If you are experiencing issues with fertility, then your doctor will likely recommend a variety of different fertility medications.
There are lots of different types of fertility medications, but one of the most famous is Lupron.
Lupron is a fertility medication that is commonly used as part of IVF treatments.
So if you have been advised that IVF is the best route for you and your partner, it might be recommended that you take Lupron as part of the treatment.
As always, if you are experiencing issues with fertility, you should consult with your doctor.
In this guide, we’re taking a quick look at everything you really need to know about Lupron, including what it is, what it is used for, potential uses of Lupron, and if it is successful when used as part of IVF treatment.
Read on to find out more!
What Is Lupron?
First things first, let’s take a quick look at exactly what Lupron is. Lupron is a fertility treatment that is often used as part of IVF.
Lupron is generally introduced to the body during IVF through an injection, and it is essentially a manufactured hormone that triggers certain reactions in the human body when it is injected.
Understanding exactly how Lupron works requires you to have a basic understanding of human physiology.
While this can be difficult to comprehend, it is actually pretty fascinating. In your brain, there is a section called the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus receives hormones, including the hormone GrNH.
GrNH is a hormone that is released in pulses, and when it is released, it stimulates the pituitary gland in your brain to release FSH and LH into the bloodstream.
Both of these hormones are closely linked with fertility as they stimulate the ovaries to grow eggs, produce estrogen and ovulate.
When Lupron is injected into the body, it has a similar effect on the body as the hormone GrNH.
It is essentially a GrNH agonist, so after a few Lupron injections, your pituitary gland will be stimulated to release FSH and LH into the bloodstream, triggering ovulation.
So, Lupron essentially works as a fertility medication as it tricks your body into ovulation, increasing your chances of becoming pregnant.
The Uses Of Lupron
Now that we have an understanding of how Lupron works, let’s take a look at a couple of its different uses within fertility treatment.
Ultimately, how your doctor will recommend you use it will depend on your specific situation, and what is causing your fertility problems.
If the reason why you are struggling to get pregnant is due to your ovulation cycle being unpredictable, then Lupron is great for regulating your cycle.
In this situation, Lupron will be taken early on in treatment, alongside birth control before ovulation simulation begins.
Regularly taking Lupron will suppress the brain’s control over ovulation, allowing the medication to synchronize the eggs and prevent ovulation.
This will give your fertility specialist better control over your cycle during treatment.
Your doctor might also prescribe low doses of Lupron injections alongside ovulation stimulation injections when you are at that stage of your treatment.
Before Lupron suppresses the ovaries it briefly stimulates them, so when this injection is taken alongside ovulation stimulation injections it can have a positive effect.
Finally, you might use Lupron to trigger ovulation. When used at the end of IVF treatment, Lupron will cause your FSH and LH levels to increase.
At this stage of treatment, the eggs will be grown, so the surge of LH (caused by the Lupron) will cause you to ovulate.
Side Effects Of Using Lupron
If you have done any research into Lupron, then you will know that IVF in general comes with a variety of potentially unpleasant side effects.
Lupron is no different. Fertility treatments are designed to affect your hormones, and this can cause lots of changes within your body.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the side effects of using Lupron.
In particular, the main side effects of using Lupron stem from the fact that its symptoms mimic menopausal symptoms.
So, when you are taking regular Lupron injections, you may also experience hot flashes, intense headaches, mood swings, and dizziness.
In addition to these symptoms, you might also experience joint pain, weight gain, nausea, anxiety, and aches across the body. These are the most common side effects of taking Lupron.
In addition to these common side effects, some women also report that Lupron injections impact their sex drive, including reduced libido and vaginal dryness.
Lupron impacts the reproductive system, so these side effects aren’t that surprising.
In most cases, Lupron will be taken for short periods. However, when taken across extended periods, it has been linked with a couple of different medical conditions.
Prolonged use of Lupron is generally prescribed for endometriosis or fibroids, rather than fertility treatments.
When taken for these conditions, some women have experienced changes in bone density and osteoporosis.
However, once Lupron injections are stopped, these side effects also resolve themselves and there are no long-term effects on bone density.
Is Lupron Successful In IVF?
Ultimately, if it has been suggested that you take Lupron as part of your fertility treatment, you probably want to know whether, or not, it is successful.
Unfortunately, we can’t report on the success of Lupron as each person’s fertility treatment is different and specialized to them. Lupron is usually used alongside several other fertility drugs, so it is impossible to talk about the success of this drug alone.
However, this is a commonly used fertility treatment, so it has proven effective. If you are interested in more specialized success rates, you should discuss this with your fertility specialist.
Summary
In short, Lupron is a fertility treatment that is injected into the body. It acts as a GrNH agonist and can be used to gain control over egg production, ovulation, and lots more.
It is commonly used in fertility treatments and is something that you might encounter if you are going through IVF or fertility treatment.
We hope this information has been helpful. Thanks for reading!
