Jenndola...

[wcarder]

Just wondering - what else do you know about APS? Although I haven't been diagnosed with this disease, I'm a little concerned about what my next test will show in six weeks. Were you diagnosed with APS? When? Is it treated OUTSIDE of pregnancy - if so, how? My doctor explained to me the issues/treatment involved regarding pregnancy, but not so much of what is involved if you are not pregnant. Any info you can give me will help...I'm trying to not obsess over it, but I'm just so worried...My husband and his family are already shaking their heads at my desire to have another baby, because of how sick my daughter and I were with PE. I'm so afraid that if I get diagnosed with APS, my husband will surely not want to TTC - he's so terrified as it is...
Wendy
DH ~ Ryan
DD ~ Kenzie Celeste
30 weeks GA, severe PE

[dja]

Hi. I've been diagnosed by a peri with APS, but my regular doctor was not willing to make the diagnosis. Her reasoning was that APS generally involves a person having had an actual clot, and that pregnancy loss was sort of "soft" indicator. In the reading I've done though, it sounds like pregnancy loss is considered a definite indicator when combined with blood tests showing positives for anticardiolipin and lupus anticoagulant. I asked my regular doctor if I needed to do anything, and she deferred to the peri since I'm planning/trying to get pregnant.

The good news is that the treatment for APS during pregnancy (heparin and baby aspirin) seems to be pretty standard, and has a very good success rate at holding off the PE. I had a thread going a few weeks ago asking about treatment experiences of women with APS. It is floating around somewhere in the Ask the Experienced page.

DJA
Mom to Amelia, b/d 03/19/04 @ 22 weeks due to sever PE

[jenndola]

quote:

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Originally posted by DJA

my regular doctor was not willing to make the diagnosis. Her reasoning was that APS generally involves a person having had an actual clot, and that pregnancy loss was sort of "soft" indicator.

---

*pffffffffffft*

I'm glad you're smarter than your regular doctor! This is from the "International Consensus Statement on Preliminary Criteria for the Classification of the Antiphospholipid Syndrome":

"Complications of Pregnancy

One of more unexplained deaths of morphologically normal fetuses at or after the 10th week of gestation; or

One or more premature births of morphologically normal neonates at or before the 34th week of gestation; or

Three or more unexplained consecutive spontaneous abortions before the 10th week of gestation"

Hey, look! I'm almost in all three of those categories! Oh, wait. That wasn't actually very funny. Sometimes I have a really inappropriate sense of humor. What can I say? It keeps me going. *grin*

Jenn
Angel Maggie stillborn due to HELLP Syndrome & PIH at 19.5 wks
Missed miscarriage/D&C 14 weeks
Miscarriage 6 weeks
Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS)
I'm putting my perinatologist's kids through college!

[dja]

Jenn - I read something like this, which is why I really don't understand what my regular doctor is thinking. I'm going to deal with the peri for now since I'm trying to get pregnant, but I do intend to follow up on this later and find out if I need to be on medication. It scares me to think I'm at some sort of risk for a clot. Yuck.

DJA
Mom to Amelia, b/d 03/19/04 @ 22 weeks due to sever PE

[for faith]

Wow Jenn ~ That is interesting, thanks for sharing that - I fit the first 2 categories and am waiting for my tests back on all PE underlying conditions. So glad I did get the testing, if just to rule things out.

Wendy ~ Best of luck with your testing, hope that you get some answers either way.

Jill
mommy to:
Tyler - 4 (36 wks, PIH)
Angel baby - 1/20/03 (11 wks)
Faith Kristine - 1/5/04-1/30/04 (30 weeks due to severe PE, passed due to NEC & Sepsis(preemie complications))

trying for #2 to share our lives with since 9/02

[jenndola]

DJA: as a general rule, they don't anticoagulate you outside of pregnancy unless you've actually had some type of blood clot. The bleeding risks are just considered too great. Who knows--I may never have clotted in the first place if I hadn't been on oral birth control. But now I'm a lovely statistic, and I'm on Coumadin for life.

Jill: It's definitely not a bad idea to get screened for antiphospholipid antibodies when you have a history of early-onset PE and miscarriage. Let me know what you find out. I'm starting to feel like the APS welcoming wagon. *grin*

Jenn
Angel Maggie stillborn due to HELLP Syndrome & PIH at 19.5 wks
Missed miscarriage/D&C 14 weeks
Miscarriage 6 weeks
Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS)
I'm putting my perinatologist's kids through college!