Medication Woes

It's been a busy week! It's the "end" of summer here, and we've been getting the kids ready to head back to school. Chores, work, appointments.... the time just seems to be flying by!

I had to change some of my medication. Again. I don't think I posted about it before.... One of the maintenance meds after transfer is progesterone. It's usually ordered as an injectable- the progesterone is prepared in an oil solution, and given as a shot. In your hip or bum.

The first progesterone I was given was prepared in sesame oil. I seemed to do okay with it, the shots didn't hurt, the med didn't really burn. But after taking it for about a week, I started itching from head to toe. And not just a little, bothersome itch.... I wanted to scratch my skin off with a dull spoon. I was also taking progesterone suppositories and estrogen pills, but I'd been taking them longer than the shots and hadn't previously had any problems. I figured it must be the sesame oil.

So we switched preparations. I was sent progesterone prepared in ethly ocelate; it's supposed to be a very mild preparation that most people can tolerate. About 10 days after starting that, I noticed that my injection sites were itching. Then one morning I woke up, and my injection sites were fiery red. And itchy. And the affected area was raised, and swollen more than bumpy. Crap. This isn't going to work for me either.

The good news? No more shots for me. The bad news? The med they are switching me to is another vaginal insert (a gel this time), and it is ridiculously expensive. Of course. Part of me wonders if I'm allergic to the progesterone itself. I decided no, though, after some thought. I've also been taking those progesterone suppositories- since the beginning- and I don't react to those.

Sooooo.... Now I'll be taking a vag gel in the morning, and vag suppositories at dinner and bedtime. Plus the estrogen pills and my prenatal. Oh yeah... plus a third preparation of progesterone- this one in a pill form.

Everyone that I've talked to who have also had IVF pregnancies swear that this is an absurd amount of medication to be on. All I know is that every clinic is different, and they all have different protocols. If this is what my clinic tells me I have to do, I'll do it. But I won't lie.... I'll be happy to reach that 12 week mark, and wean to just (hopefully) my prenatal. And probably some TUMS. And maybe some iron. And some colace......