gonal f vs. follistim

DontBlink29

I had my consult for moving on from clomid to injectables if this cycle is unsuccessful. The nurse gave me a demo of gonal f, the drug the RE told me I would be using.

Later, my insurance company (who I have to order all my meds through directly) called and told me they "prefer" follistim and I need to get the Rx changed. When I asked the nurse she just said OK and did a quick run through of follistim with me. 

Am googling, but has anyone used both to compare? Just wondering what the difference is. Is it just branding? 

Shortie24

It has to do with branding and the fact that Follistim is Follitropin beta and Gonal-F is Follitropin alpha.

Here's the link, she can explain it better than I can!

https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/66772578.aspx

I hope this helps!

twistsandturnsto2

I have only used Follistim, but I was told that they are essentially the same drug in different packaging and can be interchangable. Some docs prefer one over the other, some people seem to respond better to one over the other, but the results are usually similar.

DontBlink29

Shortie24:

It has to do with branding and the fact that Follistim is Follitropin beta and Gonal-F is Follitropin alpha.

Here's the link, she can explain it better than I can!

https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/66772578.aspx

I hope this helps!

Those explanations did help, thank you!  

katib77

On my combo cycle (clomid and injects) I used Gonal f and in my first injects cycle I used Gonal F for the first five day and ran out (from a donation stash Jezebell had given me) and my RE was able to give me Follistim from donations they had.  This cycle it was all follistim.  

I do not notice a differance aside from gonal F I had to mix myself and follistim was in an easy pen.  And Gonal F for me burned a little going in, where as follistim didn't.  But I did not notice a difference - all three times I was ready to trigger by cd11 and IUI on cd13.   And with both the only real side effects were a few mild headaches (and who could tell if that was the medicine or stress and job related) and pain from growing follies.  HTH.