questioon re: mc and hcg levels

this is for a friend not me... she had a mc at 6 weeks the day she mc they took blood hcg was 35 she did not have a dnc. she went back the next week hcg is 37 goes back again and its 56. i have never ever heardof such a rthing. how could her hcg go down if she mc?

tia.

baby dust to everyone

Re: questioon re: mc and hcg levels

If her levels are still up she may need a shot of methotrexate. If your hcg is rising it could indicate eptopic pregnancy or pregnancy tissue left in your uterus. Her Dr should know this. If your levels aren't going down that should not be ignored/

Re: questioon re: mc and hcg levels

Re: questioon re: mc and hcg levels

sorry for sounding dumb but what exactlky is an eptpic pregnacy and what would happen next? woudl they have to do surgery or a dnc?

Re: questioon re: mc and hcg levels

An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy in the fallopian tubes. I found this online:

What Are the Options for Treatment?
Treatment of an ectopic pregnancy varies, depending on its size and location and whether you want the ability to conceive again.

An early ectopic pregnancy can sometimes be treated with an injection of methotrexate, which dissolves the fertilized egg and allows your body to reabsorb it. This nonsurgical approach minimizes scarring of your pelvic organs.

If the pregnancy is further along, you'll likely need surgery to remove the abnormal pregnancy. In the past, this was a major operation, requiring general anesthesia and a large incision across the pelvic area. This may still be necessary in cases of emergency or extensive internal injury.

However, the pregnancy may sometimes be removed using laparoscopy, a less invasive surgical procedure. The surgeon makes a small incision in the lower abdomen and then inserts a laparoscope. This long, hollow tube with a lighted end allows the doctor to view internal organs and insert other instruments as needed. Sometimes, a second small abdominal incision is made for the instruments. The ectopic pregnancy is then surgically removed and any damaged organs are repaired or removed. General or regional anesthesia may be used.

Whatever your treatment, the doctor will want to see you regularly afterward to make sure your hCG levels return to zero. This may take up to 12 weeks. An elevated hCG could mean that some ectopic tissue was missed. This tissue may have to be removed using methotrexate or additional surgery.

Re: questioon re: mc and hcg levels

Many times they will try methotrexate 1st-this is a chemotherapy drug that targets unusual cells and gets rid of them. An eptopic is any pregnancy that happens outside the uterus(fallopian tubes, abdomen, etc) It is dangerous to have pregnancy tissue in your body that is not developing normally. Her Dr needs to discuss her options.

Or see above! Thanks Jacquie!

Message edited 2/5/2007 11:48:56 AM.

Re: questioon re: mc and hcg levels

An ectopic pregnancy is outside the uterus, generally in the fallopian tubes, and can be very dangerous and painful.
They should be doing a sono to see if there is anything in the uterus or not.
If it progresses too far, she may have to have surgery and have the tube removed.