Fertility · Injection guide
Menopur® (menotropins)
The stimulation medication that supplies both FSH and LH. It is also the most involved preparation of the fertility injections, since you reconstitute powder from up to five vials into a single dose. Here is exactly how the mixing works.
Quick facts
Always follow your clinic's instructions for dose and timing.
What it is
What is Menopur®?
Menopur® (menotropins for injection) carries both follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone activity in a single medication. Most stimulation drugs supply FSH alone.
The two hormones do different jobs. FSH stimulates ovarian follicles to grow and develop; LH helps those follicles mature and prepare for ovulation. Together they support the growth of several follicles at once, which is what gives an IVF cycle multiple eggs to retrieve. Because Menopur® contains both, it is often chosen for patients who need combined stimulation rather than FSH on its own.
It arrives as a powder that you reconstitute with a saline solvent before injecting. If your dose is more than one vial, you dissolve them into the same small volume of liquid, so you still only inject once.
Normally
- Natural FSH and LH
- One follicle matures
- One egg released
On Menopur®
- Menopur® adds FSH + LH
- Several follicles grow
- Follicles mature together
- Multiple eggs for retrieval
Before you begin
Everything you need, on a clean surface
Storage: follow the storage instructions supplied with your vials and keep them in the original packaging, away from light. Once you have mixed the solution, use it as directed rather than saving it for a later dose. Ask us if you are unsure how your particular supply should be kept.
How to inject Menopur®, step by step
Seven steps. Most of the work is the mixing, and if you have been prescribed more than one vial you dissolve them all into the same small volume.
- 1
Prep
Before you begin
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, then gather everything on a clean surface: your Menopur® powder vials, the sodium chloride solvent vial, the Q•Cap®, a sterile syringe and needle, alcohol swabs, gauze, and your sharps container.
Pharmacist tip: Do not self-inject until your clinic has trained you on both the mixing and the injection. This is the most involved preparation of any fertility injection, and it is worth being walked through it once in person.
- 2
Prep
Prepare the vials
Remove the plastic caps from both the Menopur® and the sodium chloride vials. Wipe each rubber stopper with an alcohol swab and let them dry fully. Once cleaned, do not touch the tops with anything — that is what keeps them sterile.
- 3
Mix
Mix the solution
Press the Q•Cap® straight down onto the sodium chloride vial until it snaps into place. Attach the syringe to the Q•Cap® and withdraw 1 mL of solvent, unless your clinic told you otherwise. Take the Q•Cap® and syringe off the solvent vial and attach them to the Menopur® powder vial. Inject the solvent slowly, aiming at the side of the vial so it runs down rather than foaming, then swirl gently until the powder has completely dissolved. The solution should be clear and colourless.
Pharmacist tip: Only 0.9% sodium chloride injection may be used to reconstitute Menopur® — never sterile water or any other diluent. Swirl, never shake.
- 4
Mix
Add any further vials
If more than one vial has been prescribed, repeat the process using the same liquid to dissolve each additional vial, up to five in total, before you inject. You are concentrating the full dose into one small volume, so it is still a single injection.
- 5
Mix
Prepare the syringe
Withdraw all of the dissolved solution into the syringe. Remove the Q•Cap® and attach the injection needle securely. Hold the syringe upright, tap it gently so air bubbles rise to the top, and press the plunger until a small drop appears at the needle tip.
- 6
Inject
Give the injection
Choose a site on your lower abdomen, at least one to two inches away from your navel, and clean it with an alcohol swab and let it dry. Pinch a small fold of skin, insert the needle at a 90° angle, and inject slowly and steadily — it takes about five seconds. Remove the needle straight out and press gently with gauze if you need to.
Pharmacist tip: Alternate sites daily so the skin has time to settle between doses.
- 7
After
Clean up
Put used needles and syringes into an approved sharps container immediately — never into household trash. Empty vials and packaging can go in your regular household waste. If the injection site feels sore afterwards, apply ice for one minute on and three minutes off, repeating as needed.
What to expect
Side effects to know about
Common, usually mild
- Mild headache
- Bloating
- Redness at the injection site
Rare, but serious
- Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) — contact your clinic immediately if you have severe abdominal pain, marked bloating, nausea, vomiting or rapid weight gain
- Blood clots have been reported rarely
- Multiple pregnancy is a recognised risk of ovarian stimulation
Common questions
Menopur® FAQ
Something not covered here? Call (905) 235 8820 and a pharmacist will walk you through it.
What is Menopur® used for?
It stimulates egg production in women going through fertility treatment such as IVF, encouraging a group of follicles to grow so several eggs can be retrieved.
Can I inject it myself?
Yes, once your healthcare provider has trained you on the mixing and the self-injection technique. Because Menopur® involves reconstituting powder, sometimes across several vials, that training matters more here than with a ready-filled pen.
Why am I dissolving several vials into the same liquid?
Your prescribed dose may be more than one vial holds. Using the same 1 mL of solvent to dissolve each vial in turn, up to five, concentrates the full dose into one small volume so you only inject once instead of several times.
What if I miss a dose?
Do not double your next dose. Contact your fertility specialist right away for guidance — they will tell you how to get back on schedule.
Does it increase the chance of twins?
Yes. Because it stimulates several follicles to develop, there is an increased chance of twins or a higher-order multiple pregnancy. Discuss this with your doctor before starting.
Where this comes from
Checked against the official record
Every clinical statement on this page was checked against the sources below, then reviewed by our pharmacist. If something here does not match what your clinic told you, follow your clinic and call us.
Other guides
The rest of your protocol, explained
Stimulation · FSH
Gonal-F
Read the guide →Stimulation · FSH
Rekovelle
Read the guide →Stimulation · FSH + LH
Pergoveris
Read the guide →Stimulation · LH
Luveris
Read the guide →Antagonist
Cetrotide
Read the guide →Antagonist
Orgalutran
Read the guide →Trigger shot
Ovidrel
Read the guide →Trigger shot
Pregnyl (hCG)
Read the guide →Menopur® in your protocol?
We dispense it the same day your clinic sends the prescription, deliver across the GTA, and counsel you through your first injection.