Ovidrel
Ovidrel (choriogonadotropin alfa) is a gonadotropin injection that's used as a "trigger shot" during fertility treatments, like in vitro fertilization (IVF). It's used as part of the process to help people who are having trouble becoming pregnant. The medication comes in a ready-to-use syringe. But it must be given at a very specific time because it's the final step to help your eggs develop and to help with ovulation (egg release from the ovary). Common side effects can include pain and bruising at the injection site.
What is Ovidrel?
What is Ovidrel used for?
How Ovidrel works
Ovidrel is a gonadotropin medication. It's similar to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that's made by the placenta during pregnancy. In the fertility treatment process, this hormone helps eggs fully mature and helps the ovary release the eggs.
Drug facts
Side effects of Ovidrel
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Pain at the injection site (8%)
- Bruising at the injection site (5%)
Less Common Side Effects
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Other pain
Ovidrel serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Allergic reaction: rash; hives; swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: severe pelvic or stomach pain, stomach bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sudden weight gain, trouble breathing, trouble urinating
- Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung): trouble breathing, worsening of any current lung problems
- Heart attack: chest pain or tightness; pain that spreads to your shoulder, arm, neck, or jaw
- Stroke: sudden trouble talking, trouble walking, numbness on one side of your body or face
The following Ovidrel side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
For females only
For boys only
Frequency not determined
difficult or labored breathing
difficulty breathing
flushing of skin
hives or welts
itching of skin
large, hive-like swelling on face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, sex organs
pain in chest, groin, or legs, especially the calves
redness of skin
severe, sudden headache
skin rash
slurred speech
sudden loss of coordination
sudden, severe weakness or numbness in arm or leg
sudden, unexplained shortness of breath
tightness in chest
unusually warm skin
vision changes
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Less common
Discouragement
enlargement of breasts
feeling sad or empty
headache
irritability
lack of appetite
loss of interest or pleasure
pain at place of injection
trouble concentrating
trouble sleeping
tiredness
After you stop using this medicine, it may still produce some side effects that need attention. During this period of time, check with your doctor immediately if you notice the following side effects:
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Pros and cons of Ovidrel
Pros
- Can inject the medication yourself at home
- Comes as a ready-to-use prefilled syringe
- Only need one injection of the medication during the fertility treatment process
Cons
- Only available as an injection under the skin
- Must inject the medication at a very specific time to work the best it can
- No lower-cost generic available; brand name only
Pharmacist tips for Ovidrel
- Once you pick up Ovidrel from the pharmacy, you can keep it in the refrigerator until the expiration date written on the package. You also have the choice to keep the medication at room temperature, but it's good for only up to 30 days if it's stored this way. Keep Ovidrel in its original packaging until you need to inject it.
- You'll need to inject Ovidrel at a very specific time in your treatment plan for the medication to work the best it can. Carefully follow your prescriber's instructions about when to inject the medication.
- You can inject Ovidrel at home, but you'll first need training from a healthcare professional about how to properly inject the medication. You don't need to go to the medical office to get the injection done.
- Always wash your hands with soap and water before you inject Ovidrel. Also wipe the area of skin you're going to inject the medication into with an alcohol swab before you inject. This helps prevent infection.
- After you inject Ovidrel, you can place some gauze over the area and apply some pressure for several seconds to help stop any bleeding.
- Be sure to throw away your used syringes in a protective sharps container. Your care team might provide you with this container, but you can also purchase one at most pharmacies. Don't throw syringes away in the regular trash because of the risk for needle-stick injuries.
Common questions about Ovidrel
Ovidrel is considered a "trigger shot" during fertility treatments because it's used as a final push to help your eggs fully mature and to help with ovulation. Your fertility specialist will tell you when to inject Ovidrel once your follicles are developed. Ovidrel will help release your eggs from your ovaries before your egg retrieval procedure.
Most of Ovidrel leaves your system in about 6 days after you inject it. This is calculated based on the medication's estimated half-life, or the time it takes for half the amount of medication to leave the body. Speak with your prescriber if you have any questions about how long the medication stays in your system.
It typically takes about a day and a half to ovulate after your Ovidrel injection. Since it's such a time-sensitive medication, your care team might instruct you to inject the medication at an unusual time if you're going to have an egg retrieval procedure done.
You'll want to wait at least 1 to 2 weeks after you inject Ovidrel, and after your embryo transfer procedure if you had one, to take a pregnancy test. This is because Ovidrel can interfere with pregnancy test results and lead to a false positive result (the test says that you're pregnant, but in reality, you're not). Pregnancy tests detect whether you have hCG in your body, and you'll have higher hCG levels in the body after your Ovidrel injection. It's best to follow your fertility specialist's instructions regarding when to test for pregnancy.
You typically inject Ovidrel under the skin of your lower stomach, at least 2 inches away from the belly button. Before you inject Ovidrel, ask your care team where exactly you should inject the medication in case they tell you to inject it differently.
After you wash your hands, use an alcohol wipe to clean the area of skin at your lower stomach where you're going to inject Ovidrel. After the area dries, pinch about an inch of fatty tissue, inject the needle at a 45- to 90-degree angle, and press the plunger down. Once you've injected all the medication, quickly remove the needle from your skin and throw the syringe away into a sharps container. Be sure to ask a healthcare professional if you have any questions about how to inject Ovidrel.
It's best to keep Ovidrel in the refrigerator until you're ready to inject because the medication will last longer this way; you can use the medication as long as it's before the expiration date written on the syringe or packaging. Right before it's time for your injection, you can take Ovidrel out of the refrigerator and bring the syringe to room temperature by setting it on a table for 30 to 60 minutes. This might help make the injection sting less. You can also leave Ovidrel out of the fridge and at room temperature for a longer period of time, but you must use it within 30 days before you have to throw that syringe away into a sharps container.
Yes. Ovidrel and the following steps of fertility treatment can lead you to become pregnant with twins, triplets, or more. This is because the medication can cause more than one egg to be released from your ovary. And you might have more than one embryo transferred into your uterus to raise your chances of successfully becoming pregnant. Please be aware that there's a higher risk of becoming pregnant with more than one baby with Ovidrel.
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Risks and warnings for Ovidrel
Ovidrel can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Swollen ovaries
It's possible for Ovidrel to cause your ovaries to grow or swell, which can cause some mild stomach bloating or stomach pain. This swelling typically goes down within a few weeks. Tell your prescriber right away if you feel any cramps or pain in the pelvic or lower belly area after you inject the medication.
Your fertility specialist will check the size of your ovaries through ultrasounds during the treatment process. If your ovaries are already quite swollen on an ultrasound before you're scheduled to inject Ovidrel, your prescriber will tell you not to use the medication. This helps lower the risk of causing your ovaries to become even bigger and the risk for complications.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)
- Risk factors: Pregnancy
Ovidrel can sometimes cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a condition that happens when the ovaries swell up too much after you inject the medication. It's very painful and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. It can also lead to more serious problems, including trouble breathing and burst ovaries.
OHSS usually goes away on its own once your menstrual period starts. But it can also worsen if you successfully become pregnant. For this reason, your care team will follow up with you during the 2 weeks after your Ovidrel. Tell your care team right away if you have extreme belly or pelvic pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea within 7 to 10 days after you inject Ovidrel. These can be signs of OHSS.
Risk for blood clots, leading to possible complications like heart attack or stroke
- Risk factors: Personal or family history of blood clots | Smoking | People who are considered overweight
It's possible for Ovidrel to raise your risk of developing a blood clot. Blood clots can sometimes lead to serious complications, such as heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism (PE, a blood clot in the lung).
Be sure to discuss all your past and current medical conditions with your prescriber before you take Ovidrel. This is because there are many things that can raise your risk for clots, such as smoking and a previous blood clot. Call 911 or get medical help right away if you have pain in your legs or arms, chest pain, sudden severe headaches, trouble breathing, or sudden changes in your speech or vision. These can be symptoms of a blood clot or one of its complications.
Possible to become pregnant with more than one baby
- Risk factors: Having more than one embryo transferred
All gonadotropin fertility treatments, including Ovidrel, can make it much more likely for you to conceive and deliver more than one baby (e.g., twins, triplets). This is because of how the medication works to make the body ovulate. Your risk of conceiving multiple babies is highest if you're having more than one egg transferred during the same menstrual cycle that you used Ovidrel. Please discuss the possibility of having more than one baby in a pregnancy with your partner before you start the treatment process with Ovidrel.
Ovidrel dosage
Syringe| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250mcg | 1 syringe | $235.84 | $235.84 |
Typical dosage for Ovidrel
Inject the contents of 1 syringe (0.5 mL) under the skin once. Your fertility specialist will tell you exactly what specific date and time that you need to inject the medication.
Interactions between Ovidrel and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
How much does Ovidrel cost?
$235.84
Ovidrel contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Ovidrel will not be safe for you to take.
- Primary ovarian failure
- Uncontrolled thyroid or adrenal dysfunction
- Pituitary tumor or another uncontrolled brain tumor
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Large ovarian cyst
- Sex hormone-dependent tumors of the reproductive tract
- Currently pregnant
- Allergy to other hCG products
What are alternatives to Ovidrel?
News about Ovidrel
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