These are the approximate prices in Naples, Italy with Doctor Scotto di Frega and the local pharmacies as of October 2002.
Actual prices will vary according to individual needs. Euro rate is
approximately the same as U.S. Dollars. Note that medications in the U.S.
tend to be much more expensive. There are some links on the "Links" page
for comparison purposes.
 |
|
Some of the medications used during
the first part of therapy
(click to enlarge). |
The cost for the IVF cycle was 4,000€, not including
medications.
For US military members, some medications are available at the US Navy
Hospital (USNH). You cannot use an Italian prescription to get medications
at a US facility, so you'll have to get your primary care provider at the hospital to
write a prescription for you. The most costly medications are the follicle
stimulating hormones like Gonal-F. You may be able to get these at a
discount from others who have them leftover from a previous cycle.
First cycle of medication to stimulate egg production:
|
Trade
Name
(Medication Name) |
Function |
Rx |
Price |
|
Zitromax®
(azithromycin)
500mg, pill
|
Antibiotic.
Precautionary measures before therapy starts to prevent infections. |
Taken before cycle
starts.
Single dose: 2 pills
in the morning and 1 in the evening for both partners.
Repeat dose after 3
days. |
12 pills total.
83.04€ Available at the USNH pharmacy. |
|
Mecloderm ovuli
(meclocycline)
vaginal suppositories
|
Antibiotic.
Precautionary measures before therapy starts to prevent infections. |
1 suppository every
evening one week before Cycle Day 1 (estimated).
Actually used 9. |
15 suppositories (one
packet).
12.50€ |
|
Tantum P
lavanda
(benzidamina cloridrato)
140ml,
douche 
|
Medicated
vaginal wash (douche). |
1 douche in the
morning beginning one week before Cycle Day 1 (estimated).
Actually used 9. |
10 douches (two boxes
of 5 each).
14.98€ (7.49€
each) |
|
Bassado
(doxycycline)
100mg,
tablet 
|
Antibiotic.
Precautionary measures to prevent infections. |
1 tablet every 12
hours for 10 days beginning on Cycle Day 1 for both partners.
40
tablets total. |
40 tablets total.
17.56€ Available at the USNH
pharmacy. |
|
Decapeptyl
(triptorelina)
0.1mg vial
|
Similar in function to
Lupron® (suppresses production of
LH) but is not leuprolide acetate.
Used in the US for treatment of prostate cancer. |
1 vial subcutaneous
injection once a day beginning on Cycle Day 1.
Used
13 vials. |
14 vials (two boxes of
7 each).
87.80€ (43.90€
each) |
|
Gonal-F®
(follitropin alpha)
150 IU per vial
(ampule) 
|
Follicle stimulating
hormone (recombinant hMG). |
2 vials intramuscular
twice a day from Cycle Day 3.
Used 19 vials. |
3 boxes (10 vials
each).
2191.26€
(730.42€ each)
You may be able to get this from others who have some
leftover from their cycles. |
Second cycle of medication for egg retrieval and embryo implant:
 |
|
Some of the medications used during
the second
part of the therapy (click to enlarge). |
|
Trade Name
(Medication Name) |
Function |
Rx |
Price |
|
Profasi ®
(human chorionic gonadotropin – hCG)
5,000 IU vial
|
Triggers release of
eggs after ultrasound scans indicate that they are mature. |
1 vial intramuscular
36 hours before scheduled egg retrieval. |
5.99€ |
|
Ginoxil lavanda
vaginale
(not sure exactly what type of medicine this is -- forgot to write it down)
|
Vaginal wash.
Precautionary measures to prevent infections. |
1 douche nightly
beginning the day of Profasi® injection until the day before embryo
transfer.
Used 4 (cycle
stopped). |
4 douches (one box).
8.73€ |
|
Ambramicina®
(tetracycline)
250mg, capsules
|
Antibiotic.
Precautionary measures to prevent infection. |
1 capsule every 6
hours for 4 days beginning day of egg retrieval.
16 total. |
16 capsules (one box).
3.50€
May be available at the USNH pharmacy. |
|
Medrol®
(metilprednisolone)
16mg, tablet
 |
Corticosteroid (used
for its anti-inflammatory properties). |
1 tablet per day for 4
days beginning day of egg retrieval.
16 total. |
20 tablets (one box).
7.39€ |
|
Prontogest
(natural progesterone)
100mg, vial
|
Softens uterine lining
and prepares it for implantation. |
1/2 vial for 15 days
beginning day after egg retrieval.
Used 3 (cycle
stopped). Required for 1st Trimester. |
3 vials (one box).
5.63€ per box |
|
aspirinetta
(baby aspirin)
100mg, tablets
|
Increases blood flow
to the uterus. Note that these are 100mg
tables. Most baby aspirin sold in U.S. stores are 81mg. |
1 tablet per day for
15 days beginning day after egg retrieval. |
30 tablets (one box).
3.10€ |
|
Lasonil
(eparinoide bayer)
|
Ointment for local
pain relief (progesterone-in-oil injections can cause soreness). Numbs
area. |
As needed. |
1 tube.
6.00€ |
Our cycle was stopped after the egg retrieval due to ovarian
hyperstimulation. Although everything was normal up to that point, the
ovaries were large enough to cause concern if we had gone ahead with the
implantation.
The doctor extracted 18 total eggs and out of those, 12 were mature and were
fertilized.
Cryopreservation of embryos: There was no charge initially for the 12 frozen
embryos because of the stopped IVF cycle. The hospital takes care of that.
Additional storage is available if desired and is 362.29€ (including IVA and
processing fee) for every 6 months.
Another medication (noretisterone acetate) was required in order to maintain the
uterine lining until Cycle Day 1. This ensured that menstruation did not
occur too early and disrupt the cycle. Works similar to progesterone?
|
Trade Name
(Medication Name) |
Function |
Rx |
Price |
|
Primolut-Nor®
(noretisterone acetate)
10mg, pill
|
Maintains uterine
lining after IVF cycle was stopped in order to keep menstruation from
happening too early. |
1 pill per day for 15
days. |
15 pills.
6.43€ |
Another medication cycle was required just before the frozen embryo transfer
(FET):
|
Trade Name
(Medication Name) |
Function |
Rx |
Price |
|
Progynova®
(estradiol-17-β-valerato)
2mg, pill
|
Thickens uterine
lining and prepares it for embryo implantation. |
1 pill per day for 5
days.
2 pills per day for 5
days.
3 pills per day until
pregnancy test.
50+ total. |
60 pills (three boxes
of 20 each).
9.00€ (3.00€
each) |
|
Decapeptyl
(triptorelina)
0.1mg vial
|
Similar in function to
Lupron® (suppresses production of
LH) but it is not leuprolide
acetate.
Used in the U.S. for
treatment of prostate cancer. |
1 vial subcutaneous
injection once a day beginning on Cycle Day 2 until Cycle Day 15 (two days
before FET).
Used 13 vials. |
14 vials (two boxes of
7 each).
87.80€ (43.90€
each) |
|
Prontogest
(natural progesterone)
100mg, vial
|
Softens uterine lining
and prepares it for implantation. |
1 vial beginning 2
days before embryo transfer and continuing until pregnancy test. If
positive, continue. If negative, stop injections.
|
3 vials (one box).
5.63€ per box |
|
aspirinetta
(baby aspirin)
100mg, tablets
|
Increases blood flow
to the uterus. Note that these are 100mg
tables. Most baby aspirin sold in U.S. stores are 81mg. |
1 tablet per day for
15 days beginning two days before FET and continuing until pregnancy test. |
30 tablets (one box).
3.10€ |
The first FET didn't work. We had six remaining embryos, which we
implanted in April 2003. The cost for only the FET was 2,000€
plus the cost of the medications.
Medications for FET #2:
|
Trade Name
(Medication Name) |
Function |
Rx |
Price |
|
Progynova®
(estradiol-17-β-valerato)
2mg, pill
|
Thickens uterine
lining and prepares it for embryo implantation. |
1 pill per day for 5
days.
2 pills per day for 5
days.
3 pills per day until
pregnancy test.
Continue 3 pills per day for 3 months after pregnancy is confirmed.
|
60 pills (3 boxes of 20
each) + approx 270 (14 boxes of 20)
51.00€ (3.00€
each) |
|
Decapeptyl
(triptorelina)
0.1mg vial
|
Similar in function to
Lupron® (suppresses production of
LH) but it is not leuprolide
acetate.
Used in the U.S. for
treatment of prostate cancer. |
1 vial subcutaneous
injection once a day beginning on Cycle Day 2 until Cycle Day 15 (two days
before FET).
Used 13 vials. |
14 vials (two boxes of
7 each).
87.80€ (43.90€
each) |
|
Prontogest
(natural progesterone)
100mg, vial
|
Softens uterine lining
and prepares it for implantation. |
1 vial beginning 2
days before embryo transfer and continuing until pregnancy test. If
positive, continue. If negative, stop injections.
|
3 vials (one box).
5.63€ per box |
|
aspirinetta
(baby aspirin)
100mg, tablets
|
Increases blood flow
to the uterus. Note that these are 100mg
tables. Most baby aspirin sold in U.S. stores are 81mg. |
1 tablet per day for
15 days beginning two days before FET and continuing until pregnancy test.
Continue for 10 days after pregnancy confirmed. |
30 tablets (one box).
3.10€ |
Lentogest
(17-alfa-idrossiprogesterone caproato)250mg vial (dissolved in 2ml of
oil)
|
Keeps uterine lining soft after implantation throughout the first
trimester. Must wait until around 8 weeks since this is given only
every three days -- the medication level in the body is less constant than
the daily Prontogest injections. |
1 vial every three days beginning around the last month of first trimester
and continuing until Week 13 (plus 6 days). |
1 vial per box. 3.77€
per box
|
