Novarel Injection: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Novarel Injection is the brand name for human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a gonadotropin hormone medicine given by injection. It is used to trigger ovulation in women with certain fertility problems, to treat low testosterone in men caused by a pituitary problem, and to help undescended testicles move down in young boys. It is not approved and not proven effective for weight loss.

What is Novarel Injection

Novarel is a hormone medicine (human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG) given as an injection. It is used to trigger ovulation in women with certain fertility problems, to treat low testosterone in men caused by a pituitary problem, and to help undescended testicles move down in young boys.

Novarel Injection uses

• Causes ovulation and treats infertility in women whose infertility is not due to primary ovarian failure
• Treats hypogonadism in men, a condition where the body doesn't make enough testosterone
• Used in boys aged 4 to 9 whose testicles have not moved down into the scrotum as expected
• Not approved and not proven effective for weight loss

Benefits of Novarel Injection

• Can help trigger ovulation and support pregnancy in women with certain infertility causes
• Can help raise testosterone-related hormone levels in men with pituitary-related hypogonadism
• Can help testicles descend in young boys with this condition

How Novarel Injection works

HCG acts like a natural hormone in the body. In men, it signals the testes to produce hormones responsible for puberty changes and can help the testicles move down. In women, it helps eggs mature and triggers the ovary to release an egg, which can help with pregnancy.

Novarel Injection dosage

Follow all directions on your prescription label and any instruction sheets given to you. This medicine is not used every day; how often you use it depends on the condition being treated. You may need medical tests to help figure out how long you should use it.

It is injected into a muscle or under the skin; ask your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure how to give the injection. Make sure you understand how to properly mix the medicine with the liquid (diluent) if needed before use.

Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using this medicine, since it can affect certain lab test results. Throw away a prefilled syringe after one use, even if some medicine is left inside. Do not reuse a needle or syringe.

Available forms and strengths

Injection (powder for reconstitution, given intramuscularly)

Side effects of Novarel Injection

Common

• Headache
• Depression
• Feeling restless or irritable
• Tiredness
• Swelling (fluid retention)
• Breast tenderness or swelling (gynecomastia)
• Pain, itching, swelling, or redness where the medicine was injected
• Early puberty in children being treated for undescended testicles

Serious

• Signs of a severe allergic reaction: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: severe stomach or pelvic pain, rapid weight gain, swelling around the waist, shortness of breath, severe nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, little or no urination, vaginal bleeding
• Fluid build-up around the lungs or stomach: rapid weight gain, stomach pain and bloating, pain when breathing, shortness of breath while lying down, cough with foamy mucus, rapid heartbeats
• Signs of a blood clot: sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, chest pain, problems with vision or speech, pain or swelling in one leg
• Early puberty in boys: enlarged testicles and penis, facial hair, a deepened voice

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine can cause serious side effects. Call your doctor right away if you have severe stomach pain or bloating, swelling, rapid weight gain, chest pain, trouble breathing, severe nausea and vomiting, decreased urination, pain or swelling in one leg, or sudden numbness on one side of the body.
• You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to it, or if you have early puberty (precocious puberty) or a hormone-related cancer such as prostate cancer. You may not be able to use certain brands of this medicine if you have an uncontrolled thyroid or adrenal gland disorder, unexplained vaginal bleeding, an ovarian cyst, or cancer of the breast, ovary, uterus, prostate, hypothalamus, or pituitary gland.
• Using fertility treatment may increase the chance of having twins, triplets, or other multiple births, which are high-risk pregnancies for both mother and babies. Because this medicine can cause fluid retention, it should be used carefully in people with heart or kidney disease, epilepsy, migraine, or asthma.
• This medicine may harm an unborn baby. Do not use it if you are already pregnant. You may need a negative pregnancy test before starting treatment, and you should tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant.
• It isn't known if this medicine passes into breast milk. Ask your doctor if it's safe to breastfeed while using it.
• Tell your doctor if you have ever had kidney disease before using this medicine.
• It isn't known whether alcohol affects this medicine.

Storage

• Store unmixed HCG and diluent at room temperature away from moisture and heat
• Store mixed medicine in the refrigerator
• Use mixed Novarel within 30 days
• Call your pharmacist if the medicine has changed colors or has particles in it
• Place used needles and syringes in a puncture-proof sharps container and dispose of it following state or local laws
• Keep out of the reach of children and pets

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, including severe stomach or pelvic pain, rapid weight gain, swelling around your waist, shortness of breath, severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or little to no urination
• Stop using this medicine and get help right away if you notice signs of a blood clot, such as sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body, chest pain, vision or speech problems, or pain or swelling in one leg
• Call your doctor right away if a boy taking this medicine shows signs of early puberty, such as enlarged testicles and penis, facial hair, or a deepened voice
• If you think you have used too much of this medicine, seek emergency medical attention or contact a poison control center right away

Alternatives

• Profasi
• Choragon
• Gonasi
• Ovidrel
• Pregnyl