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Dr. Smith-
I recently completed an IVF cycle which ended with a miscarriage. The RE wanted to check my blood to make sure that my HCG level decreased or went to 0. They called with the results today and I it has not gotten to 0. It is currently at 8. Also, I have already had my cycle.Is this normal? How long should it take to reach a level 0? I am a bit confused about this. Any information you could share would be helpful.
Thanks,
Ryley
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Sorry for your loss. An hCG of 8 is really, really low. There is just a little bit of residual hCG in your system from the miscarriage. Anything less than 5 is considered "not pregnant". You are very close to that value and may even be within the error of the assay. In other words, your hCG, for all points and purposes, is already "not pregnant".
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Hi I am about 6 weeks pregnant, i have had 2 previous miscarriages. On the 23/nov my hcg results were 105 on (25nov-198) (28/nov 401) (1/dec 805) (4/dec 1200) (13/dec 2658) I had a scan on the 5th dec and it showed a sac but it was empty. On the 10th i started to bleed a lttle, but then stopped on the 13th dec.
My next a scan was 13th dec and it showed i was 5-6weeks with a yolk and postible fetal pole.
My next scan will be 21st december. I am really scared about these hcg results, is there any way my baby will survive.
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Hello Susannah,
I am, unfortunately, not happy with the initial slow rise of the HCG. Sometimes we see a "sluggish" HCG rise that does, eventually get to the point where a gestational sac is seen on scan. The yolk sac measurements are often suggestive of a pregnancy that wiol not continue for very long. I know that this is very nervewracking!! If htis does not progress normally than there are things your doc will want to invstigate.
Good luck.
Dr. Jane
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Dr. Jane,
I got the results today of follow up blood work, my HCG level is now a 20. This is a slight increase. This has been going on for about a month. How long does it take to get this out of your system? Also, my prolacten level is elevated. Is this normal?
Thanks for your assistance with information.
Ryley
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Hi Ryley,
I'm sorry for the endless bloodtest phase you're going through. The fact that your HCG has risen, albeit siginificant, is important. It must be treated until it becomes nondetectable! Your doctor will probably want to give you an injection of methotrexate and follow your level a week later. Remember - it is very important that this is addressed. A level above 5 is considered positive. Yours should have been <1 by now. Your PRL level may be elevated because of this but it can also be mildly eleveted because of the stress of the situation.
Good luck,
Dr. Jane
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Ryley:
I 2nd Dr. Jane's opinion.
I once waited 3-4 weeks post chemical pregnancy, before re-testing to follow the HCG down to 0. My HCG had risen significantly, there was nothing visable on the ultrasound to indicate a pregnancy, and the HCG level was not high enough to justify how many weeks post transfer I was to be a pregnancy. I ended up having a D&C, followed a month later by Methotrexate. My numbers did finally start to drop, but extremely slowly. We never could find the growing tissue. Ultimately I spent nearly 8 months from the time of transfer, to the time it took my HCG level to reach 0.
A huge waste of time for anyone "in the process".
The only reason that I didn't have the initial lab work done, was that I just wasn't ready to be back in the building, and talk to the staff. I just felt really betrayed by my body that could not manage to keep a pregnancy, and yet it could produce HCG very well on a stupid piece of tissue.
Long story short. Don't stop testing. I now have all my testing done at my nurse friend's office. Her clinic has nothing to do with babies. We talk about other stuff, and just get the work done.
Good luck to you.
Erin
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