Experience with methotrexate?

sarahtoledo · April 2012

:::sigh:::

One non-doubling beta and my doctors insist I need MTX tomorrow. I have no pain, no bleeding, and really need a little time to a) wrap my head around this and b) be convinced I really *need* intervention. In the past, I've been pretty good at miscarrying on my own.

I've heard a lot of really awful stories and wonder if there are any not-so-awful ones. TIA.

amethystgrrl · April 2012

No experience, but I just want to send you a hug... I'm sorry.

sarahtoledo · April 2012

amethystgrrl:
No experience, but I just want to send you a hug... I'm sorry.

Thank you. I'm very grateful to be a (new) part of this board.

dancinaggie · April 2012

I'm really unsure as to why it is being insisted upon? The reason my RE basically insisted on it was that my betas were a "sawtooth" pattern - up, down, up, down. He felt I wouldn't miscarry on my own and was unsure about where the embryo had implanted. My experience with MTX was not too bad. I had two rounds of it, 3 days apart. No serious s/e. I bled about a week later, but it wasn't terrible. For me, the emotional part was worse than the physical. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. (((Huge hugs)))

winofairy · April 2012

I have no experience with mtx. I just wanted to say that I'm very sorry! {{HUGS}}

Bella2u07 · April 2012

I am so very sorry you are going through this. ::big hugs::

dancinaggie:
I'm really unsure as to why it is being insisted upon? The reason my RE basically insisted on it was that my betas were a "sawtooth" pattern - up, down, up, down. He felt I wouldn't miscarry on my own and was unsure about where the embryo had implanted. My experience with MTX was not too bad. I had two rounds of it, 3 days apart. No serious s/e. I bled about a week later, but it wasn't terrible. For me, the emotional part was worse than the physical. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. (((Huge hugs)))

Ditto to everything in bold

BeeBee08 · April 2012

I'm so so sorry for what you're going through. And I'm sorry your RE is insisting on something you are not comfortable with. I hope you can talk to him and have another beta or two to ease your mind either way. Huge ((hugs))

LaLe09 · April 2012

I wouldn't call my experience with methotrexate awful. The emotional part was the worst. My betas were "rising appropriately" but were very, very, very low. At 6 weeks, there was nothing in my uterus. I had the shot, felt very tired that day and slept, and miscarried that night. Then, I bled for a few days.

The nice thing about methotrexate is that it ends the situation quickly. Being in beta hell for weeks is such an excrutiating experience. I remember feeling some relief when it was over. My betas dropped very quickly and were at zero within a week and a half. It took 6 weeks to get my next period. And then I moved forward with my FET.

I'm really sorry you are going through this. I know this is such a horrible time.((HUGS))

XV11Star · April 2012

OMG!! Sarah I am so sorry! :'-( I wish this were not happening, it's so unfair. Have you had an ultrasound yet? It seems like you would at least be able to wait for that. I'm sorry if I missed that information.

(sorry this might be long)

I had 2 MTX shots, but my RE's office nurses call me the "odds maker". So take my experience with a big grain of salt and a margarita.

The MTX for me was not a big deal at all. The shots didn't hurt - I literally did not feel one of them at all! I was so used to the PIO shots I guess. I felt overall normal the first few days, but extra tired at night. A few days in I started to feel more "off" like I was getting sick, and one day I felt almost flu like with fatigue, acheyness and upset stomach... But I also had started eating badly, had to stop my prenatals, and was drinking wine again. I have a feeling part of that was just my system in shock from the fluctuations of it all --- TTC and eating very healthy, tons of fluids, no caffeine or wine, etc., to actually pregnant, to depression eating and drinking, off all hormones, etc. My HCG dropped 1,000 pts in the first week after the shots (my high was over 3k). In the following 10+ days it only dropped another 300 pts. I was at 386 a week ago. It's not been the typical example of the MTX ending it quickly in my case. But it also wasn't any kind of horrible experience physically, and was in fact WAY WAY WAY easier than the misoprostol or endo biopsy I had to deal with.

Quick background -- When I had my 6 week u/s, they found nothing in the uterus. It's unlikely it was ectopic, I have no tubes, and no symptoms of ectopic. It seems I was just "lucky" and had some really persistent pre-placental tissue in there somewhere. So I think that factors in on my body's apparent reluctance to end this 'pregnancy'

Sorry that was so long and probably not applicable to your situation, but I did want to share. I really hope your pregnancy is still viable and you don't need to deal with this at all! Huge hugs to you!!

sarahtoledo · April 2012

Thank you all so much for the support, and for sharing your experiences. The on-call doctor I had last night (who was pushing hard for MTX today) was a real jerk and I feel much better now, after talking to my own doctor.

I got another beta last last night (still rising but inappropriately, now in the 1600s) and an u/s today. We saw a sac in the uterus, but they are still concerned about an ectopic, which I guess can cause a psuedo sac to form. I spoke to my doc on the phone and she said she was comfortable waiting for another beta, and that gives me the time I need to process everything.

If the beta plateaus or falls, I can just wait and see, but if it keeps going up, they're going to want me to choose MTX or D&C. I feel pretty sure that it's not ectopic, just a failing pregnancy that won't end yet on its own. I gather D&C is more risky but perhaps a quicker recovery? This is an awful week. Sad

XV11Star · April 2012

I think you're right that D&C is more risky but quicker. I asked my RE why we hadn't done one and he said he felt it was "heavy handed" considering my situation ... I guess that there wasn't any kind of visible sac and unlikely to be ectopic? In retrospect, though, I would have FAR rather had the MTX shots immediately, or even done a D&C.

My situation has dragged on for so long and been such a physical and emotional roller coaster all along, that we are seriously considering just giving up. I saw your post on IF that sounds like you are in a way in the same place. I don't have any answers for you but just sending a big fat hug! I really hope you can get through this as quickly as possible IF this pregnancy is indeed failing.

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