Progesterone Support with Crinone 8%   Crinone 8% is a natural form of progesterone that is prescribed for women who require progesterone supplementation or progesterone replacement. (If you’re interested in finding out why women need progesterone supplementation, click here.)

 

Crinone 8% is used during infertility treatments, such as ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination, or in vitro fertilization. Crinone 8% is the first progesterone approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use during infertility treatments in women with progesterone deficiencies.

 

How does Crinone 8% work?

 

Crinone 8% comes in the form of a bioadhesive gel. This gel is squeezed from an applicator into the vagina. Once in the vagina, the gel attaches to the vaginal wall where progesterone is absorbed and transported to the uterus. For further instructions about how to apply Crinone 8%, click here.

 

 

When do women take Crinone 8%?

 

During ovulation induction/intrauterine insemination…

Crinone 8% is generally used once a day beginning around the 17th day of the menstrual cycle, or about 3 days after ovulation. To ensure that the uterus maintains proper progesterone levels, it is important that women continue to use Crinone 8% until they receive a pregnancy test result. A pregnancy test is usually provided around the 27th day of the menstrual cycle.

• If the pregnancy test is positive, Crinone 8% may be continued once a day for up to 10 to 12 weeks of pregnancy
• If the pregnancy test is negative, Crinone 8% will be discontinued until the next infertility treatment cycle

Click on the chart below for a larger view.

 

Doctors may prescribe Crinone 8% for women receiving clomiphene citrate and estrogen therapy. The chart below shows when these drugs are commonly dosed.

 

Click on the chart below for a larger view.

 

During in vitro fertilization…

All women undergoing in vitro fertilization need progesterone support due to the infertility medicines commonly prescribed and procedures commonly performed.

 

During in vitro fertilization, Crinone 8% is used around the time of embryo transfer. Each doctor will individualize the correct dosing of Crinone 8% based on the patient’s needs.

Crinone 8% is a bioadhesive gel that attaches to the lining of the vagina and permits progesterone absorption through the vaginal walls.

A drug used to stimulate ovulation.

A procedure used during in vitro fertilization in which an egg that has been fertilized outside of the womb is placed into the uterus.

A hormone produced by the ovaries that ensures the growth of the follicle (the sac containing the egg that is released at ovulation). Estrogen also aids in the development of the endometrium. Some women may require estrogen supplementation or replacement therapy.

A common method of artificial insemination. An IUI involves the insertion of washed sperm directly into the uterus, which places the sperm closer to the egg for fertilization.

Fertilization of an egg by sperm that occurs outside of the body. The fertilized egg is then placed into a woman’s uterus for implantation.

The monthly cycle that generally lasts for 28 days. The cycle begins on the first day of a woman’s period, and ovulation generally occurs around day 14. Not all cycles are 28 days. Regular menstrual cycles can range from 23 to 35 days.

The release of a mature egg from the ovary.

Medical treatment used to encourage ovulation.

The muscular organ in which a fertilized egg implants and matures through pregnancy. During menstruation, the uterus sheds the inner lining.

A muscular canal between the uterus and the outside of the body. Also known as the birth canal.

Treatment with progesterone in women who produce low levels of progesterone.

Treatment with progesterone in women who do not produce progesterone.

A hormone that plays 2 important roles in pregnancy: 1) thickens the endometrium to prepare for implantation of a fertilized egg, and 2) supports pregnancy through birth.