Many couples today have difficulty conceiving. Infertility affects about 10% of couples. The basis for establishing such a diagnosis is the absence of pregnancy after one to two years of regular attempts. One of the common "female" causes of infertility is progesterone deficiency. Thirty years ago, doctors in this case made a terrible diagnosis of infertility, and today women are prescribed Dufaston. This drug helps to conceive and successfully endure a healthy child.
Progesterone deficiency
Ovarian corpus luteum insufficiency, or progesterone deficiency, is a common pathology that prevents a woman from becoming pregnant. The main functions of progesterone are hormonal support of the second phase of the cycle and early pregnancy. The hormone suppresses uterine contractions, that is, spontaneous miscarriage. If in a woman's history there were several such miscarriages, then doctors talk about primary miscarriage.
The lack of progesterone in sufficient quantities also delays egg maturation. As a result, ovulation and the proper functioning of the entire reproductive system of a woman are disrupted. The cause of the pathology can be heredity and various diseases of the ovaries (failure, polycystic, tumors), diseases of the pituitary or hypothalamus, which are involved in hormonal support of the menstrual cycle, malfunctions in other organs (for example, kidneys, liver, adrenal glands or thyroid).
Symptoms of corpus luteum failure
The initial sign of corpus luteum failure is a cycle disorder. The interval between menstruation is lengthened, and the mucous membrane in the uterus continues to grow. As a result, rejection (critical days) is accompanied by severe pain and prolonged bleeding. If this condition lasts for years, then the woman develops iron deficiency anemia.
If fertilization occurs during an irregular cycle, the egg most often cannot invade the uterine epithelium because it is not prepared by progesterone for this process. In some cases, this obstacle can be overcome, then pregnancy occurs. Signs of progesterone deficiency can occur in the form of miscarriage (spontaneous miscarriage in the early stages) due to contractions of the muscles of the uterus.
How to identify failure
A complete medical examination is performed to confirm the diagnosis. It is necessary to donate blood to hormones, to do ultrasound diagnostics of the pelvic organs, if necessary, an endoscopic examination of the inner surface of the uterus is prescribed with a small piece of tissue taken for examination. In addition, a woman can independently determine the failure of the corpus luteum if she regularly measures basal temperature. The lack of progesterone confirms the low temperature in the second phase of the cycle. The difference between the phases in this case is less than four tenths of a degree, and the temperature after the supposed ovulation is less than 37 degrees. A bad symptom is a short second phase (less than ten days).
The mechanism of action of the drug
Only on certain days of the cycle can you take Duphaston. From 16 to 25 days of the cycle is the most common scheme, but not the only one. Before taking, you need to understand exactly how the drug works. This will help to understand why Dufaston can be taken only on certain days of the cycle. Otherwise, the remedy may not contribute to the onset of pregnancy, but act as a contraceptive.
The composition includes the synthetic hormone progesterone. In the female body, this substance is produced naturally after ovulation, is responsible for the degree of preparation of the reproductive system for fertilization, and subsequently strengthens the embryo in the uterus. Sometimes the reason for the lack of pregnancy is a hormonal imbalance. This makes it difficult to conceive and subsequently provokes a miscarriage.
To make sure that you need to take "Duphaston", you need to pass tests. This is necessary to confirm the lack of progesterone. It is usually recommended that you drink Duphaston from day 16 to day 25 of the cycle. After successful conception, you should continue taking the drug until about the twentieth week of gestation. Then the dosage is gradually reduced, but you can not abruptly refuse the medicine, because this can lead to a miscarriage.
Indications for the use of "Duphaston"
A gynecologist can prescribe Duphaston from the 16th day of the cycle, not only in case of insufficiency of the corpus luteum, but also in other cases. The drug is prescribed:
- with irregular menstruation or severe pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation;
- with severe PMS;
- in case of uterine bleeding;
- as part of replacement therapy.
A medicine is widely used to treat infertility, which is caused by luteal insufficiency, endometriosis, a threatening or habitual miscarriage due to a lack of progesterone.
Most often, taking Duphaston from the 16th day of the cycle is prescribed when planning pregnancy against the background of such a gynecological disease as endometriosis, if the tests show a lack of hormone. With proper administration, positive results appear quickly enough. But if the indications and treatment regimen were not followed, then Dufaston will not help conceive a child.
The main contraindications
In some cases, the forced abolition of Duphaston is necessary. Contraindications include individual intolerance to the components of the drug, peeling, itching or skin rash during previous pregnancy or kidney failure. The drug is safe during pregnancy, but during lactation it is better to abandon it. The main component of Dufaston is transmitted to the baby with breast milk.
Possible side effects
Side effects when taking Duphaston from the 16th to the 25th day of the cycle can occur if the medicine is prescribed in the absence of indications. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to confirm progesterone deficiency by analysis. Side effects from the use of the medicine may include headache, minor malfunctions in the liver, which is usually accompanied by yellowness of the skin, general malaise and weakness, abdominal pain, hemolytic disease, allergic reaction, bleeding, breast sensitivity, Quincke's edema (very rare) , skin rash, urticaria, swelling and itching.
Recommended dosage
The exact dosage and dosage regimen of "Duphaston" in each case should be prescribed by a doctor. The instructions indicate only general schemes that do not take into account the individual characteristics of the body. Duphaston from the 16th to the 25th day of the cycle is the most general regimen used to treat infertility. The hormone medication. So in any case, you need to take "Duphaston" on the days of the cycle. Otherwise, you may encounter very dangerous consequences for your health.
With endometriosis, you need to take one tablet three times a day from the beginning of the cycle to the end, namely from the fifth to the twenty-fifth day. In case of infertility due to luteal insufficiency, Duphaston is taken from day 16 of the cycle. Reviews confirm that such a scheme is the most effective. The fact is that sometimes it is recommended to take medicine from the 14th day of the cycle, but not all women ovulate on exactly 14th day. Stop the course on the 25th day of the menstrual cycle. The course is repeated monthly for the next 6 cycles. Sometimes the doctor recommends continuing treatment in the first two to three months of pregnancy or until the twentieth week.
If there is a risk of miscarriage, the gynecologist will prescribe 40 mg of Duphaston once, after which you need to drink 10 mg eight hours later until the symptoms disappear. With the usual miscarriage, the medicine is prescribed twice a day in a standard dosage (one tablet) from the 11th to the 25th day of the cycle. For severe abdominal pain during menstruation, you need to drink tablets twice a day, one tablet (dosage of 10 mg) of the drug from the fifth to the twenty-fifth day.
Duphaston during pregnancy
On what day of the cycle "Duphaston" you need to start taking prescribed by a doctor. Most often it is 14-16 days. To determine the exact day of treatment, the doctor can recommend a woman to regularly measure basal temperature to start taking it exactly after ovulation. If you initially prescribed Duphaston from the 16th day of the cycle, you must follow the recommendations of your doctor.
Often, a gynecologist recommends that you continue taking the medicine after pregnancy to prevent a miscarriage. An indication for acceptance is the presence of risks in the early stages of gestation. Treatment is prescribed from 2 to 16 weeks of pregnancy, in some cases, the reception can be continued until the twentieth week of gestation. Usually take one tablet two or three times a day.
How and when to cancel the drug
The days of the cycle for taking "Duphaston" are determined by the doctor. You need to stop drinking the medicine after the 25th day of the cycle, but if the menstruation has not come, then you need to see a doctor for further recommendations. Perhaps a woman will be advised to continue taking it in the early stages of pregnancy. When treating with a hormonal drug, caution is required, so each step should be discussed with the doctor. It is also very important when and how to cancel the drug.
The cancellation scheme of Duphaston is not uniform. Several doctors often cannot come to a common opinion, and the reviews of young mothers who took the medicine can vary greatly. It is advisable that the cancellation plan be prescribed by the same physician who prescribed Dufaston. You can’t cancel the drug on your own, because this can lead to tragic consequences.
Cancellation is necessarily gradual. For example, if a woman took the drug two tablets a day, then after 20 weeks the number of tablets should be reduced to one. Typically, the gynecologist develops a cancellation scheme very detailed. It is recommended that you carefully observe even the time of admission. Only in this case, stopping the use of "Duphaston" will be safe for the mother and fetus.
This drug helped many women to conceive a child with a diagnosis that, thirty years ago, meant infertility. Today, many couples can have children precisely thanks to advances in the pharmaceutical industry. If the attending physician offers the patient to drink "Dufaston", do not refuse. The drug (subject to the dosage and dosage regimen) is absolutely harmless.