Mmc and retained product help please

[Goingabitcrazy]

Yes iabu but had no replys so posting for traffic.
Hi everyone so on the 21/12/19 I had medical management to expel a mmc at 8+4. They told me to take a hpt 3 weeks later. I did one last week and it was glaringly positive so thought I'd just wait. However I ended up in a&e with severe pain and bleeding that night and a scan showed retained product.
The doctor sort of convinced me to go down the medical route again as they couldn't gurantee when I could to theatre saying it could be up to 2 weeks as there's no beds etc.
So I had the nurse insert the tablets and they sent me home. I didn't experience any cramps and the bleeding did not increase. I took anothet hpt which looks stronger than my last one and now I'm terrified it hasn't come away and I'll end up with a nasty infection which could leave me infertile (dramatic I know) the epu are telling me to wait another 2 weeks but I just know deep down it hasn't worked again. They said there was 6cm of tissue left and I've experienced no clots or anything since the tablets.
Sorry this is so long I just don't know what to do. Any advice would be appreciated
(Also so not drip feed I have bipolar and really bad health anxiety)

I know how terrifying MMC can be. Please don’t forget you can go back and ask for a second opinion. I’m sure it will be fine in the end and please don’t forget adverse outcomes after mmc are actually statistically very very uncommon, in case that helps

@Goingabitcrazy

I'm so sorry you're going though this. I've been there and it's shit!

I had a MMC discovered in Dec 2018 and after medical management didn't work, I had to have surgery. Then, when I was expecting my next period, I had the worst pains ever (can only describe them to be what I imagine contractions to be like) on and off over 5 days. I was in agony but thought it was just bad period pains (although there wasn't much bleeding). Then, at the end of the 5 days this 'object' (tmi) came out of me which I am assuming was retained product. I went to out of hours where I was told it was another miscarriage (even though my HPT the week before was negative) but then my own GP said it was more likely to be retained product but that I would never know for sure. It was very scary! I didn't get an infection though and I'm certainly not infertile from it as I am awaiting the arrival of my baby any day now.

I would ask the hospital to book you in for surgery again even if it means waiting two weeks and see if it works naturally in the meantime. Good luck op

Sorry for your loss.
Its strange that they haven't arranged a scan to check there is nothing retained. I also don't understand why they are recommending a pregnancy test for a confirmed missed miscarriage. It is possible for the body to absorb a missed miscarriage. I would suggest you see your gp and explain the situation and ask if you can at least be referred for a scan.

I would suggest the GP, I had retained product and ended up more or less contracting at home in agony before passing it. Thankfully I felt okay afterwards, but you shouldn't have to risk something happening (it likely wont thankfully) because you have to wait. Sorry you're going through this

Thank you for all your replies. I'm still non the wiser. Can't get my gp to listen to me even when I pleaded my mental health was suffering as I just do not know.
Sorry tmi but since the tablets a week ago the light brown spotting has completely stopped and my hpts are still showing very strong darker than the control line positives. Both gp and epu have today told me I need to give it another 2 weeks and test again

It does take an age sometimes for the hpt to start to fade. Mine took weeks. I had retained products that the tablet just didn’t shift but didn’t need surgery because my period started. The tests faded eventually and next period wasn’t too bad - I think I still had a slight positive the day before af returned. If you start to get fevers or generally unwell then go back but you should be fine even though it’s a pain waiting for the line to go.

Been here twice so understand how scary it is. First mmc I opted for surgery, 3 weeks later I started bleeding really heavily and went back to docs who referred me to hospital where I had the surgery again a couple of days later. They were very keen to remove the products quickly and did mention possible infection. Second mmc I didn't want the surgery so opted for the tablets, bleeding, clots and cramping as expected. Then blood and clots continued to gush out at various times over the next couple of weeks. Kept telling EPU who kept saying it was normal but I suspected there was retained products again. Also had pounding headaches which turned out to be from severe anemia. Eventually ended up being ambulances into hospital where they had to manually remove the retained products (it was either that or surgery). Awful experience, made worse by not being listened to the second time when I kept phoning the EPU. The difference in attitude between hospital one and two was huge.
Can you pay for a private internal scan to put your mind at rest? Not sure they do them for this reason but you may get answers, it's something that crossed my mind the second time? If not make another doctors appointment with a different doctor to see if they can refer you back to EPU?
It is highly highly highly unlikely that you will suffer any long term damage but that is not a reason to be ignored. The consultant I saw after my 3rd mc told me that lots of women suffer PTSD after mc but it is not talked about and we are not supported. How are you expected to start to heal mentally and physically whilst you are in this limbo. I really feel for you and hope that you get some answers soon

@Sparklybanana I'm sorry you've been through this to. Can I ask how long till you got your period. I've always been clockwork but now after 3 weeks of spotting etc. I have no clue.

@Jeds55 I'm sorry you had to go through that. Sounds truly traumatic. I'm a healthcare professional and like to think q good advocate for women but see all the time our concerns are ignored as just one of those things. Like just wait for your next period and it will all be ok.

I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences with me but it saddens me that this is more common than I ever realised

Also I will look into a private scan. Thanks for the advice. I just want my mind put at rest and also if it's still there as I suspect as bad as it sounds I just want it gone so I can move on

I had a mmc in July 2017 and medical management failed despite the fact that I hemorrhaged EVERYWHERE 😬

I refused a second round of medical management and demanded a d&c on the grounds that I was three weeks into a miscarriage and I couldn’t take it anymore.

I hope you get the help you need

Totally understandable that you want it gone.
To answer your q re periods I remember the first time it returned bang on 4 weeks after second surgery and after most recent about 6 weeks after so in my experience it varied. There's a huge difference between waiting for period when you know all is removed and hoping period arrives so you know all is removed and you shouldn't have to do the latter.

Just wanted to update in case anyone else is going through similar. I know I searched and searched for answers from people who'd experienced it.
After no real investigation or help from epu or my gp I was blue lighted into hospital Sunday night with horrendous pain and bleeding. I then started haemorrhaging and needed 2 units of blood. A speclum exam showed a little tissue left which they manually retrieved. Which was awful. And also have an infection.
Home now with antibiotics and iron tablets and feeling a bit weak but better.
Just wanted to post this to urge women if you think something's not right push for investigations. I knew something was wrong and allowed myself to be fobbed off basically.

Horrendous that you had to go through this but to reassure you - I also had an infection following a mmc and retained products despite haemorrhage. My body reacted badly to the untreated infection and I developed sepsis but my fertility hasn't been affected at all.

The NICE guidelines for managing miscarriage are completely inappropriate for mmc and don't really take into account that some pregnancies don't and will not miscarry completely without surgery/manual retrieval. With that comes extra risks that aren't typically seen in miscarriage such as haemorrhage and infection. These risks and my concerns about the risks (specifically, infection) were totally ignored and it sounds like you experienced similar.

Am sorry you have had to go through this.
When I had a mmc I had to fight really hard to be allowed to let things happen naturally and agree to weekly scans in the meantime. In the end it took just over two weeks. I wanted to wait it out as I was aware of the risks with tablets and surgery. It's ridiculous that treatment is so varied across the country. I

Thanks for the replies. I'm sorry that you've all been through similar. It just angers me that that they knew I had retained products and just left me with no follow up other than take a test in 3 weeks. This could have all been avoided.
I work for the nhs so completely understand how stretched they are but I probably wasted more time and resources needing an emergency blood transfusion. I just don't want another woman to go through this. Sounds silly but I feel a bit traumatised. Tmi the bleeding was awful. All over my floors and clothes etc. No one should have to go through that

I'm not surprised you're angry. I went back twice for scans to check for retained products. Passed it all at home eventually, but I ended up with an infection too. I knew to go back straight away because they'd told me what to watch for.

Sorry you went through this.

Op I am so so sorry you went through this

It is very very difficult to advocate for optimum care while going through a mc, as I know from my own experience. The emotional impact is significant enough not to mention the physical impact.

Miscarriage care in this country can be really poor. I was going to be left to go over the last allowable date for ERPC with a missed mc that hadn’t happened naturally even after 3 weeks of expectant management, due to staff shortages to perform the ERPC. I went private in the end so that I wouldn’t have to go through labour.

I then complained to PALS about my treatment and found this hugely helpful for my mental recovery. I was told that my case was discussed as the main item at a major departmental meeting and I hope this will have caused some lessons to be learned. If you think this would help you then it is worth considering.