Monday, August 9, 2010

The Lovenox Dilemma

I posted before about my Lovenox dilemma: whether to start it now or wait until there are (hopefully) rising betas. Quite a few people shared their experiences and comments, so I thought I'd write about how it all shook out. I called the perinatologist and she said she wouldn't prescribe Lovenox until rising betas, which is what my RE had said. With my terrible pregnancy history, this makes me nervous, especially since I know a lot of doctors have patients start from transfer or earlier if they're doing IVF.

Of course if I'm not able to get pregnant even with IVF then it is not an issue, but in optimistic moments when I think I really could get pregnant, I've wondered about getting some Lovenox on the black market and using it before the pregnancy test. It is easy to do, but that option would also would make me very nervous, especially in light of the fact that prescription drugs may have played a role in two of my siblings' deaths.

It sounds morbid, but my sons' deaths pull me in one direction on the Lovenox dilemma

and my siblings' deaths pull me in the other direction.
If I could get the drug from a doctor or even just someone I know and trust, I would do it. Getting it from a total stranger is just too risky not only because it may have been improperly stored, but also because Lovenox is an expensive drug and there is more incentive for unscrupulous people to try selling expired, damaged, or even counterfeit Lovenox. I just can't go there. For now, all I can do is make sure to take baby aspirin religiously. So that's where I am on the Lovenox question and I hope I won't regret it.

Right now I'm just hoping for happiness ahead and also missing these four people that I love. They all died young, tragically, and very suddenly - there was no time for goodbye. In the cases of my sons, there was no time for hello either. Is it any wonder I want so desperately for my weeping to be turned into dancing by bringing home a rainbow baby?

6 comments:

Suzy said...

You won't regret it, because the risks of taking black market meds is quite simply FAR TOO HIGH.

Praying everything works out for the best for you and your two little embryos

Nick and Kristi said...

I am part of a trusted Immuniology site on yahoo....It was actually started by a lady named Jane who was the first patient of Dr. Alan Beer...it is a site for women who have and are going through immune tx....and their are post for people trying to get rid of their Lovenox...I would def trust these women as they are in the same boat....the link is http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/immunologysupport/message/102828....I still dont get what your Dr. wont prescribe it...so crazy...I feel I have less severe issues when it comes to clotting and they give it to me as a prevenative both and all my Dr's agree with it...so crazy to me

Lori said...

In truth, I am not sure why neither your RE or your peri won't prescribe it proactively, but then again, if I am honest, I am certainly not a doctor and am only basing any thing I *know* off of my sister's issues and a few others I am familiar with and what their doctors did. So, in fairness to the doctors, they DID go to school for quite a while and deal with far more of these situations than I can even imagine. And again, in fairness, any thing I've ever read has been 50-50...Makes a difference, makes no difference...so I think you are making a safe decision. (Like you are looking for people to tell you what THEY think of it, right?? :)

I think that your RE wants you to be pregnant because on a Shared Program, the sooner you are, they more they make. Not that that's the main reason that they want you pregnant, but from a financial perspective, it IS in their best interest to not only get you pregnant, but keep you pregnant--so if they think that there's anything that they believe could make that happen, my guess is that they would employ it.

I do know there are people like me who do all the right stuff with their meds and have extra and would like to just pay it forward if they can...but you have no way of knowing who is who, so you may be risking things and that could just give you as much stress as the stress you have about whether or not you are taking it!!!

Enough rambling...just m few cents of affirmation!

Jana said...

I would be scared to get it on the black market, because even if people are well meaning, maybe they haven't stored the medication correctly at the right temperature. You have no way this.

I guess if things don't turn out the way you would've hoped there is the potential of thinking "what if" i had done this or that. But the same would be true if you take Lovenox on the sly and then things don't turn out. You will wonder if you did the right thing.

Just stay the course. You can do this. You are doing everything in your power. Keep questioning and researching and then regardless of the outcome know that you have done the best that you could do.

mothergoose518 said...

If you are really nervous, double up on the baby aspirin until you get the Lovenox. Despite my incredibly crappy history - significant in losses BEFORE established heart tones (6 of my 7 losses did not establish heart tones and the one that did died at 17+ weeks) - they would not prescribe me the Lovenox until heart tones were established at 8 weeks. Talk about anxiety!!! So, in addition to doubling up on my folic acid I also doubled up on my BA for those few weeks. I'm at 22+5 wks now and so far so good... Who knows... maybe I'll even escape IUGR and pree issues this time.

Lisa DG said...

I bulked up on lovenox when i was last pregnant and have tons of leftover...but it's 3 years old. I am also beginning an FET cycle and trying to devide if I should use it due to how old it is. I am having problems with my insurance. Does anyone know how old is TOO old? I'd be willing to share what I have....no charge. it has been stored well.