Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Anticardiolipid wrt Recurrent Fetal Loss
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Anticardiolipid wrt Recurrent Fetal Loss
by Beth__0__0, Apr 22, 1999 12:00AM
Posted by Beth on April 22, 1999 at 13:03:09
I am 36 years old, have a 2-1/2 year old son and have had 2 miscarriages in the last 6 months. After the 2nd one I was tested for antiphospholipids and related factors. I was told my anticardiolipids were elevated to "10" and that "0-6" is considered normal. The plan is to begin taking baby aspirin as soon as we begin trying to conceive again and continue taking it throughout the pregnancy if we are so blessed. I have several questions about this condition as I have been reading all the articles on this I could find in your forum.
1) Exactly what does a level of "2" or "6" or "10" mean? I.e., at what point should I be concerned about getting myself treated for this? Can I expect my levels to rise such that they might become threatening to my health and should I start having my levels checked every so often? (So far, I have none of the other associated symptoms of ACL Syndrome I've read about in your other articles.)
2) Should I request heparin instead of baby aspirin? (Both my husband and I were devastated by the 2 miscarriages and so I am wondering if it would increase our chances to go straight to the heparin instead of trying the baby aspiring first.) What are the risks?
3) I have 110% faith in my OB doctor and she does specialize in infertility but may not see alot of ACL cases in her practice...is there some kind of specialist that it might be worthwhile seeing? Should I see a hematologist as well as an OB?
Thank you so much for making this forum available and taking the time to help so many people!
Concerned in NC,
Beth
Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - MTR on April 23, 1999 at 08:24:18
Dear Beth, thank you for your question. It's difficult for me to answer such a complex question in this forum, but I'll try to provide general information. While it's true the anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome (APAS) can cause recurrent miscarriages due to clots that form in the placenta, it's unclear how to accurately make such a diagnosis. If your serum level of anti-phospholipid antibodies is elevated, then you certainly may have APAS. However, I think it's imperative that you be seen by a specialist in clotting disorders before trying to conceive again. Since you live in NC, the best place to go would be Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC. I suggest that you inquire there about an appointment with a specialist in the Hematology Department who focuses on clotting disorders. A hematologist could answer the other questions that you asked.
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. Good luck.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
