Follistim expiration?

[willowfly]

How long does Follistim last after a cartridge has been punctured, the packaging says to dispose of 28 days after opening it, even if refrigerated. However, my RE says as long as I keep it refrigerated I can use it for another cycle in a couple of months. Although, another woman said she was told the potency declines after it is opened. I'm asking this because I am in the middle of a follistim injection cycle, with 2 follicles developing, I will use up my 900 IU follistim cartridge tonight and will have to open a new 900 IU cartridge for tomorrows shot. I probably only have 1 or 2 more follistim injections before I trigger (last time I only used 900 IUs to get 5 follicles). I would hate to waste 600 IU's of follistim if its going to go bad and I won't be able to use it in another injection cycle vs quickly ordering a 300 IU cartridge to complete this cycle. The other thing is I also have uterine polyps, which my RE wants to remove if I don't get pregnant this month, so my next injectible cycle would be at least 2 months away..

[Scott Roseff MD]

Hi,

It's not recommended to use a fertility medication after the recommended time frame, as it can lose its potency and effectiveness over time.

Polyps can be a possible problem ONLY if they are large enough, numerous enough, and/or in the area where pregnancy implants. A cervical polyp, for example, doesn't usually cause fertility problems....

Hope this helps,
Dr. Roseff in FL

[willowfly]

Thanks for the response, My RE just called me back and said after a group consensus on the issue, that they can't advise against manufacturers recommendations, therefore follistim expires 28 days after being opened. Fortunately, they are letting me swap out one of my unopened 900 IU cartridge for 3-300s... good thing I asked... As for my uterine polyp, I have one small ~ the size of a dime, Dr doesn't think its an issue, but I've had a couple of miscarriages so would like to eliminate any potential causes to my miscarriages.

[Scott Roseff MD]

Thanks for the follow-up... Good luck!!!!

Dr. Roseff in Florida