IVF Lupron Protocol

Your fertility doctor has determined the protocol for your IVF cycle will be the Lupron Down Regulation cycle. Lupron is an injection you will take daily to help shut off your body’s normal process of hormone and egg development. When you are ready to begin your IVF cycle, you will contact your doctor’s office to notify them of the first day your period begins (full flow rather than spotting).

Some protocols call for patients to begin taking birth control pills. When prescribed, birth control pills should be given for a minimum of 10 days to prepare your body for the IVF process by controlling your ovarian hormones and preventing ovarian cysts. They are also beneficial in the timing of the process. When instructed by your doctor to begin the Lupron injections, there will be some medication overlap as you take birth control pills for several more days before stopping them. You will take the Lupron for 10-12 days on average.

Once you stop the birth control pills, your body will begin another period due to the effects of the Lupron. Your doctor’s office will instruct you on when to return to the office for an ultrasound and blood work (baseline visit) to confirm you are ready to begin the next set of injections (to begin stimulation). You will remain on the Lupron during your stimulation phase and the dose may change at that point. Lupron will also keep you from ovulating prematurely during the stimulation phase.