Help! my doc says to take Asprin to prevent Preeclampsia

April - posted on 03/28/2013

Also took baby aspirin during my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies to prevent HELLP and I guess it worked cuz I had no problems

Lindsay - posted on 10/10/2012

It is legitimate, however, it is BABY (or low-dose) asprin. Regular asprin is too high a dose. Google it. There are many studies.

Julie - posted on 04/12/2011

Hi Hope, I wish wish pre-e had a cure too. But the doc never said it would cure it, just that it could prevent or mitigate it. I think you'll find it's quite common to prescribe to many (though not all) women in subsequent pregnancies, including mine and many others on the preeclampsia foundation's forums. Aspirin acts as a blood thinner which can mitigate mild hypertension. The doctors I spoke with in the high-risk MFM clinic also indicated that early use of low dose aspirin aids in maintaining elasticity in the uterine/placental blood vessels. They believe this can aid in preventing restricted bloodflow and lower the risk of pre-e issues like intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), a condition I myself unfortunately had to deal with, with my first pregnancy. But with just about everything in the medical field, and in particular with preeclampsia, there are still a lot of unknowns and a lot of speculation, even from the 'experts'...

Hope - posted on 04/04/2011

What??? I wish preeclampsia had a cure, like many of us moms who have had to deal with it. Sadly, asprin isn't going to help prevent preeclampsia. Preeclampsia was in my family history as was high bloodpressure, so I ended up with it too. I was put on a low-fat; low-sodium; good protein diet which helped lower my hypertention for a few weeks, which helped out my son some. Also drinking plenty of water and light exercise daily, until I was put on bedrest. You might want to look up some info on the preeclampsia foundation website and hellp syndrome society website, things to be aware of and even bring them up to your doc on your next visit. good luck

Kylie - posted on 03/18/2010

It's routine in the UK for subsequent pregnancies. I was told after having Joseph that if I was to have another pregnancy I would need to take aspirin

Molly - posted on 02/25/2010

i agree i would get a second opinion....i have heard alot of diffrent things that are supposedly supposed to prevent preeclampsea like i read when i first became pregnant with my second that vitamin D an Calcium helped prevent it, so when i asked my doc about it she said ehh you could try but theres really no way of knowing how it starts and why so theres really no way of knowing what exactly works. So i think in my case because it was calcium an vitamine D, stuff we get anyways she didnt say no, but i think asprine is alil much especially when nobody knows exactly how its caused and therefore how its cured...good luck
~Molly

Leah - posted on 01/31/2010

i read that the best things to reduce your chances of preeclampsia are lots of fiber atleast 12 gs in the 1st trimester lots of potassium for heart health and lots of magnisium for heart health and of course lots of rest and water... never heard of asprin i would get a 2nd opinion and do some more research you can't trust a doctor 100% just because they have a license.... best of luck to you!!

Elaine - posted on 07/08/2009

I had HELLP at 24 weeks during my first pregnancy. I delivered via csection and Emily survived for two hours after delivery. I joined the preeclampsia.org forums and learned about underlying disorders. I the doctors did blood test on me to check for these disorders. I have MTHFR and APA. APA can cause blood clots. The doctors said with Emily my antibodies were to turned on and had a clot to the placenta that stunted Emily's growth. She stopped growing at 21 weeks. Antibodies related to the APA can be turn off or on during different pregnancy. During my second pregnancy I was taking Lovenox ( blood thinner) and a baby aspirin nightly to help prevent blood clots. After the lost of our second baby. Lost due to severe spina bifida at 17 weeks. I researched MTHFR and learned that it can interfere with the absorption of folic acid. So now during my third pregnancy I am on Lovenox, prenatal with 1mg of folic acid, over the counter folic acid and B12, baby aspirin, calcium. We are no 33 weeks pregnant. I have been on bedrest for 6 weeks do to 24 hr urine being a little over 300 and for a bp spike. Things are better now. My bp in now normal and my 24 hr urine is 275. I am wondering what the doctors motive is putting you on baby aspirin. I am not questioning the doctor I am just wondering why. I am on baby aspirin due to my clotting disorder. Maybe the doctor is just taking precaution just incase you may have clotting disorder. I am not sure just curious. I will take a baby aspirin for the rest of life or until there is some other treatment.
Elaine

Julia - posted on 06/18/2009

oops sorry. I forgot to say that the dose of asprin is 75mg

Julia - posted on 06/17/2009

I suffered HELLP pre-eclampsia and my daughter was delivered at 30 weeks at just 1lb 7oz.

I am currently 35 weeks with twins. I have a huge team of specialists looking after me and I was put on a low dose ( 5mg) daily of folic acid and asprin.

I had the same fears but have been given loads of info to support the benefits of taking it.

The risks are almost non-existant. It's used for people with high blood pressure/colesteral, DVT or other blood disorders so makes sense that it would help in our situation.



I have been told that the dose must be stopped at 36 weeks though so I would ask your doctor about that.



Hope this helps and good luck with with everything. x

Marie - posted on 05/29/2009

Thanks guys!

Julie - posted on 05/02/2009

Hi Marie, I'm new here: it's not uncommon for doctors to prescribe baby aspirin to women with a history of preeclampsia. I was told for any subsequent pregnancies I have to take higher doses of folic acid and B group vitamins as well as extra calcium and baby aspirin. I would recommend checking out preeclampsia.org, they have a lot of information as well as forums where you can talk to other moms who have been prescribed the baby aspirin (among other things)!

Kristi - posted on 04/28/2009

Quoting Marie:

yeah, that's what the pharasist said when I bought the Aspirin. But, yeah, the Doc wouldn't tell me to do something if it was gonna hurt the baby, right? Yes, it's the low dose 87 mg.

I would hope not ... but my doctor told me to "not breastfeed my kid so often" because she thought he was eating too much and would become obese ... so sometimes I think doctors are stupid - or at least don't read as much as they should.

The reading I did said something about low dose (like I said before, 1/4 of normal adult dose) appears to help with preventing PE ... I hope it works for you!

Vikki - posted on 04/28/2009

I had Preeclampsia with my first from 28weeks and she was 6 weeks early. Just had second daughter and was prescribed Asprin to prevent it happening again. All was fine this time and was assured that the Asprin would not do any harm. It was a low dose i was taking, and would have done anything the doctor said to prevent going through Preeclampsia again.

Anna - posted on 04/28/2009

Hmm, I haven't heard of that one before. Is it a regular OBGYN or a prenatal specialist telling you that? It looks like there are a lot of studies about taking asprin to prevent preeclampsia from 1998 and 2002 but none of them conclude it will really prevent it. There was a 2007 Austrailain study that said it might help but Dr. Burton Rochelson also says "Many of my clinets have babies born with salicylate toxicity when they take baby aspirin for more than the first trimester. The drug information insert says as much. I would not recommend taking ti unless a genetic test shows that it is well tolerated."



Don't know if that helps or not but thought I would pass it along.

Marie - posted on 04/28/2009

yeah, that's what the pharasist said when I bought the Aspirin. But, yeah, the Doc wouldn't tell me to do something if it was gonna hurt the baby, right? Yes, it's the low dose 87 mg.

Kristi - posted on 04/27/2009

Just did a little research. Sounds like generally, one should not take aspirin during pregnancy, but if the doc says to, he or she must have a reason for that recommendation. The sites did say, however, that the dose should be no more than 1/4 the normal adult dose each day

Kristi - posted on 04/27/2009

I have never heard of this before ... can you get a second opinion?