Re: Oprah and our stories: fertility drugs

[Guest guest]

Diane,

I hope that everything is going well for you and that you have good news soon!

I read your e-mail a while ago and was trying to decide if I should respond or

not. Since my MA is a result of my mom taking the " fertility drug " DES, I am

also very worried about taking fertility drugs myself. I guess what it all

boils down to is that we have to consider whether the benefits out-weigh the

risks. I can totally appreciate that my mom did what she believed was in my

best interest. Unfortunately, DES has not been proven to have any positive

effect on pregnancy outcomes and, instead, has many negative side-effects that

were known even at the time she took it. However, her doctor never told her

about the side effects. Even when she called them 14 years later, they

incorrectly told her that the drug had no side effects! I'm also concerned that

doctors still do not tell their patients everything. I don't know if I

mentioned it before, but one of the side effects of taking progesterone during

the first three months of pregnancy is minor birth defects (ref. Drug

Information Handbook, 11th ed). My doctor has never mentioned it, even though I

have specifically asked her about the side effects. So, I am trying to trust

that since she (who has a lot of experience with progesterone) is not worried I

shouldn't be worried either. But, naturally, I was very glad when we cut back

my dosage.

I haven't read the O article yet, but I've heard that it is good. I guess I

need to check it out, huh? Thanks for letting us know about it!

Wishing you the best.

Mikell, 32

t-shaped

Oprah and our stories

Hi all

Has anyone seen the Feb issue of O, Oprah's Magazine? We might have

a window here to tell our stories or it might make it more dificult.

It has a cover article called " Is this any way to have a baby: the

terrifying truth about fertility drugs. " Considering I am having my

egg retrieval and harvest tomorrow, I found the article quite

upsetting, mainly because it was very negative. It was essentially

about women doing ivf to " improve " their chances and dr's gone crazy

not telling patients about the risks. There is however a throwaway

line about how its okay for people like us! Still the article was a

disturbing collection of facts and really scary statements - like

pointing out that the author and Gilda Radnor had fertility

treatments and also had ovarian cancer - you make the connection. I

think I am going to write to them about it!!

Diane

[Guest guest]

Mikell

I read your other posts, sorry to hear about all the worry and the

frustration - I had a mc a few years ago and it has made me very

paranoid about " counting my chickens " My dh and I already decided if

all this works out - no baby shower, no doing the nursery or

anything. We'll just wait and hopefully get everyone to respect that.

As for the Oprah article, I was awaiting my retrieval with several

other women and they hadn't screened the magazines and we got into a

rousing debate - all our blood pressure went up quite a bit!!!

I don't know how you feel about the DES, I imagine it must make you

pretty angry - my mother feels pretty guilty and I come by my UU the

non-DES route. She didn't take anything but we don't know if my

grandmother did. But in terms of the Oprah article, there is one

difference between these drugs and DES - I can't get pg without them

and DES was only proscribed after for pg symptoms. So the only thing

I can comfort myself with is the fact that these drugs might harm me

but not the fetus - as for the progesterone - supposedly, that

information was based on a 20 year old study and the FDA demanded

that the information got put into the packaging - the stats they

cite are quite alarming and if true would never be proscribed - the

dr's wouldn't risk it. Supposedly there is a campaign to get that

information taken off the packaging. A recent study has even found

that progesterone taken late term seems to decrease the risk of ptl

for high risk, so I feel comfortable with the progesterone. But

everyone has to make their own decisons - preferably with as much

info and less hysteria - unlike the O article!

Good luck and hang in there!

Diane

uu, 33, 6 days into 2ww

> Diane,

>

> I hope that everything is going well for you and that you have

good news soon!

>

> I read your e-mail a while ago and was trying to decide if I

should respond or not. Since my MA is a result of my mom taking

the " fertility drug " DES, I am also very worried about taking

fertility drugs myself. I guess what it all boils down to is that

we have to consider whether the benefits out-weigh the risks. I can

totally appreciate that my mom did what she believed was in my best

interest. Unfortunately, DES has not been proven to have any

positive effect on pregnancy outcomes and, instead, has many

negative side-effects that were known even at the time she took it.

However, her doctor never told her about the side effects. Even

when she called them 14 years later, they incorrectly told her that

the drug had no side effects! I'm also concerned that doctors still

do not tell their patients everything. I don't know if I mentioned

it before, but one of the side effects of taking progesterone during

the first three months of pregnancy is minor birth defects (ref.

Drug Information Handbook, 11th ed). My doctor has never mentioned

it, even though I have specifically asked her about the side

effects. So, I am trying to trust that since she (who has a lot of

experience with progesterone) is not worried I shouldn't be worried

either. But, naturally, I was very glad when we cut back my dosage.

>

> I haven't read the O article yet, but I've heard that it is good.

I guess I need to check it out, huh? Thanks for letting us know

about it!

>

> Wishing you the best.

>

> Mikell, 32

> t-shaped

>

>

> Oprah and our stories

>

>

> Hi all

>

> Has anyone seen the Feb issue of O, Oprah's Magazine? We might

have

> a window here to tell our stories or it might make it more

dificult.

> It has a cover article called " Is this any way to have a baby:

the

> terrifying truth about fertility drugs. " Considering I am

having my

> egg retrieval and harvest tomorrow, I found the article quite

> upsetting, mainly because it was very negative. It was

essentially

> about women doing ivf to " improve " their chances and dr's gone

crazy

> not telling patients about the risks. There is however a

throwaway

> line about how its okay for people like us! Still the article

was a

> disturbing collection of facts and really scary statements -

like

> pointing out that the author and Gilda Radnor had fertility

> treatments and also had ovarian cancer - you make the

connection. I

> think I am going to write to them about it!!

>

>

>

> Diane

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Mikell

I read your other posts, sorry to hear about all the worry and the

frustration - I had a mc a few years ago and it has made me very

paranoid about " counting my chickens " My dh and I already decided if

all this works out - no baby shower, no doing the nursery or

anything. We'll just wait and hopefully get everyone to respect that.

As for the Oprah article, I was awaiting my retrieval with several

other women and they hadn't screened the magazines and we got into a

rousing debate - all our blood pressure went up quite a bit!!!

I don't know how you feel about the DES, I imagine it must make you

pretty angry - my mother feels pretty guilty and I come by my UU the

non-DES route. She didn't take anything but we don't know if my

grandmother did. But in terms of the Oprah article, there is one

difference between these drugs and DES - I can't get pg without them

and DES was only proscribed after for pg symptoms. So the only thing

I can comfort myself with is the fact that these drugs might harm me

but not the fetus - as for the progesterone - supposedly, that

information was based on a 20 year old study and the FDA demanded

that the information got put into the packaging - the stats they

cite are quite alarming and if true would never be proscribed - the

dr's wouldn't risk it. Supposedly there is a campaign to get that

information taken off the packaging. A recent study has even found

that progesterone taken late term seems to decrease the risk of ptl

for high risk, so I feel comfortable with the progesterone. But

everyone has to make their own decisons - preferably with as much

info and less hysteria - unlike the O article!

Good luck and hang in there!

Diane

uu, 33, 6 days into 2ww

> Diane,

>

> I hope that everything is going well for you and that you have

good news soon!

>

> I read your e-mail a while ago and was trying to decide if I

should respond or not. Since my MA is a result of my mom taking

the " fertility drug " DES, I am also very worried about taking

fertility drugs myself. I guess what it all boils down to is that

we have to consider whether the benefits out-weigh the risks. I can

totally appreciate that my mom did what she believed was in my best

interest. Unfortunately, DES has not been proven to have any

positive effect on pregnancy outcomes and, instead, has many

negative side-effects that were known even at the time she took it.

However, her doctor never told her about the side effects. Even

when she called them 14 years later, they incorrectly told her that

the drug had no side effects! I'm also concerned that doctors still

do not tell their patients everything. I don't know if I mentioned

it before, but one of the side effects of taking progesterone during

the first three months of pregnancy is minor birth defects (ref.

Drug Information Handbook, 11th ed). My doctor has never mentioned

it, even though I have specifically asked her about the side

effects. So, I am trying to trust that since she (who has a lot of

experience with progesterone) is not worried I shouldn't be worried

either. But, naturally, I was very glad when we cut back my dosage.

>

> I haven't read the O article yet, but I've heard that it is good.

I guess I need to check it out, huh? Thanks for letting us know

about it!

>

> Wishing you the best.

>

> Mikell, 32

> t-shaped

>

>

> Oprah and our stories

>

>

> Hi all

>

> Has anyone seen the Feb issue of O, Oprah's Magazine? We might

have

> a window here to tell our stories or it might make it more

dificult.

> It has a cover article called " Is this any way to have a baby:

the

> terrifying truth about fertility drugs. " Considering I am

having my

> egg retrieval and harvest tomorrow, I found the article quite

> upsetting, mainly because it was very negative. It was

essentially

> about women doing ivf to " improve " their chances and dr's gone

crazy

> not telling patients about the risks. There is however a

throwaway

> line about how its okay for people like us! Still the article

was a

> disturbing collection of facts and really scary statements -

like

> pointing out that the author and Gilda Radnor had fertility

> treatments and also had ovarian cancer - you make the

connection. I

> think I am going to write to them about it!!

>

>

>

> Diane

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Mikell

I read your other posts, sorry to hear about all the worry and the

frustration - I had a mc a few years ago and it has made me very

paranoid about " counting my chickens " My dh and I already decided if

all this works out - no baby shower, no doing the nursery or

anything. We'll just wait and hopefully get everyone to respect that.

As for the Oprah article, I was awaiting my retrieval with several

other women and they hadn't screened the magazines and we got into a

rousing debate - all our blood pressure went up quite a bit!!!

I don't know how you feel about the DES, I imagine it must make you

pretty angry - my mother feels pretty guilty and I come by my UU the

non-DES route. She didn't take anything but we don't know if my

grandmother did. But in terms of the Oprah article, there is one

difference between these drugs and DES - I can't get pg without them

and DES was only proscribed after for pg symptoms. So the only thing

I can comfort myself with is the fact that these drugs might harm me

but not the fetus - as for the progesterone - supposedly, that

information was based on a 20 year old study and the FDA demanded

that the information got put into the packaging - the stats they

cite are quite alarming and if true would never be proscribed - the

dr's wouldn't risk it. Supposedly there is a campaign to get that

information taken off the packaging. A recent study has even found

that progesterone taken late term seems to decrease the risk of ptl

for high risk, so I feel comfortable with the progesterone. But

everyone has to make their own decisons - preferably with as much

info and less hysteria - unlike the O article!

Good luck and hang in there!

Diane

uu, 33, 6 days into 2ww

> Diane,

>

> I hope that everything is going well for you and that you have

good news soon!

>

> I read your e-mail a while ago and was trying to decide if I

should respond or not. Since my MA is a result of my mom taking

the " fertility drug " DES, I am also very worried about taking

fertility drugs myself. I guess what it all boils down to is that

we have to consider whether the benefits out-weigh the risks. I can

totally appreciate that my mom did what she believed was in my best

interest. Unfortunately, DES has not been proven to have any

positive effect on pregnancy outcomes and, instead, has many

negative side-effects that were known even at the time she took it.

However, her doctor never told her about the side effects. Even

when she called them 14 years later, they incorrectly told her that

the drug had no side effects! I'm also concerned that doctors still

do not tell their patients everything. I don't know if I mentioned

it before, but one of the side effects of taking progesterone during

the first three months of pregnancy is minor birth defects (ref.

Drug Information Handbook, 11th ed). My doctor has never mentioned

it, even though I have specifically asked her about the side

effects. So, I am trying to trust that since she (who has a lot of

experience with progesterone) is not worried I shouldn't be worried

either. But, naturally, I was very glad when we cut back my dosage.

>

> I haven't read the O article yet, but I've heard that it is good.

I guess I need to check it out, huh? Thanks for letting us know

about it!

>

> Wishing you the best.

>

> Mikell, 32

> t-shaped

>

>

> Oprah and our stories

>

>

> Hi all

>

> Has anyone seen the Feb issue of O, Oprah's Magazine? We might

have

> a window here to tell our stories or it might make it more

dificult.

> It has a cover article called " Is this any way to have a baby:

the

> terrifying truth about fertility drugs. " Considering I am

having my

> egg retrieval and harvest tomorrow, I found the article quite

> upsetting, mainly because it was very negative. It was

essentially

> about women doing ivf to " improve " their chances and dr's gone

crazy

> not telling patients about the risks. There is however a

throwaway

> line about how its okay for people like us! Still the article

was a

> disturbing collection of facts and really scary statements -

like

> pointing out that the author and Gilda Radnor had fertility

> treatments and also had ovarian cancer - you make the

connection. I

> think I am going to write to them about it!!

>

>

>

> Diane

>

>

>