IVF without needles - is it possible?
Posted on January 25, 2008
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If you have ever completed an in vitro-fertilization (IVF) cycle, you’re all too familiar with the necessity to become comfortable, or at least, at peace with needles. My husband and I used an out-of-town doctor for our IVF cycle so they had all of my “medications” sent directly to me, at once. If I told you I wasn’t overwhelmed when the package arrived in the mail I’d be telling you a lie. When I opened the bag I suddenly became skeptical whether or not I could inject myself daily and sometimes three times per day. My husband looked at me and said “I cannot believe you want a child so bad you’re willing to inject yourself with all of this stuff. I wouldn’t do it.” Wimp, I thought.
If you’re familiar with these meds you know how intimidating it can be or there are always the pictures couples take of their meds spread on a table you can view to get a sense of what it’s like. It truly is unreal everything you put into your body during an IVF cycle. During our nurse consult she said “Did you bring your medications?” I’m not sure if I nodded or made a squeal for a “yes.” She looked at me and relayed these instructions for the Lupon injections: “Make sure you inject the Lupron one inch below or to the side of the belly button. Wipe the container and your skin with an alcohol swap. Push the needle in fast, slowly inject the medication, and pull the needle out slowly.” No problem, right?
Here’s one important lesson I learned: injectio
For the most part the injections were painless, except for the 8 weeks of intramuscular injections that left big welts in my buttocks for almost a year after my twins were born! But, I must admit each day I took a deep breath as I readied my medications and sat down to give myself the daily injection. Blood test after blood test didn’t make me any fonder of needles either.
As a woman who endured months of needles in order to become a mother, I was please to read about a company trying to lessen the trauma (because admit it, most of us are afraid of needles or don’t enjoy injecting ourselves) and cost of fertility treatments through a new technology that delivers hormones/peptides without the use of needles (for what doctors call subcutaneous (subQ) and/or intramuscular (IM) injections). Vyteris and Ferring Pharmaceuticals are participating in a trial agreement to test the delivery of therapeutic peptides via a non-invasive technology. Keep in mind Vyteris and Ferring are only at Phase 1 of testing, which means there are a few more phases to complete before the product is readily available. To learn more this potential new product.
» Filed Under Infertility
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