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Original poster

Help ! Can you have an ectopic pregnancy without any bleeding ?

103 replies

FoghornLeghorn · 31/12/2007 07:47

I am 9 weeks pregnant and have been suffering with sharp abdominal pain, low down on my right side. I have been having general niggles for a few weeks but this intense pain has been going on for about a week now, each day I have been having more and more pains - yesterday I spent the day in bed as they were more frequent.
If I get up without thinking I get a sharp pulling pain, I also get a pain if I cough or sneeze and am caught off guard.
I can't really describe the pain very well, it hurts..... I've been trying to make out it's not too bad to DH as there's nothing he can do but I've found myself in tears over the last 2-3 days. It's almost like a very sharp and quite quick (onlylasts a couple of seconds) pain, like someone poking a hot sharp needle into my tummy.

I'm due to be booking in with my midwife on Thursday, I can't get in before then as she is only at the surgery on a Thursday.

I haven't had any shoulder pain - well I have slightly but I think maybe I was imagining it to be worse than it was after reading the shoulder pain is a symptom.
I am very light headed, I feel faint getting up out of a chair, walking up stairs etc

OP posts:

Aitch · 31/12/2007 14:26

that's not really good enough. if it's a cyst (which it really absolutely could be) then they could have scanned you right away and had done with it. did they give a reason for not doing so? if it is (if) then another couple of days hanging around is dangerous.

i've got to say that most doctors (A&E or otherwise) know fuck all about ectopic pregnancies and say the stupidest things - such as 'you'd be in more pain'... if you've been crying and you've been in labour twice already you're a great judge of your pain levels.
it sounds to me like they were thinking a little too hard about their NYE celebrations this evening, tbh, i'd not be happy with that. they should've scanned you, the lazy fuckers.

Aitch · 31/12/2007 14:27

i mean, if it is an ep then hanging around is dangerous. am rather shocked that they acknowledged they couldn't rule it out but then left you to suffer.

CarGirl · 31/12/2007 14:29

I'm saying go to A&E/EPU because your dr is being a flake, you need ectopic ruled out. It's not just the risk of losing your tube it can cost you your life.

MaureenMLove · 31/12/2007 14:30

BTW, had no pain at all with one of my ectopics.

NorthernLurker · 31/12/2007 14:30

I agree with Aitch - they don't tend to send people home saying 'well we can't rule out a heartattack - but you'd be in more pain - so we'll just leave it' do they?

Aitch · 31/12/2007 14:34

yep, i had a bit of pain, but nothing serious at all with mine. and bleeding but not much with all three pregnancies, two of which were ectopic. massive pain with the successful pg, by the way. so we're all different, not something you should take a risk over.

howeve, i suspect that they didn't scan you becuase the facilities are closed for new year, maybe you should give them a ring to check? i had an ep this time three years ago and the only scanners were in the EPU, not available to the A&E. but the EPU was closed for NY so i had to get them to open it up for me.

Lubyloo · 31/12/2007 15:03

It makes me so cross at how ignorant some doctors can be. You don't always have a lot of pain with an ectopic. I only had the very occassional little niggle with mine. If your pain doesn't feel like normal stretching pains then please don't let your doctor fob you off - go to A&E. If you choose not to go then please be aware of any shoulder pain or change in bowel habits which can also be indicative of an ectopic (although again I didn't have these symptoms) Will be thinking of you.

Tutter · 31/12/2007 15:07

agree with aitch

not good enough

exactly the same happened with me - was sent to a&e by my gp

i wasn't textbook ectopic (tiny pinkish bleed, described pain as only 6 out of 10) so they sent me home

a week later i went into surgery for a d&c as they supected a m/c and i'd had a ruptured ectopic - tube removed by open surgery

i would insist on a scan if it were me

good luck x

Aitch · 31/12/2007 15:24

open surgery, tuts... yikes, you are so lucky to have those boys now. (do you ever wonder what happened to that woman jane with the six kids?)

PanicPressiePants · 31/12/2007 15:26

Foghornleghorn - can you let us know how you are?

mum2sons · 31/12/2007 15:31

PLEASE get a second opinion... I was told exactly the same thing ("you`d be in a lot more pain if it was an EP") and was sent home. It was an EP and ruptured at home and I was v poorly. It is soooo easy to rule out with a scan. IMHO the GP is dangerous and ill-informed and thinks he has xray vision.He also is NOT following guidelines set down by the colleges of obs and gynae. Check out ectopic.org. for more info on EP. Please dont feel like you are making a fuss, just go along to A & E before it gets all manic with the drunks later!They would rather see you and rule it out than you come in as an emergency.

I sincerley hope that it isnt an EP but there is only one way to find out for sure and that is via a scan and blood tests.
Good luck

Original poster

FoghornLeghorn · 31/12/2007 15:34

Sorry all, have been curled up watching a film with DD1.
It was the A&E doctor who told me this. He didn't even mention an ectopic pregnancy until DH did. Doc said it defo wasn't appendicitis but it could be a cyst, DH said what about ectopic and DR looked a bit surprised at DH's line of thinking and said well that's definitely an option but you look quite well and don't seem in severe pain. He went off to check with Gynae and when he came back he said that if it was ectopic, when he touched my stomach I would've hit him with the pain of it and to be honest, my stomach doesn't hurt at all to touch, it was uncomfortable but not painful.
God, I'm confused now !

OP posts:

MaureenMLove · 31/12/2007 15:43

It so difficult to say anything that won't scare the pants off you tbh!

The thing is, there are no rules for ectopics. My first one, I miscarried. They checked me every other day for 5 days to check that my HCG levels were going down and when they weren't dropping quick enough, they decided to do a laposcopy, just to make sure all was fine. They were even saying we don't expect to find anything untoward, because you are well in yourself & in no pain. Even the anaesthetist came to see me the night before and was shocked at how well I was. When they opened me up, they discovered I was just a couple of hours away from the worst burst tube they'd even seen.

It could be absolutely nothing to worry about, but isn't it better to know for sure? So sorry, to worry you, but we worry for you. A lot of the posters on this thread know how bad it can be.

Original poster

FoghornLeghorn · 31/12/2007 15:47

I have just read this thread to DH. To be honest I am shocked how many different people have experienced an ectopic with little or no pain. Before reading this I really didn't feel I was in enough pain for it be ectopic at all

OP posts:

lulumama · 31/12/2007 15:49

did you have a scan?

it would seem sensible to rule it out for sure, as you are pregnant and having pain

PanicPressiePants · 31/12/2007 15:49

TBH if the pain is bad, it often means it's too late. The tube has burst, needing open surgery. It can also mean your life is in danger - sorry to sound so dramatic!

Are you going to get a 2nd opinion?

curlywurlycremeegg · 31/12/2007 15:51

Foghorn, sorry I left message before and then disappeared, kids been playing up this morning. I am not at all happy with the answer you got from your visit to a&e, you do not have to have severe pain with an ectopic this happens when the ectopic ruptures, what a fucking idiot Sorry for that but I am horrified that you have been given that advice. The next step would be to either badger your GP and see if he will refer you directly to the gynea ward or contact your local labour ward and stress how anxious you are about this, if I answered the phone to someone saying this I would make sure they were seen by a competent doc, however I can't promise your local unit won't just say "call your gp" . Please keep harassing someone, this sort of pain needs to be investigated asap, if you need to have a good cry on the phone just to "show' them how painful it is, don't put on a brave face, good luck and do let us know how you get on, will be thinking about you

Lcy · 31/12/2007 15:52

Sorry to hear this. I think you need to insist on a scan to rule out an ectopic - that is the only way they can rule one out. Could you phone your GP again, the hospital or even phone NHS direct for advice.

I am 8 weeks and have had various pulling, tugging sensations especially when i cough, get up from a chair etc.. and have had a scan so i know it is not ectopic and just ligaments - so you are probably ok - but you really need to get it checked.

Let us know how you get on xx

FlllightAttendant · 31/12/2007 15:56

Sorry Foghorn. Please could you try just so that half of Mumsnet can sleep tonight without worrying about you?!!!!!

If he ahd to go and ask someone else for advice on 'what to look for in an ectopic pregnancy' he is obviously not very experienced.

Real women on here have had real EPs and are telling you their experience. who are you going to believe, honey? {{hug}}

belgo · 31/12/2007 15:59

I went to A&E on saturday because I was pregnant and having pain. They did a scan immediately to rule out an ectopic (it was a straightforward early m/c at 6 weeks).

Foghorn - you really need a scan to rule out an ectopic - I'm very surprised (well actually not that surprised - this is the NHS) that the GP didn't send you for a scan.

Aitch · 31/12/2007 16:01

that is CRAP about the pain upon examination. absolute SHITE of the highest order. i was examined twice with no particular local pain at all. bouncing off the walls, seriously, that's made me really angry, the ignorant little shit. (mind you, i know someone on here who had a gynae decide it wasn't ectopic based on a cevical exam... had she not posted on here and headed to A&E just in time her doc later told her she'd have died. )

the only thing they should have done was a scan, that's the beginning and end of it. your wee pregnancy is teeny at the moment, it could be burrowing into the tube, tearing it and healing itself repeatedly, it could be growing more slowly anyway cos of the poor blood supply in a fallopian tube. it could be an ovarian or abdominal ectopic or it could be nothing other than ligaments or a cyst. (and it really could, by the way, so i am not trying to panic you unduly).

only a scan can tell you either way and it's cruel and potentially negligent of them to leave you hanging over NYE. i wouldn't accept this, tbh, but it's difficult when you're in pain and when really you just want everything to be fine. get DH onto it, he needs to be on the phone telling them he's coming in with you and that the doc has no right to rule out an ep without a scan.

FlllightAttendant · 31/12/2007 16:03

{{{{Belgo, I am so sorry}}}}

Original poster

FoghornLeghorn · 31/12/2007 16:04

Oh it's not a case of not believing FA, not at all. I'm just trying to figure out what I can do. No-one about to have DD's and DH not keen on me going on my own

OP posts:

belgo · 31/12/2007 16:05

Thansk FA - it just makes me angry that here I am in Belgium getting great treatment - and there are women in the UK just not getting that treatment that they need on the NHS.

Original poster

FoghornLeghorn · 31/12/2007 16:07

x posted with Belgo & Aitch.
Sorry Belgo
Just doesn't fill me with much confidence to go back there when they've clearly fed me a load shite do far.
As i've not booked in yet I don't have any numbers etc to contact labour ward

OP posts:

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