Dear US Grocery store chains (and you know who you are)

Please take note: while the health care system in the UK is still warped in its own special way, folks still struggle to pay for perscription drugs and pharmacies still line up with hands out to collect pretty pennies from wanna-be mamas goign through IVF.

What I don't see happening in the US is this announcement made yesterday inthe UK.

"A supermarket chain is to sell fertility drugs without profit, claiming it will save patients hundreds of pounds per treatment.
Asda said the decision was part of a move to establish itself as the most competitive pharmacy in the UK.

The retailer's own research found 63% of people were unaware that private prescription prices varied between pharmacies, with the majority of customers (76%) going to the same pharmacy to pick up prescriptions. It found 92% of people had never compared the prices of private prescription drugs."

So, kudos to Asda for its gift to its customers, and as a gentle reminder to US readers, prices between pharmacies can differ as much as 30%. Check every single prescription you purchase - whether for fertility or not, to make sure you are getting the best price.

I often find that making 15 minutes of calls easily saves 10-15%. I write down my findings in a computer file, then save it for future reference.

Asda Pharmacy will charge £1,171.41 for drugs to accompany one IVF cycle, saving up to £820 compared with other high street pharmacies, it claimed.

Currently 71% of primary care trusts (PCTs) offer one or two free IVF treatment cycles, with thousands of women going on to pay for at least one more cycle.

You gotta love celebs, don’t you? Unofficial press releases hit the blogosphere this week to announce that actress Nicole Kidman and hubby country crooner Keith Urban are planning for baby #2.
Nicole made headlines a few years ago when she was trying for baby #1 (Sunday Rose) while she was filming the movie (ultimately a flop) named Australia. Tongues wagged when the 40 year old Kidman proclaimed the magic waters of Australia to have helped her get prego. More than one person wondered if those “healing waters” had really been shots of gonadotroprins.
Regardless, now almost 43, Kidman apparently admits she may have a little difficulty this time, though reports indicate that it is because of her medical history that she is considering other options since her 43rd birthday is coming up in June and she wants to be pregnant by then. I can’t help but wonder if her medical history is a code word for, as the industry likes to call it, advanced maternal age?” Hey – I can say it – I gave birth at 35 and the OB’s office acted like I was darn near ancient.
While I think it’s a great service to the infertility community when celebs are willing to share their stories (take that, J-Lo), I am not quite so sure that trying for baby #2 is newsworthy. Um…good for you? Go have sex. Let us know how it works out.

Being able to pinpoint the causes of infertility will enable the couple to seek for the best therapeutic regimen to correct the problem. Irregular ovulation or anovulation can be corrected by medication with fertility drugs. There are also medications which can influence the release of reproductive hormones from the pituitary gland. These hormones can induce ovulation. The problem with this type of medication is that there is an increased in the incidence of multiple births since there is a possibility of multiple ripening and release of the ova from the ovary.

When taking fertility drugs, the woman must be closely monitored for any untoward side effects which may include formation of large ovarian cysts and shifts in body fluids.

If the scarring of the fallopian is the pinpointed cause of infertility, this can be corrected by surgery with the use of operating microscopes and very sensitive instruments to increase the success rate of the procedure.

Parlodel has been used effectively to cure infertility in women. Parlodel is the brand name of the chemical pharmaceutical, bromocriptine. It comes under the category of medications known as Dopamine receptor stimulants.

Parlodel is used to suppress the effects of the hormone prolactin. Prolactin is the hormone that stimulates milk production. When a woman is pregnant prolactin increases the milk production capacity of her body. Some women have large amounts of prolactin without being pregnant. High levles of prolactin causes infertility. Parlodel is given in divided doses of 2.5mg per day through the menstrual cycle. 50% of the women who have been treated with parlodel have started ovulatingin a short time and later conceived. Parlodel comes with side effects. Many women experience nausea, stuffiness, low blood pressure, dry mouth and headaches after taking parlodel. Parlodel is the easiest and most effective solution when infertility is caused by high levels of prolactin.

Progesterone is an essential hormone for the survival of the fertilized egg. Progesterone is available as a cream and is a non invasive method of introducing progesterone in the body.

Progesterone cream is effective for helping ovulation and supporting gestation. It is a topical application that is easily absorbed through the skin and starts working immediately. Progesterone cream s preferred by some patients because it is natural and does not have side effects. Progesterone cream application does not guarantee fertility. It is also not easy to evaluate the quantity of the hormone that is absorbed by the body. Progesterone cream should be used only under medical supervision. Although it does not have side effects, it may react to other medication. To avoid adverse effects and for the cream to be effective, the patient must follow the instructions carefully. Progesterone is an easy way of maintaining pregnancy through a topical application.