Medications List

I said I'd post the medications list after I asked some questions about them, and so, here it is. I won't know all of the precise details of my protocol until my next cycle starts, but here's the low-down:

• Desogen: These are the birth control pills. I have to take these the cycle before my IVF cycle, probably for around 12-14 days. When my next period comes, I'll call my coordinator and she'll tell me when to start them and for how long I need to take them. This is the only medication I take the cycle before the IVF.
• Gonal-f: This is the stimulation drug that stimulates me to produce lots of eggs. This is a SHOT that I have to give myself every night for about 6-12 days. I will be having ultrasounds and/or bloodtests starting on about Day 6 of the stimulation to see how my body responds, which will determine how long I keep taking this drug.
• Cetrotide: This prevents early ovulation, so I won't drop the eggs too soon. It starts on about Day 6 of the stimulation. It seems that this is also an injection. Fun, fun... Again, how long I have to take it will depend on how my body responds - monitored by ultrasounds and blood tests.
• Ovidrel: This is the trigger for ovulation, that causes the eggs to release from my ovaries. This looks like it's also a shot, however it's only a single dose. I take this 35 hours prior to my scheduled egg retrieval.
  
• Doxycycline: Just an antibiotic to prevent infection from the egg retrieval process. This at least, like the birth control pills, I'm familiar with, and it's a nice pill to just swallow instead of needles to inject. It's a very common antibiotic used for all sorts of things from urinary tract infections to surgeries. In fact, I'm on it right now since I had to take it after my HSG. I'll take it for 5 days following the egg retrieval.
• Medrol: This is a steroid that helps with implantation. At least it's just a pill! One tablet a day for 5 days.
• Promedtrium: Progesterone to help with implantation. It says it's a capsule that's placed vaginally...well I'd rather do that than have another shot. 2 capsules 3 times a day. Whew.

That's all the medications! Everyone's protocol is different, but this is what I've been told will be the plan for me. I'm so scared about giving myself shots! It's hard enough to get shots when a nurse gives them to me. I just think it's so incredible that they expect people to be able to do this by themselves! How can people do this? I can't give myself shots! I just can't! But, I can't say I can't, because I guess I have to... Next cycle I'll make an appointment with a nurse to learn how to give the shots, although I think the video and instructions from Fertility LifeLines will be more helpful. I'm really freaking out about the shots...Three different drugs are shots, two of them multiple doses. Couldn't these be given in pill form? What's the difference anyway? Is all of this really better than another miscarriage? I only had one scary test before - the CVS. Now I've got days and days of self-given shots and pills and HSGs and needles going through my vaginal wall...

Time to go do something else for while, like go for a walk...