Infertility Drugs & Side Effects

Infertility can be a scary and frustrating situation for anyone who wants to have a child. However, numerous infertility treatments are available, and some have proven to be quite successful. However, taking a drug always may bring side effects.

Progesterone

• Some women undergo progesterone therapy if they have having difficulty getting pregnant. According to Docshop.com, supplemental progesterone is used to promote a regular menstrual period. Progesterone is administered either through injection, vaginal suppositories or gels, or orally. The possible side effects of progesterone therapy include headache, breast tenderness, nausea, constipation, depression, drowsiness and depression. If a woman has a history of epilepsy, asthma, cardiac problems or migraines, she should be supervised carefully if she is undergoing progesterone therapy.

Clomid

• The drug Clomid (clomiphene citrate) has been used for years in an effort to assist woman who can't get pregnant. Clomid stimulates ovulation by prompting the release of luteinizing hormones and follicle-stimulating hormones, increasing the odds of ovulation to 70 to 90 percent. The most frequent side effects from taking Clomid include hot flashes and ovarian enlargement, which happens to 10 to 14 percent of the women who take this drug. Fewer than 6 percent of those taking Clomid suffer from pelvic and abdominal discomfort, breast discomfort, bloating, nausea and blurred vision, including seeing floaters and flashes in their eyes. Fewer than 2 percent have abnormal uterine bleeding and headaches.
  According to the Mayo Clinic, birth defects occur slightly more in the infants of women who have infertility problems, but Clomid (clomiphene) and other fertility medications do not seem to increase that risk. Furthermore, there is no added risk of miscarriage when a woman conceives using clomiphene citrate. The Mayo Clinic further notes that 40 to 50 percent of the women who take clomiphene citrate will become pregnant within six ovulation cycles.

Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists

• GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) agonists are used to stop premature ovulation, which can reduce a woman's chances of getting pregnant through assisted (in vitro fertilization and intrauterine fertilization) reproductive therapy, according to Sharedjourney.com. When ovulation happens too early, the eggs that are produced are of lower quality and aren't as useful if a woman is undergoing IUI or IVF. Side effects of GnRH include decreased libido, insomnia, headaches, mood swings and hot flashes.
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Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Antagonists

• Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists are used when a physician needs specific control over ovulation. This method provides fertility doctors with greater precision when it comes to retrieval of eggs from a woman. Side effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists include vaginal bleeding, nausea, headache, abdominal pain and sometimes ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome, where the ovaries swell and become enlarged.

Human Menopausal Gonadotropin

• Human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) is sometimes used for infertility treatment, particularly if clomiphene citrate does not work. The success rate for prompting ovulation when using hMG is 75 percent or higher. According to Wdxcyber.com, side effects include hyper-ovarian stimulation, which causes the body to release multiple follicles. This can increase your chances of multiple births by 40 percent. Another side effect is mood swings.

Multiples

• Dr. Charles Coddington III, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., points out that taking clomiphene citrate does slightly increase your chances of having multiples or more than one baby. The chance of having multiples after taking oral-fertility medicine is 5 to 8 percent. If a woman does get pregnant with more than one baby, it will most likely be twins.