Hormone treatment

Several treatment regimes exist but most patients are treated with hormonal stimulation aiming at a large number of mature oocytes.

Down regulation: 7 days prior to menstruation down regulation of the pituitary is initiated with daily injections (or sometimes nasal spray) of buserelin. This blocks the stimulation from the pituitary to the ovaries. The duration of this treatment is two to three weeks and after this period the hormonal stimulation can start.

Hormonal stimulation of the ovaries: Injections of gonadotrophin (FSH, a hormone from the pituitary) are given daily. The down regulation with nasal spray is continued simultaneously. This treatment is often completed after two weeks.

Monitoring of the stimulation: Vaginal ultrasound examinations of the ovaries and the uterine lining is done regularly with a few days´interval. In addition, blood samples are analyzed for estradiol rise. The results determine when ovulation induction with an injection of hCG should be administered.