Gonal Girls

[Cridge]

Hi girls! This thread is for those of us that are on Gonal-F injections. All are welcome! Introduce yourself and let us know where you're at in your gonal-f cycle.

Chiles - sorry, I had to beat you to it in starting this thread.

I'm Cridge. I used gonal-f over 10 years ago and conceived my son on my first gonal-f cycle. Check out my journal (link in my siggy) if you want to know a little more about my history.

I just completed my 5th cycle of Femara and was not responding well (had one perfect cycle, a second "okay" cycle, didn't respond to the others), so I'm moving on to gonal-f. Today is CD4 and I'm starting injections this afternoon. I'll be going in every other day for u/s and blood work until I ovulate. The current plan is to trigger, but I'm going to see if I can avoid that as I don't think I need it.

 

[Shareena]

hiyaa...

Let me introduce myself on this thread so here's a little history on me.

dx - pcos
I had my OD on October 12,2011 (all clear)
got Af on Nov 18.
I did one letrozole 2.5mg and IUI - BFN
A natural cycle(ovulated on my own)
Current cycle (2.5mg letrozole cd3-7 and now on to gonal-f 37.5 starting today)

I am hoping to join hands with everyone on this journey to a BFP

 

[Chiles]

Well I am also Joining this thread, My name is Chiles and I am currently doing a combo cycle with Gonal F. If this cycle fails I to will be moving on to straight gonal F next cycle.

@Cridge I am glad you got it going

 

[phoenixrose]

Hey everyone I'm also doing my first round of injections. I'm doing Follistim but they're the same thing...FSH injections. I have polycystic ovaries but not the full syndrome as all my labs are fine and I have no other symptoms. I also ovulate on my own but apparently not very well. I did 3 rounds of clomid. The first one may have been a chemical but the number was so low on the beta that I don't know if it even counts. And the rest were BFNs. So now we have 3 rounds of injections until we take a break to pay off debt and save for IVF...I'm hoping with all my might it doesn't come to that! Fx'd for all of us!

 

[courtneycvt12]

Hi girls! I'm Courtney, no idea how to upload a pic...anyway I did my first injection today of Gonal f, Cd 6...have ten more days of this on Friday I get to add luveris injections....lucky me. I'm a total needlephobe so I really hope this works!

 

[norahbattie]

Hello ladies, I am currently awaiting AF to arrive before starting my first cycle of gonal F. I have had 3 cycles of clomid and not responded to treatment effectively (got to 15mm on my second cycle and trigger but nothing), failed the other two.
My doctor is a little crazy at times but I like his experiment but also very nervous about it. He wants me to take 150iu for 3 days from day 2, then 75 iu after that and I will be scanned on day 6 to assess the follicle size.
I am also taking (when I remember) 1000mg of metformin and attempting to lose weight.
I hope there are lots of positive outcomes to this thread and I can't wait to see everyone's stories

 

[Cridge]

Shareena & Courtney - you both started injections today! I was supposed to, but (as I think most of you have seen on my journal) my meds didn't arrive. That would have been awesome to be on the same schedule!!

phoenix - I think it's great that your doc moved you to injections so quickly after clomid failed. I think so many docs keep trying and trying - upping the dosage - but I don't think that's very helpful. GL this cycle! What day are you on? I'm also planning on 3 rounds!

norah - that does sound like a strange protocol, but not too off the wall. Hopefully you'll have great response! Are you bringing on af or did you ovulate this cycle and are still waiting? Any idea how much longer you have to wait? That's always the worst - waiting for a failed cycle to end. blah.

chiles - good to see you!

afm - I'm crossing everything that my meds will be in tomorrow, but I have a bad feeling about it. I went to a new pharmacy and that is throwing me off right there. I really don't want to be dealing with a separate pharmacy, but I guess I'll do what I must. If it doesn't come in tomorrow, I'm not sure what to do. I might have to scrap this cycle.

 

[norahbattie]

Unfortunately I have never ever ovulated on my own and this cycle I have lots of atrophic follicles that measure 8mm so literally just waiting for AF to come after having had 100mg of clomid on day 2-6 of this cycle. I am currently day 18 and getting AF cramps but I know there is nothing in there

 

[phoenixrose]

Hi girls! I'm Courtney, no idea how to upload a pic...anyway I did my first injection today of Gonal f, Cd 6...have ten more days of this on Friday I get to add luveris injections....lucky me. I'm a total needlephobe so I really hope this works!

What is luveris and what is it for?

Cridge: I'm on cd 12. I triggered myself ( ouch!) last night on cd11, which hurt way more then the fsh injections. So I'll get one 36 hour IUI tomorrow morning on cd 13. I don't know how big they ended up getting but on Monday, cd 10 I had 3 follicles in the lead at 18, 16, and 14. Doc said 2 would be mature enough for ovulation, I'm hoping for 3 to up my chances. I did 75 units cd3&4, 50 cd 5&6, 75 cd7-9, and 50 on cd 10.

 

[courtneycvt12]

Shareena & Courtney - you both started injections today! I was supposed to, but (as I think most of you have seen on my journal) my meds didn't arrive. That would have been awesome to be on the same schedule!!

phoenix - I think it's great that your doc moved you to injections so quickly after clomid failed. I think so many docs keep trying and trying - upping the dosage - but I don't think that's very helpful. GL this cycle! What day are you on? I'm also planning on 3 rounds!

norah - that does sound like a strange protocol, but not too off the wall. Hopefully you'll have great response! Are you bringing on af or did you ovulate this cycle and are still waiting? Any idea how much longer you have to wait? That's always the worst - waiting for a failed cycle to end. blah.

chiles - good to see you!

afm - I'm crossing everything that my meds will be in tomorrow, but I have a bad feeling about it. I went to a new pharmacy and that is throwing me off right there. I really don't want to be dealing with a separate pharmacy, but I guess I'll do what I must. If it doesn't come in tomorrow, I'm not sure what to do. I might have to scrap this cycle.

That sucks that your meds didn't arrive! What r u going to do this cycle then?

 

[Chiles]

@Cridge I use Freedom Fertility Pharmacy and they literally send it out the next day to your home free of charge. Hope your meds come through. I heard they have the best prices though. My insurance pays for everything. I just do co pays. (thank god)

Good Luck to us all ladies!!!

 

[Shareena]

Cridge- I hope you got your med today!!!

My RE is starting me with such a low dose (37.5) and i am worried that its too low :S. They did have a u/s yesterday and found two follicles but still i see everyone starting at atleast 75mil.

Anyways, they are only monitoring my bloodwork and and did 37.5 again so lets see. I really want to know how well gonal is working on me.

Good luck ladies!!

 

[Chiles]

Good Luck on your cycle Shareena!!! Cant wait to see the outcome!!!!! Hope it is a

 

[Cridge]

Oh thank you so much girls! I haven't called Safeway yet to see if my meds are in... I'm a bit down today and have a feeling they won't be, so I guess I'm procrastinating it. Thanks Chiles! If they're not in, I'm going to give that pharm a try!!!

 

[norahbattie]

Shareena, As long as you have follicles that are growing and will implant, who cares what dose you are on? Everyone is different, you want one good follicle and not lots of little ones that won't work. Good luck
I am completely petrified that my OBGYN has put me on too high a dose, so on the other end of the fear scale from you x

 

[courtneycvt12]

Hi girls! I'm Courtney, no idea how to upload a pic...anyway I did my first injection today of Gonal f, Cd 6...have ten more days of this on Friday I get to add luveris injections....lucky me. I'm a total needlephobe so I really hope this works!

What is luveris and what is it for?

Cridge: I'm on cd 12. I triggered myself ( ouch!) last night on cd11, which hurt way more then the fsh injections. So I'll get one 36 hour IUI tomorrow morning on cd 13. I don't know how big they ended up getting but on Monday, cd 10 I had 3 follicles in the lead at 18, 16, and 14. Doc said 2 would be mature enough for ovulation, I'm hoping for 3 to up my chances. I did 75 units cd3&4, 50 cd 5&6, 75 cd7-9, and 50 on cd 10.

Gonal f is pure fsh, so my doc likes to add lh, the luveris is the lh. It burns and bruises

 

[Chiles]

Hi girls! I'm Courtney, no idea how to upload a pic...anyway I did my first injection today of Gonal f, Cd 6...have ten more days of this on Friday I get to add luveris injections....lucky me. I'm a total needlephobe so I really hope this works!

What is luveris and what is it for?

Cridge: I'm on cd 12. I triggered myself ( ouch!) last night on cd11, which hurt way more then the fsh injections. So I'll get one 36 hour IUI tomorrow morning on cd 13. I don't know how big they ended up getting but on Monday, cd 10 I had 3 follicles in the lead at 18, 16, and 14. Doc said 2 would be mature enough for ovulation, I'm hoping for 3 to up my chances. I did 75 units cd3&4, 50 cd 5&6, 75 cd7-9, and 50 on cd 10.

Gonal f is pure fsh, so my doc likes to add lh, the luveris is the lh. It burns and bruises

Since you hate needles than maybe next time you can get menopur, or bravelle since they contain lh, and fsh Good luck on your cycle though .

 

[courtneycvt12]

@Cridge I use Freedom Fertility Pharmacy and they literally send it out the next day to your home free of charge. Hope your meds come through. I heard they have the best prices though. My insurance pays for everything. I just do co pays. (thank god)

Good Luck to us all ladies!!!

That's the pharmacy I use too cridge....however my insurance doesn't cover injections

 

[norahbattie]

Cridge I have my fingers crossed for you that you get the gonal-F, here in the UK it usually takes 24 hours to get the medication. I wish I could give you mine, as it is literally sitting here waiting for me to get on with my new cycle.

 

[Cridge]

Good news! I got the meds and have taken my first injection!! I don't remember taking such a small amount though...maybe I was taking more all those years ago?? I have an u/s and blood work tomorrow. I'm a little miffed that I need to go in with having taken only one injection just 18 hours before, but my nurse wanted me to keep with the plan.