26 Jan Trigger Shot: What Is It and How Does It Work
At Fertility Specialist Medical Group (FSMG), our team understands that there is no one-for-all treatment plan for infertility. This is specifically accurate for fertility drugs, which are highly individualized.
We pride ourselves on providing informative care during for every fertility journey at FSMG. By doing so, we can understand and address any issues a patient may have while administering fertility medications during fertility treatment.
Whether by injection or orally, taking fertility medications exactly as prescribed is crucial for treatment success. And while it may be intimidating, as a patient may need numerous injections with no prior experience in self-administering medications, FSMG has designed a fertility medication training system so staff members are actively involved in medication teaching, management, and ordering for each patient.
Providing this personalized care eases patients’ concerns — making it more likely that medications will be consistently and properly self-administered.
Common Fertility Medications
Many medications are used during in vitro fertilization (IVF), some injected, some taken orally, and others administered vaginally. The medication and dosage prescribed depend on many factors including test results, cycle goals, and the patient’s age.
Some of the most common fertility medications include:
- Gonadotropins are injectable hormones used to increase the number of follicles (which contain eggs) growing at the same time prior to egg retrieval for IVF.
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists and agonists are medications that prevent premature ovulation prior to egg retrieval. GnRH agonists, like Lupron, can also be given in a way that signals the body to release mature eggs after the follicles have developed.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) drives the development and maturation of follicles (which contain eggs) in the ovaries.
- Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is an injectable fertility medication that signals the body to release mature eggs after the follicles have developed.
Fertility Medication Injections
Patients visiting FSMG for IVF, IUI, ovulation induction and other fertility treatments may require fertility medication injections. We provide fertility medication training prior to the start of your cycle. These injections are most often done in the patient’s home, not in our office, due to the number of injections and timing necessary for treatment.
As some patients may require up to 90 injections per IVF cycle, it is important to understand how to properly administer the different medications. Beyond the in-house education and support, FSMG also provides a video instruction resource to further guide patients.
Most injections are subcutaneous (into the fat under the skin of the belly), but a few are intramuscular (into the muscle of the buttocks). You can give them to yourself or have your partner, a family member or a friend do it. We encourage patients to contact us whenever they have a question.