Has anyone had levels rise after methotrexate?

I was given a dose of methotrexate on Dec 25 for a possible ectopic preg. Since then my HCG levels have risen, but the other day they came down a bit. I had another U/S and it detected a cyst on my ovary and what they called a "focus" in the uterus. Has anoyone ever had something like that detected in the uterus? The DR said I could be about 8 weeks, but my hcg levels were not high enough for a normal preg, and there was no heartbeat. I'm just wondering if anyone has gone through something like this? I feel ok, but my dr does not want me to work until the levels come down. I want to work though!! DR also said we might do another U/S in a couple weeks, to check things out. Do you think I may need a D&C. I'm just concerned, and want to know if anyone else has something similar to tell me. I want to try to put this behind me, it's so emotional, I have been in and out of the hospital all over the holidays, and I really don't want to wait any longer. I would love to hear your stories.

C

[jifnif]

i suffered a m/c back in may that started out w/ spotting and no heart beat.  the next day i went back and they got a heart beat.  i was fine for a week and i started to spot again.  i m/c the same day spotting began.  i think the drs sometimes dont know how its going to turn or they would like to see things happen naturally.  have faith and listen to your drs.  if you are that worried maybe a 2nd opinion would be helpful.  prayers to you.

[mslkpage]

My hcg level was at it's highest right after methotrexate (I think it was 2 days after I got the shot). After that, the levels dropped fairly fast- it took 5 weeks for hcg to go from 7000+ to 0. Will your levels be checked every week until they go down to 0?

[confused and scared]

I am getting my HCG levels checked again tomorrow. I do believe that they will be checked until they are at 0. My levels were the highest too after methotrexate. But mine were not as high as yours were. They were at 900 when I got the methotrexate, and then went up to 1400, on Jan 1 they went down to 1100, so I guess I'll see if they drop some more tomorrow. Thanks for your comments. :)

[mslkpage]

With my ectopic, they never saw it on the u/s, but there was nothing developing in the uterus even though my levels were rising. My dr. did do a D&C to rule out any interuterine tissue, and there was none. So, my Dx was made more from what my dr. could not find. I had a pregnancy growing somewhere, but it wasn't in the uterus.

[exhausted37]

I too was suspected to have an ectopic. At my 6 week u/s they found nothing.  My levels were cautiously optmistic however. I have bad pains a few days prior so ectopic was their fear.  2 days later my levels dropped and they suspected it was resolving itself.  Sure enough about 4 days later I started bleeding.  They said they couldn't give me a shot until the verified my levels fell to the point of not being able to sustain the pregnancy since it was a wanted pregnancy.  Luckily, it may have just been a miscarriage.  The found a complex area on my left ovary which they though might be the ectopic however it didn't make sense since I ovulated on my right side.  The pain was on my left.  They spot will be re-checked in a month but I am so afraid it is cancer.  Some days I worry about cancer; some days it is not being able to have children. They don't seem too concerned but that doesn't offer me anything.  They said it wasn't a cyst, maybe the site of a former cyst.  I again am having mild fatigue like pain on the me left side, not the exact spot as the previous pain.
Could they find your ectopic via the u/s? Do you know your levels when got the shot?

[mslkpage]

I actually think my levels were a little too high- I was probably getting close to losing a tube, but it all worked out okay. After the first week, the levels were dropping by about 50% each time. Hopefully, you'll be back at 0 in no time.

[confused and scared]

My levels at the time of the methotrexate were at about 900. After metho, it went to 1400 then down to 1100. They did not see an ectopic with the u/s. It sounded like mslkpage, knowing I was pregnant but not where it was. The gyno said it could have been ectopic or intra uterine. We still don't know. All they knew was that it was not a normal pregnancy. I just had blood test done this morning, so hopefully the hcg went down more, I don't want to have anything else done, I'm physically and emotionally exhausted.

[elizza]

What was everyones symptoms of pain? I am afraid I am going through this too. Thanks

[jmbwfe04]

My HcG levels went from 1200 to 1600 within 24 hrs. of receiving my meth shot.  Then they went down to 227 two weeks after the meth. I guess this is normal.

[vikki-jane]

Found out I was pg after 12 years of marriage and being told I would never conceive naturally on Dec 12.  

Elizza - Had pretty bad pain the whole time but finally went to the hospital because I spotted.  Ignored the pain because it was no worse than my 'normal' pelvic pain.

I had Metho on 19th Dec for a cornual ectopic.  My HCG was 18000.  On 22nd Dec it went to 22000, then it made it back to 9500 by the 9th Jan.

I've just had the heaviest and most painful bleed ever - and I have endo.  Couldn't leave the house.  Bleeding has finally stopped 7 days later but the pain lingers on...

[Suzahpaloozah]

My name is Susan. I'm 30 years old.  I have a little girl who will be 5 in November.  My husband and I, not Chloe's biological father, but her daddy none-the-less, have been trying to conceive since Chloe was about 2 with no results.  About 3 weeks ago I started to have some right lower abdominal discomfort and mild bleeding.  I'm a nurse, so I didnt' freak out..I asked the doctor and nurse practioner I worked for what they thought and the nurse practioner said maybe a ruptured cyst.  She knew I'd been trying to conceive naturally without results.  So, she suggested a urine preganancy dip test.  So, I did one myself at work and it was positive.  After almost flipping out, I ran to get another nurse in the building and get one of her pregancy tests just to make sure. It was positive too.  So, I did a Beta-HcG and my level was 74.  I knew immediatley something wasn't right.  First of all, I shouldn't be hurting and bleeding.  Second, a level of 74 indicates about a 2 week pregnancy.  I just had a normal period 2 weeks prior and had not had sex during that time.  So, I went to have an ultra sound and sure enough, an ectopic pregnancy greater than 5mm.  I was devastated to say the least.  So, I got methotrexate that Thursday.  On Saturday, I was in the ER with HORRIBLE abdominal pain.  I could barely walk.  I was afraid my tube had ruptured.  My HcG  level went to 113.  Apparently, the placenta tries to compensate when it starts to die, and your levels do increase with methotrexate during the first few days, so I felt okay with that.  I was admitted for observation and released, upon my own request, the next day.  Anyway, on monday and tuesday I felt really good.  The pain was almost gone, but my blood pressure was low.  So, I stayed off work and layed around the house.  Wednesday I saw my OBGYN and he had me check my HcG again.  It was 95.  I expcted a much larger decrease than that.  I knew the methotrexate wasn't working.  But, he assured me that was a 15% drop and everything was okay.  I felt like he was dragging his feet.  So, on Thursday, pain started to come back, not as bad, but enough to make me worry...and I'm bleeding like a stuck pig too.  So, my regular OBGYN wasn't there, his partner was on call.  She said because I had a large ectopic pregnancy and a low HcG number, she felt liek a second dose of methotrexate was appropriate.  So, here I am after my second dose.  The pain is worse.  My entire right hip is aching.  I felt like ****.  Im nauseous.  I'm afraid my tube will rupture and I'll die.  I don't want to take pain medication because I'm afraid it will mask the pain if somethign bad does happen.  This sucks.  The past two weeks have been horrible.  It's a physical and emotional roller coaster and I'm ready to get off.  Today is Sunday...if my levels aren't better by tomorrow. I'm going to ask for surgery.  I can't do this anymore.

[hhixon]

I completely hear you on the pain and bleeding. I have been going through severe abdominal pain and severe bleeding for the past 43 days now (believe it sucks especially all the pads I am going through). I got the Methotrexate shot on 9/13 after the u/s on 9/12 showed a sack on my left side between the uterus and the ovary and my HCG levels were at 7700. When I went in for the shot the dr. told me there were absolutely NO side effects (1st lie) and I would come back in a week for a follow-up blood test. I was so sick that week and in so much pain that I had to miss work. I was taking Advil for my pain because my dr. informed me that there were no drug interactions either (2nd lie). I went back exactly 1 week later (9/21) and my HCG levels were exactly the same. She told me that because I got such a bad reaction from the first shot that she did not need to give me a 2nd shot, but it would just take longer to heal, about 3 weeks she said. Though she did prescribe some pain meds. Like you I don't want to take the heavy pain meds as it might mask something truly wrong, but I can't continue to miss work. Last Monday I was in such sever pain that I was nauseous and I could not stand up straight at all, so I had to finish my shift at work and then I went straight to the ER. They gave me some really fun painkillers and told me to see my doc 1st thing the next day, unfortunately he was unavailable until Wednesday, so I went to see him then. He ordered more blood tests, the first one came back Friday (9/28) at a level of 5500, this 2 weeks after the shot and I have never been in so much pain. Yesterday when I was at work I felt a sudden rush of wetness "down there" and since I had just used the toilet, I knew it wasn't pee. I ran to the restroom where I lost about a pint of blood. My doctors seem to think that everything will be okay, but they don't feel the pain I am going through and they don't see the blood loss. If the bleeding doesn't stop soon I too am insisting upon surgery. No normal ectopic should have a woman bleeding for 43 days. Good luck to you!

[babygirl74]

[babygirl74]

Hi Ladies!
I too have just experienced a loss. My dtr. is 15 and after she was born, I finally got pregnant again on 9/9/07. This is after not using any type of protection all those years. My husband and I have wanted a baby but never really focused on it. So when it happened we were so happy. That joy soon turned to pain and heartache. I really didn't find out I was pregnant until 10/6 and two days later I began to spot, then bleed. Many people were telling me that it was because my body was supposed to get a period and it didn't. I just knew something wasn't right. Needless to say, my dr discovered that the baby never made it out of my ovary, causing an ectopic pregnancy. I got th methotrexate in my buttocks and did ok for a day, then the pain came on the 2nd and 3rd day. I felt like I was going to faint an at one point had the phone in my hand to dial 911. The pain was terrible and was nothing that the Percocet could even touch. The only relief I found was when I took 4 Advil along with the pain meds. I bled for 2 weeks and my counts went from 8,000 to 700 in a week, so the shot was working. I just had them rechecked today and they are now down to 7.9. I am no longer bleeding, thank God! After reading many forums like this one, some women have been long, heavy bleeders and many are not. I feel bad that you have been bleeding for that long "hhixon". I am praying that it stops for you soon. I know my dr said that the effects could last up to 6 weeks. I hope that both of you find relief and I am also sending baby dust to you both. I wanted to ask - have you asked your dr when it would be safe to try and conceive again? I am just curious. I have heard different things - wait until after your fist normal cycle, wait for 3 months, or 6 months if you had to have more than one dose of the methotrexate. I hope that we can offer support to each other.

[BABYGIRL0405]

I have been given the shot of metho and now am waiting to go to the doctor on tomorrow to check my levels.  No one understands the pain and discomfort I feel right now.  I do not want my tubes to go bad since I do want to try again.  I was completely shocked to find that an ectopic pregnancy was developing in my body.  I was told last week that I had a miscarriage unitl my HCG level test came back at 7,000.  I was shocked to say the least.  My doc...told me to go to the ER if I had pain.  After many hours and a long vag. ultrasound they found the ER Doc found my baby.  I knew that the doctor was wrong telling me earlier that I had miscarried at 5 1/2 weeks.  I can't wait to see the look on her face when I arrive in her office tomorrow for my follow-up visit.