Jazmine
August 25, 2026
Egg donation medications are the part of the process most applicants picture first, and usually the part they have the most questions about. The medications are the same families of hormones used in IVF, given in a carefully timed sequence over a few weeks and adjusted to each donor's response.
If you are thinking about donating or just got your medication calendar, this guide explains what each egg donation medication does, when you take it, what side effects are common, and how Donor Nexus donors get support along the way.
The short answer
Egg donors typically take birth control pills for 7 to 10 days, then 10 to 12 days of self-injected hormones to grow multiple follicles and prevent early ovulation, followed by one trigger shot timed 32 to 36 hours before retrieval.
Your doctor chooses the exact medications and doses, and monitoring appointments about every other morning guide any changes.
What medications do egg donors take?
Egg donors take four main types of medication, in this order: birth control pills, follicle-stimulating hormones, an antagonist to prevent early ovulation, and a trigger shot. Brand names vary by clinic and pharmacy, but the purpose of each group stays the same.
| Medication type | Common examples | What it does | When you take it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth control pills | Your clinic's prescribed pill | Helps follicles start at a similar size so they grow evenly | About 7 to 10 days before injections |
| Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) | Follistim AQ, Gonal-f | Stimulates the ovaries to grow multiple follicles | Daily injections for about 10 to 12 days |
| Menotropins | Menopur | Helps each follicle develop and mature | Daily, alongside FSH, if prescribed |
| GnRH antagonist | Ganirelix, Cetrotide | Blocks the hormone surge that would release eggs too early | Added partway through stimulation |
| Trigger shot | Lupron (leuprolide) or hCG | Completes egg maturation before retrieval | One injection, 32 to 36 hours before retrieval |
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) explains that gonadotropins such as FSH are given by injection, that GnRH antagonists suppress the body's own FSH and LH to keep ovulation from happening on its own during an IVF cycle, and that a GnRH agonist can be used in place of hCG to trigger ovulation.1
Why do egg donors take birth control before injections?
Birth control pills quiet your natural cycle so your doctor can control the timing of stimulation. The pills help the follicles start at a similar size, which lets them grow at a more even pace once injections begin and can mean more mature eggs at retrieval.
This phase also makes scheduling easier. Your start date can be lined up with the clinic's calendar and, in fresh matching, with the intended parents' plans. Most donors take birth control for about 7 to 10 days before stimulation starts.
How do egg donor injections work?
Most egg donor injections are given just under the skin of your lower abdomen with a very thin, short needle, often in the evening at about the same time each day. Your clinic teaches you how to mix and inject each medication, and many donors find the first shot is the hardest one.
During the 10 to 12 days of injections, you will go to monitoring appointments about every other day, usually in the morning. Each visit includes bloodwork and a vaginal ultrasound to measure your hormone levels and follicle growth, and your doctor may adjust your doses based on the results.
A few habits help the injections go smoothly:
- Set a daily alarm so doses stay on schedule.
- Store medications as directed, since some need to be refrigerated.
- Rotate injection spots around your lower abdomen.
- Call your clinic right away if you miss or mix up a dose.
For exercise, alcohol and other rules during this phase, read the do's and don'ts on IVF medication for egg donors.
What does the trigger shot do?
The trigger shot finishes maturing your eggs so they are ready to be collected, and your retrieval is scheduled 32 to 36 hours after it. The timing is exact, so your clinic will give you a specific time to inject, often down to the minute.
Many egg donor cycles use a Lupron (GnRH agonist) trigger instead of hCG. ASRM's guideline on preventing OHSS recommends a GnRH agonist trigger as a first-line strategy to lower the risk of moderate to severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), and notes that randomized trials in egg donors found the agonist trigger eliminated OHSS compared with an hCG trigger.2 Our full guide to the trigger shot covers the differences.
What are the side effects of egg donation medications?
Most side effects of egg donation medications are mild and ease after retrieval. ASRM lists breast tenderness, swelling or rash at the injection site, abdominal bloating, mood swings and mild abdominal pain as side effects of injectable gonadotropins.1
The most important risk to know about is OHSS, which happens when the ovaries respond strongly to the medications. OHSS is uncommon in egg donors: in a study of 4,052 egg donor cycles, moderate or severe OHSS occurred in 0.87% of cycles triggered with hCG and in none of the cycles triggered with a GnRH agonist such as Lupron, which many clinics now use for donors. Call your clinic right away if you have severe abdominal pain, vomiting, shortness of breath, decreased urination or rapid weight gain. Our guide to side effects of egg donation explains what is common and what is rare.
How Donor Nexus supports you through the medication phase
Our team supports you from application through retrieval and helps you keep your calendar, appointments and questions organized. Your clinic's nursing team handles medication teaching and dose changes, and you are never expected to figure out a protocol on your own.
Most donors return to work or school the day after retrieval, which takes about 20 to 30 minutes under anesthesia. You can see how medications fit into the full timeline on our egg donation process page.
For egg donor requirements, compensation and how our programs work, visit the become an egg donor page. When you're ready, you can start your egg donor application online.
Frequently asked questions
What medications do egg donors take?
Most egg donors take birth control pills first, then daily injections of follicle-stimulating hormone (such as Follistim or Gonal-f) and often Menopur, an antagonist such as ganirelix or Cetrotide to prevent early ovulation, and a single trigger shot before retrieval.
How long are egg donors on injections?
Injections usually last about 10 to 12 days, depending on how your ovaries respond. Birth control pills come first for about 7 to 10 days.
Where do egg donors inject the medications?
Most egg donation medications are injected just under the skin of the lower abdomen with a very thin, short needle. Your clinic shows you how to prepare and give each one.
Do egg donation medications have side effects?
They can, and the common ones include bloating, breast tenderness, mood swings, mild abdominal pain and redness or swelling at the injection site. Call your clinic about severe pain, vomiting, shortness of breath or rapid weight gain.
Why do egg donors take birth control before injections?
Birth control pills help the follicles in your ovaries start the cycle at a similar size, so they grow at a more even pace once injections begin. That can mean more mature eggs at retrieval.
Sources
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Medications for inducing ovulation: a guide for patients. ReproductiveFacts.org, revised 2016. reproductivefacts.org
- Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Prevention of moderate and severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a guideline. Fertility and Sterility. 2024;121(2):230-245. fertstert.org
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information about egg donation medications and is not medical advice. Your medications, doses and timing are set by your fertility doctor, so follow your clinic's instructions and call them with any questions or symptoms.
California egg donor disclosure
Egg donation involves a screening process. Not all potential egg donors are selected. Not all selected egg donors receive the monetary amounts or compensation advertised. As with any medical procedure, there may be risks associated with human egg donation. Before an egg donor agrees to begin the egg donation process, and signs a legally binding contract, she is required to receive specific information on the known risks of egg donation. Consultation with your doctor prior to entering into a donor contract is advised.
Related reading
Jazmine
Jazmine is a Case Manager at Donor Nexus, where for the past three years she has coordinated cycles for both egg donors and intended parents. She knows this journey personally as well, having completed five egg…
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