quick please can someone tell me what an ectopic pregnancy is like?

[wannaBe]

Had what I thought to be my usual period last week. But it was somewhat lighter than usual, only really had heavy-ish bleeding for about half a day and the rest only spotting really. Paid no attention as came off pill 3.5 years ago so thoughts of ever getting pregnant have long since passed.

However, after my "period" I still had lots of simptoms. Sore boobs, sicky feeling, just general ickyness but the sore boobs led me to wonder whether i might be pregnant (had similar bleed when pg with ds). So yesterday I bought a test which was negative.

However, in past 12 hours or so I have been feeling steadily worse, very nausious, hot/cold and felt earlier as if was going to pass out. Also, and this is the bit that is really worrying me, I have abdominal pain on my left side. It's not excuciating but is painful enough to be very uncomfortable.

But if it was an EP would I have definitely got a positive pg test?

Have spoken to gp and they can't fit me in until the end of the week.

And I can't go to hospital as i have no childcare as my mum broke her arm at the weekend and dh is in London at work.

Do i need to panic?

Or am I just being paranoid?

You would'nt nec have got a bfp no. Do you have any pain in your shoulder at all?

If you seriously think this could be an EP, be aware they are life threatnening, I am sure you realise that, so regardless of childcare, get some help.

Can you call NHS Direct?

no shoulder pain. is that a good sign?

It is possible to have a negetive test result with an ectopic pregnancy because the hormones don't react in the same way to an ectopic as to a normal pregnancy.

I would phone your GP and say it's an emergency and that you need to be seen now.

Do you have neighbours who can look after the children for you? Failing that, you can always take them with you.

it's the sore boobs etc that had led me to wondering whether i could have been pregnant, they always disappear as soon as af arrives but this time they didn't.

Had it not been for that I would probably just have figured it was some bug or something but now I'm thinking all sorts.

ok have just been to loo and I am spotting. am going to demand to be seen by gp today. If it's not an ep then it must be something else serious surely .

Try not to panic, it's not necessarily anything serious, but you do need to see your GP today as there is a small chance it could be serious.

This is what happened to me although I did get a very faint BFP turned out to be the hormones that are released when first pregnant they can cause pain - its your bones reacting!! I went straight to the hospital when it happened to me and they gave me a blood test and an internal scan to make sure all was ok I wouldnt worry about having the kids with you I took my DS its best to make sure your alright and the hospital will understand. I would go to hospital rather than the doctors only because all they will do is refer you to the hospital early pregnancy clinic (which is what happened to me) my DS2 is now 3 months so not always a bad out come good luck x

wannabe, if you see your gp, ask for a quantitive pregnancy blood test to be done.

This measures the amount of pregnancy hormone, not just a yes/no test. If any hormone present, you should have a repeat test done in 36hrs iirc, to check whether the hormones are rising at the correct rate.

depending on hormone levels, it is also possible to get an early scan tocheck what is happening.

the ectopic pregnancy trust site is very good, and has a lot of info and their message boards can be very helpful (flag a message up for Izzie - she is a lifesaver, literally)

I had a negative test with my ectopic, on the day that I had surgery to remove the pregnancy (and i was 7 weeks+ gone)

do insist on seeing your gp, and hope all goes well.

thank you everyone.

I have rung gp again and someone is going to call me back to assess whether my need is urgent enough.

Ironically the pain isn't as bad now although it's still uncomfortable.

Am keeping my fingers crossed that my outcome is same as theirmum and that it's just early pg but tbh am really not hopeful of that.

DO NOT take no for an answer form your gp. You are a woman of childbearing age, who could be pregnant, with abdominal pains.

This is enough to have you assessed for an ectopic pregnancy.

I was fobbed off for 2 weeks by a useless gp, and I was very lucky. When i was operated on, my fallopian tube was on the point of rupture.

This is not something to delay with (I know you're not, but sounds as though your gp is not exactly on board). there is no pattern as to when an ectopic can became very serious.

if your gp says you are not serious enouigh to warrant an assessment, can you get to A&E at all? I'd be very tempted to go straight there to be seen, or try to self-refer to an early pregnancy unit?

whatever you do, do not downplay the pain, or mention that it feels a bit better. i had very little pain, more just strong discomfort, but it was still an ectopic pregnancy.

Fingers crossed that your gp acts on this.

You're not being paranoid - the spotting and the dizziness should be enough to warrant medical attention, let alone the abdominal pain.

I had a very similar experience to Silverfrog with my GP. I would recommend going straight to A&E - they were brilliant when I was in this situation and sent me straight to the early pregnancy unit. Take your child with you if you have to.

fingers crossed for you

no call back from the gp . Have tried calling them to see when i might hear but am just getting engaged tone .

Hospital is too far to get to atm - I don't drive and have no-one who can drive me as my mum broke her arm and rest of the family are at work etc.

Have you phoned NHS direct? It sounds serious enough for them to get someone over to you to have a look at? so at your doctors though

oh, that is shocking wannabe. When are your gp's open until?

recently I was waiting for a call from my gp re: dd2 and chicken pox - obviously couldn't take her down there as infectious. They didn't call back. I called just after the surgery closed and ranted to the answerphone, then broke down in sobs in a "nobody cares" kind of way (in my defence i had dd1, who has ASD, climbing the walls, and dd2 was very ill). The sobbing worked, and the doc called back out of hours...

whereabouts are you, vaguely? If you are anywhere near me, i'd take you to hospital.

is a taxi a possibility at all?

Hopefully, your gp has called you back by now, let us know.

At very least you might have a nasty infection, at worst yes could be ectopic, I hope you are being seen now anyhow.

she has just called back.

I am just going down there now. With a urine sample so they can check for things like UTI and double-check for pg.

so time will tell.

wannaBe - please get this checked out at the hospital.
I had an ectopic - got a bfp on cb digital and then had awful rib pain and spotting.

I had no shoulder pain.

My gp kept fobbing me off until I was 7 weeks and then my fallopian tube almost burst (I was in the epu at the time as this was the earliest they would see me). Resulting in a removed tube.

I am desperately hoping that this is not the case for you but you are much better to be safe than sorry.

I agree make sure they take you seriously don't take no for an answer, these things if it is can change on a ninepence.

Can you take a taxi to the hospital and either take your child with you, or ask a neighbour to babysit?

am back.

Dr says is a UTI - have never experienced it before and had no idea it could be that horrible.

So have anti-biotic to take and says if not better by Weds to go back.

She did a pg test as well and that came back neg.

Thank you for all your support - at least it seems not to be as scary as it could have been.

Sorry to hear it's a UTI, but I'm very glad it's nothing more serious, and that you are getting the treatment you need!

I'm also really glad you finally got to see a doctor yesterday, rather then having to wait until the end of the week, which would have made the UTI even worse.

Glad you saw the doctor, wannabe.

However, I am a bit concerned re: the pregnancy test (and the catch all "if not better by Weds, come back") - did the docotr take blood to analyse for pregnancy hormone? or just leave it at a urine test? Because, technically, the urine test can be negative as not sensitive enought to pick up the potentially tiny amounts of pregnancy hormone (especially if it is an ectopic).

iirc, most urine tests measure from around 20units of bHCG (pregnancy hormone). you are considered pregnant if there is more than 5 units bHCG in oyur blood. That is not a huge margin, but it is one that exists, and one that was important in my case.

I hope that it is a UTI, and I hope that you are feeling better soon, but if you have any niggles at of (of doubt or pain) then please do push for a blood test to determine your hormone levels. It is the only way to be sure.

Completely agree with silverfrog.

How are you feeling now anyway?>