Extremely confused... false positive!

[BureauCats]

DH and I have been TTC for the best part of a year. I came off the pill a year ago after 16 years on it (I'm 32). To my surprise, my periods returned immediately, and stayed fairly regular, every 30 days or so, for the next few months. We tracked ovulation using the ClearBlue tests. It was on the late side, so then I was worried about a short luteal phase, but then my cycles started getting a bit longer (longest went to 40 days). I thought I had a couple of very, very faint positive pregnancy tests on a few cycles, including the 40 day one, but in the end, my period always started.
Fast forward to this cycle. I am now on day 63 with no period, and last week I had a clear positive test. The next day, I immediately went back to the very faint tests again. We had our hopes up, given the lack of period, but also considered I might have had a MMC.
In order to confirm, we went for a private early scan today. I was mentally prepared for three outcomes:

1. Pregnant! Tests being weird :)
2. A missed miscarriage
3. Some undiagnosed medical issue, e.g. PCOS.

What I wasn't prepared for is the outcome we got. I was never pregnant. No sign of anything at all, and certainly no miscarriage. Everything looked normal and healthy (uterus and ovaries), and no ectopic. Does anyone else have any experience like this? I understood that false positives are very rare, and usually as a result of having been pregnant recently, or on fertility treatment. As I say, I am now on day 63 of this 'cycle', and still no period. The sonographer was baffled. I am trying to get a GP appointment, but they are like hens' teeth at the moment. I just feel like a fraud for going for the scan; and I don't understand what on Earth is going on. I know the pill can mess things up, but I would have expected things to have returned to normal after a year, especially as my periods did come back straight away initially. Please help! :( Sorry this was so long; I didn't want to miss anything out.

They may have been chemical pregnancies. It’s a very early miscarriage that happens too early to show anything on a scan which is why it’s called a chemical. It’s a real pregnancy but the miscarriage happens in the first 5 weeks or so. I’ve had 2 (both at 5 weeks so after my period due with very clear positive tests) and after some research apparently 50% of women who ttc have at least once chemical pregnancy but many don’t even realise if they haven’t tested they just think it’s their period arriving.

Although you would normally start bleeding with a chemical pregnancy not long after a positive test turns negative. Some people even bleed before they test negative

Do you have a pic of the test? What brand was it?

I had a obviously positive test with a Clearblue test, partner and friend agreed it was definitely positive but all other brands were negative then period arrived. It was just a shitty evap/test that really looked positive

Thanks all. It was First Reponse. Here's the pic. It was clearer / brighter in person than the photo though!

That does definitely look positive doesn't it? How stressful for you :( could you ask GP to do a blood test to check HCG levels?

Thanks for the responses – it's made me feel better! I considered chemical pregnancy, but that test was last week, when I should have been 7 weeks in theory. And I've had no bleeding, and the sonographer said there was no evidence of implantation. I will be going to the GP ASAP (going to ring first thing on Monday), but I honestly feel like my body is trolling me right now! :( Thanks again all.

Have you tested again since?

Could your dates/cycle be way off? Perhaps it was just far too early to see anything on a scan, I'd maybe keep testing and see if they get darker.

@BureauCats I make pink dye tests positive when I'm not pregnant. Doctors can't tell me why, might be the same for you? They weren't a case of chemical pregnancies either (although I've had three of those this year).