Very low and slow rising hCG - ectopic?

[strawberrye]

Hi all, I'm just writing to see if anyone here has had any similar experiences.

I got a positive pregnancy test after what I thought was my period (4 days bleeding including bright red blood and cramps) so went to my GP this week. I have had serial hCG levels at 48 hours apart and they were only 27 and then 31.

Because my hCG levels are so low they don't want to scan me and I just have to wait a week for another hCG. I've been told this could be an ectopic or miscarriage waiting to happen.

I'm currently not having any pain or bleeding but I'm scared I'm suddenly going to become really unwell with a ruptured ectopic.

Has anyone here had a similar experience? How did things play out for you?

Hi, that's a very low HCG level tbh, so whilst I'm not medically trained to say it is or isn't ectopic, i would think it's unlikely that you'll have a ruptured ectopic. You're being checked every 48 hours, so try not to worry.

My friend only a few weeks ago, had what she thought was a miscarriage and it was discovered it was ectopic. Her first blood test was 385 and after 2 injections a week apart, the HCG is at 0.

I have had 2 ruptured ectopics and my levels were over 1000 in each I seem to remember.

Sorry you're going through this.

Hi OP
I had very slow rising HCG levels and it was a suspected ectopic. It wasn’t though.
Mine were 175 at 14dpo
209 at 16dpo
And continued to rise at that sort of rate.
How many weeks are you?

@MagicalCreatures By LMP I am 5 weeks. Not totally certain when I ovulated but according to bbt I was 17dpo when I had my first hCG so it should be much higher I think.

@MagicalCreatures I meant to ask what was the outcome with you?

@strawberrye sorry I should have said. It did unfortunately end In miscarriage. Though after a failed medical management at 9 weeks which ended with me having a scrape at 13 weeks.
The scans only ever showed an empty sac (in my uterus). I think it was either a blighted ovum or the Fetus had stopped forming very early.
Mine were very consistent with an ectopic though, levels raised so slowly, eventually reaching 1859 at roughly 33 dpo.
I was at risk for a long time because even though they couldn’t see anything in my Fallopian tubes, the sac in my uterus couldn’t be confirmed as a pregnancy scan because there was no Fetus present.

Do you have any idea roughly when you ovulated?
I’m 5 weeks pregnant again now and my HCG is perfect so don’t give up hope

I’m sorry you are going through this.
I was exactly in your position 5 months ago and it’s a horrible lingering waiting game.
Maybe your earlier then you think as you ovulated late and the hormones are only just kicking in. X

When I hsd an ectopic they were monitoring my blood very carefully, I think if they'd gone over something like 1000? Or 3000? I would have needed treatment. For me the levels kept going up for a couple of weeks, slowly, then spontaneously dropped and I had a miscarriage. Read the guidelines on symptoms of an ectopic and don't take any chances, it I don't think your at any real risk with such low numbers.

@MagicalCreatures according to BBT I was 18dpo when my blood hCG was 27 and 20dpo when it was 31, so even if I took 12 days to implant it should be higher than that?

@Eatsleepworkrepeat yes thanks I've read the rcog guidelines and they seem to say that expectant management, watching and waiting, is successful in ectopics when the hCG levels remain

Ah, I hadn't read that about the lack of correlation - I just trusted that low hcg meant no risk so that's scary! Yes I had a scan which like magical showed an empty sac, so they weren't sure if there was a foetus implanted in a tube. I think my hcg rose slowly for about 2 weeks after the scan and then dropped, and I had a miscarriage a few days later.

I don’t know what to suggest Hun.
Just make sure the Docs and EPU keep a close eye on you.
And good luck x

Just to update the thread. I had a repeat hCG done yesterday which has come back as less than 1. No pain or bleeding, and my doctor reckons I shouldn't expect any more bleeding until next AF.

A strange one indeed, obviously sad at another pregnancy loss but also relieved it wasn't an ectopic.