Advice needed - how faint is a faint line and how long does a chemical pg take to 'disappear'

[Tipkin]

Dear MN ladies - I really need some advice. Have been TTC #2 for three months. Ov'd on day 19 which is late for me and no sign of AF on day 28. Waited until 12dpo (given late ovulation thought might have a longer cycle this month) and tested using Superdrug cheapy. Very faint line but def there. AF arrived 13dpothen disappeared overnight. Did another test on 14dpo - Boots this time a again a faint cross. AF returned much more heavily that afternoon and stayed for three days (fully red) but never really hit normal levels which I thought was odd. Am now day 6 or 18dpo depending on which way you look at it and have felt very nauseous all day which was a feature of my first pg. Did a third test today and another very faint line.

If this is a chemical pg which I'd resigned myself to after arrival of AF, how long would it take for the hormone to clear from my system and not produce a faint line. Its driving me mad as I feel so green around the gills, still have twingy period pains and I want it so much but am trying to be realistic. It tooks us ages first time around !

I got a faint line with the tests I used this time when I got a weird period and thought hey... it might actually be a go this time.

After reading all the blurbs you do on the web... I discovered some tests are more sensitive to the levels of hormone than others.

So I rang hubby at work and asked him to get the digital PTK that says 'pregnant' and 'not pregnant' instead of the lines on the way home.

It was the same day as my faint line test & the day after my weird period started. I did the test when he got home and before we knew it the thing had stopped flashing and there was one word in the window... Pregnant

The PTK won't give you a true result unless implantation had happened. Before then you can have a fertilised egg travelling down into place & not enough pregnancy hormone to show up. I've had an implantation bleed with DS#1 and this time (currently 9wks). 1st time around it was a lot heavier and I really thought It was a period until the positive test showed otherwise...

I once had a pregnancy scare due to failure of a non hormonal IUD and the first I knew of it was when my period was late enough to scare me into doing a test, which came up with a faint line.

I went straight to my GP, who sent me to an early pregnancy assessment unit where they tested my urine (again came up with a faint line) and did an internal scan which showed nothing. They also did blood test to read my HCG level (pregnancy hormone) which came back low.

After all these tests they advised me that the IUD had probably done its job and that I wasn't pregnant and it was a "checical pregnancy" - i.e enough hormone in my system to trigger a faint positive test.

They also said that until all traces of the hormone had left my body there was a possibility that it could still up a faint positive test. I had to have another two blood tests and the HCG result become lower each time. They were over the course of about 2 weeks if memory serves me correctly.

Sorry this is a bit of a long winded answer but I hope it helps.

i got a very faint line the first time i tested - it was so,so faint i threw the test away. had dh rooting in bin a couple of days later when i was told a faint line is still a positive!! ds is 3 in 2 weeks. Fingers crossed for you Tipkin!!

Thanks Ladies - all very helpful. From your replies I have decided to push the boat out and get a CB digital test but also to wait a while longer before doing it as from Gunnerbean's experience I may have to wait up to 2 weeks after the time I had what I think was my period. Whether I have the patience is a totally different matter !

Tipkin, hope you don't mind me joining in but I'm in a similair position. I got a positive result 2 weeks after AF finished and I'm thinking it could be a chemical pg, as the same thing happened to me in March. FKelly, was it the clearblue HPT you used?

Ali - notwithstanding Gunnerbean's experience I think it is pretty unusual for HCG levels to be detectable 2 whole weeks after bleeding has ended if a chem preg has happened.

I do think that unusual bleeding in pregnancy should be checked out, so if I were in your shoes and I was still getting BFPs (and particularly if I had been in any pain) I would take myself off to the doctor.

Also, if you can use a digi clearblue HPT (the one that tells you how far along you are) that might give you a clue as to what is going on.

Hi All. Turns out I had no patience. Zilch. I did the new CB first thing this morning and got a positive with 1-2weeks pg indicated. I am off to the States tomorrow for two weeks which is why I could not go and get the bleeding checked out (I really really did think it was AF. TMI alert - slightly lighter than normal and lots of stops and starts but was definately very 'fresh' & red). There were no spare doctors appointments left but the doctor kindly phoned me today to talk through it and he said the EPU would not be able to scan for ten more days anyway and any kind of blood tests to make sure HCG was increasing not decreasing would require me to be here and going for them every few days. He advised to hang on in there and test again when back and that if it was ectopic I would definitely feel very ill and possibly collapse in pain (great. Thank goodness for the new CB test as I will do one in a weeks time and if it has gone up to 2-3 weeks pg I will take this as a BFP. If the same then I will conclude HCG is not increasing and it is a chemical pg. It is a very odd situation to be in. I REALLY want to be pg (doesn't everyone on the TTC threads) but if I am not I want to get back to a normal cycle so we can start again. (also would be slightly annoyed to not be drinking on holiday if turns out to be chemical). On the upside I had very bad nausea yesterday and today which was a huge feautre of my first pg and also I have those period like pains and gentle tugging sensations which I had before.

Alibobster - lets hope that we will become the new MN experts on implantation bleeding!
I'll be watching out for you and will post the outcome when I get back. Its always useful for others to read regardless of the result. Good luck

Just do keep an eye for any unusual feelings/instincts.

I had a similar experience: BFN, my period (4 days instead of 6 but otherwise not abnormal), BFP a week or so later and went to the EPAU because it felt so wrong (just instinct really). I had no pain and at no point did I feel ill and it was ectopic. I've since gone on and had a second ectopic and had no "classic" symptoms that time either. Not saying this is what yours is, but if you have instinct at all that something is amiss please get checked. Also, I'm sure you already have but if you are travelling make sure that your insurance is up to date, just in case.

Have a good trip.

Tipkin, I really hope everything works out for you and I'll look out for your thread when you get back. In the meantime, have a fabulous holiday and look after yourself. x Anniemac and Mrs Happy, my AF isn't due until Tuesday so I'll wait to see if that comes before taking any further action. When it happened last time I had to go to EPU every 2 days for over a fortnight to get bloods taken to check HCG and the while scenario was really sressful and upseting.The only good thing is that the EPU told me next time I get a + result I have to refer to them directly and they will arrange a scan, so we'll wait and see what happens next week - obviously if AF comes I won't need to bother

Alibobster... yes it was the clearblue digital pregnancy test that I used 2nd. Tried the first response one 1st (as was on special at the time) but only got a feint line, so feint that I wasn't sure if it was a true result. the clearblue digital one saying 'pregnant' showed me for definite.

With this implantation I also had bad period like cramping in just one hip. I tried to get an appointment with the midwife but there were no free booking appointments for 2 weeks. The doctors surgery suggested I ring the hospital if I was concerned. Which of course I ended up doing thinking... didn't have this last time... have had endometriosis... was it ectopic?

The hospital said quite common for implantation.. but if pains continued for over a week and were accompanied by heavy fresh bleeding to come straight in. The pains did subside but still twanged from time to time. Mentioned it to my midwife at booking appointment and she got me in for an early scan. I think she also thought could be ectopic. Thankfully baby was in right place... although all you could see was a flashing white dot of the heartbeat... to early for anything else. Quite a relief though.

Chemical pregnancy as as predicted - heavy AF arrived last night - am gutted

Oh, I'm sorry Ali.
It's really not fair.

Alibobster... so sorry & sending big squeezy hugs.

Thanks for your kind wishes and thoughts girls, it means a lot. Went to see Dr this morning and she is going to refer DH and I to fertility clinic. Goodness knows how long it will take but it least it's a step in the right direction so I've got to stay positive x