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Pain and Anxiety After Methotrexate

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Amanda_T88
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2020 6:22 pm

Pain and Anxiety After Methotrexate

Post by Amanda_T88 »

Hello All,

I got diagnosed with my ectopic pregnancy on June 28th and received treatment with methotrexate. Since then my numbers have been falling steadily each week, I've had pain/cramping, bleeding, fatigue and nausea on and off in the weeks since. My hcg has gone from a high of 1600, to 1300, 520, 282, and then 139. I started to feel better and more like myself last week, but this week I've had more cramping and pain than I did earlier in my treatment. It's nothing that hasn't eased with rest, tylenol and a heating pad, so I'm fairly confident it is not a rupture or emergency. I went in for a second ultrasound two weeks after my injection because I was anxious about my pain but everything was fine.

I was wondering if anybody else has had similar pains and bleeding this long after methotrexate? And if others have experienced so much anxiety during their treatment? It's been very confusing to know that some pain is to be expected, but too much is worrying. I wish I had a more clear guideline.

This board and website has been SO helpful during all of this. I appreciate everyone's stories and all of the resources.

Thank you!
Amanda

EPT Host 22
Posts: 659
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2015 10:26 am

Re: Pain and Anxiety After Methotrexate

Post by EPT Host 22 »

Hi Amanda_T88,

I am so sorry to hear you are suffering from this ectopic pregnancy and loss. You are not alone in your experience and feelings, and I'll do my best to provide some reassurance.

The process of MTX can take some time, and as each woman is different, there is, unfortunately, no set time frame. We encourage women to prioritize their rest and recovery during these weeks, which means no heavy lifting and possibly taking time off from work. It is very easy to say, but so much harder to do. This is especially true when dealing with the anxiety of symptoms. It is heartening to hear that your hcg levels continue to decrease and that you've been able to receive additional scans.

You know your body the best, and while the hcg levels are decreasing, it's important to be mindful of your symptoms until you reach non-pregnant levels, under 5mIU/mL, as there is unfortunately still a chance of rupture. The symptoms of a deteriorating ectopic pregnancy, which include worsening or progressively increasing pain; vaginal bleeding; shortness of breath; feeling faint; and pain in the tip of the shoulder among others, may become noticeable. If you suffer any of these symptoms you will need to be reassessed. Your hospital would give you a number to contact for health advice if you feel that anything is changing, or you will have been told to report to the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E). If you have not been told what to do and need to speak to someone ring the hospital department which is treating you or the NHS 111 Service by dialing 111.

We at the Trust believe that talking through what happened and your emotions as and when you can help the healing process. We operate a helpline service, and if you would ever like the opportunity to speak over the phone to someone who has been through a similar experience, do feel free to call, details are below. We can exchange emails too if you prefer that route. We'll simply be here for you, however, you wish and for as long as you wish.

The charity, Mind, may also be of assistance. They have local centres and support groups and can offer services on a means-tested basis or sometimes free. You can find your local centre following this link if that may be useful too: http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/local-minds/

From the bottom of my heart, please be kind to yourself through your recovery. We are here for you whenever you need it.

With good wishes,


Michele

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811
Ectopic pregnancy patient information suite: Highly Commended in the 2019 BMA Patient Information Awards

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Amanda_T88
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2020 6:22 pm

Re: Pain and Anxiety After Methotrexate

Post by Amanda_T88 »

Thank you so much for your response, Michele. I think I will take advantage of the email service, that sounds very comforting.

I wanted to share that I did end up having a rupture and needing emergency surgery. Despite my hcg levels decreasing my ectopic had tripled in size since my initial scans. I lost my tube and have damage to my ovary. I wanted to share this in case it could help anyone else. It wasnt clear to me that I had a rupture, my symptoms were not severe.
I hope if anyone is having similar experiences and feelings this could help, it's definitely worth getting checked out even if you're mostly feeling ok.

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