Difference between follistim gonal-f and menopur?

AtlJuneBride

I know this is really a question for my dr. but you ladies are so knowledgeable I figured you'd know.  I googled and found out that menopur has LH and FSH but is that the only difference? I am waiting on a call from my Dr. to tell me what meds he will put me on for my IUI so that I can get insurance approval.  I have PCOS and my LH is high compared to my FSH so I am assuming that he won't use menopur but I am really just curious why some people use different drugs.  Also, are follistim and gonal-f basically the same? Is there a benefit to one over the other?

sescms2004

I had my RE explain this to me, also    Follistim and Gonal-f are identical - they are pure 100% FSH hormone.  Menopur is 50% FSH, 50% LH.  This medication is sometimes used in women who don't produce enough LH on their own.  The RE's at my clinic very rarely prescribe Menopur, as they believe most women are overly sensitive to it, and it can affect egg quality.  Too much LH hormone in the early stages of follicle development can be bad.  I'm not at IVF yet, but I know that with most of the protocols at my clinic, they do not add LH until latter portion of the stim cycle, and they use it in small doses.  My RE said he only uses Menopur in women who have a history of anorexia or whose blood levels show very low levels of LH.   So, in your case, I would think they would not use Menopur since your LH is already high.  But, it's a good question to talk to your dr. about.  HTH!

epphd

Follistim and gonal-F are recombinant - meaning they are made in a laboratory and are synthetic.  They are FSH only.

Menopur is a mixture of gonadotropins that are highly purified from the urine of postmenopausal women and hence are made in the body.  Menopur is 50% LH and 50% FSH.  As to LH and egg quality, this question is highly controversial. Some docs think you need extra LH at the beginning of the cycle.  Some think you need extra when the follies reach a certain size.  Some think you need LH throughout, some think that LH is toxic to eggs.  Honestly, there is not one definitive study out ther stating how LH acts for all people.  It has to be determined emprically.  My first IVF cycle I had poor egg quality so my doc added synthetic LH the next cycle. The eggs were worse. For some people, the added LH improves egg quality.  It really just varies from person to person and there is no way to know a priori how it will affect you.

Menopur works great for a lot of people and it's cheaper than follistim or gonal F, which is why a lot of docs use it.  There is not right or wrong answer, unfortunately!

HTH!

AtlJuneBride

Wow, those are great answers! Thanks ladies!!