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Multiple Chemical Pregnancies: Please Help
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Anonymous
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I am 28 years old. DH is 35, and we have been TTC since November, and we have had three BFPs since. Every single one of these cycles are complete, though. I'd get my BFP around 10-12 DPO and then AF would show. I can only assume that they are all chemical pregnancies.
It has been extremely hard on us. We're getting pretty discouraged. We keep trying new things to help improve our chances, but apparently nothing has worked. Here's our health breakdown... We are both relatively healthy. DH more so than myself. I have completely cut out drinking for the last four months. I am a smoker, though. In addition, the only two prescriptions I take are Xanax and Bactrim. In the morning, with a meal, I take a prenatal vitamin, two fish oil capsules, one low-dose aspirin, and one B6 supplement. I only take the Xanax at night to sleep. The Bactrim is for acne. I've been taking both for the last 5 years or so. I have had "normal" pap smears/pelvic exams my whole life, and I see my OB once/year. I have no diseases, nor does DH. My OB, as of last June, said that we should have no problems conceiving within four months. Well, it's been four months, and we've lost them all. I just don't know to what I should attribute these chemical pregnancies. Even after the first one I was totally freaked out, and now after our THIRD one, I'm beyond panicked. Clearly something is wrong... but what? I ovulate regularly, too, usually on CD 14 or 15. My cycles are 28-29 days long. I am obviously confident that we're managing to achieve fertilization, but they just don't seem to be sticking! I also sort of "feel" these twinges/cramping/pulling sensations in my uterus about a week after ovulation, too. I get really bloated and these sensations stick around for about three days. Then I test and get an unambiguous BFP. A few days later, AF shows. The first time, AF was a few days late. This most recent time, it was a few days early. So we're very confused, not to mention heartbroken. We are losing all hope that this is even possible. We need advice from people who can either provide anecdotal support or medical suggestions/insights. Is there something we're just missing? Is there a "cure" for this? Why does this keep happening? I started thinking it was a luteal phase defect. My most recent three LPs have been 15, 13, and 12 days long, so they are getting shorter. We chart everyday, too. We have read every book you can possibly imagine, and we've exhausted the internet as a source as well. Now we're on to asking others for their advice. I don't know how much more of this we can take. What do you think the problem is? Could it be my uterus? I hope nothing is wrong. I've never had an ultrasound, and I don't have pain or anything out of the ordinary "down there." Are the embryos just not implanting properly? What causes that? I suppose I could go back to my OB and ask her if there's a problem. I mean, I'm not crazy, right? Multiple chemical pregnancies is not normal. One I can understand, but three?? Really... any advice or suggestions is most welcomed... please. |
Anonymous
| When are you planning to give up smoking? |
Anonymous
| FDA pregnancy category D. Xanax can cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Do not use this medication without your doctor's consent if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Use an effective form of birth control while you are using this medication. Xanax can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. The sedative effects of this medication may last longer in older adults. Accidental falls are common in elderly patients who take benzodiazepines. Use caution to avoid falling or accidental injury while you are taking Xanax. Do not give this medication to anyone under 18 years old. |
Anonymous
| FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Bactrim can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Do not give this medication to a child younger than 2 months old. Older adults may be more likely to have side effects while taking this medication. |
Anonymous
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Does your OB know that you are taking Xanax? It should never be taken during pregnancy. Ditto the Bactrim, as another poster suggested. You need to sit down with your OB and get the basic info on prenatal health, including the dangers of smoking during pregnancy. That should greatly improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy. |
Anonymous
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OP here: she actually knows that I am taking both Xanax and Bactrim, but told me that neither affect fertility. They are discouraged DURING pregnancy, but they do not change your ability to conceive. She told me to just stop taking them when I can confirm a pregnancy. Of course they have effects on the fetus, but we're talking about fertility here, not fetal development. Women still somehow manage to get pregnant and have healthy babies after they go through the "I didn't know" stage in early pregnancy when they were still using Rx medication, or having a glass of wine with dinner, or even breathing in secondhand smoke. These women manage to carry past 4 weeks, so I hardly think it has anything to do with my medication. I've actually been told by two of my doctors that neither medication should affect fertilization or implantation. I just want to sustain ONE pregnancy past 4 weeks, and then I will stop with the medication and smoking. But if it's a uterine problem, and the medication is okay for me to continue taking, the side-effects of going off the medication would be for nothing. I'm just doing what my doctors advised.
I am convinced it just has something to do with my uterus. If fertilization is occurring but implantation is not, then it's a problem with my uterus. Xanax doesn't kill blastocysts, nor does Bactrim. They don't dislodge them from the uterus. It's not the medication. There is a consistency to all of this... that the CPs keep happening, so I have to think it's a physical problem. I just hope it's not endometriosis or fibroids or something. |
Anonymous
| OP, I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but face the facts. If you are a smoker, then you are not "relatively healthy." |
Anonymous
| It really won't help you to project all of these "what ifs" without having any diagnostic tests. Go back to your OB or see an RE and have the initial fertility tests done before assuming you have all of this going on. There is a ton of research out there about smoking and TTC and how this can hinder your chances of getting pregnant... |
Anonymous
Once you confirm a pregnancy, you have already been pregnant for two weeks. That's two weeks of drugs and smoking. Why take the risk of harming your fetus if you're planning to quit anyway as soon as you know for sure that you're pregnant? I'm sorry, but I think you are getting bad medical advice. |
Anonymous
| What is a chemical pregnancy? |
Anonymous
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If you have had four chemical pregnancies, you should see an RE. OBs are not necessarily skilled at diagnosing fertility issues -in fact, I wallowed with one for over a year who had no clue.
That being said, as a PP stated, by four weeks you have been pregnant for potentially as long as two weeks. Those are critical weeks when cells are doubling, and taking any medication can cause problems. Sure, you can always anecdotally say that people get pregnant without giving up these medications, but you are talking Category D on the Xanax -IT IS KNOWN TO CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS. That seems like a mighty big risk to take -even if you manage to "hold" a pregnancy, there could be untold damage done to the child. I feel that most women on this particular board are very sympathetic to infertiles, but it seems that you are not doing a lot to make sure that you're potential child is as healthy as can be. Smoking, for example increases your likelihood of an ectopic pregnancy. So, if you puff away, even if you conceive you will already have altered your risk profile before you ever get that positive pregnancy test. Please take a step back, perhaps with the help of a qualified RE, and define the preconception steps you can take -perhaps, slowly tapering off your medications, quitting smoking. Then, once you have done that, you body might be more receptive to holding a healthy pregnancy. |
Anonymous
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Hi OP,
I'm not going to lecture you about the smoking or the prescriptions. You obviously know these are not ideal and you need to get off of them. Having said that, I think it's ridiculous for some of the PPs to hammer you on them. We all know that women have smoked and taken prescriptions (and done much worse) and still managed to get and stay pregnant for more than 2 weeks. In and of themselves, the smoking and the prescriptions are not keeping you from staying pregnant for longer than 2 weeks. The PP above is correct that you need to see an RE. An OB is fine for a normal pregnancy, but you've got some kind of problem that needs to be diagnosed by a specialist. Clearly you can get pregnant and that is good news. There are several possible reasons you're not staying pregnant and this is why you need a specialist. Is there some kind of genetic issue in play? It's possible. Is there a hormonal imbalance in your cycle? That's very possible. You need an expert for this. A hormonal problem may be the easiest to treat, and one of the most important things you can do for this is quit smoking of course. Yes, there are women who can smoke and get and stay pregnant. You may not be one of them. Please get a referral to an RE. Oh, and if you need help falling asleep, switch to Tylenol PM or Advil PM. A little Bendryl goes a long way and won't harm your baby. Good luck. |
Anonymous
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OP -- I think you do need to visit a RE. I also do agree with the other posters regarding stopping the meds and smoking. Yes, some women can get pregnant with these other things going on, but that is not true for all women and it is definitely not true that those pregnancies are as healthy as they can be. To start with, while you are born will all the eggs you will ever have, the eggs due go through a maturation process the last few months before the menstrual cycle where they are released. Anything you eat, drink, smoke can impact that maturation. That is why doctors now recommend that women begin taking folic acid before they are pregnant. Additionally, the first few weeks of an embryo's existance are the most crucial since that is when the brain and nervous system and heart begin development.
I know it will be difficult to stop the smoking, etc -- but it is worth it in the long run. |
Anonymous
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I have had several chemical pregnancies and my RE (go see an RE, OBs don't know enough about fertility problems!) ordered the following tests:
1. HSG: an exam to see my uterus and tubes 2. Genetic screening to ensure that my husband's sperm and my eggs were genetically capable of making a baby 3. APA testing: http://www.womens-health.co.uk/antiphos.htm (I am on baby asprin now, do not take unless you have been diagnosised with this problem, it can cause problems if you don't have to have it) He also put me on progesterone to support the pregnancy, beginning the day I ovulated. Here is an article by Shady Grove about recurrent miscarriages: http://www.shadygrovefertility.com/recurrent-miscarriages |
Anonymous
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OP here:
I have an appointment with my OB this week. If I don't get some definitive answers, I will see a RE. I have tried to quit smoking now three times... the last two times with Rx aids. I have anxiety-related insomnia. Xanax is also prescribed as a sedative, without which I would go through countless nights of sleep deprivation and possibly severe withdrawal, so I am on a step-down system. I have another two months left until I can completely get off Xanax harmlessly. Diphenhydramine ("benadryl") does absolutely nothing for me. I can take 10 of them and not feel the least bit tired. Same goes for drugs like Ambien. They don't touch me. Xanax has been the only reason I've slept in years. The Bactrim I don't really care about either way. I just have a feeling it's physical, not necessarily chemical. I will ask them to run the battery of tests before finally resorting to cutting me off cold turkey from everything. I'd like to have a HSG done first, yes. And what if I am taking baby aspirin and don't have this APA disorder? Could that really affect me negatively? |