toxemia...?

Question

i was at my doctors the other day and he tested my urine and said that i had developed toxemia... sent me on bed rest.
im 38 wks. and ive been researching it and its pretty freaky. some people wonder why he didnt induce me but i go back to visit tuesday anyways.
i know signs are swelling and high BP which i have had and he knows about it. Today my bottom lip is swolen and i dont believe i bit it or anything and when i talk i talk out of the side of my mouth.... its really wierd and just started happening today.
could this be anything to do with my toxemia? when i went in and he found out i had it he said it was a +1 for toxemia... im just wondering if anybody else had this in late pregnancy and what symptoms they had.

Answer 1

Michelle gave you a lot of great info so I won't repeat a lot of it. I am concerned if all your doctor has done is dip your urine. At 38 weeks with elevated blood pressure and swelling you really should have blood work done and possibly collect your urine for 24 hours and check the protein level in it. You should also be having a NST (monitor the baby)twice a week. If any of these are abnormal you should be induced. When your doctor said 1+ did he mean your urine was 1+? If so, then you may just have a mild form. But you should still have lab work done. At home rest on your left side. This will help your blood pressure and ensure adequate oxygen for your baby. If you are not on bedrest, take frequent rest periods with your feet up. If your swelling extends beyond your ankles or shins, you develop pain in your upper abdomen, get a headache not relieved with Tylenol or have any visual disturbances, call your doctor ASAP or go to the hospital. It can develop very quickly into a life threatening situation if you ignore it. As far as your lip goes, that isn't a symptom of toxemia that I know about unless your entire face has developed swelling. You should call your doctor with any concerns about that. Good luck!

Answer 2

First of all, I feel your pain. Second of all, I would call your doctor about your lip asap and run it by him (or the on call doctor). I had a month left when my urine test at the doctor office was high, so he sent me to the hospital for more testing, went home that night, was back in the next morning, sent home again, with a huge jug to pee in, which my hubby had to take back in the hospital the next day, and that was really high so the on call doctor called me to come in for more tests on the monitor, I went home again that night (Saturday night now), the next day (Sunday, Mother's Day) I felt like I was having a heart attack, and I knew my doctor was on call that day, so finally gave in and called him, and he had me go in the hospital. They did the urine and blood tests, had me hooked up to the monitors, bp was high, he came in and said we need to induce, the toxemia is out of hand, but did you know that you are having contractions already (I was in so much pain from the toxemia I did not feel them), so he checked me first and I was at a 2 already. Anyway, even though this was my third I was scared to death because I was in so much pain from the toxemia I thought there would be no way I could push, but they gave me an epidural and another drug for the upper pain. I was induced and it took a while, at times my bp got way high and the baby got scary, but we made it through. Also, it took a year for my liver function tests to get back to normal (I had blood tests quite a bit after the baby because they were so high, went to a specialist, etc...it took time to reverse itself). Anyway, from what I know and what I have read, toxemia is not something to play with, and I hate to scare you, but it can be fatal. You are at 38 weeks so the baby is not considered premie, so not sure why he did not induce. You should be induced before it gets worse, trust me, it is very painful once it gets worse. As far as other symptoms, I was a little swollen, but I just figured it was the normal swelling, but when I look back at pictures of me from that week, I am amazed at how swollen I really was (everyone around me was used to me, including myself, so they didn't see it as it was happening). And not just fat, but truly swollen. Do you and your baby a favor, call the doctor asap, and I'm sure he will have you go to the hospital for more testing. For your peace of mind it would be worth it even if he does send you home. Do not play with this stuff, it's not fun. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope I have not scared you too much. Again, good luck!
P.S. I was also gestational diabetic with that same baby (yeah, he was a troublemaker). He was 9 pounds 15 ounces at one month early (they say he would have been 13 if term), and he was ok, just had some breathing issues and sugar issues at first, and stayed in nicu for about a week and a half (again, he was born at 36 weeks, so premie). He's perfectly healthy today at 2 years old!

Answer 3

The majority of preeclampia cases start around 37 weeks, so it's not unusual for it to be diagnosed now. The swelling is giving you trouble however (hence the bottom lip thing). I would guess that the doctor doesn't want to induce too early to give you a better chance at success, but he's not going to wait too long either. Many docs just have a wait and see and nothing gets more complicated. It's not like...oh gosh, you have preeclampsia and are now going to blow up.

Answer 4

i had toxemia with my first and was bed fast from the time i was 5 an a half months. it help when you always lay on your left side it helps the baby get the oxygen it needs and you shouldn't be up for longer than 15 minutes to shower an use the rest room. but if your bottom lip is swollen and its making you talk funny you need to go to the nearest E.R. right now thats not good i have a sister in law that went to her doctor and they told her to come back to her regular appt and when she did they sent her out of state to another hospital for her baby to be delivered and the baby girl was dead. all because she went ahead and waited.DON'T WAIT GO TO THE YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY ROOM.WITH SWELLING INVOLVED. they had to induce mine.

Answer 5

i had toxemia during my first pregnancy and ended up on bed rest for the last month of my pregnancy. as far as my symptoms, i was just really uncomfortable and swollen all over my body (hands, fingers, feet, toes, ankles, legs...). my blood pressure was slightly high also. my doctor put me on hydrochlorothorizide for it until after i had the baby. i was induced at 41 weeks with my first and the whole time i was in labor they had to monitor my blood pressure and the baby's heart rate very closely. it was uncomfortable for me but not unbearable, other than the swelling i felt fine and the medication helped tons. good luck to you!

Answer 6

Call the Dr. and find out, asap