Inexpensive Methods to Correct Long-Term Infertility Despite Failure with Follicle Stimulating Drugs, Intrauterine Insemination, and In Vitro Fertilization

Author(s): Jerome H Check, MD, Ph.D.

Background:

Frequently, a large percentage of infertility centers have a general treatment plan that is not patient specific where most patients are treated with ovarian stimulation and intrauterine insemination (IUI). The objective of this study is to present non-invasive, non-expensive methods that resulted in live deliveries that emphasized progesterone supplementation in the luteal phase, avoided follicle maturing drugs in those attaining a mature dominant follicle, performed (IUI) only if postcoital test was inadequate or likely to be abnormal based on the spermiogram, and also considered treating some women with dopaminergic drugs (especially those with pelvic pain and/or other “autoimmune” conditions).

Method:

The treatment provided to fifty consecutive patients achieving a successful pregnancy by the above methods was recorded. The couple was required to have at least two years of infertility, failure to conceive despite at least multiple treatment cycles rendered by at least two fertility specialists and failure to have a success despite a minimum of two IVF cycles.

Results:

Most of these couples successfully conceived just after a few individualized non- invasive treatment cycles.

Conclusion:

Based on our own studies our experience suggests that the exclusive use of progesterone in the luteal phase without follicle maturing drugs if a dominant follicle is attained naturally and perform IUI only if the post-coital test is inadequate and using dopaminergic drugs when appropriate can achieve the delivery of healthy babies even in women failing to conceive despite previous ovarian stimulation, IUI and IVF.