Many people are unsure about self-administering medication, and the thought of giving yourself injections can make you feel anxious. But you needn’t worry – help is at hand.
Drug teach support
Every new patient at Bourn Hall is invited to attend a drug teach as part of a nurse discussion appointment, where you will be shown how to administer the medication. There’ll also be an opportunity for both you and your partner to ask questions.
To give you some extra help at home, we’ve put together a short video that shows you how to use the medication for down regulation (the first stage of the IVF treatment where drugs are used to suppress the menstrual cycle) – Buserelin. It’s sometimes known by its brand name, Suprecur, and is given by injection. The video below takes you through the injection process step by step.
There are additional, easy-to-follow instructions for using other drugs used in IVF treatment at www.fertility-information.com.
Suprecur is the brand name for the medication; Buserelin is the generic name. Buserelin is the first medicine you take on an IVF cycle, and is referred to as down regulation medication.
Buserelin puts you temporarily into a mini-menopausal state, so you may experience symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, headaches and mood swings.
The expiry date is 15 days from when you first opened it. There is a space on the bottle to write this date to help you remember. Do not use it after 15 days.
One bottle will have at least 11 doses of medication; some may have the full 15 days’ worth. If it looks like you’re running out, please contact your clinic and we can supply you with a fresh bottle.
Every person’s cycle is different. It is likely that you will be injecting the down regulation medication for approximately two to four weeks, but your nurse will explain more.
Put it straight into the sharps bin. If you have finished because of the expiry date, make sure that you’ve got a new bottle to replace it should you need it.
We recommend that you take it between 6pm-8pm every day. When you start to take the stimulation medication in addition to Buserelin, this will mean two injections every day. However, you don’t need to take them both at the same time.
Approximately a week after starting the down regulation medication. Don’t worry if it’s a few days earlier or later than expected – everyone’s cycle is different. It is important, once you have bled, to continue with the Buserelin unless advised otherwise.
If you have started to bleed as expected while on Buserelin, your treatment will continue as planned. You may be asked to contact the nurses when you bleed, or to only contact them if you have not bled prior to the next phase as in this case we may need to adjust your treatment plan.
You will be supplied with pre-injection wipes but you do not need to use them, as the tummy is generally considered a clean area for injection anyway. You may wish to use them to wipe the top of the bottle before each injection.
Once you have finished all of your injections, which will most likely be once you’ve had your trigger injection, close the sharps bin completely so it’s safe to transport and then bring it in with you to your next appointment.
Often with a frozen cycle, Buserelin is recommended prior to starting the oestrogen tablets, and for a little while afterwards. Your nurse coordinator will let you know what’s recommended for your treatment.
If you have any other concerns, just get in touch with the nurse coordinators at your clinic –they’ll be happy to talk you through any of your symptoms or answer any questions.
