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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:
ActDottie · 10/07/2023 13:11

Can you book an early private scan to check? We booked one before the 12 week scan as I wanted reassurance baby was in the right place.

Original poster
Junebug11 · 10/07/2023 13:18

Was your shoulder pain constant? Mine just keeps jabbing me all of a sudden like a hot poker starting from the top of my arm where it joins my shoulder and then stopping all of a sudden. It feels like it radiates all the way down to my lower when it happens sometimes too, but definitely starts at the top.

OP posts:
Original poster
Junebug11 · 10/07/2023 13:18

To my lower arm that should say

OP posts:
vivainsomnia · 10/07/2023 13:24

OP, not everyone with ectopics have the exact same experience. You seem reluctant to get it checked. No one here can reassure or diagnose you. You need to go to A&E for either reassurance or treatment. Crossing fingers for you all is well.

Original poster
Junebug11 · 10/07/2023 13:27

vivainsomnia · 10/07/2023 13:24

OP, not everyone with ectopics have the exact same experience. You seem reluctant to get it checked. No one here can reassure or diagnose you. You need to go to A&E for either reassurance or treatment. Crossing fingers for you all is well.

I think I'm just worried to know 😔 I know its silly because it can be so serious.

OP posts:
CrotchetyQuaver · 10/07/2023 13:29

Get yourself in the system.
I had similar 30 odd years ago. I went to local small hospital A&E, they referred me on to the maternity hospital. Shoulder pain like a trapped nerve under the shoulder blade and feeling very unwell were my symptoms. Was the right decision, I had ruptured a fallopian tube which needed to be removed and was in a bit of a mess. I was about 6/7 weeks pregnant at the time

TokyoSushi · 10/07/2023 13:31

Come on now OP, let's get the wheels turning so that you can get sorted. Call 111 or go to A&E. I know it's scary but you need to be seen.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Gardenlady543 · 10/07/2023 13:33

Hi @Junebug11 shoulder tip pain happens when there is gas in the abdomen that irritates the diaphragm, so in the context of an ectopic it would have got to the point where there is a rupture. You do need to get checked out even if you think you early on in the pregnancy, if you are 5 weeks then they should hopefully be able to see an intrauterine pregnancy location, best place would be EPU. Get yourself checked out, ectopics can present in strange ways, it's never clear cut and obvious.

SorryForTheRant · 10/07/2023 13:37

Call 111. They will deal with the EPAU for you.

Bleeding plus shoulder pain will be taken seriously.

I can understand not wanting to dash to A&E, but this is exactly what 111 is for. They will triage and sort the best course of action. When I had my ectopic they booked me an emergency appointment with the EPAU, who did bloods, agreed my HCG levels were high enough to scan, scanned and caught an ectopic about to rupture. I wasn't even in pain, I'd had an episode of bleeding and a small amount of stomach pain.

This is not worth messing around over.

Abigailandthefoxes · 10/07/2023 13:39

Junebug11 · 10/07/2023 13:18

Was your shoulder pain constant? Mine just keeps jabbing me all of a sudden like a hot poker starting from the top of my arm where it joins my shoulder and then stopping all of a sudden. It feels like it radiates all the way down to my lower when it happens sometimes too, but definitely starts at the top.

My pain was constant and if I moved I passed out.

I agree go get it checked mine ruptured and nearly killed me.

boffypee · 10/07/2023 13:40

I had shoulder tip pain and was no where near having any kind of rupture, they struggled to locate the ectopic at 5 weeks with an internal scan but there it was. . I had a on and off needle like piecing pain where the ectopic was, off and on brown bleeding for a few days and shoulder tip pain.
Get it checked! Mine was caught early, treated medically and I conceived DD from the same tube a year later

Jugglingitallmum · 10/07/2023 13:40

I had no bleeding at all with my ectopic, or shoulder pain. I just collapsed & was rushed into hosp & then surgery. You need a scan to check the location of the pregnancy.

Lwrenagain · 10/07/2023 13:44

Another "almost died" poster here telling you to get checked.
Please.

DemelzaRobins · 10/07/2023 13:46

You need to go to A&E now. Ectopics kill. Better safe than sorry. At the very least, ring your nearest EPU.

I had an ectopic last year. Bleeding began on the Sat when I was exactly 7 weeks. Was dismissed by EPU but they told me to go to A&E if it worsened or I developed any shoulder pain. The bleeding worsened and EPU agreed to scan me on the Monday. They found the pregnancy was in my right fallopian tube.

On Tuesday night I developed mild shoulder pain. Went to A&E at 10:30pm and was admitted at midnight, cannulated and told nil by mouth so I was ready if I needed emergency surgery. I had a repeat scan at 1pm on the Weds and they found it had ruptured and I had internal bleeding. I was in emergency surgery to save my life within an hour.

Please just go to A&E. Tell them you have shoulder pain, you're in early stages of pregnancy and are worried it may be ectopic. They will take you seriously.

I had a miscarriage in May at 5+2. I started bleeding on the Saturday morning. My early scan was due that Monday (once you've had an ectopic any subsequent pregnancies are scanned early to check it hasn't happened again). I rang Gynaecology who told me to go to A&E immediately. I had another scan there which showed pregnancy was in uterus but was miscarrying. They took it very seriously.

Please just get checked out. It could save your life.

Purpleboat · 10/07/2023 13:55

I know all hospital trusts are different and mine was a while ago, but I called my midwife who booked me into the EPAU for a scan the same day. Also, just to reassure you, my ectopic scare was not an ectopic at all and I had a positive outcome with my DD. Whichever way you go about it, it’s worth getting it checked. Good luck OP and do let us know how you get on. Fingers crossed for you.

Yarnorama · 10/07/2023 13:56

Hopefully you are seeking medical help by now.

Importantly, the later you leave it the greater the risk to your tube, so don't wait.

Flowers
pambeeslyhalpert2 · 10/07/2023 14:02

Really
Hope you got checked and everything's okay xx

Uggster1 · 10/07/2023 14:07

I experienced the sharp shoulder pains during my third ectopic pregnancy (there were 2 litres of blood in my pelvic area.). It's a sign of internal bleeding apparently. Get it checked ASAP!!

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.

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.

sadlittlelifejane · 10/07/2023 14:50

Hopefully it's nothing, better to be safe!

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.

Hibiscrubbed · 10/07/2023 15:48

Ignore this.

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

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.

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.