Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Origin of the Species-Perpetuating Drugs

If you've undergone infertility treatment, then you probably already know that most fertility drugs are either derived from human urine or are created in the lab.

Drugs Created in the Lab: Lupron, Cetrotide, Ganarelix Acetate, Follistim, Gonal F

Drugs Derived from Urine: Repronex, Menopur, Bravelle, Ovidrel, Novarel, Pregnyl


The question is: Where is all of this urine coming from? Does anybody know? My bet is that pharmaceutical companies employ cheap foreign urinators. When I was teaching in China, I remember seeing a huge disgusting barrel of what appeared to be urine next to the village outhouse. It was just urine - no other, um . . waste. I wonder.



The reason I've been thinking about this today is because my Big Box o' Fun has arrived! As expected, seeing upwards of 90 needles did help drive home the point that this is really happening.

I had estimated that the copays for all this would be around $700. Guess how much the total actually was? $270.09!! This was a very nice surprise, especially since we've found out the IVF itself will be more expensive than we'd thought.

Here are the drugs:


And the drug paraphernalia:




Oooh, pretty. My original intention was to use the syringes to spell out some clever phrase. Then I realized I have enough to write a whole paragraph and that is just too much work.

I am pleased to see that most of what I'll be shooting into myself was created in the lab rather than extracted from urine. There's something a little disconcerting about injecting yourself with extract from someone else's urine - I don't care how purified it is! I will try my best not to picture that giant barrel of urine while I am doing the injections. Of course, I didn't find any specific information about how the other drugs are made in the lab. I'm sure it's a disturbing process also.

6 comments:

Me said...

Hooray for cheap(er than you thought) drugs and lots of needles! I hope everything works out for you!

Oh, and thanks for the mental picture of the pee barrel! :)

CeCe said...

Good luck to you!

I had no idea that I had been injecting myself with urine. haha

Nick and Kristi said...

Hello Annie...Just visiting your blog for the first time...and man you have been through hell and back..I hope this cycle brings new positive outcome for you and your hubby...I will b keeping an eye on you:) Kristi

Oak said...

We are in a fight, I had no idea that my body is full of other people's pee. Ignorance WAS bliss!

Glad to hear you're getting rolling, does that mean that Hubby got a new job? Or how did you get all that for $270!?!? Color me jealous...

Andrea Holley said...

Hooray! Good luck. I'm praying for you.

Lori said...

Yeah...wasn't thrilled with the urine derivation either, BUT....worth it, so I guess I can't complain too much!!! :0)