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Hope in a Bottle
Finding Fertility Success with Non-Fertility Medications
By Teri Brown
es medications found to be successful in treating infertility include those that can "fix" hormonal problems that can cause infertility. "Examples of this include the use of thyroid hormones in cases of thyroid dysfunction, Dostinex in women who have high prolactin levels and Glucophage/Metformin in women who suffer from polycystic ovaries," he says. "Taking Clomid or Serophene in the above cases will invariably fail because the Clomid or Serophene will not fix the underlying problem."
Dr. Ronald Feinberg is the in vitro fertilization medical director of the Reproductive Associates of Delaware. He uses Metformin regularly to help women suffering from Syndrome O, a whole-body problem of overnourishment, ovarian confusion and ovulation disruption. Overnourishment and insulin overproduction occur concurrently.
Metformin is an oral medication that is FDA approved for Type 2 diabetes. Most people with Type 2 diabetes also have insulin resistance, which means their bodies are unable to utilize insulin properly. Metformin works by helping the body become more responsive to insulin action, which promotes the body's ability to metabolize the vital sugar glucose. According to Dr. Feinberg, the ovaries and entire female reproductive system require some insulin to work properly. However, when bombarded with excess insulin, these organs function abnormally, which is why Metformin often succeeds where fertility drugs fail.
Another hormonal problem involves prolactin, the hormone that promotes breast milk production. It also interferes in normal ovulation, which is why women who are breastfeeding have a lower incidence of pregnancy. Dostinex, a medication that inhibits prolactin production, is often successful in helping women get pregnant by lowering the level of prolactin in their bodies, thereby promoting ovulation.
