Not pregnant but symptoms returning?

MooFish2364

Hello everyone. I have a few questions and was hoping that some of you might have experienced the same thing that I am going through. I had a blighted ovum and a d&c 11 days ago. I was 20wks but gestational sac was about 6.5wks. I also had really high Hcg betas right up until my procedure. 

Anyways, I noticed last night/this morning that I feel af type cramps returning and my breasts feel swollen like they do after ovulation. My bbt was high again after being low following my d&c and I still have a very dark positive pregnancy test. There is no way Ian pregnant...at this point I'm worried that I am starting to feel pregnant again and I am worried about retained tissue or something else causing it. 

Anyone have a similar experience? I would appreciate any advice. I don't see my doc until the end of the week for my post op. 

BrightenMySky

So I had different m/c timing than you (growth likely stopped around 8 weeks, discovered at 11 weeks), but I can tell you all about my ongoing experience with retained tissue (obviously with the disclaimer that I am not a doctor/nurse/medical professional, and you should call your doctor if you concerns--I really don't think it's an imposition, you just had surgery, they can talk to you before your appt).  

Here's my timeline:
day 1 - no hb on ultrasound
day 4 - d&c, had some minor cramping that day & the next, but totally managed with heat & ibuprofen, very little bleeding
day 9 - call on-call doc (weekend) b/c of cramps that were NOT managed with heat & ibuprofen, no fever, nauseous, advised to go to ER
day 9 - ultrasound in ER found retained tissue, and while some may be normal (better to be conservative with the d&c), the attending GYN did not think what I had was normal, so prescribed cytotec; HCG still elevated
day 10 - take cytotec, seemed to do what it was supposed to
day 19 - scheduled post-op follow-up finds there is still some retained tissue; HCG still elevated (about 1/3 of what it was on day 9)

In terms of symptoms, yes to sore/swollen breasts, but my morning sickness went away pretty soon after my d&c.  Also started getting migraines around day 11 that have been on/off, seems like probably related to hormones crashing.  I don't temp so not sure on that front.

I had an HCG draw today, should have results soon.  

Hope that helps.  Not sure what time it is where you are, but here it's the middle of the day, so I would just call the doctor.  They might want to see you earlier, they might tell you it's ok for now, but there are other symptoms you should watch out for that would warrant an earlier appt (or an ER trip if it's after hours).  

ThePax89

My retained tissue story...in the format of @BrightenMySky

9.5 weeks pregnant. Baby measures 7 weeks. No hb 

d&c 2 days later. normal amount of pain and bleeding. 

2-5 days post d&c. A lot of pain. Called the ob almost every day to ask about it. 

6 days post d&c. Pain picks up. Start passing clots. Woke up middle of the night passing enormous clots. Called emergency line and they told me not to eat or drink in case I needed surgery in am 

7 days post d&c. U/s revealed retained tissue. I was sent for an immediate second d&c. 

As of 5 weeks post d&c, I was still testing positive for pregnancy. My hcg level was an 8. One doctor told me that I would test positive for 3 weeks. 

I wouldn't be concerned that you are still testing positive at this point.  Id watch out for pain and heavy bleeding. When is your post op appointment?

I am so very sorry for the loss of your baby  

MooFish2364

Thanks so much, ladies! I'm sorry you guys have had to go through all of this. I'm also feeling like a jerk asking these questions when it seems like what you've went through was so much worse than my experience. 

I had had light bleeding and a few small clots the day of and day after my d&c. My cramps were never really bad (I usually have severe af cramps and this was even lighter). 

I had had light spotting for about 6 days after the procedure and no more cramping. I did have severe constipation/gas/bloating on days 5, 6, & 7 that almost sent me to the er. Luckily things have cleared up on that front! This is totally TMI but does anyone else have pain during a bm? I still do and I hope that's normal. 

I dont have have any cramping, bleeding, or smelly discharge so I really hoping this is just the normal process that my body is going through. 

@BrightenMySky it's interesting that you started getting migraines on day 11. I've had one since last night. Hormones suck!

@thepax89 my post op appt. is on Wednesday but we are supposed to get a huge snow storm so I might have to reschedule. If I do I will probably call and ask to talk to my dr or a nurse about my concerns. 

Again, thanks for the help ladies and I'm sorry you're stuck going through all of this too. So sorry for your losses. 

BrightenMySky

I am sorry for your loss and for what you are going through.  I think this sucks for all of us, no sufferlympics here.  Part of what makes this so hard for me, and maybe you guys identify, is that I picked the d&c so it would be over (physically), but it's not!  And I feel like my body still wants to be pregnant and cannot give up on this baby.  

I did just get my hcg levels, and they haven't quite gone down by half since last Tuesday.  Slow progress, I guess.  
@MooFish2364 these migraines suck majorly.  I hope you can get some relief.  I found hot showers, acupressure pillow, and heating pad on face helped a bit.  I also have been throwing all the things I wasn't supposed to use during pregnancy at it--antihistamines/decongestants of choice, imitrex, as much coffee as I want, etc.  And I'm getting a night mouthguard from the dentist because I think I've increased grinding my teeth at night, which isn't helping.

MooFish2364

@BrightenMySky I hope you start feeling better soon! I am feeling pretty good today...just waiting for my Hcg go drop I guess. I hope your migraines are getting better. Mine went away last night and hasn't come back yet...I'm hoping it doesn't! I use heat and Advil for mine. Sometimes I just have to go to bed because it's the only way to get rid of them. 

I I have also felt really frustrated with my body. It couldn't carry/grow a baby properly, couldn't recognize that things were wrong, and still won't let my hormones go down. It's driving me crazy! I just want to feel at peace with my body. 

ThePax89

Yes @MooFish2364 exactly. My body is so uncooperative and I'm over it. 

MooFish2364

Ok...so I spoke too soon. Last night at 13 days post d&c I was sitting on the couch working on my computer when all of a sudden I felt a huge gush of blood. I got up and ran to the bathroom and passed a little bit of tissue and a quite a bit of blood. This happened on and off all evening. My living room and bathroom looked like a crime scene. I had some cramping but not until after my first gush of blood. I wish I would have at least have a warning. I called my doctor but they haven't called back. After the last bout of passing tissue everything seems to have really slowed down and I didn't have much bleeding overnight or so far this morning. I'm hoping this is just my body getting rid of any left over tissue. 

BrightenMySky

@MooFish2364 that sounds rough.  I hope this means the physical part is finally over for you.