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What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

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Bookworm
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:26 pm

What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by Bookworm »

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone could advise what their levels were after treatment with methotrexate please? I know every single one of us is going to have a different experience but it would be comforting for me right now to see how other people’s levels dropped as mine are going so slowly it is causing me a lot of stress and anxiety. These are my levels so far:

19th July - 321
21st July - 540
23rd July - 860
26th July - 1600
27th July - first methotrexate injection
30th July - 2996
2nd Aug - 3888
3rd Aug - 2nd Methotrexate injection
6th Aug - 3780
9th August - 3146
12th August - 2780
12th August - 2139
16th August - 1612
19th August - 1328 (284)

Thank you in advance x

kayleigh1994
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2021 3:52 pm

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by kayleigh1994 »

Oh bless you, that’s such a long time to be having blood tests. I was very lucky and at 8 weeks my levels only raised to 167 which is very low, they went to 6 within 7 days. Hopefully you won’t have much longer xx

Dw1991
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2021 5:07 pm

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by Dw1991 »

Hey, I hope you are well.

I had a 19% drop in hCG on day 7 post methotrexate. I’ve since had another good drop in hCG of around 350 a week later. I’m due to return in a few days for my next weekly blood test. I’m not sure if the speed at which it drops can fluctuate.

Roisin_90
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:15 pm

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by Roisin_90 »

I had my bloods done on the day of my methotrexate injection which was 1054. On day 4 after the injection, it was down to 400 something and I got my day 7 bloods today and it’s down to 51!!
I just need another blood next Saturday and that should be it down to 0 🤞🏻

Bookworm
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:26 pm

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by Bookworm »

Hope that works out for you Roisin! I ended up with surgery on Friday night and had my left tube removed 😔

R123
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:08 am

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by R123 »

Really sorry to hear that Bookworm. I went in for my Day 4 MTX today and am nervously waiting the results, although have been told that an increase is very common and not to panic if it has gone up..
May I ask if your surgery was an emergency rupture, or planned? How are you now?

The waiting and unknown is just so horrible. I hope at least now you feel you have some kind of resolution, and the statistics for future pregnancies don't seem to differ much between all 3 routes, which I personally find very reassuring x

R123
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:08 am

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by R123 »

Hi all.
I have an update today, this is my Day 7 post MTX treatment. I'll also include previous values to save folk scrolling back!

11AUG: HCG = 443 (Wk7 - scan= ectopic 😭)
13AUG: HCG = 385
15AUG: HCG = 505
17AUG: HCG = 648 (W8 - scan = grown a bit 😬)
18AUG: HCG = ND (MTX Day 0)
22AUG: HCG = 504 (MTX Day 4, -22% )
25AUG: HCG = 239 (MTX Day 10, -52% 😁)

Felt very relieved when I got the results back today. Hopefully it'll continue to decline to zero 🤞

R123
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:08 am

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by R123 »

Hi all.
I have an update today, this is my Day 7 post MTX treatment. I'll also include previous values to save folk scrolling back!

11AUG: HCG = 443 (Wk7 - scan= ectopic 😭)
13AUG: HCG = 385
15AUG: HCG = 505
17AUG: HCG = 648 (W8 - scan = grown a bit 😬)
18AUG: HCG = ND (MTX Day 0)
22AUG: HCG = 504 (MTX Day 4, -22% )
25AUG: HCG = 239 (MTX Day 10, -52% 😁)

Felt very relieved when I got the results back today. Hopefully it'll continue to decline to zero 🤞

Bookworm
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:26 pm

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by Bookworm »

Hi!

So glad your levels are decreasing will be keeping you in my thoughts to get to 0!

My surgery was a bit of a weird one, I went in with pain and they were certain it hadn’t ruptured but because of the amount of pain combined with the hcg levels decreasing they decided to operate, they then discovered once in there that it had in fact ruptured. :(

R123
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:08 am

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by R123 »

Gosh! It's lucky you went in when you did as it could have been a lot worse.

How bad was the pain before surgery? I sometimes get cramping in right pelvis and wonder 'am I rupturing???' but it's a dull pain that always seems to go away on its own. I've been working and going out on walks so I figured I'd have to be in extreme pain to the point I can't leave the house if I were rupturing, but I'm guessing and have no idea really! Would be useful to know what to look out for and what not to ignore 🙂

R123
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:08 am

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by R123 »

Hi all.
Here's an update from me...
My HCG came down very quickly after having MTX and I've now been discharged. I'm very thankful that for me it's been a smooth process that was resolved fairly quickly without complications or me ever feeling in pain or unwell. I try not to dwell on things too much and accept that sometimes bad luck just happens to people and there's nothing anyone could have done. I am happy that now I can relax a little and try to move on from this. From next week I'm going to resume my hobbies (gym, running) and am looking forward to that - it's important for my sanity to keep busy and occupied 🙂. We want to try again in 3 months so I'll send an update on how it all goes, or if anything develops in the meantime.

Sending positive vibes whatever stage you're at or what your journey may be. We can get through this and be happy again x

Note: My story below:
20JUL: Positive pregnancy test! First pregnancy and miraculously conceived the first cycle despite fact that I have polycystic ovaries (irregular periods). I have to thank the PreMom app, LH testing strips and temp tracker for this!
03AUG: Bleeding started, called GP and agreed to wait and observe as bleeding was light and I wasn't in much pain (just mild cramping)
09AUG: Called GP again as bleeding hadn't stopped. Agreed to have an early scan to check and make sure pregnancy ok
11AUG: 443 (Wk7 - scan= ectopic 😭).
Fortunately for me, the pregnancy was very small and progesterone very low (=3). Agreed to watch and wait for a natural miscarriage, I would return to hospital every 2 days to measure HCG levels, which are given below.
13AUG: 385
15AUG: 505
17AUG: 648 (W8 - scan = grown a bit 😬). Decided to take MTX.
18AUG: ND (MTX Day 0)
22AUG: 504 (MTX Day 4, -22% )
25AUG: 239 (MTX Day 7, -52%)
01AUG: 75
09SEP: 6 (Discharged from hospital)

Anneso
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:25 pm

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by Anneso »

Hi Everyone,

I'm just going through my first ectopic pregnancy and I decided to go with medical treatment. I just got my Day 4 results. I know it's normal for them to go higher but I'm very nervous.
I had side effects and more bleeding so I thought it was a good sign.
My levels before mtx was 1997 and it went up to 2044 today.

Anyone got a similar experience?

jcmead77
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2021 7:49 pm

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by jcmead77 »

Hi,

I had a normal pregnancy up until seven weeks - regular symptoms, no pain, no bleeding or spotting. My HCG was 6526 at seven weeks, and then rose to 8951 at 8 weeks. I was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy (however they could not find the embryo anywhere on multiple scans - only found a pseudo gestational sac in my uterus, tubes and ovaries looked very normal) at 7 weeks and given my first dose of methotrexate at 8 weeks and then another dose four days later. My levels are the following:

Original Level: 8951
After Two Doses: 5160 (big drop)

Now waiting for blood work on Monday to measure the HCG levels again and praying for no ruptures.

-Jessica

Sarahkate8
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2021 6:41 am

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by Sarahkate8 »

Hi all, this is my first time posting on here. I received my first dose of methotrexate 4 days ago, at which time I had an hcg of 412. Today I had my day 4 blood test, and I was very upset to learn it had risen to a bit over 700. I wasn’t warned that this might happen, but the doctor was very reassuring that the day 7 test is more telling.

Would love any advice/tips/reassurance here! It’s so hard to stay calm through all of this :(

gracia2510
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2021 4:12 am

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by gracia2510 »

Hi all,

I had quite a high hcg level (5128) when I started the methotrexate. It has gone down slowly after the 1st shot (4707) and after the 2nd shot (3895). It was 17% fall so they said I don't need the 3rd shot (the cut-off of deciding the 3rd shot was at least 15% decline from the fourth to seventh day). I need to go back again on next Monday so hopefully it will go down nicely. They expected it will go down a half from it. It is still long way to go for me..

Do/did you have any cramps or bleeding when on methotrexate? How bad and long it is/was? I had menstrual cramps and bleeding on the 8th day (no symptoms before that). Is that normal? I am worried it is a sign of rupture..

Before being diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy, I had bleeding and passed quite much blood clots which made me think I had a miscarriage. I was also told that the methotrexate works by stopping the growing sell and it should be absorbed by the body. So, I wonder where the blood coming from 😬

Ps: the doctor that I talked to said that I need to go to ER if I have severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding, but I am just scared if I am being too late..

Your advice will be very helpful. Thank you!

Bookworm
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:26 pm

Re: What were your HCG levels after Methotrexate?

Post by Bookworm »

Hey everyone,

I’m so sorry, during my post op recovery I didn’t come on here as much as I was really tired all the time and constantly asleep. Then week 4 post op we moved house and it’s been manic since then especially with me still being laid up.

I hope you’re all doing ok!

I just wanted to add about my story/pain levels that let me know something was ‘off’ because I can see a lot of you are concerned about this as was I.

The first big sign for me was that I had 2 scans during the time that my levels were dropping because of pain. Both scans showed the embryo was growing despite the fact that my HCG was dropping, I’d passed a decidual cast and was essentially ‘miscarrying’ from my womb. I was really concerned about this but no matter how much I asked was never given an answer as to why.

My cramping was actually worse the day before the methotrexate. It was so bad in my lower back and legs that I couldn’t walk or stand properly. This happened again about 3 days post methotrexate and I kept being told it was normal.

On the day of rupture my HCG was as follows:

19th July - 321
21st July - 540
23rd July - 860
26th July - 1600
27th July - first methotrexate injection
30th July - 2996
2nd Aug - 3888
3rd Aug - 2nd Methotrexate injection
6th Aug - 3780
9th August - 3146
12th August - 2139
16th August - 1612
19th August - 1328
20th august - surgery

I woke up and went to work that morning (20th) but I had a really bad pain in my entire back and side on the left hand side. I rang the hospital and eventually convinced them to see me. I had another scan that showed it was still growing. Had various bloods and they were still certain I hadn’t ruptured because there was no free fluid on the scan. Saw the consultant and due to the pain she made the decision to operate. Once I was out of theatre I was told that I had ‘ruptured some time ago’ and the back and side pain was actually the internal bleeding. I had my left tube removed via laparotomy. Officially 6 weeks post op today.

I do t know if that helps. I don’t want to make anyone panic, cramps are bad during methotrexate and can be a normal side effect but if something doesn’t feel right don’t get fobbed off make sure your voice is heard. It’s your body and you know it best.

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