# RhoGam Shot



## Marie1234 (May 4, 2012)

Do the risks of being sensitized out weight the risks of the RhoGAM shot?

I was 8 weeks pregnant and will miscarry any day now, just waiting. To complicate the situation I am RH- and husband RH+. I am trying to determine if I should take the RhoGAM shot. I do not want to, due to risks with mercury and RhoGAM being a blood product.

I have not been able to find a natural alternative to RhoGAM, are there any?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


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## katelove (Apr 28, 2009)

I'm sorry for your loss. It must be really hard to have to make important health decisions on top of everything else at this difficult time.

Obviously only you can decide whether you feel the benefits of rhogam outweigh the risks but, since you've asked I will offer my opinion.

I do think the benefits outweigh the risk ( unless you do not intend to fall pregnant again). The risk of contracting a blood borne infection from any blood product is always present but, so far in the case of Rhogam, it is a theoretical one. As far as I know there have been no cases of infection transmitted by Rhogam.

According to the FDA website Rhogam sold in the US no longer contains mercury and there is no circulating supplies containing mercury still in date. If you do a google search for Rhogam + product insert you can see the list of ingredients.

All the best. Take good care of yourself.

ETA - no there are no natural alternatives


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## Alenushka (Jul 27, 2002)

There have not been any mercury in it since 2001

On April 16, 2001, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics was approved by FDA to produce RhoGAM without thimerosal, and at that time, Ortho agreed to distribute only thimerosal-free product to the US market. The product has a 2-year dating period, so there is no longer any RhoGAM that contains thimerosal that is still in-date.

That is from FDA website

Also, no one was ever infected by it.

http://www.rhogam.com/Professional/PlasmaSafety/Pages/default.aspx

Before 1968, approximately 10000 babies died each year of erythroblastosis

http://www.rhogam.com/Patient/PlasmaDonorProgram/Pages/Takingpart.aspx


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## stik (Dec 3, 2003)

I'm so sorry for your loss.

A miscarriage in the first trimester can lead to sensitization, which would have a major impact on any future pregnancies - you would need complicated medical management from a high risk maternal-fetal medicine specialist. Treatment for Rh disease involves much larger quantities of blood products than are involved in Rhogam - mostly donor blood. Rhogam is much more rigorously screened than donor blood. I would also encourage you to get the shot.


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## tangledblue (Apr 5, 2008)

I got Rhogam for two miscarriages and two term pregnancies and it has always been fine. I would encourage it too. RH disease is nothing to mess with.


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## Swirly (May 20, 2006)

We opted not to do it, as the risk of sensitization in the first trimester is actually quite low. D&C procedures increase the risk significantly. If you can miscarry naturally, that can mitigate that risk somewhat (but is no guarantee, of course).

Links of the Rhogam shot to auto immune issues with the mother are sufficient reason for my family to be cautious when using this shot.

But yes, you are taking the risk that you might become sensitized, which increases the risk of subsequent pregnancies. It is a diffficult issue, as as someone else mentioned, so horrible to have to try to navigate while enduring the physical and emotional pain of a loss.


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## Alenushka (Jul 27, 2002)

I would be curious to know where you get this information because I do not see any link to any actually scientific studies when I google. maybe my google is broken? Because Whale.doc and Blinded by the Light are not exactly peer reviewed source.


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## pattimomma (Jul 17, 2009)

Marie- I am so sorry for your loss. I have always gotten my shot after a miscarriage. I think the benefits far outweigh the risks.


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## aprilshower (May 25, 2011)

There is a low dose rhogam that is intended for first trimester loss. It is hard to find, since most docs use the full dose anyway. Because I get autoimmune reactions to rhogam, I sought out the low dose (hyperho?) for my second loss. A Walgreens hospital pharmacy ordered it for me.


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