What to do with barely used Gonal 900?

[Anonymous]

My cycle was cancelled today. I only used 75 out of the entire 900 on Monday night (and paid quite a bit for it!). I know it expires in 28 days, but I hate for this to go to waste. I asked my RE what to do with it and she said that I can give it away since the next user would use a fresh needle. She will let me know if anyone in her office asks for some, but she says she rarely gets requests for meds. So - what is the best way to sell at a huge discount!!!???

[Anonymous]

I gave mine away (it was Gonal-F, in the individual syringes, unopened, plus about half a bottle of Prometrium capsules and maybe something else, I can't remember) to someone I connected with on this site who was paying out of pocket for her meds.

Perhaps someone who needs it will respond.

[Anonymous]

why not just give it away? I had several boxes of unopened gonal F following IVF and passed them on for free. I'm not sure who would pay $$ for an opened vial of medication.

[Anonymous]

You might be able to sell unopened meds, but probably not opened ones. I would try to find someone who is self-pay and give it away.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP. Unopened meds are a slippery slope. No way to tell if meds have been contaminated (not saying you have done anything - just a reality of the situation) or how many ius are really left in the vial.

[Anonymous]

OP here - if anyone knows someone who would like the gonal 900 - only 75 ml used - please send email to hollydaly at yahoo dot com.

Properly refrigerated - opened on 10/11 so it is good for 28 days passed that. I really hate for this to go to waste.

[Anonymous]

Ask your IVF nurse before getting rid of it. I think it's probably okay for longer than 28 days regardless of what the box says.

[Anonymous]

To OP, can't you use the same one for next cycle? Usually manufacturers of the biologicals and injectable medicines, say that it's good only for 28 days after opening, however if you proproply store, i.e. refrigerate, might have a shelf life more more than 28 days. Why don't you call the 1-800 number for manufacturer and ask about that. Is that Gonal-F a reconstituated one?

[Anonymous]

I agree it's probably good.

My IVF nurse at SG told me to hold on to my extra Gonal F just in case I needed to do another cycle.....she would know I imagine.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks for letting me know about using the opened gonal for the next cycle. I actually did call the manufacturer and you know what their answer was? they didn't know! So much for customer service.

I guess if there are no takers, I'll re-use it, esp if it isn't too many days passed 28 days. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

You can also call your pharamcist and see if s/he knows the best way to find out "how good" the meds are for how long. I did this when our power went out with the meds that were supposed to have been refrigerated at a certain temperature and it gave me real peace of mind to know what was on the insert wasn't 100% accurate.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I had some leftover Gonal-f in a vial that had been in my fridge for MANY months and added some leftover from a Gonal-f pen on this last cycle. I thought there was hardly any in the vial when I added the new meds and was shocked to see how much was there when I went to do my next injection. There was WAY more in the vial than there should have been (thought there was 150-200 and it was more like 400ius). I had one injection left on my cycle and decided I had to use what was in there (even though some of it was way outdated) or waste a whole new pen. I can honestly say that I was shocked at my b/w the next day - my e2 almost doubled overnight (when it had been slow to climb). Seems like the outdated meds had not lost their efficacy. My guess is that you will be advised not to use the meds beyond 28 days, but my experience shows that the shelf life might be longer. As long as you are comfortable with a longer window, then you should be good to go.

[Anonymous]

Some drugs can actually become stronger over time (after expiration date) so be careful!

[Anonymous]

If you are doing another cycle in the next couple of months, I would save it and use it. Really, if it's stored properly, it's fine for at least 3 months. I've used expired meds before and responded very well.