Starting to worry...please reassure me

[GoldPlated]

I've been having bleeding/spotting/discharge for 5 weeks now. There is a constant 'achey' feeling, a bit like period pain but not crampy like my period pains were. It spreads through to my lower back.

I had a clear smear test in August (following treatment for CIN3 in Feb). GP will not take me seriously - she treats me like a silly girl. She tested for STIs, this was clear so she has now decided that it is 'a hormonal bleed caused by the Depo injection'. I've been having this injection for 12 months with no problems.

I'm sure this isn't a 'period type' bleed, when it's blood it's watery and the pain isn't like normal period pain.

So, please reassure me that it can't be anything to worry about at 26, and if I ignore it like GP suggests it will just go away eventually.

You could have an ectopic pregnancy. This needs ruling out before anything else IMO, there are people here who know the signs - might be worth reposting with extopic in the title and they can talk you through it.

If it is, it would be an emergency.

Sorry, Ectopic.

Ask for a second opinion ASAP - also i would consider making a complaint with regards to the doctors attitude. They should make a patient feel like they are being silly, a waste of time etc

can you go to A&E? Is there any chance you could be pg?

Home pregnancy test was negative last week - my mum made me do one. Chances on depo are non-existent anyway aren't they?

Surely 5 weeks after symptoms started with an ectopic I'd be in serious pain? My pain is constant but more of a dull ache, sorry didn't explain well.

tbh i would be concerned with the history of cin3 have you had the results back from the smear.
have you got any swelling in your stomach? i had the sort of pain you are describing for ovarian cysts. agree eptopic unlikely with depo but depends on timings. its not impoosible if you dont respect the timings. I would get a second opinion. question the cin3 in respect to the results and symptoms.

The smear this time was normal.

All injections have definitely been done on time.

So pissed off with GP, she actually said to me "it cannot be anything serious at your age - we know that statistically". I said how do you explain me having CIN3 on first ever smear test then, you don't expect that statistically. She should know it can and does happen, albeit rarely. FFS.

you definitely need a new gp, is there no one else in the practice? it could be a lot of things, as you know, but what it isn't is nothing at all, which is how you are being treated.

I was also thinking an ectopic pregnancy and iirc they don't always show as a positive on a pregnancy test. I would go back and see a different doctor. Irregular bleeding needs checking out.

I had an ectopic pregnancy which rumbled on for three weeks before it was diagnosed. For those three weeks I had watery bleeding and slight griping pain on one side but the pain was never severe and didn't increase in intensity. I think it's definitely worth eliminating ectopic pregnancy as a cause - it can be diagnosed by a scan, perhaps you could get a referral to your local EPU (or some I think you can just turn up to). The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust have a really good website and IIRC the moderators of their message board are doctors specialising in the area. Might be worth posting there or giving them a ring.

I hope you manage to get to the bottom of this.

Thanks everyone, am now feeling more confident. Was starting to worry that GP was right and I was fussing about nothing. Will hassle them tomorrow, will try and see another doctor.

BlueJay2 - did you have any pregnancy symptoms? I've had nothing that could be pg related at all.

tbf i had a clear smear after cin3 but irregular bleeds and then another dodgy smear 6months later.
hope you get some answers from the new doc!

No, no pregnancy symptoms and HPT had been negative. When I went to see my GP he did another test which was very faintly positive - though I had a blood test for pregnancy hormones later the same day which showed levels which should have given a clear positive. I'm not sure if this was because the pregnancy was ectopic or whether HPTs just don't work very well for me...

Good luck with getting a second opinion. I can't believe that you have been fobbed off without any further investigation. My GP was very good and took me seriously (thankfully!).

re the ectopic thing, there is no rhyme nor reason to the symptoms tbh, despite what the doctors say. anything is possible with an ectopic, although the neg preg test at this stage makes it less likely, it might also be that a pregnancy hasn't established a good enough blood supply to grow properly, or it could be getting bigger and diminishing (they do leave some pregnancies to self-resolve in this manner). so while no-one is in any sort of a position to make a diagnosis over the internet, and while there are many more likely explanations (ovarian cyst springs to mind), you do always want to rule out an ectopic.

Oh now I'm worried again! Thought I'd ruled ectopic out with the negative test, no pg symptoms and haven't really got any worse.

What should I do? Won't they think I'm being silly (see, GP has ruined all my confidence about this) if I turn up at A&E/EPU with neg test, no symptoms etc.

Should I just wait and hopefully see new doctor?

You could give the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust helpline a call - 020 7733 2653 and see what they think.

well i'd maybe give your local epu a call and frankly just tell them that your gp is being a pig about dealing with you but that you are worried, see what they recommend? and deffo make an app with the other gp?

yes call the ept as well, they are marvellous.

ask for emergency doc appointment. or a walk in gp centre if they doc's are going to take a long while.

Ovarian cysts can be very very nasty. took forever to recover from my operation to remove. But mine progressed to the point where it was a serious emergency operation.

Only way to total rule out the eptopic is to get a second opinion. I would recommend sooner rather then later. though.

Actually what the others said ^
iirc it was aitch who saved someone else with eptopic. she is in the know

EPT website says they are open 10-4, so will try tomorrow.

My local hospital say a positive pg test is compulsory to be seen in EPU. Info from website, looking for their number.

I feel so about the whole thing. Fucking GP making me doubt myself, am frightened I'll kick up a huge fuss and it will be nothing. Although, as Aitch said, it can't be nothing. Can it? Oh hell.

OuchPassVodka - yes Aitch is God

I sat crying reading the spooky charlotte thread at the time, she was dismissed by various medical 'professionals' wasn't she?

Although her symptoms were obviously much stronger indicators than mine.

Ok just a thought. if you get a transabdominable scan for ovarian cysts it would pick up any eptopic. so push and get a second opinion. You are not being stupid for asking for a second opinion, you are being sensible. You dont have to slag off the original doc just say that the symptoms are getting worse and you are concerned. raise the points cin3 previous - with this could something have been missed with the smear/it be linked
eptopic pregnancy.
any links to ovarian cysts/problems with cin3 (note you may know there is not but lets the doctor feel like they are in charge - something that always goes down well ).

Just ask what you can to do to relieve the symptoms. second opinion should be able to put your mind at ease.

oh and it is better to kick up a fuss then to risk your health.

Please get checked out.Your GP sounds like a complete arse.FWIW,my ectopic was almost pain free,just a grumbly ache and watery bleeding,like prune juice.By the time I went for a scan at the EPU,4 days later,I had no pain or bleeding and thought I'd be fine,but still had an ectopic despite the symptoms going away.

Hope it is something easily sorted,good luck.