fertility news

How Many Eggs do Most Women Have? Spring 2005

A woman has her lifetime supply of eggs (about 7 million) in her ovaries before she is even born and each month loses some, so by the time she is born the number has dwindled down to approximately 1 million. This steady decline continues so that approximately 300,000 remain as a woman enters puberty and the supply of eggs is depleted by the time a woman enters menopause. Eggs grow in fluid filled sacs in the ovary called follicles which contain cells that support the growth and development of the eggs as well as secreting the hormones necessary for ovulation. There is a huge discrepancy between the number of available eggs in the ovaries and the numbers that actually develops to maturity and are released during ovulation. Typically a woman will ovulate around 400 times during her reproductive life span. The failure to have any ovulatory cycles is called anovulation and only having irregular ovulatory cycles is called oligo-ovulation. These are among the most common causes of infertility. These types of ovulatory disorders have many causes and can include problems with the central nervous system or the pituitary gland, problems with the developing follicles or ovary, or both. Most of the approaches to treatment focus on raising the levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone normally secreted in sufficient amounts by the pituitary gland, to the point where follicular growth and development resumes, ultimately resulting in the release of a healthy mature egg (ovulation). This process is called ovulation induction and can be achieved by using medications such as clomiphene citrate or gonadotropins such as Follistim® AQ Cartridge (follitropin beta injection). This is a safe and effective means of restoring fertility in many women who do not ovulate and can also be used to stimulate the development and release of multiple eggs in ovulatory women undergoing various fertility treatments such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). This form of treatment does require careful monitoring with blood tests and transvaginal ultrasounds and results in pregnancy rates.

important safety information

Follistim^® AQ Cartridge (follitropin beta injection) is approved to help women who have problems with ovulation. Follistim^® AQ Cartridge will not help women whose ovaries do not work at all (primary ovarian failure). Follistim^® AQ Cartridge is also for women that are in an assisted reproductive technology (ART) program, such as in vitro fertilization.

Important Safety Information:
Always follow your health care professional’s dosing instructions when administering Follistim^® AQ Cartridge. Your health care professional has individualized the dose to be administered based on your medical history. Do not change your dose unless instructed by your health care professional.

Do not use Follistim^® AQ Cartridge if you are allergic to recombinant human FSH products; have primary ovarian failure (your ovaries do not work at all); are pregnant or think you might be pregnant; have uncontrolled thyroid or adrenal gland problems; have tumors in your ovaries, breasts, uterus, hypothalamus, or pituitary gland; have heavy or irregular vaginal bleeding and the cause is not known; have ovarian cysts or enlarged ovaries not due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); or are allergic to streptomycin or neomycin. Follistim^® AQ Cartridge may contain traces of these antibiotics and may cause allergic reactions.

Follistim^® AQ Cartridge may cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which is a serious medical problem that can happen when the ovaries are overstimulated. In rare cases it has caused death. OHSS causes fluid to build up suddenly in the stomach and chest areas. OHSS may occur after treatment with Follistim^® AQ Cartridge. Call your health care professional right away if you get any of the following symptoms: severe pelvic pain (lower stomach area), nausea, vomiting, sudden weight gain, or reduced urine output.

Follistim^® AQ Cartridge and other FSH products may cause serious lung problems including fluid in the lungs, trouble breathing, and worsening of asthma. Follistim^® AQ Cartridge and other FSH products may also cause blood clots in blood vessels. This can lead to blood vessel problems (thrombophlebitis), stroke, loss of limb, or a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolus).

Follistim^® AQ Cartridge and other FSH products can cause multiple births. Your health care professional will discuss your chances of multiple births.

Follistim^® AQ Cartridge should only be prescribed by physicians experienced in infertility treatments.

Other side effects with Follistim^® AQ Cartridge include stomach pain, gas, pelvic pain, nausea, breast pain, injection site problems, enlarged stomach area, back pain, constipation, headache, and ovarian pain. If you get any side effects that concern you, call your health care professional. These are not all the side effects of Follistim^® AQ Cartridge. Contact your doctor or other health care professional without delay if you are experiencing symptoms including significant abdominal pain or if symptoms develop some days after the last injection has been given.

Please click here for important Product Information or click here for the Follistim^® AQ Cartridge Patient Information leaflet .

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit http://www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.