Ganirelix--Feedback from med, anyone?

[Sunshine1576]

Just recently my brand new RE added Ganirelix to my protocal. I'm doing 225 units of Follistim starting tonight on cycle day2 (which is much earlier than normal), and on Monday if the monitoring goes well he will put me on Ganirelix. I am not familar with this injection, what does it do? My last 2 IUI's with fertility meds were unsuccessful, but I didn't really respond to the meds either. New clinic is currently testing my ovarian reserve and thryoid.

Cycle 1: bcps, Fermara and 75 units of follistim, 2 follicles
Cycle 2: bcps, Fermara and 150 units of Follistim 2 follicles
Currently: 225 units Follistim, Ganirelix, 2 weeks worth of progesterone supp. tablets.

Thank you for your comments!
Sunshine1576

[to_have_fun08]

sounds like you are doing the antagonist protocol. You start FSH meds first (folllistim) and then they add in the antagonist Ganirelix. Ganirelix will keep you from ovulating, sort of like lupron just in a different way. Usually they will add in Ganirelix after 5 or 6 days of stims.

Good Luck!!

[mandarae]

Sunshine- I am going to be doing the antagonist protocol and Ganirelix is one of the injections. I'm not sure what it does, but wanted to let you know that I am right there with ya!

[Ghost]

Ganirelix is one of the GnRH antagonists. Cetrotide is another.

It blocks the GnRH receptors on the pituitary so that GnRH from your hypothalamus cannot activate those receptors. If GnRH could get to your pituitary receptors, then your pituitary might release an LH surge, and an LH surge from your pituitary at the wrong time could ruin the cycle. Ganirelix prevents that. It does not stimulate your follicles in any way.

When your RE decides your follicles are ready and wants to mature your eggs, he/she will probably give you hCG to mature the eggs. hCG acts very much like LH, except that hCG lasts much longer. In rare patients with high risk of OHSS, the RE might give a GnRH agonist (like Lupron), which will immediately activate those GnRH receptors on the pituitary and cause an LH surge to mature the eggs. This LH will not last long, so the risk of OHSS from it is very low, much lower than with hCG. This option of using an agonist to trigger is one advantage of the antagonist protocols.

[Sunshine1576]

Thank you all for responding back, "to-have-fun", Ghost and Mandarae (btw I love your cute pin-name)! Anyway I now have a better understanding of a antagonist cycle, my first one. Absolutely Ghost we will be doing a hcg trigger shot so hopefully our timing is just perfect. Love my new clinic in Gulf Breeze, AL and the ladies laughed when I told them I write down my meds in my Coastal Living magazine, well with the exception of u/s and b/w everything is done mostly over the phone. Mandarae, how far along are into this cycle, I'm on cycle day 2 and starting meds tonight. Nice to chit-chat with you all today.

[moorebaby]

Christy, are you starting your Follistim tonight? How did I miss that on the Summer board? I need to change it on the list.

[Sunshine1576]

Thanks Moorebaby,I am starting Follistim tonight, Had my baseline today and I checked out ok. She did mention a fiberoid on the cervix and said as long as it's not close to the uterius not to worry. But yes I start stimming right away and go back for next appt on Monday. How are you doing? I will check back on the SummerBoard before I leave for AL in the morning.