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hcg levels falling then rising
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larhondat posted:
Hi I found out i was pregnant on 8/22/12 my lmp was 7/8/12 my hcg was 2438 on 8/28 i had bad cramps bleeding and passed blood clots i went to the er levels were at 848 i was told i misscarried 8/30 i stopped bleeding the on 9/1 i started cramping again no bleeding went to er hcg levels where 1378 ultrasound never showed pregnancy from the beginning i was told i was too early etopic and molar was ruled out i was told everything was fine on 9/5 had hcg levels checked they were 1700 on 9/7 they were 1148 on 9/12 they were 1031 i am really confused i know i miscarried on 8/28 but i still feel pregnant have all the symptons this is my first pregnancy and i need some insight please help!
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Jane Harrison Hohner, RN, RNP responded:
Dear larhondat: We are sorry for the apparent loss of your pregnancy. It sounds like both the presence of an ectopic pregnancy (HCG levels rise but do not double every 48 hours) and a molar pregnancy (HCG levels rise abnormally quickly, and may persist even after the molar pregnancy is gone). These are both the most worrisome reasons for HCG levels which do not drop.

As you may have read there can be some variability in HCG levels, but over all your levels are very slowly trending down. It would seem that your GYN is watching you closely since you have been having repeated HCG levels drawn. Another POSSIBLE reason for your slowly dropping levels would be a tiny bit of retained pregnancy tissue (called "retained products of conception" by a MD). I have even seen this in women who have had a surgical abortion as well as some miscarriages. Treatment is to remove any retained fragments of tissue by an aspiration procedure or D&C.

Please continue to follow up with your GYN or clinic. If your levels do not continue to drop they may want to do more testing.

In Support,
Jane
 
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larhondat replied to Jane Harrison Hohner, RN, RNP's response:
thanks for your reply i just recently found out it was etopic i was given the shot to stop the pregnancy but i want to know how long should i wait to get pregnant again
 
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tlkittycat1968 replied to larhondat's response:
Some doctors recommend waiting at least 3 cycles so it will be easier to determine the due date based on your period. However, there is no medical reason for waiting so if you like, you can start as soon as you want.
 
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Jane Harrison Hohner, RN, RNP replied to larhondat's response:
Dear larhondal: OMGosh, an ectopic! We're so glad that it was discovered and treated before you lost a Fallopian tube (or bled out into your abdomen).

What tlkitty sates is generally true but after using methotrexate there is an additional concern. As you likely know methotrexate works by interfering with folate so your folate stores are decreased. If you were told by your GYN not to use vitamins or folate enriched foods until your HGC dropped to nonpregnant levels this is the reason why. Before conceiving you would usually want to get your folate levels back up as a primary prevention for some birth defects (eg spinal bifida).

I would urge you to get exact instructions from your OB/GYN about when to resume trying to conceive. If you were told to stop folate/folic acid they can also tell you when it is safe to resume prenatal vitamins or your multi-vitamin.

Best wishes on your next conception.

Yours,
Jane

PS In doing a lit review on your question I found a study from 2008 which found no increased risks of fetal problems in moms who received methotrexate who got pregnant less than 6 months from their shot--compared to moms who waited longer than 6 months to conceive.
J


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