UPDATED - ECTOPIC?? PAGE 2 hcg level extremely low!! completely scared & confused

[Crypto1976]

Yes I would go for methotrexate, I was left so long I ruptured and lost my tube. I am pregnant again, so please dont feel like this is the end. It is difficult but you will get through it. I am thinking of you.XXX

 

[ProudMum]

i would most definitely request another scan...

can an ectopic be diagnosed by blood???

 

[bbb2009]

i asked about another scan and was told that my hcg levels (84) are not high enough to be able to show anything on a scan. i told them that the ER had done two vaginal ultrasounds and had told me that they saw no signs of an ectopic pregnancy, but they did see a cyst on my ovary. But my dr insists that my hcg numbers would climb if everything were okay or fall if i were miscarrying. he said that when they remain the same, it is an ectopic and that a scan will not be able to show anything. i am now having heavier spotting, more now like a very light period...only when i am wiping. the abdomincal cramping has been going on for a week, just constant dull pain mostly. i just talked to his nurse and she said that i would have to go into the hospital and they would give me a shot which was a form of chemotherapy and it would have to be performed by the cancer centers of america. she also said that the cyst is normal during early pregnancy. i just feel so confused. i wish that someone could prove to me that the baby is really in my tube.

 

[Gizmo]

Gosh im sorry your going through this and I understand your doubts..... In a normal pregnancy hcg levels double every 48-72 hours, as yours have only increased by one the pregnancy is not viable..... now whether its in your tube or not cannot be determined by US because the pregnancy is too immature.... It is normal to have a cyst in early pregnancy... usually caused by increased estrogen levels.... that goes away quite quickly.... the fact that your in pain may indicate a tubal pregnancy and this can get worse if no action is taken... it does sound like your body is starting to miscarry though so you would be helping it along with the medication..... im so sorry this is happening to you and I wish you a much happier pregnancy next time.

 

[Crypto1976]

I know how you feel. Unfortunately at 5 weeks pregnant with an ectopic you wont be able to see any baby on the scan. With the baby being in the tube the uterus will be empty.

I was 8+2 when my ectopic ruptured and even when they got the "baby" out it was so small they could only describe it as a mass.

HCG is the way to diagnose and I understand how uncertain this can make you feel. The fact that it isnt doubling is a good indicator unfortunately that the baby is not developing.

As hard as it it the sooner its dealt with the sooner you can try again. With methotrexate they may ask you to wait 3 or 6 mths before ttc.

I know its hard to take any positives from this but the fact that you are 5 weeks and they have caught it early is good. I was misdiagnosed for over 2 weeks and nearly died as a result.

I really wish you all the best. Hugs at this difficult time. XXX

 

[bbb2009]

i asked my doctor on the phone about the end result and if i would have an increased risk of this happening with the next pregnancy and he said that the likelihood that it would happen again goes up 15%. but, he said that we would be able to start trying after my next period. is that true or is the 3-6 months accurate? i am confused because he did not tell me the name of the shot i would receive, but just said that it was a form of chemo.

 

[mordino]

I am so sorry you are going through this difficult time. My MIL had the same thing and she nearly died. It is that dangerous

 

[Gizmo]

If the drug is Methotrexate you must wait untill a full ovualtion cycle before getting pregnant again..... ( im assuming it is because it also treats cancer)

 

[bbb2009]

If the drug is Methotrexate you must wait untill a full ovualtion cycle before getting pregnant again..... ( im assuming it is because it also treats cancer)

thanks....i guess i was too shocked to ask even the name of the drug. i appreciate your help. this is so overwhelming. i'm just waiting for them to call me back now to tell me what time i need to be at the hospital. i had asked the nurse if there was any way that i could "know" that this was absolutely the case and she said that she would check with the dr to see if he thought we would be able to wait another day and check my hcg levels again, but it sounds like my baby doesn't have much hope if the hcg levels are that low and not moving...i just hate that the two blood tests were only 17 hours apart. i just wish it had been a full 48 hrs so i could see that they really weren't rising at all.

 

[Gizmo]

I totally understand your disbelief..... when I had my MC the baby measured 5=4dy when baby should have been 8 weeks so it was a bit easier for me to except with 1 US.....The fact that you have pain and discharge are good indicators of MC.... Im so sorry because I know how it feels.... The DRs are in a bit of a spot with this because they can only go by HCG when the pregnancy is so early.... However if you need the closure by having another US I would push for it and I would certainly do this if you are feeling that way.
Early MC are very common and with the invention of early testing we now know when we are having them...... If they will not give you another US maybe they would do another HCG..... it may bring you a bit of piece of mind.... dont wait too long though.. as other girls have mentioned it can result in loss of a tube if left (if it is an ectopic).

 

[FBbaby]

bbb2009, the same happened to me. I started bleeding at what would have been 5 weeks + 2 days, went to a&e, got a scan and they saw nothing, so was told it was a suspected ectopic. They will automatically assume it is one if hcg is + but they can't see anything after 5 weeks. My hcg level was 550, went up to 600, but they said they wanted to keep an eye on me. I personally didn't want the shot as I could cope with the idea of waiting 3 months, possibly 6 months to ttc again. I started bleeding heavily a week later and my levels finally went down.

At my last blood test, I asked if they were sure it had been an ectopic, and they said they said that we would never know. It's been 6 months, and in retrospective, I don't think I had an ectopic but a uterine miscarriage and I lost the embryo before my scan. I can't say why, just a gut feeling.

Sending you lots of hugs

 

[bbb2009]

i just talked to the nurse again. she said that my dr said that if i refused to go and take the methotrexate, i would be going against his recommendation. he said that i could go and take another hcg and see if the levels rise. they wouldn't have that back until tomorrow and then if they were the same, i would have to go take the metho. but, i am taking the chance that it will rupture. i am confused and scared. don't know what to do....i guess i just wish someone could tell me for sure that regardless of whether this is ectopic, i am going to miscarry and the baby is not going to make it.

 

[bunnyg82]

Oooh you poor thing, sounds awful I hope you get some clear answers very soon xx

 

[bbb2009]

i am home now from the hospital. i told my dr that i would not take the methotrexate until another blood test was performed to determine the hcg. they told me it would not be back until tomorrow and that i would take the chance of having a ruptured tube. i told them that i could go to the ER and the result would be back in an hour or two. so, they called the hospital and ordered my bloodwork on STAT and then i waited for the results outside of the cancer center where they would give me the shot. the results came in and my hcg was now down to 72. so, it went down from 84. i knew then that no matter what happened, the baby was not going to make it. i called the dr from the hospital to see if i could still allow my body to miscarry on its own and he said that the number was still too high and too close to the 84 for him to think that it was anything other than ectopic and i would take the chance of the ruptured fallopian tube. so, with the new hcg number, i felt that i could take the meth and spare my body any further medical issues. i am feeling awful and i am now home and starting to bleed....it's just such a terrible feeling. of course the moment that i walked out of the hospital room, we passed a pregnant mom and i just lost it. i hope that it gets easier and i know that time heals, but it sure hurts right now. thanks to all of you for your responses, information and support. they were so helpful during the last few days of feeling so helpless.

 

[vermeil]

oh wow... I can't even imagine what you're going through... would be easy to say 'its probably for the best' or 'your health is what matters most' but it sounds so empty.

Just get plenty of rest and keep us updated on how you're doing hmm? *hugs*

 

[Crypto1976]

It will get easier and you have done the right this as much as it probably doenst feel like it at the moment.

I promise you will recover from this, thinking of you. XX