In the IVF protocol, a woman can be assigned to take Proginova. It is believed that this drug significantly increases the chances of successful IVF.
About why it is prescribed, how the remedy works, how effective it is, we will tell in this material.
About the drug
In vitro fertilization is a complex process, at each stage of which a woman needs additional hormonal support, which significantly increases the likelihood of successful completion of the protocol. The onset of a long-awaited pregnancy is considered successful. Proginova is a hormonal drug that is included in the replacement therapy regimen. This means that the naturally identical estradiol contained in the drug replaces the lack of its own estrogen in an infertile woman.
"Proginova" works as a means, which suppresses the production of natural estradiol, and completely replaces its level in the female body. So doctors can take control over the work of the ovaries during the preparatory stage of the IVF protocol. When doctors keep the patient's hormonal levels under their complete control, the likelihood of spontaneous fluctuations in hormonal levels is excluded.
Anything can affect a woman - from stress to a mild cold, the female body may well respond to any negative factor by reducing the level of estrogen, which will call into question the success of all medical efforts. "Proginova" with IVF is a guarantee that no spontaneous fluctuations will occur.
The drug is manufactured in France. Release form - dragee. Each dragee contains 2 mg of estradiol and a small amount of additional ingredients like cornstarch, lactose monohydrate and magnesium stearate. Dragee are packed in blisters, each of which contains 21 tablets.
Women can pay attention to the fact that there is another drug on the shelves of pharmacies - "Cyclo-Proginova" but this tool is different in composition and purpose. It contains not only estradiol, but also progesterone. In the drug schemes of in vitro fertilization "Cyclo-Proginova" is used infrequently.
Indications
Outside of situations related to planning pregnancy with the use of reproductive assistive technologies, the remedy is quite widely used in women who are entering a difficult climacteric period.
"Proginova" allows you to restore the deficiency of female sex hormones, which, due to the extinction of ovarian function, are not able to be produced in the required amount. Due to this, the negative manifestations of menopause are reduced - "hot flashes", headaches decrease, a woman becomes less irritable, less often complains of pain in muscles and joints. Increased heart rate, sweating and poor sleep are a thing of the past.
In IVF protocols "Proginova" takes over the work of the woman's ovaries, which prepares for the collection of eggs and the transplantation of fertilized oocytes in the future.
Despite the fact that the drug belongs to hormonal agents, towards which the attitude of the people is rather wary, there are obvious positive concomitant effects from taking it: the woman's skin becomes more beautiful and dense, the amount of collagen in it increases, the formation of wrinkles and natural physiological aging are "postponed" ...
Contraindications
The drug is prohibited from taking women with vaginal bleeding of unknown origin. If the cause of the discharge from the genitals cannot be established, "Proginova" is not assigned.
Also, the drug is prohibited from prescribing to women with:
- thromboembolism and arterial thrombosis;
- deep vein thrombosis;
- hormone-dependent tumors;
- neoplasms in the liver;
- some forms of diabetes.
Many other conditions are considered relative contraindications, in which a woman will be observed more closely and carefully while taking Proginova. Endometriosis (even if a woman had it before), hypertension, bronchial asthma, epilepsy require special medical supervision.
Instructions for use
The use of the drug is due to the purpose of its appointment. If the doctor recommends Proginova to build up a functional uterine endometrium, the drug is taken on the 7th day of the menstrual stimulated cycle.
To support the endometrium, in order to increase the likelihood of successful embryo implantation, the agent can be prescribed starting from the day of embryo transfer, after embryo transfer, or earlier - immediately after follicular puncture.
In the IVF scheme, the drug can be present at the preparation stage and even after pregnancy occurs, provided that the woman's own estrogen level is insufficient, and this threatens the continuation of the pregnancy.
And even with a full-term pregnancy, if a woman is postponing the fetus, the proginov method is shown, which stimulates labor. As you can see, the range of using the tool is quite wide. In each specific case, the doctor prescribes a remedy according to expediency, justification in one or another dosage in courses of different duration.
To stimulate the work of the ovaries before a stimulated IVF cycle, the drug can be recommended both from the 25th of the previous cycle, and 3 weeks before entering the stimulated cycle. In the process of taking pills, a woman is given an ultrasound monitoring of the state of the ovaries and the thickness of the endometrium is measured, which is very important for a stimulated cycle.
The dosage is always individual and depends on many factors. The doctor may recommend either 2 tablets per day or 5-6 tablets at a time.
In hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a scheme is most often used in which the drug is taken a week before the end of the previous cycle and continues continuously until the puncture of the follicles and after it until the fact of pregnancy is confirmed. In some cases, a woman continues to drink pills and is pregnant until 8-10 weeks of pregnancy.
In the combined scheme, "Proginova" is often taken together with "Utrozhestan" or "Dufaston". The drugs of the combined regimen are canceled together no earlier than the placenta is formed in the woman, which will take over the functions of hormonal support for the further bearing of the fetus.
After the transfer, two weeks later, a blood test for hCG is mandatory, based on the results of which a decision is made - if pregnancy has occurred, the drug is prolonged, if not, the drug is canceled. Thus, drug withdrawal during pregnancy after IVF does not occur immediately and very gradually, up to 10 weeks of pregnancy.
General recommendations for admission
Tablets, which are prescribed to stimulate the controlled behavior of the ovaries when planning a pregnancy with IVF, can be taken without special reference to food intake and time of day. The main thing is to try to take the hormonal remedy at about the same time every day. This will ensure an even hormonal background. Therefore, you need to choose a time that is convenient every day.
It is not required to crush the pills, grind or dissolve before use, the tablet is simply washed down with a small amount of water.
A woman should not cancel the drug without permission, change the dosage - cancel and prescribe a remedy solely for medical reasons. If side effects appear, you should definitely consult. In some cases, a dosage adjustment is sufficient for better tolerance of the drug.
Side effects
Women who start taking the drug in the IVF protocol scheme are concerned about the question of how the hormonal agent will affect their well-being and health in general. The most common side effect of Proginov is a change in body weight (up or down). Most often, women in their reviews refer to the fact that they began to quickly add kilograms.
The second common complaint is a feeling of bloating, bloating while taking pills. Many people feel overwhelmed because estrogens have a profound effect on the nervous system and mood.
Other side effects of the drug include:
- the occurrence of obsessive nausea, and sometimes vomiting;
- the appearance of an itchy allergic rash;
- changes in sexual desire (from increased libido to a complete lack of desire for sexual intimacy);
- the appearance of acne;
- severe headaches and dizziness attacks;
- swelling of the legs, arms, face;
- visual impairment;
- weakness and palpitations;
- stomach ache;
- bloody discharge from the genitals.
Continuous use of Proginov without interruption increases the likelihood of developing cancerous tumors.
How other nuances are sold
The drug belongs to the group of hormonal steroid drugs, sold in pharmacies on prescription.
The tablets are stored for 5 years from the date of production.
You will learn how else you can increase the chances of success of the IVF protocol in the following video.
