If you are female, you may need to take a fertility medication like Follistim when you are struggling to start a family. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you are not struggling alone. Approximately 6.1 million women between the age of 15 and 44 in the United States struggle with the inability to conceive or inability to stay pregnant. That is approximately 10 percent of the female population of the country.

One reason you may struggle with infertility is due to asthma. More specifically, your asthma medication may be negatively affecting your ability to conceive. In 2018, an Australian study found asthma medicines have the potential to make it harder for women like you to get pregnant. That may mean you have to purchase a Follistim pen device or other fertility medication to start the family you desire. Here is what you need to know about how your asthma medications may affect the conception process and what you can do to improve your odds of conception.

Asthma, IVF Medications and Conception Statistics

In the United States, difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant is called impaired fecundity. Inability to get pregnant after one year if you are under 35 is considered infertility. Over 35, some doctors consider you infertile after six months of attempting to start a family with normal unprotected sexual activity. That is when Follistim or another ivf medication may be required to help you get pregnant. The CDC states impaired fecundity affects 12 percent of all U.S. women between 15 and 44 years of age.

If you are taking fertility drugs, you should know that according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, approximately 9.7 percent of U.S. women over 18 years of age suffer from asthma. In the Australian study conducted at the University of Adelaide in 2018, 5,617 women participated. A similar amount of participating women, 11.7 percent, suffered from asthma at the time of the study. Eight percent were former asthma sufferers.

How Different Types of Asthma Medications Interfere with Fertility Drugs

If you are taking IVF drugs and you have asthma it is worth noting how it may work against your fertility drugs. The study conducted at the University of Adelaide in 2018 indicated the type of asthma medication you take makes a difference in terms of your fertility-related risk factors. Asthma medications are also called bronchodilators. They dilate, or open, bronchial tubes. Bronchial tubes are the passages to lungs that allow air in. Asthma causes bronchial tubes to constrict. That cuts off the ability to get air to the lungs. Bronchodilators are divided into the following categories:

• Long-Acting – Long-Acting bronchodilators are used to help you control your asthma symptoms on an ongoing basis. By taking them regularly, you can reduce the number of asthma attacks you have. Most are prescribed for you to take in inhaler form twice each day.
• Short-Acting –  Short-acting bronchodilators are also typically inhalers. However, they are used only when you have a sudden onset of symptoms. They are often called rescue inhalers for that reason. Their soothing effects are almost instant and can last for several hours.

It is this bronchodilator action that may interfere with your Follistim or other fertility medication you have been prescribed. However, at least one type of asthma medicine has a silver lining.

 

Asthma Medication Types and Their Affects on Fertility

The need for drugs like Follistim to counteract infertility caused by asthma medications varies. In the 2018 Australian study, scientists found a silver lining for asthma suffers taking long-acting asthma medications. They found these may actually be useful when trying to conceive. The study showed participants taking long-acting asthma medications seemed to get pregnant faster than participants taking short-acting medications. It also showed no fertility difference between non asthmatic subjects and asthmatic subjects taking long-acting medications. The study set a threshold of one year as the time taken for normal conception. Subjects taking short-acting asthma medications increased their chances of taking more than a year to conceive by 30 percent. Those subjects also took 20 percent longer to conceive compared to other study participants.

Scientists believe the increased need for Follistim 300 iu or other fertility assistance when taking short-acting asthma medications is due to the continued presence of systemic inflammation. Long-acting medications reduce that inflammation by suppressing immune responses. Therefore, a rescue inhaler may make you feel better, but it may not treat underlying symptoms as well as a long-term asthma medication. Continued inflammation may affect several parts of your body, including your reproductive system. However, more research is needed to fully understand the causes of the increased infertility. Make sure you discuss the type of inhaler and medication you are taking with your IVF meds to make sure.

(https://www.empr.com/home/news/impact-of-asthma-medication-on-fertility-examined-in-women/, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180215110043.htm)

The Costs of Medications Like Follistim

Follistim prices may worry you. Depending on the sources and types, infertility medications can cost thousands of dollars. You may also need several rounds of treatment. Those costs can quickly add up, especially if your insurance does not cover fertility treatments on your plan. Many insurance plans do not cover any types of fertility treatments, which means the rest of the cost comes out of pocket. Those offering some coverage often have various restrictions regarding the exact procedures or medications covered. Therefore, you must read the fine print of your insurance policy carefully before pursuing fertility shots or oral medications as treatments for your asthma medication-related infertility. Follow these tips when assessing the costs of fertility treatments and medications:

• Request an estimate from your fertility doctor for all expected medications and procedures.
• Consider potentially hidden fees, such as the cost of monitoring procedures.
• Contact your insurance company with specific questions to make sure your Follistim 600 iu or other treatment is covered.

How to Find Discount Infertility Meds

If your insurance does not cover the cost of your infertility treatments, do not worry. Discount infertility meds are available from many sources. One place to find them is to buy fertility meds online, but you must be careful. Online medication sales are not regulated in the same way as medications you receive locally from a doctor. Purchasing pills or fertility shots online is only a good option when you purchase them from a trusted source. Your access to discount infertility medication may also depend on the laws in your state. There are several states in which employers or insurance companies must provide fertility treatment coverage by law. However, there are also states in which laws specifically state such coverage is not necessary.

Accessing low-cost infertility medication may require you to speak to your employer. See if your employer offers coverage through the health plan provided. If not, request such coverage be added to the plan. Band together with other employees to make a joint request, if requesting coverage yourself is unsuccessful. If you are unable to get the coverage you need through employer-provided or independent insurance plans, try alternative cost-cutting methods like asking a nonprofit organization specializing in fertility assistance for financial help.

Ivfprescriptions.com has been partnering with couples for more than three decades, and is one of the primary suppliers of infertility drugs to clinics, hospitals, and fertility clinics worldwide. You can buy infertility drugs online directly from us as well. Call today to find out more!