Puregon (FSH) injections - please share your experiences

[happywife]

Hi there lovely bubhubbers!

I have PCOS and I have just had one failed cycle on Clomid (follicles not growing) that was cancelled and my FS has prescribed Puregon injections to try with timed BD (I have issues with my lining being too thin as well). I am currently on the BC pill for 2 weeks to bring on AF and will be starting after that.

I would really appreciate you sharing your experiences with the Puregon injections. Did you experience any side effects? How long did it take before you could be given your trigger shot? How many cycles of injections can you have before they will tell you to move on to something else? Are you guaranteed to O on the injections? What is the chance of multiples? (I was told clomid was 20%, we would feel blessed if we are given twins, very small chance of triplets as my FC will cancel my cycle if more than 2 follicles). Do you get used to injecting yourself or did you make someone else do it for you? What are the chances of pg in any given cycle?

Thanks in advance for your responses! :D

[possanda]

Hi,
I don't have PCOS so I can't offer any advise on that front, however I did have to have IVF ICSI so I have had experience with the injections.

They are VERY easy to use, like a 4 colour pen... sort of. You set the dose at the top (dose should stay the same each time unless stated by FS) u attach a new needle tip each time. They are extremely fine, thin needles. U feel a small sting but you get used to it. Just steel your mind, take control and don't over think it. The first one is the hardest. Your FS should start scanning your ovaries I think about 1 week or 10 days into the needles. I had scans and bloods every 3 days, to see what my ovaries were doing.
Once they see that they have what they are looking for u will be told to use the trigger.. The trigger is a different needle, a little bigger and VERY controlled. I was told (not sure if it was ligit) that it must be take at exactly 2 am... To fit in where I had stopped sniffing and my last needle. Harvest was 32 hrs later I think.
The only thing that hurt for me and I ended up getting the nurses to do was the pregnyl injections (after inplantation).......The sting from the syrum was the worst.. Thank god it was only 3 needles...

I didn't have many symptoms from the hormones, just tired a little cranky etc. I guess it really depends on your natural hormone levels.

Keep in mind that nothing is ever a guarantee. There is no way that they can guarantee that you will O.

Are you having a harvest? Or just sperm injection?

I think they would watch and see how you go each time and change it to suit your bodies needs / reactions.

Good luck with everything, I hope I have helped.

My advise is to be informed, the more you know the less stressed you will be. The less stress you have, the more chance you have of falling pregnant.

:hugs:

[happywife]

Hi,
I don't have PCOS so I can't offer any advise on that front, however I did have to have IVF ICSI so I have had experience with the injections.

They are VERY easy to use, like a 4 colour pen... sort of. You set the dose at the top (dose should stay the same each time unless stated by FS) u attach a new needle tip each time. They are extremely fine, thin needles. U feel a small sting but you get used to it. Just steel your mind, take control and don't over think it. The first one is the hardest. Your FS should start scanning your ovaries I think about 1 week or 10 days into the needles. I had scans and bloods every 3 days, to see what my ovaries were doing.
Once they see that they have what they are looking for u will be told to use the trigger.. The trigger is a different needle, a little bigger and VERY controlled. I was told (not sure if it was ligit) that it must be take at exactly 2 am... To fit in where I had stopped sniffing and my last needle. Harvest was 32 hrs later I think.
The only thing that hurt for me and I ended up getting the nurses to do was the pregnyl injections (after inplantation).......The sting from the syrum was the worst.. Thank god it was only 3 needles...

I didn't have many symptoms from the hormones, just tired a little cranky etc. I guess it really depends on your natural hormone levels.

Keep in mind that nothing is ever a guarantee. There is no way that they can guarantee that you will O.

Are you having a harvest? Or just sperm injection?

I think they would watch and see how you go each time and change it to suit your bodies needs / reactions.

Good luck with everything, I hope I have helped.

My advise is to be informed, the more you know the less stressed you will be. The less stress you have, the more chance you have of falling pregnant.

:hugs:

Thank you so much for your reply and congratulations on being a mummy. I am reading everything I can find but there isn't much, I'm back to see the FS on the 17th Aug and she is fabulous but I want to know everything before I see her as I will prob have started the injections before then. Your reply certainly helped and I really do appreciate it.

I'm not actually having a harvest or a sperm injection just timed intercourse cause it's only the PCOS stopping us from getting pregnant as far as they can tell. If I can produce an egg shouldn't be any reason why it doesn't get fertilised (but I am not going to put all my eggs in one basket and be sure this will work as I am sure it doesn't work for everyone).

I've been having the BT's about every 2nd day sometimes everyday on the Clomid so that bit doesn't worry me too much. I only had 2 U/S so far but I guess as you say I will be having them much more often from now on.

I'm a bit worried about the Pregnyl shot I think I'll be getting either DH or the nurse to do them! I think with the Pregnyl shots they do need to be very controlled but more so in the case of IUI or an EPU cause you are booked in at a certain time. I wonder if it will be the same for timed BD. I was supposed to have it with the Clomid but the follicle/s didn't grow past 8mm. With the other injections I am thinking I will try numb the area with an ice pack at first. I am not really scared of the pain but I am having a bit of trouble getting my mind around piercing my skin with the needle. I think as you say I will get used to it and it will just be like going in for the BT's in the morning.

Once again thanks so much for your reply :hugs:

[happywife]

bump

Would still love to hear from anyone else. Thank you :D

[3PLUS1equals4s]

:wave:hi there just wanted to share my experience with you on puregon injections . iv had 3 rounds of clomid 2 iuis one cycle of injections without success so far but i havent given up yet. the injections are easily administed i had my dp do this as im a bit of a chicken anyhow they are very fine needles n you dont really feel them very painless i was surprised. i had no side affects probably anxiety leading up to the iui only and maybe a little more teary than usual but i was a little stressed with all the timing around my work etc. well after the 2nd iui i have developed a small cyst on one of my overies but fs isn worried and it should dissolve. i did however fall pregnant on our 2nd round of clomid in dec only for it to end in m/c. i do o on my own and i definatley o everytime i took clomid or had the iuis as they monitered me closely and everytime i had at least one good follie. so thats my journey so far im now on a drug free cycle until this little cyst goes away and then im bavk on either clomid again or another round of injectables we will gte our bfps very soon im awaiting af at the moment and so far she is 1 day late . i have done a hpt n got a bfn but i think she is not too far away as i have all the symptoms . but its not over till she comes i guess . if she decides to be late il do another test in a couple of days . if she comes i have to go back to fs in 5 days for another scan as sometimes af coming can disslove the cysts . lets hope so but it shouldn lessen our chances of conceiving i just cant take the meds as it will make it grow instead of shrink. well ladies all the very best to you all heres to some bfps real soon:yelclap:

[RHJ]

I have PCOS too. It has been 6-7 years since i was on them, so my memory is a bit rusty but... I had them when i was trying for my first. Can't remember how many days etc i was on them for, but i was being monitored at the clinic as to when to do the trigger, so i had the best shot. We were on our 4th cycle when we fell pregnant. I was told we would get 6 cycles. I actually had just had a laparoscopy as my FS wanted to just check there was nothing else going on. She gave my tubes etc a flush also. Apparently it is really common for that to also assist and i fell pregnant the next cycle with my son.
I did have some side effects. My mood swings were shocking, but thankfully all at my work were supportive and aware of why. My boss had had the same treatment a few years before so they were fantastic. I also had some headaches. I gave myself the injections. They were fine, the worst part for me was just getting myself to do it... they didn't hurt that much at all! The trigger stung a little, but the puregon ones were nothing at all.

All i wanted to add that my 2nd son was conceived after our 2nd cycle of clomid, and my 3rd was a natural blessing, and we weren't even actively trying.
I wish you luck and hope you have a :bfp: very soon!

[happywife]

Thank you so much lovely ladies for sharing your experiences with me. I do really appreciate it! Your information also helps me form more questions to ask the FS so that I can know exactly what is going on.


:wave:hi there just wanted to share my experience with you on puregon injections . iv had 3 rounds of clomid 2 iuis one cycle of injections without success so far but i havent given up yet. the injections are easily administed i had my dp do this as im a bit of a chicken anyhow they are very fine needles n you dont really feel them very painless i was surprised. i had no side affects probably anxiety leading up to the iui only and maybe a little more teary than usual but i was a little stressed with all the timing around my work etc. well after the 2nd iui i have developed a small cyst on one of my overies but fs isn worried and it should dissolve. i did however fall pregnant on our 2nd round of clomid in dec only for it to end in m/c. i do o on my own and i definatley o everytime i took clomid or had the iuis as they monitered me closely and everytime i had at least one good follie. so thats my journey so far im now on a drug free cycle until this little cyst goes away and then im bavk on either clomid again or another round of injectables we will gte our bfps very soon im awaiting af at the moment and so far she is 1 day late . i have done a hpt n got a bfn but i think she is not too far away as i have all the symptoms . but its not over till she comes i guess . if she decides to be late il do another test in a couple of days . if she comes i have to go back to fs in 5 days for another scan as sometimes af coming can disslove the cysts . lets hope so but it shouldn lessen our chances of conceiving i just cant take the meds as it will make it grow instead of shrink. well ladies all the very best to you all heres to some bfps real soon:yelclap:

Very best of luck with this cycle, I hope AF doesn't show and it's a late BFP! Good luck also with your cyst, I hope if AF does have to come she gets rid of the cyst for you. AF is due for me sometime after Friday and we are seeing the FS a week on Tuesday to discuss the follow up for our last round of BT's. When AF comes I'll be back at the clinic everyday or second day getting my BT's and scans will be more often now.

Thank you for saying the needles are nearly painless that does put my mind at rest a bit. Good luck for getting your BFP!


I have PCOS too. It has been 6-7 years since i was on them, so my memory is a bit rusty but... I had them when i was trying for my first. Can't remember how many days etc i was on them for, but i was being monitored at the clinic as to when to do the trigger, so i had the best shot. We were on our 4th cycle when we fell pregnant. I was told we would get 6 cycles. I actually had just had a laparoscopy as my FS wanted to just check there was nothing else going on. She gave my tubes etc a flush also. Apparently it is really common for that to also assist and i fell pregnant the next cycle with my son.
I did have some side effects. My mood swings were shocking, but thankfully all at my work were supportive and aware of why. My boss had had the same treatment a few years before so they were fantastic. I also had some headaches. I gave myself the injections. They were fine, the worst part for me was just getting myself to do it... they didn't hurt that much at all! The trigger stung a little, but the puregon ones were nothing at all.

All i wanted to add that my 2nd son was conceived after our 2nd cycle of clomid, and my 3rd was a natural blessing, and we weren't even actively trying.
I wish you luck and hope you have a :bfp: very soon!

Wow! congrats on not only having 2 lovely boys but then a 3rd one concieved naturally. Thank you for you kind words. I've had bad mood swings since I did the Clomid this cycle (and that was three weeks ago!) so hopefully it doesn't get any worse when I start the injections, DH might want to run away to another country!!! haha I suffer from migraines so I am hoping that the injections don't bring them on. Everyone at work that is aware has been absolutely fantastic about it all and I also have a boss who is going through the same thing which has made it easier too. I just had the HSG (tubes and uterus flushed with dye) this cycle so hopefully that will help me achieve a BFP!