How to Treat Anovulation: Ovulation Induction

The key to finally getting pregnant is a correct diagnosis of the problem. Why is this important? Diagnosing anovulation is critical because pregnancy is not possible without the maturation and release of an egg. An anovulatory cycle is one in which ovulation does not occur. Approximately 40 percent of women suffer from anovulation making it difficult for them to get pregnant naturally. Anovulation is diagnosed when a woman’s ovary does not release an egg (oocyte) during her monthly menstrual cycle. Look: Ovulation Induction through IVF stimulates the growth of a single follicle in a woman’s ovary to release its egg.

Causes and Symptoms of Anovulation

When a woman’s ovary does not release an egg during her natural menstrual cycle, the condition diagnosed is anovulation. The goal of ovulation induction is to stimulate the growth of a single follicle to release its egg. Bottom Line: Superovulation – through the administration of fertility medication – to stimulate and grow multiple follicles and release more than one egg during a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Causes of Ovulation Dysfunction – Anovulation

The most common causes of anovulation:

• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
• Obesity
• Extreme exercise
• Hyperprolactinemia
• Premature Ovarian Failure
• Perimenopause (low ovarian reserve)
• Thyroid Dysfunction (hyperthyroidism)
• Extreme stress

Treatment for Anovulation

At New Hope Fertility Center in NYC, Ovulation Dysfunction is treated with fertility medication.

• Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid)
• Letrozole (Femara)

Our fertility doctors have achieved great success in temporarily reversing ovarian dysfunction.

About Clomid

Clomid is an oral medication prescribed by our fertility doctors:

• To induce an egg to develop and be released in a woman who is not ovulating naturally
• To increase the chances of pregnancy for a woman who ovulate naturally through superovulation

About Femara

Femara is an oral medication working to block a woman’s production of estrogen. The components making up Femara belong to a classification of medications known as aromatase inhibitors. Aromatase is an enzyme responsible for producing estrogen. Femara works to inhibit aromatase – suppressing estrogen production.

Decreased estrogen production stimulates a woman’s ovaries into growing multiple egg follicles. The pituitary gland produces more of the hormones needed to stimulate a woman’s ovaries into producing multiple egg follicles – FSH and LH.

• Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
• Luteinizing Hormone (LH)

These hormones cause:

• Ovulation in women who have diagnosed as anovulatory, or
• Increase in the number of eggs developed in women who have the ability to ovulate

Infertility and Anovulation

Most couples who are not suffering from infertility have a 25 percent chance of conceiving every month. When a woman is anovulatory – she can’t get pregnant because there is no egg for her male partner to fertilize with his sperm. If a woman has irregular ovulation, she has few to no chances of conceiving a baby.

Did you know? Ovulating late in a woman’s menstrual cycle produces low quality eggs. Low quality eggs make fertilization less likely.

Other Issues Due to Hormone Irregularities

Irregular ovulation throws off a woman’s reproductive system.

• Lack of fertile cervical mucus
• Thinning or over-thickening of the endometrium making it difficult for an embryo to implant
• Abnormally low levels of progesterone making it difficult to maintain a pregnancy if an embryo does implant
• A shorter luteal phase

World Renowned Ovulation Induction Expert

It is important to work with a World Renowned Doctor having the experience required to design a customized IVF treatment plan meeting your financial and medical needs. To schedule your initial consultation with world renowned fertility expert – Dr. John Zhang – call 917.525.5496.