger in childhood related to episodes of testicular torsion, infection, venereal diseases or medication use. Situations that cause fever, such as systemic infections, can temporarily alter spermatogenesis.

Pathologies:
There are many causes of pathologies that can lead to a change in sperm quality. Infectious diseases (mumps, tuberculosis, leprosy and sexually transmitted diseases), chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, kidney failure, lupus erythematosus, hypertension, etc…) Tumors such as pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma and others. Patients with thalassemia major develop infertility by the deposition of iron in the pituitary gland and testicles. Diabetes mellitus can cause damage neuropathic, leading to retrograde ejaculation (toward the bladder instead of the urethra).

Substances:
There are a large number of substances that are toxic to sperm production and function. Several types of medications (some antibiotics, chemotherapy, hormones and anabolic steroids), drugs (marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, cigarettes, heroin, crack, etc…) Occupational and environmental factors (heat, light, electromagnetic radiation, etc…) Agents pollutants, industrial and environment have been related to changes in fertility, as well as stress. With respect to drugs and illicit drugs, one must be careful to identify those that are known to have negative effect on spermatogenesis.

Infectious diseases cause partial or total obstruction of the seminal track and / or gonad histological changes. Estrogens in the environment (pesticides and herbicides) and diet (plants, cereals, fruits, vegetables and oilseeds) have been widely studied, mainly due to higher incidence of malformations of the genital tract in the last 50 years, and suspicions of the decrease sperm count.

The increase in testicular temperature produces a decrease in quality and quantity of sperm and also dysfunction of the epididymis, as shown in occupational exposure to heat (bakers, confectioners, firefighters, welders, etc.).. The effect of prolonged exposure to heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, boron) can also lead to changes in spermatogenesis, testicular fibrosis, and hormonal changes.

Smoking can lead to decreased sperm production and worsening of their morphology and motility. Several pesticides have toxic effects on the testes changing fertility and sexual function. Anesthetic gases such as nitrous oxide and halothane, promote reduced production of spermatozoa and chromosomal aberrations.

Varicose:
A varicose veins in the testicles is the clinical condition most commonly found, accounting for 18% of cases, however, is only considered as a cause of infertility when combined with sperm abnormal patterns, which occurs in about 10% of the time . There are several theories that attempt to explain the seminal and testicular changes resulting from these veins, however it is unclear why some patients with varicose are fertile at all, or because 20 to 30% of patients undergoing treatment show no improvement in semen parameters.

Genetic modifications:
In many cases, the cause of infertility is not defined. Studies have shown a high incidence of structural and numerical changes of chromosomes in infertile men compared to fertile men. Most of the changes in sex chromosomes found in azoosperm patients (absence of sperm in the ejaculate). Ten to 15% of patients with non-obstructive azoospermia have deletions in their Y chromosome (absence of fragments on the Y chromosome).

The congenital absence of channels that communicate the testicle to the urethra and cystic fibrosis are other genetic causes that interrupt the transport of sperm to the urethra, without interfering with its production. These patients produce sperm, but they are not ejaculated.

Other Factors:
Situations that would impede the function of sperm, such as antibodies, are found in about 5% of men; however, the role of anti-sperm antibodies remains very controversial. The stress probably decreases fertility, but it is difficult to know how to measure and determine their level of participation.

There is no evidence that the man’s age, by itself, predisposes to infertility (as opposed to women), although other diseases that accompany aging may predispose to infertility, and there seems to be a decrease in semen volume and concentration sperm over the years. Chronic malnutrition causes hormonal changes and, along with protein deficiency interferes with fertility.

The excess body weight and fat distribution appear to be minor effects on men than on female fertility.

Instructions for administering injectable fertility medications progesterone in oil

There are few medical procedures that have a history as long as acupuncture in treating different illnesses or diseases. It is proven to be effective and safe as well when it is administered by somebody who is properly trained. More recently, it has been shown to be effective in assisting with other areas and numerous studies have shown that the use of acupuncture for fertility can be effective in both men and women.

There are differing opinions about exactly why acupuncture is as effective as it has proven to be. The ancient Chinese believed that it had to do with energy flow in the body referred to as Qi and Chi, but modern medicine has offered some more plausible explanations. It would seem that acupuncture positively affects neurohormonal levels in the body. There is therefore increased blood flow to the organs of the body including the reproductive organs. It is thought that this increased blood flow is the major determinant of the increase in fertility.

People that are suffering from infertility or that simply wish to expedite the process of having children may benefit from fertility acupuncture treatments. Many people opt for in vitro treatments in order to get pregnant. Acupuncture is not something that would be used in place of these treatments but in studies conducted in both Germany and the United States it has been shown that the in vitro fertilization process is statistically improved when used in conjunction with acupuncture.

Acupuncture for infertility as a treatment is attractive to many people because it does not use any kind of drugs or chemicals. The patient may already be taking some kind of drug or chemical and using acupuncture treatments as a complement to other treatments reduces the risk of having negative drug interactions. It is also not wise to have a large amount of drugs in the body of a pregnant woman and with fertility acupuncture treatments the amount of drugs in the system can be reduced.

If people are trying to become pregnant, the last thing that they want to do is experience some other health problem as often the general state of health affects fertility. There are risks associated with acupuncture as there are with any medical procedure. These risks are associated with transmission of disease or infection from the use of dirty needles or the incorrect administering of a treatment.

There are many doctors who have been licensed to practice acupuncture and if you go to a reputable doctor, you will greatly reduce the chances of any of these things happening. A licensed physician that uses acupuncture for fertility will use only single-use needles that have been properly sterilized and will have been trained in the proper process and procedures to provide this treatment.

As mentioned earlier, acupuncture fertility treatment can be effective not only in women but in men as well. If you are a couple that is trying to get pregnant, it may be a wise decision to consult with a licensed physician that can provide fertility acupuncture treatment. You can do this whether you are taking other treatments or not, and your doctor will be able to counsel you on the best course of action.