Very slow hcg drop after d&c

[kravitzkatie]

I had a super slow drop also.... It is very unpleasant not knowing what your body is doing, but it took me 9 weeks after my D&C to get below 5 hcg's... I'm sorry you are going through this! I just got my first AF after my D&C 2.5 weeks ago, and still have yet to O. So I think my body is still off... But my levels did finally reach below 5... So Hopefully it'll be soon for you too!

Katie

 

[Mjef2881]

Hi katie, thanks for your message.
It has been a long 9 and a half weeks for me since my d&c and i just got my latest level today: 15. All the interventions my dr and i have tried have failed. We are going back to retest the pathology to reconfirm that it was not molar tissue (initial pathology pointed to no). Also having a formal ultrasound tomorrow to confirm there is nothing inside. The plan is to do another d&c and methotrexate injection if there is something visible. If not, just another methotrexate injection but a different kind of it. The most frustrating thing is that we are now resorting to the very interventions that have failed in the first place so the question is, do we wait to see what happens on its own or do we go ahead with the treatments? What if they fail again? What if we do nothing and it only complicates things for furture pregnancies.
Katie, has your doc suggested any of these treatments? Anyone else had anything else done that may have sped this along? The only thing worse than having to wait for the levels to drop is having all these treatments fail and thelevels still not dropping at a pace they should. Is there any risk Associated with just waiting?

 

[Apple111]

Hi apple111.
I have the same pulls you are describing. Also feeling a sensation of fullenss in the uterus and experiencing some bouts of nausea here and there. It kinda feels as it did when i first found out i was pregnant! Are you getting some pains too?
I hope you get some good news tomorrow! Im still struggling to bring this last 20 down and like you hope to get a period soon. Never in my life have i wanted a period so badly! I guess its cause i know with a period comes potential ovulation and with ovulation comes another chance to ttc again.
Keep us posted on what your levels are and best of luck to you!

Hi thanks for reply, the pulling is a real pain. I can only walk for 10 mins then am really uncomfortable n have to undo my jeans I'm like u just want cycle back..then I know my body is getting better then can think bout ttc I've not got results yet but will update tomoz when I do xx

 

[MrsKA]

Sorry mjef2881 ! my pathology said no to both full and partial molar as well but my oncologist said that the presence of hydropic change plus the slow drop pretty much confirmed a partial molar so they were treating it as such. Was your placental tissue tested as well ? I had the hydropic change in the chorionic villi of the placental tissue (hydropic change basically means that the placental cells were abnormal and absorbed more fluid than it should of which made it swell, the surgeon commented that there was a lot of placental tissue after the d&c too) the baby itself was totally normal.

 

[MrsKA]

Oh and also they are being a lot more active in your case. With me they did nothing ! my specialist also told me that sometimes this happens for no good reason, some woman are just slower to recover. So please don't freak that there is something wrong as it doesn't mean there is. When I ended up in hospital with horrible pain the doctor suggested that I request another d&c maybe this is something you could consider although if the scan shows nothing they may not allow it. I was also told that sometime you can have the tiniest bit of retained product that it doesn't always show on the scan or that you did have something there but that your body has reabsorbed it. So just because your scan is clear doesn't mean that it wasn't a bit of retained product. I hope you get some answers, I know how frustrating it is not knowing what the hell is going on with your body!

 

[kravitzkatie]

Yes, my doctor recommended the methotrexate injection, however when I got down to 15 it started to drop 3 points every two days. So we ended up not needing to do any. I really hate not knowing what is going, I'm sure you do as well... I have been below 5 for 2.5 weeks, and still have yet to O... I am wondering if I am still messed up also. =( Keep me informed.

Katie

 

[MrsKA]

I hit 0 at the end of Feb, before that I would get horrible painful and light, dark brown bleeds which coincided with my period times, I also got positive opks when I still had low levels of hcg in my system. I never got pregnant though and we tried really hard, we are normally first time kind of baby makers so I don't think my body allowed me to get pregnant or I was surging but not actually releasing an egg. My period came back properly this cycle gone and then I got pregnant so it took me 2 full cycles to come right once my hcg levels were at 0 but my body seemed to have a few months of practice runs !

 

[Mjef2881]

You ladies have been so amazing for sharing your stories. I feel for all of you and hope we all end up with success stories after this. MRSkA you are living proof.
So last post my beta hcg level was 15. Since then i have vowed that i am not going to check another one for a few weeks - i was tired of being a pin cusion.
I started to suspect that it may have been a partial molar pregnancy and when i shared that with my doctor she couldnt deny she had the same thought. I was in a panic! I askes if the lab can take another look at the pathology sample taken from my d+c. She agreed it would be a good idea do do that as well as get a formal ultrasound. I went in for the ultrasound Wednesday. *drumrole* retained products! A spot 3mm in size left over from the initial d+c. I know normally anybody in my position would be terrified or devastated but i was thrilled! This was the reason i have been looking for! How could this have gotten by us? We did an ultrasound at the drs office 2.5 weeks ago and it was all clear! The u/s that diagnosed the retained tissue was a much more powerful machine. There was no question that as soon as that screen popped up, thats exactly what it was. Again, a huge relief.
When the dr got the results she immediatly suggested another d+c. I jumped to say yes but then another option came to play - another dose of cytotec. Less invasive than surgery and being that my numbers are so low, its worth a shot. Even with my unsuccessful history with it. So i put the cytotec in as i did the last time 800 vaginally and 200 orally. The cramps started within a half hour - different than the last time. They continued for 4 hours before i took something for the pain. Around the ti e i took something for pain, i started bleeding. Not much at all but it was there. And so here is where i am - friday, still bleeding a little and going for a blood test tomorro. I am not holding my breath- I have resigned. My body is going to do what its going to do and i am not in the drivers seat anymore. I am almost numb now from this whole experience. I was never truly able to grieve my loss because my loss is still inside of me. My body could just not let it go.
I would hate to go under anesthesia and the whole hospital experience again but i so badly want to put this whole experience behind me so what other choice do i have now? At least i know the reason why my numbers took forever to come down and i know what i can do to bring them down finally. I will post the result of the blood test on monday. D+c scheduled for wednesday if needed.

 

[B&LsMom]

Good luck with the results. If that doesn't help with the results maybe the Wednesday d&c would be a good idea. Although if they could re-test the tissue from the first d&c maybe that would be a better starting place as like you said a surgery again is a big deal. I would be concerned that no tissue present 2 1/2 weeks ago and then now tissue present would mean that it was growing--then again that would increase your levels--unless the Cytotec was between the last draws?? Hoepfully it was just the better machine picking up what the other machine didn't and everything will be back to normal levels---I'll keep my fingers crossed for that!!

 

[MrsKA]

Yah Mjef2881 ! I so desperately wanted the same outcome when I had my scan ! it gives you answers and solutions ! I found when I finally had my first "bleed" (brown not a real period) it was extremely painful and light but my levels dropped from it so the bleeding may have done the trick for you ! let us know how your blood results go !

 

[Apple111]

Hi mrsKA,

I was wondering, how did things resolve for you? I am in a similar position...five weeks after d&c for missed mc, still getting pos hpt, hcg last week at 60. So heartbroken, this was my first pregnancy, ttc at 34 years old.

I just wonder, will this ever end? I am torturing myself daily hpt, hoping for a negative. Three invites for baby showers on my kitchen table for good friends, and another one pregnant with twins. I just don't know how to deal with it.

Anyone else going through this now?

Need hope, jen

Hi , I'm in same boat hon , 3 of my friends and a cousin all 20 weeks plus now and all announcing the sex of their babies. I would be doing same now.. So gut wrenching...I'm 7 weeks since mc n no af Big hugs xxx

 

[Mjef2881]

Hi girls, well here is an update:
I last posted on friday. Saturday: Just when i thought my bleeding was tapering off, it got heavier, like a real period. Cramps accompanied that a bit as well so i thought something must be moving! Ofcoarse all the bleeding came AFTER i had my blood drawn. My doc informed me this morning the results from saturday came in at 12. Ugh. I let her know about the big bleed i had that saturday afternoon after the blood test and maybe its worth another draw today. She agreed, even though my bleeding has almost stopped completely - the results from this monday morning are 10! Lol. I have to laugh because its just ridiculous. Bring on the d+c!
It has been a very long 6 months of this nonsense. And though i dont want another d+c, it really is now the only alternative i have left. I am very lucky to have a very supportive and patient husband AND a site that i can go to that provides comfort and valid
information. Thank you all again for sharing your experiences and giving me reassurance.
I will let you all know how things go after wednesday.

 

[B&LsMom]

Thinking of you!

 

[MrsKA]

ARGH I totally know your frustration !!! it sounds an awful lot like mine ! did you say they tested for partial molar pregnancy ? I know its hard but there is an end in sight !

 

[Mjef2881]

Thanks girls
Yes i did get tested for a partial molar. The tissue was normal chorionic villi (probably spelled that wrong). Its just down to normal but stubborn retained products of conception that all started off with a blighted ovum diagnosed 3.5 months ago. Yes, i am ready to move on now

 

[Mjef2881]

Hi Ladies,
It is a week tomorrow post D&C for me and I know it's been a while but I have been avoiding writing because I didnt want to re-live the day!
My surgery wasn't scheduled till 2:45 pm that day so I had to go the whole day without eating. They finally took me back around 4:15 - this was a little less nerve wrecking than the first time, I must say. When I woke up though, it was another story:

I woke up with terrible abdominal cramps like never before. I was told that they had to give me pitocin because I bled quite a bit. The pain was unbearable so I was given morphine to ease the pain but it didn't touch me. They gave me 3 more doses before finally felt some relief but then the nausea started kicking in. At that point I didn't know what was worse - the pain or the nausea. The pain finally subsided when the dry heaving started. Since I didn't have anything in my stomach, nothing but fluid was coming out. This continued for several hours after I came home. Everytime I picked up my head I wanted to vomit. My husband fed me a grand total of 4 tablespoons of soup while lying on the couch. I thought the feeling was never going to go away! I was affraid to open eyes the next morning in fear I would still be naseaus but I had to eat something! I spent the day recovering from the weakness but by that evening I finally felt funtional!! Other then some bleeding and occasional cramps, I finally feel normal today!

So now after 4 months, 3 rounds of cytotec, one round of methotrexate, about 15 HCG level checks, 2 D&C's, and a whole lot of heart ache and tears - I found out yesterday that my levels are finally *0*!!!!
I have to come the conclusion that the first D&C was just not completed properly. An ultrasound was never used to confirm that all products of conception were removed but I'm not sure if that is common practice any way. The first D&C I hardly had any bleeding or discomfort AND recovered very quickly.
I hope I will never have to endure this ever again nor do I wish this on anyone. I'm glad it's finally over and we can move on

 

[MrsKA]

OMG that sounds just hideous ! I would personally be questioning why a follow up scan wasn't done ! especially with the bleeding ! congrats on being down to 0 ! it is SUCH a good feeling isn't it ! Onwards and upwards it's all over now !

 

[B&LsMom]

Congrats on being at *0*---wohoo!!

 

[Apple111]

Omg sounds horrible, glad u r finally feeling better xx

 

[Babee_Bugs]

Hey ladies... It's 5 weeks for me and still getting positives...

Just read some posts mjef and my god what a bloody ride... So glad after all of that you have "0"

I can't wait