What do I do?

[Mamabear2221]

Hi all! I just finished what I thought was my period and might have been. It started Friday and gradually got pretty heavy for a few days. However, the past couple of days I have been having heartburn and an endless appetite. I have also been so so fatigued. I took a pregnancy test because my symptoms were so close to how I felt when I was pregnant with DS. I am attaching the test. I clearly see a line and it showed up within the time frame and now I am just a worried mess. Any advice? Tried to call the doctor, but they are currently closed.

Sorry all isn't going well. I had this before, a full on period, same as what you described. Started using OPKs straight after AF as was ttc and they kept coming up positive so did a pregnancy test and that came back positive. My bloods weren't great HCG about 400 which for what I was measuring was v low, also progesterone was low. When I got 2nd bloods done the HCG was dropping so I knew. EPU did find the baby and sac and no heartbeat on the scan and I did MC.

Sorry if I am being a downer. On the positive side, I got pregnant very shortly again after that and everything is going perfectly this time.

@kirinm I am in the US, so they are having me do blood work on Thursday and then are going from there. The waiting is torture and my heart breaks for all the women who have gone through this before.

@irishfarmer I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for the honesty. I have never wanted brutal honesty so badly in my life. With my HCG levels rising ever so slightly I guess part of me is worried about ectopic pregnancy. I’m hoping that my blood work on Thursday can clear it up.

@Mamabear2221 Hopefully the tests tomorrow clear everything up and it isn't an ectopic. Although if it is at least you will have caught it and will be able to get sorted. Sorry if I was too honest. Let us know how you get on x

@irishfarmeri thank you! I will keep you posted.

I took another FRER with fmu and it doesn’t look any darker than any of the other ones. I don’t even know why I took it. I guess I just hate not knowing.

@Mamabear2221 it's hard not to do them! I get that

@Mamabear2221
Sorry your going through this the wait to see what is happening is awful, I have had 4 miscarriages and 1 cp ttc num 1, still not there yet but hoping this is my year, hoping you get answers soon. 💚

Just got my bloodwork back and my HCG went up to 110.. waiting for my dr to call with his opinion.

Dr has me started on 200 mg of progesterone daily. It’s just so hard for me to think that this is even going to work out after everything so far. I feel like the progesterone is just going to put off the inevitable.

Are you having more bloods? Has the doctor considers the possibility of an ectopic? In the UK you would have regular blood tests and then ultimately a scan to try and locate the pregnancy. Will that happen do you think?

Yes, I have more blood work scheduled for Thursday. I definitely think the possibility of an ectopic is in the back of their minds. I believe they will try for a scan once my levels are high enough.

Ugh I just feel so paranoid and like I am just waiting for something to go wrong. I am no longer spotting, but I don’t have any nausea or soreness in my boobs, and I had an abundance of both in my last pregnancy. I just took another test (don’t even know why), and it is way darker than any of my others. Is it possible to have a healthy pregnancy after super slowly rising HCG levels initially??

@Mamabear2221

Ugh I just feel so paranoid and like I am just waiting for something to go wrong. I am no longer spotting, but I don’t have any nausea or soreness in my boobs, and I had an abundance of both in my last pregnancy. I just took another test (don’t even know why), and it is way darker than any of my others. Is it possible to have a healthy pregnancy after super slowly rising HCG levels initially??

I had an ectopic and this is unfortunately a very drawn out process. Personally I would've assumed slow rising HCG levels means that the pregnancy was unviable and potentially ectopic. I am surprised you haven't been seen on a more regular basis but the UK is obviously different to the US.

Did you have any more bloods taken since your levels doubled? I'd be pushing for that to be honest. IF this is ectopic, the lower your HCG levels stay the less likely surgical management is.

@kirinm I am going to see a new doctor today, so hopefully she wants to do blood work. My current dr has me scheduled for more blood work on Thursday. I guess their thinking is that with my HCG still so low, they won’t be able to tell if it’s ectopic, so they are giving it a little time to rise. The waiting game is just the worst.

Had more blood work yesterday and my HCG is 495. So on 1/13 it was 110, and on 1/18 it was 495. I’m getting blood drawn again tomorrow and will keep this post updated.

Good luck OP. Hope it all works out for you ... I've got my fingers crossed 🤞🏻. If you don't mind me asking, when you have bleeding/spotting do you get AF type cramping?

@ttcbabyk my spotting stopped about five or six days ago and hasn’t come back again. I had AF like cramping one night, but then it went away. I haven’t had it since, but will keep you updated.

Hope you start to get some answers soon OP X

Hope you're okay @Mamabear2221

I started cramping last night and having some brown spotting. My HCG in 48 hours went from 495 to 696, so thinking that this might be the end of the road for me.

Oh @Mamabear2221 I feel like they aren't treating you properly. Are they ever going to scan you?

@kirinm they have scanned me twice, but haven’t been able to see anything with my HCG so low. I have another scan booked for Monday. Hopefully we will be able to see something then. She recommended methotrexate, but I just don’t want to take it before knowing for sure that it’s ectopic. I know that it means that I run the risk of rupture, but I just feel like I should be able to see something on Monday.

[quote Mamabear2221]@kirinm they have scanned me twice, but haven’t been able to see anything with my HCG so low. I have another scan booked for Monday. Hopefully we will be able to see something then. She recommended methotrexate, but I just don’t want to take it before knowing for sure that it’s ectopic. I know that it means that I run the risk of rupture, but I just feel like I should be able to see something on Monday.[/quote]
I think HCG levels need to be 1500 to be visible on a scan and I think anything around the 2000 mark means you can't have methotrexate. I'm sure you've been told all of this - or it might be different in the US.

Wishing you the best x

As PP says, you won't see much on a scan unless your hcg is over 1500. Mine was 1504 on Saturday and seen the yolk sack on Monday.
From experience, it sounds like you have a pregnancy of unknown location.
I had this in June. My tests never got any darker and my hcg was stagnant.
When I was tested it was at 147, 2 days later it was at 145 and they couldn't see anything on a scan and I was given methotrexate. I'm surprised they've left you this long with your numbers also being stagnant. Hcg has to rise by 66% for them to keep waiting on things to progress.
Sorry if it's been said, are you in the UK or US? I'm in the UK and the procedure is all very quick.
If you are given methotrexate, please make sure you have someone with you.
I went through it alone and it was hellish. I couldn't stand without almost passing out, had cold sweats and shaking, no appetite and was in bed for 5 days. Some people react different but it was awful and just made the whole realisation worse.
Hope you're keeping okay, I sympathise with your journey ❤

I had methotrexate and wasn't too bad but my levels didn't start to drop and we were about to have a second shot when they finally did start to drop.

It took weeks and weeks to drop to 'non pregnant'.

I checked last night and methotrexate can be given if hcg levels stay below 5000 but I'd be freaking out about a rupture at that level.