Hormone medication (a gonadotrophin releasing hormone-agonist such as Synarel or Lucrin), is commenced in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle prior to the planned IVF cycle. The aim is to lower levels of the woman's hormones, particularly luteinising hormone and progesterone, to avoid their interference with planned synthetic hormone stimulation. May be referred to as a 'long protocol'. The gonadotropin stimulating hormones are commenced once the ultrasound shows suppression of ovarian activity, i.e. other endormetium and no folicles greater than 8mm diam on the ovaries.
A negative regulatory effect on physiological processes at the molecular, cellular, or systemic level. At the molecular level, the major regulatory sites include membrane receptors, genes (GENE EXPRESSION REGULATION), mRNAs (RNA, MESSENGER), and proteins.