Test not fading after surgical management

[am316]

I sadly had a missed miscarriage, baby stopped growing at 6 weeks, found out at 9 weeks, surgical management at 10 weeks. I took a pregnancy test 10 days after the surgery just to get a baseline idea of how the test line was looking so I can see it's fading. It was pretty dark but I thought early days still so won't worry about it. Bleeding lasted about 9 days in total, a few days heavier and the rest light and negligible. Since it stopped I have occasionally had spotting after sex but again nothing I've been worried about.

This morning I've taken another test, now 18 days post-surgery, and it's still just as dark and positive as a week ago. Not even slightly fading. I was told to test after 3 weeks and if still positive to phone the EPU. I know I'm still 3 days off that 3 week mark but I don't see it suddenly going negative in 3 days when it's not faded in a week...

I've been temping since the surgery and BBT was high for about 13 days and the last 5 has dropped to my usual pre-ovulation range. I thought this was hopefully a good sign that things were moving in the right direction and no retained products but now the dark positive test has me worried.

Any similar experiences out there? Is it possible to have retained products with no symptoms except a positive test? Or am I just unlucky with HCG lingering forever even after I've stopped bleeding.

I’m sorry to hear about your loss. I had retained products for some time sadly so if you still have a positive test at the 3week mark get straight on the phone to the hospital and don’t allow them to fob you off, it could very much be that your hcg is taking a while to drop so don’t panic, but worth being checked properly. Take care of yourself x

Hi

I’m sorry for your loss. I also had a strong positive 3 weeks after surgical management (I knew it was coming as strong positives at 1 and 2 weeks), no other symptoms and had retained tissue. I had to have surgical management again. Interestingly I had fo take a test on the morning of my second surgical
managemenf (4 weeks after the first operation) and the test had started to fade, even though it was already confirmed I had retained tissue, so I don’t know what happened there.
I hope you can get it resolved quickly and move on x

Thank you for your replies and experiences ❤️ @Summersun91that's interesting you had no other symptoms as well sounds very similar to me. I called the EPU yesterday and they were enormously unhelpful. Said to wait and take a test in 3 days time then call them back if it was still positive. So silly because I've taken a picture of how dark it is and even they admitted it was unlikely to fade in that time. But they have to stick to policy I guess waiting for the 3 week mark 😞 so frustrating I just want to be able to move on and try again. I was really hopeful we'd be one of those lucky couples that fell before the first period. This little one we lost took a whole year of trying to concieve and I desperately don't want it to take that long again

I had a scan this morning which confirmed retained products. I've been sent home to wait for doctors to call but they haven't yet. Feeling utterly depressed and I don't know what's next but presume further intervention.

Hey hope you're doing ok OP.
Sorry for jumping on your thread, hope it's ok.
I'm afraid I'm a having a similar experience, I'm on day 20 post surgical management and having positive tests, planning to ring EPU tomorrow. This is my second mmc in 5 months that required surgery, after the first in May, my tests were negative by day 10.

Would you say the tests in photo are strong enough to suggest retained tissue? (Tests are 10 & 25 sensitivity) I'm dreading the thought of a 3rd surgery

Thanks 💕

Hi @BoldReaderI'm so sorry for your loss and how awful you've been through this twice now in such a short time. Sending lots of hugs and solidarity. I wouldn't like to say either way based on your test line darkness, but definitely sensible to phone the EPU and hopefully they will get you in to rescan quickly. I was really surprised when they saw retained tissue for me as I thought the surgery was meant to have such a high success rate for removing everything first time. I ended up having a second surgery exactly a month after the first, with hysteroscopy guidance. I'm now still waiting for a first period and pregnancy tests are finally negative. Good luck and feel free to message again how you get on xx