Anyone been on Clexane throughout pregnancy?

[camerashy]

I do not have any blood clotting disorders but am on clexane this pregnancy as a precautionary measure because my placenta clotted quite badly with dc1 and affected growth.

If you've been on Clexane, when did you stop taking it? I've been on it since 7 weeks and my consultant basically wants me to stay on it until the day before my elective c-section which I'm not too happy about...

I was on clexane with my second ds. I was taken off it at 17 weeks as I developed a local allergic reactio to it (well the clexane or the needle they wernt quite sure)
My consultant basically said that as my reason for being on it was threat of misscarrieage that I was safe to come off it once the "danger" time had passed, ie 12 weeks.
Sounds like you need to be on it all through tho-not pleasent is it?

why arent you too happy about it?

Not happy because it's a blood thinning drug and I'm scared about losing too much blood in the c-sec. A day doesn't seem to be long enough for my blood to start clotting more.

I must add that the clexane dose is very low and my understanding of it's effects are a bit basic!

dh says that a day can make a difference with clotting.

i know that his readings have been all over the place on and off clexane.

Misdee-what dosage is he on? I presume more than my 2mg/0.2ml? It is probably all fine but I just feel the haematologist is trying to cover himself. He said 'you would never forgive yourself if you came off it at 36 weeks, then something happened'. He couldn't really answer when I asked him to elaborate. I will be miserable for rest of pg now- scared to stay on it, scared to come off it!!!

my sister had clexane, she posts as RubySlippers , but was posting as Taylormama, if you search her name, you will find some posts in pregnancy and / or childbirth about this

I thikn she had to take it 6 weeks post natally too

atm hwe isnt on clexane, but i know when his blood was too thin before his op he was given vitamin k i think, which helps clotting.

hi am 38 weeks pg been taking clexane since 20 weeks been told to take untill babys 3 months old, i was having a csection but told they dont want me to with being on clexane. but told if i go into labour not to take my clextane that day so one day must make a diffrence.

I am only 8 weeks and have been using Clexane for 4. I was told by my consultant that they'd keep me on it for my entire pregnancy and 6 weeks after but that when I think I am in labour, I should not take it that morning in case of a c section or epidural. I was told 12 hours was the magic figure. I am on 40cl.

Hiya
I'm on Clexane (am 15 weeks pg), will be on it until I give birth, due to possible clotting syndrome.
What is it that you are worried about?
There are several treads about this, but I'm sure we'd all be happy to try to answer any questions

trace2- that is interesting about them not wanting you to be on clexane for a c-section. My baby is breech at the moment so will almost certainly have to have one- only a few weeks left! DS was also a c-sec. My consultant has also told me a day off it will be enough but I am not that impressed as they originally said to come off it at around 34 weeks.

Josiejump- main worries are bleeding even more in my c-sec- really don't want a transfusion etc! But then again I am even more scared to come off it now after my haematologist's comments. So, I think I will do as I'm told and remain on it

Thanks mrsmc- that's reassuring info.

I was told by my consultant that the Clexane only stays in your system for 12 hours, which is why you can't have an epidural until a certain number of hours after your last injection

Was on clexane with last pg. Was initially told I'd need to take it for 6 weeks after db was born. Ended up having it for 10 days.

With first db was told 6 weeks too. Ended up taking it for 3 days (but then switched onto warfarin, which I don't think you'll be doing somehow!)

In the last pg I was on a double dose from 20 weeks (morning and evening). I hated every single jab I had to do.

Was also told it takes 12 hours to get out of your system, but that if necessary they can reverse it's effect (so if you need an emergency cs for whatever reason).

I suppose your consultant is thinking about minimising any risk to you and your baby and also assuming that by now you've got used to having to stick yourself with needles. I always used to think mine had no idea how painful they were (used to have me in tears on a regular basis both pgs) to do, so there's probably some of that too.

Good luck with your pg

H

I think that I'm quite lucky as I don't mind injections and don't find doing them at all traumatic-have only had a couple of times when it hasn't gone well. Someone on another thread advised me to gently stroke the needle over the surface of the skin to find a less sensitive place-seems to wrk!

Sory work not wrk!

Hi, I was on Clexane from week 8 of pregnancy right through til 10 days post delivery.

A day can make a difference in clotting. The effects of the heparin drop off as time elapses from the injection. The 12 hour rule is correct, although I'm sure the rule would be bent in an emergency. As I understand it, the risk comes from the epidural rather than from blood-loss. There is a slightly increased chance of a spinal bleed when an epidural is administered when there is Clexane in your system.

I was so worried about this during my pregnancy that I spent a lot of time googling. Forget the actual figures now, but the risk is v v low.

In the event, I had a 13 hour labour before having an emergency section, so enough time had elapsed since my last injection.

With regards to transfusions, I had an abrupted placenta, caused by a low-lying placenta. Even with this blood loss, and a c-section, I didn't require a transfusion.

For anyone on Clexane not having an elective section, a top tip passed on to me from a Haematology nurse. Most women go into labour through the night and early hours of the morning. Therefore doing your injection late morning/lunchtime gives you the most leeway.

Camerashy - don't really have any experience of your circs, but surely if a clot is going to affect growth, then the final weeks are most important, with lots of foetal growth occurring then??

Hope this helps. For what it's worth, I recovered well post delivery and now have a gorgeous DD who is well worth all of those nasty tummy bruises! And I am planning on doing it all again asap!

Good luck with your pregnancies girls.

This thread is really interesting Its good to talk to other Clexane users I find the injections sorer afterwards as they sting rather than the actual administration. Sometimes I make a real mess though and end up with nasty bruises . I'm lucky, I am only doing it once a day in the morning (at the mo anyway) must be horrible having to do it at night too when you are really tired .

I had a slight bleed yesterday - totally freaked me out of course (I'm 8 weeks and had just seen the heart beat the day before!) - things seem to have settled today but I just wanted to remind you all if you do have any bleeds to make medical contact immedialtey because the clexane may have to be managed.

Good luck all

I as on Clexain untill i went into labour becuase of a bloos clot on my lung when i was preg with ds1. I was on it for ds2 aswell and will be if i ever have anymore kids.

If your hemotologist has said a day before your c-section you will be fine. It's a pain to inject everyday but blood clots can be very dabgerous so it's best that your not at risk.

Forgot to add, i was given the chioce after delivering of staying on clexain of going onto wwarfrin i chose clexain as worfrin takes a while to get the dosage right and involves alot of blood tests.

I feel much more reassured by everyone that's posted here so thanks v much .

Katsma- really useful info. My consultant did say something about the epidural being the iffy bit if I'd just injected but you have explained it much better. Good point about doing the injection late morning-will try and keep to that. If I have a morning elective c-section that would be ideal I guess.

Good to know I'm not the only one on Clexane! I am not at all bothered about the injecting itself though now that I'm quite big and tight-tummied, I can only inject on the sides of my tummy quite low down. Anywhere without a bit of flab is just too painful!

i was on clexane from about 17 weeks pg due to a history of DVTs ...
try to inject in your upper thigh - alternate one leg each day so you don't get too sore

I also had to inject twice a day from 5 wks right up until I went into labour. My contractions started at 01:00, so I called the hospital at 06:00 (the time I'd normally have had my 1st daily jab) to ask whether I should inject or not - and was told to go ahead and do so, as labour was likely to not get into full swing for some time. It turned out this wasn't great advice, and meant that not only could I not have an epidural, but if I'd needed a CS they wouldn't have given me a spinal block either - I'd have had to have a general. (As it was, my baby was born naturally).

I carried on with the injections for 12 weeks afterwards (the max time they were prepared to allow me to) because I didn't want to go back onto Warfarin (which I was on when I fell pregnant) while I was BF.

Good luck with it all - generally I found the haemotologists really helpful, and they were happy for me to pop in just to talk about any concerns etc if I needed to!

am having induction on moday been told to not do my clextain on monday morning