Buserelin Feb 2024

[EvaA17]

Hi all,

I just wanted to see if anyone else was facing this issue like me.
I was due to start IVF in January- and had the blood test to check my ovarian reserves in December. I was told in Jan to contact the clinic to submit all my paperwork and also when I have the first day of my period to do my scans etc before I can start Buserelin, anyway, I did contact them and they said there is a national shortage of Buserelin and it's out of stock, so unfortunately I have to wait and they're hoping to get stock in Feb so to contact them with my Feb period.
I started yesterday so I emailed them again only to be told Buserelin is still out of stock :(
It just feels really disheartening as it's been two years of TTC and then being told I can start IVF in Jan, and only to be delayed by another two months.
Just wondering if anyone else is having this issue, if so, have you been given any other alternatives? Or what's been the conversations you've had with your clinic.
To be honest they haven't provided me the most information either about which protocol il be on etc.

Any advice would be appreciated - thank you :)

Hi @EvaA17

I think Buserelin is used for the trigger rather than the stims, and there are alternatives as far as I know.

On my first privately funded round of IVF I was prescribed Buserelin for my trigger. I responded better than expected on that round, so the clinic wanted to keep all meds/doses exactly the same on the next round (I'm embryo banking due to my age so froze them all and moved on to next cycle). The clinic rang before the second round to advise and apologise about the Buserlin shortage, and offered me a choice of alternatives. One of the two alternatives was being prescribed to new patients on their first cycle (I don't remember the name sorry). The other (Synarex) was being prescribed to return patients like me who were already known to respond well to Buserelin, as it acted in a very similar way (though administered differently as a nasal spray).

I went with the spray, but haven't started the next cycle yet so don't have any results to compare to the Buserelin round. So the clinic definitely offered alternatives - there was no suggestion that I delay treatment and wait for the Buserelin to be back in stock. I'd maybe give them a ring and push it a bit, especially as you don't know when it will be back in stock and how long you might be waiting.

Is it private or nhs? I would have thought a private clinic would go out of their way to find an alternative, as they would be out of business if they were turning all new patients away due to the shortage. I have also had an NHS cycle - I was prescribed an entirely different set of meds on this cycle and I think the trigger was Gonasi rather than Buserelin.

I don't know much about how each drug works, that's just my experience. Maybe the clinic have a reason they want you to use the Buserilin specifically, but if so I think they should be explaining this to you and offering you alternatives rather than just turning you away for treatment.

Hope that helps in some way. I found the wait to start treatment one of the hardest parts in the process.

@AnotherDuvetDay thank you so much! This is useful to know. I still haven't heard anything from the team at the clinic yet. And they haven't really explained much either. So I don't know if I'm being prescribed buserelin as the trigger drug or what the purpose of it is. It's quite frustrating especially when being left in the dark and no further explanations. I'm just getting really anxious now.

I'm doing this via NHS, and haven't heard from the team since last Wednesday so will need to chase them up.

Thank you once again!

@EvaA17 my understanding is buserelin is used as a trigger and there has been supply issues for a while. My clinic wanted me to trigger with buserelin as it's meant to have a lower risk of OHSS (which I'm at risk of). Instead my clinic has prescribe Ovietrielle. Speak to your clinic as there are other alternatives.

@LIVFingOnAPrayer19 thank you! Really appreciate it.
It sounds like there's definitely alternatives so they should offer me that or at-least have a conversation with me about it. It seems like from what I have read online buserelin has supply issues regularly. I'm trying to remain positive but every day that passes by impacts on my positivity. 😢

@EvaA17 Did you have any luck finding an alternative? I'm in exactly the same situation. Was meant to start in November but was put back to after Christmas and now every month told still no medication and no alternatives.

@CharlieBarlie1 I haven't had any response from my clinic, unfortunately. I've chased them again today and still no news.
I was told I could start after Christmas and there would be no delays, and now I'm in a position that by waiting for after Christmas, it's backfired on me and I should have started ASAP in November. But then I don't know how that would have worked with the shortage now. This has delayed me for a further two months and I'm starting to get really anxious and down about it.
Which clinic are you with if you don't mind me asking?

@EvaA17 I'm exactly the same. I have endometriosis, have cyst growing again which is why I was meant to start asap. Feel really stressed waiting as just not sure how long it will take. I'm with Queens Romford. What about you?

@CharlieBarlie1
Im with Queens, Romford. What are the odds! Apparently will be having some of the treatment in Kings Fertility in Denmark Hill. Is that the same for you?
I can't believe they're saying there are no other alternatives, because surely there has to be other options?!?
They've also not explained to me which protocol I will be on and it seems that the process described by the doctor is different to what the nurses have told me too.

I'm so sorry you're having to go through this too, it's not easy. I'm praying for a miracle and that we get some good news soon! I just want to start asap as the waiting around has got me so worked up. :(

I had Buserelin as my trigger, they decided it the day before as I was due to use overtrille but changed to Buserelin because of my risk of OHSS. They told me I would get nasal spray as there was a shortage but as it was when I checked the box on the way home it was an injection, I double checked with the clinic and they said they had 2 available and so gave me one x

It depends what they want you to use burselerlin for. On my most recent cycle I was supposed to have it as a trigger but was given decapeptyl instead. However on my first cycle I was on long protocol and had to use burserelin to down regulate for a few weeks and in that case I'm not sure if there's anything else they can use? Did they tell you whether you was on long or short protocol?

@lemons44 hiya, ahh okay that makes sense.
So they haven't told me which protocol I will be on, and I think that's what the issue is as I don't know therefore don't know how much of the medication id actually need.
All the doctor had told me during my consultation was that the medication (busereljn) they need to give me to ensure I don't OHSS is currently out of stock and facing national shortage. I don't have much clarity on what that means and what protocol. Still no news from the clinic. 😔

@waitingforourmiracle ahh okay, from this I'm assuming they will be giving me Buserelin as my trigger shot as they were worried about OHSS with me. So I might not actually need too much of it.
are you on the long or short protocol?
Just frustrating as it seems to be something that goes out of stock quite regularly. Wonder why that is!

@waitingforourmiracle I was with create fertility so they call it a mild cycle, I think it's very similar if not the same as a short protocol

good luck with your journey, try and be kind to yourself, it really is a rollercoaster xx

@waitingforourmiracle thank you, good luck with your journey too! Hope it goes well, fingers crossed for you xx

@EvaA17 hmmm it might be for long protocol then.
The theory with long protocol is they give you burserelin first to suppress all your hormones and ovaries (it effectively puts you into fake menopause) before starting the stims part. I think some clinics believe that by down regulating a woman first, the clinic then has a bit more control over the follicle growth because the woman is effectively starting from a bit of a blank slate. So it might be they've picked this approach due to OHSS risk?

Hopefully they clarify soon! Xx