Posted by Dr. Miller on August 03, 19100 at 15:50:10:
In Reply to: Q for drs on choice of stim medication posted by Liz on August 03, 19100 at 12:40:52:
: This may seem like a rudimentary question, but I was wondering how you decided which stim medication to prescribe (there seem to be so many out there!). Do you base your decisions on:
: - medical facts about the patient (and if so, what? Age? Day 3 E2 and/or FSH?);
: - personal preferences developed from first-hand experience;
: - or a combination of both?
Dear Liz,
This is actually a very good question and the answer will vary from RE to RE. All of your suggestions are correct with previous experience being the biggest factor. The drug companies report that their new recombinant FSH products are better than the urinary (like Fertinex) but there is little data to support this claim. The HMG products (those with FSH and LH) are typically added to those patients that are older (>35), previously poor stim or a higher FSH. Also patients with PCO are typically given a mixture of FSH and HMG. You could always ask your doctor if you could substitute for a less expensive form FSH or HMG since the cost can very alot. Bottom line: all the medications are very similar and it is probably the ovary from patient to patient that varies the most. I hope this helps.
: Thanks!