Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

aspirin medical trials

12 replies

macdat · 14/10/2015 20:53

There are some trials going on at the moment for women with/at risk of getting pre eclampsia. I think they ask women to take part as standard since I was sent a letter with my midwife letter and they were also giving them out in the scan department.
Is anybody taking part?
They did some tests and told me I'm high risk, so I've agreed to take part. Some of us taking placebos, some taking real aspirin.
And for those who've been pregnant before and found to be at risk, did they tell you to take aspirin for it then?

OP posts:

GoodnightDarthVader · 14/10/2015 20:55

Is it the Aspre trial? I'm on that, currently 22 weeks. I was told that if you'd previously had pre-eclampsia, you would automatically be told to take aspirin, but only 75mg. My trial is for twice that amount. (Or placebo....)

Original poster

macdat · 14/10/2015 20:59

That's the one! I'm only 12 weeks, but taking part too. The only worrying thing is if you actually get pre eclampsia and are just taking a placebo instead of the real thing. I don't know, maybe pre eclampsia sounds scarier than it is, but it doesn't sound nice.

OP posts:

GoodnightDarthVader · 14/10/2015 21:06

I totally agree with you. I bombarded the doctor with a load of questions on this. Basically he said that because I've not have pre-eclampsia before, there would be NO additional monitoring or medication given as a matter of course, so this placebo-or-aspirin pill was my best shot. I asked if I should just self-medicate but he pointed out that the amount of aspirin that should be taken hasn't totally been agreed. 75mg could do nothing. 150mg could do nothing. That's why they're running the trial. Sadly, we're guinea pigs but hopefully we'll help ladies in the future!

Pre-eclampsia isn't nice, but there are things they can do to help if you get it. And I have to say the Aspre team have been incredible monitoring me when I had some concerns.

The doc should invite you to discuss, had that happened yet?

Original poster

macdat · 14/10/2015 21:14

I haven't spoken to anybody about it properly yet as I only agreed yesterday and I'd already been sitting in that place for 3 hours and was just knackered. I only asked one question, about how long they've studied women taking aspirin in pregnancy and they said its been happening for donkeys years and isn't really a big issue.
If they do monitor you well, that sounds much better. I thought you just go home with your placebo/aspirin and see what happens in a couple of months lol...

As you say, it'll help people in future, so I don't mind too much. Never know, this trial could really change things for women dramatically in the future. It only takes one trial.

OP posts:

GoodnightDarthVader · 14/10/2015 21:24

I actually spent a rather stressful evening before my doctor appt reading previous clinical studies involving aspirin, trying to figure out what to do! Basically aspirin has been shown to help (they think) but it hasn't been tested on a large scale, which is what this trial is intended to do (it's worldwide, I believe). The amount hasn't really been agreed either. At the moment they're recommending 75mg a day, but they don't even know if that amount is enough.

In my situation I had the 12 week scan and my first blood test, and they said they called me the next day to say baby was negative for down's but I was positive for pre-eclampsia (which wasn't surprising as my mum had it and I have hypertension anyway). At that point I was asked to come in to discuss before agreeing - it sounds like similar has happened for you? It was at this appointment, once I agreed, that they gave me the pills. I was given a sheet to record any "unusual" symptoms (ha, I'm pregnant, everything's weird, but thanks).

I was called at 16 weeks to see how I was doing, said I was fine. At 17-18 weeks I felt awful so rang them up (after trying in vain to get help from my midwife) and they got me in for a scan that day, went through everything with me, did my blood pressure, etc. I had my 21 week scan and everything was normal (although there's a problem with the cord that could develop in the future). As everything looks fine, I'm not due back until 28 weeks. But I can call them any time with any issues and they'll check me out, which is reassuring.

Whereabouts in the country are you?

Original poster

macdat · 14/10/2015 21:52

Mine was all done during my 12 week scan appointment, and because the scan took so long (shy baby hid the whole time) it was late in the day when I finally spoke to the research midwife, she had to rush me through to get to the hospital pharmacy before it closed so everything was just rushed and I didn't get to ask too much, plus I forgot alot of the questions I had haha.
I got that sheet too, and thought the same as you haha, if I'm going to write any weird things that happen I'll be writing on it all day lol.

Sorry about the possibility of issues with your cord. I've got my fingers crossed for you that nothing does come up. Although with this trial, you do get more scans, so if it does they'll hopefully pick up anything early. It's so scary to be pregnant! All these things that can happen.

And I'm in London, what about you?

OP posts:

GoodnightDarthVader · 15/10/2015 07:58

That sounds a bit rushed and not great :( Have you been to the Aspre website? You might find it a bit useful: fetalmedicine.org/aspre-1

I'm down in Kent, so not far from you! :)

zannyminxoxox · 15/10/2015 08:37

I was not told it was a trial at my hospital but the prescribed me 75mg of aspirin but I am not taking them. I have had no pre eclampsia in previous pregnancys or high blood pressure. Plus I read its only 24 % effective so you could still end up with pre eclampsia anyway. I have told my midwife I am not taking them and she said its my choice. The doctor at the hospital was really trying to push them though.

Number3cometome · 15/10/2015 09:08

I had pre-eclampsia in 3 of my pregnancies (the first one of which ended up with eclamptic seizures)

The one with the seizures was the ONLY pregnancy in which I didn't take aspirin from the start.

So it's not just to do with if you develop it, but also the severity.

Roomba · 15/10/2015 09:35

There was no trial at my hospital, but I had read a lot about the potential for aspirin preventing pre-eclampsia after I developed it during my first pregnancy.

With my second pregnancy I was surprised no one mentioned aspirin , so I asked about it but was told that nothing was conclusive at that time so they didn't promote it as a matter of course.

I self medicated with 75mg aspirin and didn't develop pre-eclampsia. But obviously that was just me and I may not have developed it with a second pregnancy anyway...

Original poster

macdat · 15/10/2015 23:54

Ahh, I'm so silly. A quick Google would have told me they have a website. Thanks for passing that on .

Zanny, they say part of the reason for this trial is to see if a higher dose will be more reliable.

Number3, poor you, that sounds awful! It must have been so scary at the time. Hopefully they'll find something in the near future so you or others won't have to go through that kind of thing again.

Roomba, makes me think there may be something to it. They did say you're classed as high risk if you've had it before. They say it's quite likely, so maybe the aspirin really did help you. Poor you having it the first time. I'm happy for you that you managed to avoid it for your second.

OP posts:

Number3cometome · 16/10/2015 09:27

macdat

Yes was awful, didn't even know what eclampsia was until waking up the next day in ITU having it explained to me!

DS1 did suffer from o2 deprivation but thankfully caught up quickly and apart from some very slight co-ordination problems is a thriving 5ft 7 12 year old ha!

No more babies for me, my uterus is apparently not in great condition from my 3 csections and spinal fusion (anterior scar)

Flip