Possible misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancy, FREAKING OUT
Sorry this will be long. I could use any advice I can get at this point. I got a very faint positive pregnancy test on the 8th of Feb. I had my pregnancy confirmed on the 13th, on the 17th which was this past Friday I went to the ER because I was having cramping and sharp pains on the left side.
They took my blood and my hCG count came back around 2,300. They did an ultrasound and no gestational sac, no nothing, was present in the uterus. The on call OB (Keep in mind this is NOT MY OB, this was the on call OB, my OB was on vacation) told me that they suspected an ectopic pregnancy because with the levels I had they should have seen something and they didn't. I broke down, both me and my fiance were devastated. We decided to go ahead with the methotrexate injection...
Yesterday I went to follow up with my regular OB and they re did the blood work to see if the methotrexate was doing it's job. Well today I went back to the dr to review my results and my doctor told me that my hCG DOUBLED. He said it doubled enough to suggest a normal uterine pregnancy. I FLIPPED OUT. I was like I just received this injection and now you're telling me that my pregnancy might be normal?!?! I was like, is this shot going to harm my child in any way shape or form? And he said most likely not. So on Thursday I go in for an ultrasound to see if they can see anything in the uterus.
My question is ... now that I looked up all this crap on the internet, methotrexate is a category X drug ... I am TERRIFIED my child is going to come out deformed or with severe birth defects or mental retardation. I just can't help but feel like all of this is my fault, we went ahead and decided to have the injection because of the information handed to us and now there's a glimmer of hope my pregnancy may be viable ... has anyone here had a situation like this? I know this is kind of a crazy situation and prolly doesn't happen often ... has anyone taken methotrexate while pregnant and given birth to a completely fine baby? I am so scared all I can do right now is cry, which I know the stress isn't going to help me much but I can't help it. If it is a viable pregnancy, I was only about 5 weeks along, today that would put me at 5 weeks 4 days and when I had the injection was Friday evening and I would have been 5 weeks 1 day pregnant. Please I just hope everything turns out okay, because not only am I worried about my ultrasound on Thursday, now I am completely frozen terrified this shot might have done something terrible to my unborn child and I'll never forgive myself. I mean my OB told me I have nothing to worry about and to take my prenatals ... any advice would be great.
Re: Possible misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancy, FREAKING OUT
At 5 weeks you will most likely not see anything on an abdominal ultrasound. Did they do abdominal or transvaginal? I can't imagine any doctor making a diagnosis THAT early with only an abdominal scan.
Something like a methotrexate injection should never be done until it is confirmed that the pregnancy is outside the uterus. That means they go and see that not only is it not in the uterus, but it IS in fact located elsewhere. Just doing an ultrasound and not instantly seeing something isn't grounds for methotrexate, I wouldn't think.
blog! thescenery.net
Ditto all this. At 4-5 weeks (which I'm guessing you were when you had your u/s), you wouldn't be seeing anything on u/s anyway. I'm not sure how an dr would make the determination for methotrexate based on that. You usually only give methotrexate for a confirmed ectopic (meaning you say the pregnancy in the tube).
I'm sorry I can't give you any advice on baby outcome after methotrexate, but I can say if you have a bad outcome you probably have legit grounds for malpractice.
PAL/PGAL Welcome
The general consensus is that a level over 2000 you can usually see something in the uterus. Level that are that high that early can also mean a molar pregnancy which is a pregnancy outside the uterus.
I know this is silly, but try not to panic. If you are really freaking out, ask your OB to see your tomorrow. Also, ask for your HCG numbers.
I hope and pray that everything works out, and that this is a viable pregnancy.
Lurking in, as I have some knowledge about methotrexate because I am an oncology nurse.
My advice is to drop this OB immediately. Either he doesn't know about the potentially (emphasis on potentially, it is very likely that everything would turn out just fine) harmful effects, or he is trying to cover his a-s-s. Being transparent after an error is a sign of a great physician - trying to cover something up is NOT okay.
You need to switch OB's immediately, and let any new OB know that you were exposed to methotrexate during your pregnancy. They may monitor you much more closely during your pregnancy to make sure everything is progressing as planned. Again, everything might very well be fine, but methotrexate is pregnancy category X, and since you were exposed so early in the 1st trimester, to protect the health of your baby, I highly suggest changing doctors and seeing what a new doctor has to say.
Best of luck to you.
Started fertility treatments 11/2010
Ovarian dysfunction, LPD, male factor
6 failed medicated IUI's
Pregnant 5/2011 - Miscarriage at 6 weeks due to triploidy
Decided to adopt - 6/2012
SURPRISE! Pregnant without intervention - 7/2012
Sweet Baby James Born 3/2013
Decided to be "One and Done"
....OR NOT.
Pregnant 12/2018 despite birth control pills
Here we go again...
Due 8/26/19!
Is there a reason that you're posting this story twice, with slightly different details?
https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/63620524.aspx
If this is true, I'm sorry that you're going through this. I responded to your post yesterday with my sympathies and advice.
TTC since 11/05...ectopic pg 4/08...early m/c 6/09...BFP 10/5/09!
Nora B...June 15, 2010...8lbs, 8oz...Med-free birth!
TTC #2 since 7/11...cycle #3 of Clomid + IUI = BFP
Malcolm...September 21, 2012...8lbs, 6oz...Another med-free birth!
I'm going to be the lone dissenter here and tell you that I think going out and finding an attorney and filing a lawsuit is a terrible idea. I have no doubt you're upset and scared, I would absolutely be as well. But filing a lawsuit over this is only going to prolong the emotional suffering and turmoil over what has happened. I see this everyday at work, and wish I could tell people that no amount of money will really give them the closure they are seeking.
Also, it's not clear from your post that you know this has actually affected the baby in any way. It sounds like you're still pretty early on in the pregnancy, and that early, there isn't the same exchange of blood, etc. from mother to baby as there is later on. I'm certainly not saying I know for sure what effect, if any, there would be. Unfortunately, I think that can only be determined as time goes on. Good luck with all of this.