I had been having some strange bleeding since my last menstrual cycle and after speaking with my OB, we decided to do a D & C and a hysteroscopy to see what was going on. Just a little background, I miscarried last October and I was 12 weeks along. I went in for the procedure Wednesday morning and after getting all ready, was told that my procedure was being cancelled because I had a positive pregnancy test.
I knew immediately that the pregnancy was not viable because of all the symptoms I had been having. But the doctor wanted two sets of labs to compare and make sure that the pregnancy hormones were decreasing before going forward with the surgery. I also had blood work done and an ultrasound. They all said I was 4 weeks pregnant, which I knew for a fact was impossible.
We got news on Friday that my levels were not raising as they should and that I should go immediately to be admitted to the hospital for a D & C. During the procedure, the doctor found nothing in my uterus and is assuming the baby is in a fallopian tube, though it was too small to see which one. He would have had to slice them both open to find and remove the pregnancy. So, he opted to give me a shot of methotrexate to stop the cell division and hopefully keep my tube as healthy as possible for a future pregnancy. I am going to have two different labs done this week to monitor whether my HCG levels are coming down.
Have any of you ever been through this? We want to get pregnant and I'm scared about how long this drug will stay in my system. Also, I have been reading that it often takes more than one dose of this medication to do the job. I had this all done Friday, late afternoon and I didn't get to speak with my doctor after the procedure. He came out to talk to my husband, which means that I probably got about 1/10 of the actual information. Any advice from those who have been through this and especially if you were given this shot, would be greatly appreciated!
They monitored my HCG levels and they were not dropping like they were supposed to, so I got called in immediately for surgery on Thursday evening. They did a laparoscopy, so I have three outer incisions and then they found the pregnancy in the left fallopian tube and cut open the tube to remove the pregnancy. The doctor said that he saved the tube and he doesn't think that there will be any reason for it not to be fully functional. We are looking at a hysterosalpingogram in about two months once the tube has healed to make sure that the path is clear and then we will proceed with our efforts to conceive. What a long road this has been! Thank you all so much for your responses. Your stories helped me to know what to expect and what to look for. I really appreciate it!
H., i've never experienced an ectopic pg, however I have experienced several m/c...i just wanted to say how sorry I am and send lots of healing hugz.
I also was treated for an ectopic pregnancy.I started spotting around 5-6 weeks and my first hcg level was only around 300 which is low. Long story short after more blood work my levels went up and down but never doubled.My doctor decided she wanted to treat it as ectopic. Which was a round of methotrexate. I never had any major pain light cramping like my period was coming. Spotting was also light but still my hcg levels were low but not coming down. So very nervous I went for my 1st injection of methotrexate. It wasn't so bad but mentally I was very stressed out! Questioning myself was this the right decision? Well after my second blood test my levels were still to high. So back for one more injection of methotrexate. As far as side affects I had a little nausea and maybe three days after the shots had stronger cramps. Thank God that was it. I really can't complain it went well. . Finally they started to come down it did take about 5-6 weeks for it to happen. Longest 2 months of our lives. It seemed like we only knew we were pregnant about a week and then everything started to happen. I have read alot about all of this. I am now happy with my decision. I think mydoctor was great for moving so quick.I never needed surgery which could have damaged one of my tubes.Also there are cases where a women can die from an ectopic.I was always one to say everything happens for a reason. Even though it was very sad and stressful to go through. I try to think positive!! I have friends who have fertility problems. i can't imagine how hard that is to go through when you want a child so bad. What I always say is at least I know we can get pregnant it only took us 4 months of trying! So now I'm not nervous at all to try again I want this even more then before if thats possible.Just make sure after your level is below 5 you start taking prenatal vitamins again. Methotrexate actually removes folic acid from your body which helps in the developement of your baby.Also wait 2 cycles before you try again. Hope this helps! it great to know I'm not alone:) Best wishes to all of you:)
I never had this happen to me so i'm trying to understand your situatiation.I'm sorry you are having to go through this.However you should be having a follow up appt. with your dr if one wasn't set call them today and get one set and get all the information about what happened and all other concerns you have at that time.I would like for you not to get misleading information this sounds very serious and what worked for one woman may not be your case.Good Luck and I hope you get your baby in the future.Make sure your husband gave you all the information.At least speak to a call back nurse today.
My only experience has been with a D&C. However, you are in my thoughts.... None of this sounds like a pleasant thing to go through!
As for getting pregnant, you're only fertile a few days a month (I highly recommend fertility awareness so you can identify when those days are) so I would guess the methotrexate won't be in your system long enough to be a problem.
Best wishes!
Hi H.,
I am so sorry for your loss. I had an ectopic pregnancy 2 months ago, and went thru a similar thing. I had to have surgery to remove the pregnancy, but didn't loose a tube. I was very fortunate because I was 8 1/2 weeks along and the outcome could have been very dangerous if left untreated. I got a shot of methotrexate when I was in the hospital. From what I understand it is commonly used in cancer patients. It was a big deal for the nurse to give. She had to come from the cancer unit and be certified to give it. I was really crampy afterwards. A friend that is a labor and delevery nurse told me that she knew someone that got pregnant shortly after getting the medicine and the baby was blind. Don't know for sure if the med caused it, but I wouldn't try again for at least 4 months? I hope that this helps.
A.
First of all, I want to say how very sorry I am for you. I, too, went through this last October and then had a miscarriage in February of this year (a rough year to say the least). I only had to have 1 set of injections, but my levels were never that high (81 hcg and I was 7 wks pregnant). I had the injections which went as well as they could have. I opted for the injections instead of the surgery because I want to have another child and didn't want to take the chance at damaging the tube. I was told that the injections last about 3-6 months, but my OB told me at my last appt that you absolutely cannot conceive a baby unless this injection is gone from your system. Also, most doctors don't tell you is these injections can strip some of your vitamins out of your body. So, make sure if you start feeling very tired or fatigued you have them check your vitamin B and D levels. I wish you this best and I will keep you in my thoughts. Goodluck! :)
H. -
I've been through this. In August of 05, I had an interstitial pregnancy. This means that the fertilized egg had implanted itself just outside the tube, in the 'horn' of the uterus. I was given two shots of methotrexate and then had to go in twice a week for bloodwork and ultrasounds - this went on for about 3 weeks, until my hCg levels came back below 10. The entire process was nerve wracking and very emotional. Since then, I've had two very healthy babies!
Good luck, my thoughts and prayers are with you!
P.
I did have this shot for a ectopic pregnancy in 2001. It did take 2 shots to get the levels to start dropping. My doctor then had me keep getting blood levels checked every few days until they dropped officially below the pregnancy levels. Once my levels were very low, my doctor then had me do the test where they put dye into your uterus and tubes to make sure there were no blockages in my tubes. After that he told me I was free and clear to try to get pregnant immediately.
H., I'm so sorry to hear about everything you have been going through. I had basically the exact same scenario as you (except my miscarriage was at 6 weeks instead of 12) and ended up with the following pregnancy being ectopic. I also had a D&C and then methotrexate follow up shot since they found nothing in my D&C. I only had one shot of the methotrexate, and I ended up getting pregnant again (successfully resulting in my first child) about 3.5 months later. I can't really remember what advice my Dr. gave me at the time, in regards to waiting after the shot to start trying again. I'm thinking maybe 1 month, but can't recall for sure. I'm sorry I can't provide more info. But 3 months is at least a safe time period after the methotrexate, since that's about when we conceived. Good luck and take care of yourself!
Good luck H., this is not an easy decision. I would first go your doctor with all your concerns and then ask for a second opinion, maybe from a high risk ob if your doctor cannot answer your questions and concerns to your satifaction.
Hi H.,
I am so sorry that you are going through this. I went through this two years ago. My HCG was not rising like it should have been, and I was told that the pregnancy was not viable. They could not see anything in my uterus either, so they assumed I was ectopic. I was seven weeks. They gave me the shot, and my numbers still went up (but not enough), so they did an emergency D & C. They found it in my uterus. Afterwards, it took me a year to get pregnant again. I don't know why... I had gotten pregnant twice on the first month of trying before. I am assuming that it had something to do with the medicine and what turned out to be a miscarriage. My dr told me that I could start trying again in three months to give my body time to recover, she didn't mention that I should wait because of the medicine... If you have any other questions, please let me know.
I had an Ectopic Pregnancy in 2001. My doctor also suggested I have a methotrexate shot instead of surgery, to save my tubes. I was administered the methotrexate shot at the Hospital the next day. I only needed one shot, I have not heard anyone needing more than that. I had no side effects, and my cramps and bleeding also stopped. I feel your concern and sorry to hear about the Ectopic Pregnancy. But, after my ordeal, I delivered a healthy baby boy in 2002, and was blessed with another healthy boy in 2004.
Best of Luck,
mom of 2 beautiful boys !!!
I had that shot in January 2007. It only took one shot. I was roughly 9 weeks pregnant at the time. It's a hard deal to go through, especially when you are wanting that baby, as I'm sure you already know. However, it didn't affect my chances of getting pregnant again. Almost one year to the day after what my due date should have been, I had my daughter. I didn't try to concieve again right away, but it did happen within a few months of getting the shot. I'm sure it affects each person differently, but just know that if you want to try again, it can happen. I'm very sorry for all you are having to go through, and I wish you the best of luck!
Hi H.,
I have something very similar happened to me, I am sorry about that, but you will be able to have more bebies, probably pretty soon.
In my case it ended up being sooner than yours so I didn't need an operation, they did something that I don't remember the name, but it was flushing the tubes with iodine and taking x-rays to see if there was anything left or the tubes plugged. I was able to conceived my second daughter three months after the treatment.
Your case is different though, I think that you should call your doctor and talk to him/her right away and get rid of your questions, it is the least that they owe you!
You might also want to check this site with some interesting answers:
http://www.revolutionhealth.com/search/results?src=ww_glo...
Hoping to read one of your posts soon saying that you are all right and ready to have an other baby!
Best of luck!
Mariana
