Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Injectable Fertility Meds & Gluten? Anybody Know Anything?

brigala

By brigala
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

brigala Explorer
brigala
Posted

So, I'm about to undergo some fertility treatments...

Among other things, I will need an injectable progesterone treatment for an unknown period of time -- a minimum of two weeks The fertility clinic says that it's usually suspended in a "food oil" base, typically sesame oil, but the NP is concerned that the base MAY contain gluten. I am not sure why she is concerned about this, I told her I should be fine with sesame oil, but she felt I should use a different medication.

She is recommending something called Ethyl Oleate Progesterone. The suspension is not a food-based oil and she feels there's a lower risk of it containing gluten. The problem is, it's not readily available. It's only available at compounding pharmacies. I was kind of hoping to get my insurance (Kaiser) to pay for it; the regular injectable progesterone is in their formulary, and this special one is not. And I would be surprised if it can even be ordered through the Kaiser pharmacy system.

So I know this is grasping at straws here, but I was kind of wondering whether anybody here had done fertility treatments, including the injectable progesterone, and knows anything about any of this stuff?

Thanks in advance...

-Elizabeth

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

I have never found an injectable substance that contained gluten. Gluten acts as a thickening agent, which is not anything you want in an injection or IV drip--it would tend to clog the needle.

So, while I have no specific knowledge about this product, I highly doubt that it is a source of gluten.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

I would ask your NP for the name of the med and the company that makes it and call them. Chances are excellent that it is going to be fine, like Peter says I have never heard of an injection having gluten but it will set your mind and hers at ease.

brigala Explorer
brigala
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for the replies. My gut feeling is that the regular stuff is fine.

I just got off the phone with the Kaiser OB/GYN clinic and it sounds like I may be able to get the meds through the Kaiser pharmacy. The regular progesterone is on their formulary, so I'll need a good reason to get the other stuff if I want to get it through them. SO... what I did after talking to the nurse at Kaiser is I requested the nurse at the fertility clinic to send prescribing information on both types of progesterone to the Kaiser OB/GYN nurse. Then we can check with the Kaiser pharmacy and/or the drug manufacturers about gluten and other potential allergens in the regular stuff and make an informed choice.

Basically Kaiser would need to verify that the regular stuff isn't an option before they would help pay for the special stuff anyway, so regardless of how founded or unfounded the fertility nurse's concerns are Kaiser needs the information on both drugs.

At least it's nice to know that they're making an effort to not give me anything I would react badly to. Even if they are even more paranoid about gluten in drugs than I am. ;)

-Elizabeth

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,705
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Doreen Brace
    Newest Member
    Doreen Brace
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Gigi2025
      How Come Gluten Didnt Bother Me In Italy

      By Gigi2025 · Posted

      Hi Christiana, Many thanks for your response.  Interestingly, I too cannot eat wheat in France without feeling effects (much less than in the US, but won't indulge nonetheless).  I also understand children are screened for celiac in Italy prior to starting their education. Wise idea as it seems my grandson has the beginning symptoms (several celiacs in his dad's family), but parents continue to think he's just being difficult.  Argh.  There's a test I took that diagnosed gluten sensitivity in 2014 via Entero Labs, and am planning on having done again.  Truth be told, I'm hoping it's the bromine/additives/preservatives as I miss breads and pastas terribly when home here in the states!  Be well and here's to our guts healing ❤️
    • Wends
      Inconclusive results

      By Wends · Posted

      Lol that’s so true! Hope you get clarity, it’s tough when there’s doubt. There’s so much known about celiac disease with all the scientific research that’s been done so far yet practically and clinically there’s also so much unknown, still. Out of curiosity what’s her dairy consumption like? Even compared to early years to now? Has that changed? Calcium is dependent in the mechanism of antigen presenting cells in the gut. High calcium foods with gluten grains can initiate inflammation greater.  This is why breakfast cereals and milk combo long term can be a ticking time bomb for genetically susceptible celiacs (not a scientific statement by any means but my current personal opinion based on reasoning at present). Milk and wheat are the top culprits for food sensitivity. Especially in childhood. There are also patient cases of antibodies normalising in celiac children who had milk protein intolerance/ delayed type allergy. Some asymptomatic. There were a couple of cases of suspected celiacs that turned out to have milk protein intolerance that normalised antibodies on a gluten containing diet. Then there were others that only normalised antibodies once gluten and milk was eliminated. Milk kept the antibodies positive. Celiac disease is complicated to say the least.
    • deanna1ynne
      Inconclusive results

      By deanna1ynne · Posted

      And thank you for your encouragement. I am glad that her body is doing a good job fighting it. I also just want clarity for her moving forwards. She was only 6 for the last round of testing and she's 10 now, so I'm also hoping that makes a difference. It was weird during her last round of testing though, because right before her biopsy, we'd upped her gluten intake by giving her biscuits made from straight up vital wheat gluten, and her labs actually normalized slightly (lower ttg and her ema went negative). Bodies just do weird things sometimes! lol
    • deanna1ynne
      Inconclusive results

      By deanna1ynne · Posted

      The first negative biopsy in 2021 just said "no pathological change" for all the samples, and the second one in 2022 said "Duodenal mucosa with mild reactive change (focal foveolar metaplasia) and preserved villous architecture." So I think Marsh score 0 in both cases, though it's not actually written in the pathology reports. I'm really hoping to get a clear positive result this time, just for her sake.  
    • Wends
      Blood results

      By Wends · Posted

      Hopefully the biopsy gives a conclusive and correct diagnosis for your daughter. Im in the UK and have been in the situation a few years ago of trying to rule celiac in or out after inconclusive results. Many symptoms pointing to it including the classic symptoms and weight loss and folate and iron deficiency. You have to play a waiting game. I also had the label of IBS and likely food allergy. Genetic test showed low risk for celiac but not no risk. It sounds like the Gastroenterologist is on it and hopefully will diagnose what it is correctly. Food hypersensitivity (allergy) can also cause similar symptoms and inflammation as well as mimicking IBS. Milk / dairy and wheat (cereal grains) being the biggest culprits. The “oesophagitis” and “gastritis” you mentioned can be caused by another gastrointestinal disorder called “eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders”. These are named depending on which part of the gastrointestinal tract is affected. For example eosinophilic oesophagitis, eosinophilic gastritis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, and more rare eosinophilic colitis. They are antigen (allergen) driven. When the blood test measuring anti-ttg antibodies is positive in absence of a positive ema test - which is more specific to celiac, this can also suggest food hypersensitivity (allergy). Usually delayed type allergy similar to celiac but not autoimmune if that makes sense. In this case the ttg antibodies are transient. Which happens. I’ve first hand experience. For info, evidence of villous atrophy too can be caused by food hypersensitivity. Not just by celiac disease. In Egid disorders the six food elimination diet, under a dietitian and gastroenterologist care, is the dietary protocol to figure out the culprit or culprits. Sometimes only two food elimination diet is used at first. The number one culprit is milk protein / dairy. Followed by wheat, eggs, soy, fish and seafood, and nuts. Most are only reactive to one food group or two. Most are only reactive to milk. Hope this is a helpful reply.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.