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First signs of Ectopic

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Michim00
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:50 pm

First signs of Ectopic

Post by Michim00 »

I’ve been told by a friend who is a fertility nurse that I may be having an ectopic.
I had my HCG taken at 4 weeks and it was only 27.9iu 2 days later it was just 39iu
I have on and off cramping on the left side only and an a hey shoulder blade.
I went to A&E as suggested and they did a pregnancy urine test and patted me on the back and told me to go home as I wasn’t pregnant!
I told them that I have positive tests at home and also HCG blood tests to prove different. She told me that I wasn’t pregnant and to call the fertility clinic on Monday!
I need to understand what your levels / symptoms were at 4 weeks as this is worrying me and I’m surprised at A&E’s lack of empathy.
Are there any tests I should insist on or would a scan be too early to tell?

Phoebe
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 5:08 pm

Re: First signs of Ectopic

Post by Phoebe »

Hi Michim

I’m no medic and am currently going through an ectopic. So the below is just my experience and what I’d do.

At 4 weeks I did not know it was an ectopic. If I remember correctly I was having bleeding and a bit of cramping (I thought it was a bit of an unusual period/implantation bleeding at first until it just didn’t go away). I did not have shoulder tip pain.

If you are concerned and experiencing bad pain I would go back to A&E. Ectopic pregnancies are serious (don’t want to worry you but they shouldn’t be ignored).

I didn’t go to A&E in the first instance because I didn’t know what was happening and I wasn’t in agonising pain (I just didn’t think it was how a pregnancy should be). I saw a GP on week 5 only 2 days after finding out I was pregnant. I was lucky to get a Saturday appointment (although with it being the weekend that caused a few other challenges see below). The GP told me I needed to go to an EPU clinic on Monday or if I couldn’t wait then to go to an EPU clinic that day (he thought I was having a miscarriage). I then tried to find an EPU clinic. Some EPU clinics are open 7 days a week. I decided then (when I thought I was having a miscarriage and didn’t know it was ectopic) that I would wait till Monday and go to a nearby EPU clinic rather than going to a London hospital. Looking back now knowing it was an ectopic this could have been a little bit risky but I just didn’t know. If I had known it was an ectopic I would have gone to an EPU that day. I should say my hormone levels were low so my embryo must have been fairly small.

I’ve had good treatment so far on the NHS and am hoping to be discharged soon. I wish you all the best with this it is a truly horrible and emotional experience.

The most important thing is to trust yourself if you have bad pains, bleeding and pain in your shoulder tip I would go back to A&E and if necessary seek a second opinion. If you have any paperwork with your previous result on it take them with you. I’ve been carrying all my paperwork around with be for a month now just in case I have to go to another A&E quickly.

Hope this helps but I reiterate I am no medic and this is just what I would do.

EPT Host 20
Posts: 3155
Joined: Thu May 31, 2012 10:58 pm

Re: First signs of Ectopic

Post by EPT Host 20 »

Dear michim00,
When diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy, doctors use a combination of transvaginal ultrasound scanning and blood tests to check HCG levels.
If scans are inconclusive, doctors would carry out a series of blood tests to check hCG levels to see if the numbers are rising as expected. However, in isolation, hCG tests only provide a part of the picture - declining levels indicate that a pregnancy has ended and will be miscarried. It can also possibly indicate an ectopic pregnancy that is "self-resolving". Also hCG levels rising by less than 66% over 48 hours means it is likely (but not certain) that it is ectopic. If levels rise normally, they suggest the pregnancy is implanted in the uterus. You may see from this that hCG levels only indicate certain possibilities and are not in themselves a definitive guide. A positive identification of an implanted embryo on a scan is usually needed before a final diagnosis/certainty that the pregnancy has implanted in the uterus.

Having said this, I do think that if you are currently feeling pain which seems unusual and is concerning you and, in particular, if you experience any bleeding or spotting, it is better to get checked out to be on the safe side. As pain is unique to each person and I have such limited information, it would be better to get professional medical assistance by someone who can examine you. I would therefore attend your local a&e again, especially if experiencing shoulder tip pain, abdominal pain or unusual bleeding. Failing this please speak to your GP as soon as possible.

Sending much love,
Karen x

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust
Registered Charity Number: 1071811

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