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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

A&E? ectopic pregnancy

68 replies

Junebug11 · 10/07/2023 11:55

Sorry know not aibu.

Currently pregnant, not sure how long exactly but only early.

I had a very small amount of brown bleeding about a week ago which I wasn't too concerned about at the time (had the same with my son).

However today I have been getting a shooting pain in the top of both arms near my shoulder and I am now panicking about ectopic.

The only thing stopping me is that otherwise I feel fine, a bit queasy and tired but that's to be expected, no severe tummy pain, no bleeding since last week. I know shoulder pain can be related to ectopic but I'd have expected other symptoms alongside it.

Anyone have any experience?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Alwaystired2023 · 12/07/2023 14:33

Agree please go and get checked out as soon as possible, not to worry you but I think the risk is worth any concern of being over cautious

Whatthediddlyfeck · 12/07/2023 14:30

That’s good news, sorry you still have pain, but your mind’s at rest re the ectopic not being ectopic!

VariantHela · 12/07/2023 13:04

Very relieved for you. Thank you for going x

euff · 12/07/2023 12:25

Good news re ectopic, hope they can sort the cyst out quickly and easily for you.

Lwrenagain · 12/07/2023 10:33

@Junebug11 very relieved no ectopic for you x

Original poster
Junebug11 · 12/07/2023 08:38

Hello all!

Sorry for the late reply.

There's no ectopic thankfully but I do have a rather large cyst on my ovary on the side I'd had some discomfort so I've been referred a consultant and just waiting to hear if anything needs to be done about it.

Shoulder pain seems to have gone now but I do have a bit of throbbing now on one side and a sharp stabbing pain when I go to the toilet on the side of the cyst which is what they think is causing it.

OP posts:
Aniya · 11/07/2023 18:50

Thank you@Lwrenagain for your kind words they mean a lot ❤️

VariantHela · 11/07/2023 17:28

Good luck OP, please keep us updated as it may help someone in the future too x

DemelzaRobins · 11/07/2023 09:07

Good luck OP, I hope your scan goes well today.

Original poster
Junebug11 · 10/07/2023 23:17

Hi sorry for the late update. I spoke to the pregnancy unit, they are scanning me first thing in the morning that was the earliest availability apparently and its an hour away from me, with instructions to go to a&e if symptoms worsen overnight, fortunately they haven't worsened. They haven't gone but they aren't worse.

I will update after my scan x

OP posts:
threefiftysix · 10/07/2023 22:12

@Junebug11 are you ok OP? X

Mariposa26 · 10/07/2023 20:25

satellitesunshine · 10/07/2023 11:58

i don’t think a&e would do anything if all you say is you’re pregnant and have shoulder pain unless you had other symptoms really. if i were you i’d probably just go for a private scan - i know my hospitals early pregnancy unit don’t just hand out scans unless there’s obvious signs of an ectopic etc but i had shoulder pain in early pregnancy too and was told it was just coincidental (and it was)

This is completely wrong advice. If an ectopic pregnancy ruptures it can kill you. This happened to me, it is an emergency and must be treated before it gets to that point.

DemelzaRobins · 10/07/2023 20:04

Aniya · 10/07/2023 19:08

Hi @Junebug11
I hope you went to A&E to have it checked - I just had an ectopic 2 weeks ago and at the end what I felt was very similar-more like electric wave going from my shoulder. Was already at the hospital and the doctor wanted to discharge me on a basis of a miscarriage. I listened to my intuition and pushed for another scan that showed by tube filled with blood and ectopic.
I hope everything will turn out okay for you but there is nothing bad about checking it even at the A &E - ectopics can be really dangerous.
Also I had no bleeding- just something I thought was my normal period, but I did have pain on my left side. From what I read ectopics really vary in symptoms.

Thank goodness you pushed for that second scan!

Lwrenagain · 10/07/2023 19:50

Aniya · 10/07/2023 19:08

Hi @Junebug11
I hope you went to A&E to have it checked - I just had an ectopic 2 weeks ago and at the end what I felt was very similar-more like electric wave going from my shoulder. Was already at the hospital and the doctor wanted to discharge me on a basis of a miscarriage. I listened to my intuition and pushed for another scan that showed by tube filled with blood and ectopic.
I hope everything will turn out okay for you but there is nothing bad about checking it even at the A &E - ectopics can be really dangerous.
Also I had no bleeding- just something I thought was my normal period, but I did have pain on my left side. From what I read ectopics really vary in symptoms.

Hello @Aniya, 2 weeks ago your grief must be very raw, but I just wanted to say sorry for your loss but also tell you I'm so happy and honestly proud you were able to push for the scan that probably saved your life.
Much love for you during your healing ❤

Lwrenagain · 10/07/2023 19:47

@Junebug11 thinking of you. X

Aniya · 10/07/2023 19:08

Hi @Junebug11
I hope you went to A&E to have it checked - I just had an ectopic 2 weeks ago and at the end what I felt was very similar-more like electric wave going from my shoulder. Was already at the hospital and the doctor wanted to discharge me on a basis of a miscarriage. I listened to my intuition and pushed for another scan that showed by tube filled with blood and ectopic.
I hope everything will turn out okay for you but there is nothing bad about checking it even at the A &E - ectopics can be really dangerous.
Also I had no bleeding- just something I thought was my normal period, but I did have pain on my left side. From what I read ectopics really vary in symptoms.

landahoyss · 10/07/2023 18:38

Shoulder tip pain that souls read below

landahoyss · 10/07/2023 18:38

I hope you've gone to be checked out.
Brown bleeding
Shoulder tip
Are both red flags for ectopic pregnancy

Babsexxx · 10/07/2023 18:19

satellitesunshine · 10/07/2023 11:58

i don’t think a&e would do anything if all you say is you’re pregnant and have shoulder pain unless you had other symptoms really. if i were you i’d probably just go for a private scan - i know my hospitals early pregnancy unit don’t just hand out scans unless there’s obvious signs of an ectopic etc but i had shoulder pain in early pregnancy too and was told it was just coincidental (and it was)

i know my hospitals early pregnancy unit don’t just hand out scans unless there’s obvious signs of an ectopic etc

Ignore this extremely poor advice OP that is exactly what EPU is for! To see patients in early pregnancy to rule out bleeds and other symptoms otherwise Early pregnancy units wouldn’t exist!

Get checked out OP one sided pain is when the embryo/fetus starts growing and that’s when it gets very dangerous so that is quite the literally the last symptom!

Hope all goes well and it is a coincidence.

euff · 10/07/2023 16:02

I hope you are in A&E now, better to find out it's nothing than the alternative. I had shoulder tip pain and when I got to hospital had 2 litres of blood in my abdomen. Before I felt that pain I was very, very cold and found it hard to walk with my head up.

Hibiscrubbed · 10/07/2023 15:48

Ignore this.

Go to the hospital and get a scan to rule it out. They can be dangerous.

HappyToWait · 10/07/2023 15:02

Yes do go to A&E, they will take you seriously. I went to A&E with spotting, shoulder pain and said I was worried about an ectopic. Mine turned out not to be but you can see enough women on this thread where it turned out to be that and going to hospital in time saved their lives. The team in A&E were lovely. Hope you are ok.

sadlittlelifejane · 10/07/2023 14:50

Hopefully it's nothing, better to be safe!

LividHot · 10/07/2023 14:20

I’m only alive today because my ectopic (completely unspotted, I was having a mc from the uterus same time and had been repeatedly scanned) ruptured while I was actually in the hospital building.
I passed out and vomited, and only quick thinking medical staff got me to surgery.

I remember being on the trolley thinking, oh, this is how I die.

I didn’t, though having lost two babies I kind of wished at the time I had.

I’d lost 3.5l of blood internally and was in intensive care overnight.

Hope you’re getting seen.

tootyflooty · 10/07/2023 14:13

My daughter in law nearly died form a ruptured fallopian tube, she didn't get the shoulder pain until she was in acute pain, she had been sent away from the early pregnancy unit at the local hospital as they couldn't be sure if it was ectopic. She became very unwell very quickly, the 3 hours wait for an ambulance didn't help. She has had a very slow recovery, and needed several blood transfusions. So I wouldn't let them fob you off.