Do you always bleed with an ectopic pregnancy?

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That's it really, do you? My gp told me you do but I'm not sure that's right? I mean yeah sure if it ruptures but before then?

No. Or bleeding can be a late sign. I had a lot of pain but no other symptoms, mine then ruptured but was walled off by the omentum so still no bleed. The bleeding only comes once it has ruptured, the pain well before this, and obviously ideally it would be picked up earlier pre rupture.

The bleeding is not necessarily to do with a rupture, and you may not bleed. When I had mine, I'd taken the morning after pill. I then went on to have a normal period arrive at the usual time (being pregnant but not knowing) , it was maybe a week after this that I experienced bleeding. But it was not bright red and thick, it was dark and watery. I was told this is to do with fluctuating hormone levels...

Mine did not rupture, but I did have my tube removed. The biggest warning sign is pain. I had a very sharp pain on one side. I slept through it and it proceeded to get much, much worse. It's not something you would be able to ignore.

I'm very sorry that you both have experienced ectopic pregnancies. Thank you both so much for your help x

No, not everyone bleeds. Are you concerned you have an ectopic? My GP sent me for a same day scan as I had one sided pain and a teeny teeny spot of blood in early pregnancy. I was 99% sure it was just constipation and I was right :) but yes I felt it was better to check.

I've been having severe pain in my left ovary since I was 4 weeks. I went to a&e, the right departments wouldnt see me and they sent me hom saying I had a probable ectopic and would miscarry.
I'm 7 weeks, still getting pain (it's been a long 3 weeks with hyperemesis and hosp admission) and badgered my gp for a scan. I have one on thursday morning but it's not being treated seriously because I'm not bleeding. I'm aware its probably a cyst though

No bleeding is not guaranteed. I bled but didn't rupture which I found weird. I had no pain either. The best way to check is a scan plus checking hcg levels in the blood.

Dark brown blood was one of my signs that all was not well - just 4 hours after getting a positive pregnancy test. Mine didn't rupture either.

Bleeding's not always a given. I didn't bleed at all. My main symptoms were a surprise positive pregnancy test and pain (excruciating, couldn't move or straighten my Left leg - had a left sided ectopic).

If you get worse before Thursday, or start getting pain in your shoulder tip, then you really should be seen as an emergency.

I think that symptoms of pregnancy are reassuring, eg hyperemesis, as with an ectopic I don't think you feel pregnant. But of course you can have an ectopic and a genuine pregnancy simultaneously, so I'm surprised you have had such trouble getting a scan. I live in London and we have walk in early pregnancy units where they can usually offer same day scans for even non emergency symptoms; yet you are struggling to get a scan with weeks worth of pain.

It's probably because they're slowly shutting down the hospital in my town (huge town, basically a city) and sending us all over to the next town (small town,20 mins in zero traffic 1 hr otherwise) so everything emergency or pregnancy related is going there. When I was admitted last week it was ...chaotic. and it wasn't even that busy. I think they're being told to not refer people unnessessarily by the way my gp was earlier. Saying that though she did actually book me a scan but just in 2 days time and after me basically saying give it to me. Anyway. The pain's worse tonight, I'm keeping an eye on it but I'll probably be fine to wait until thurs. Sorry about the ramble. On new HG medication and they make me a bit...spacey. thanks a lot for all your replies. It means a lot x

I had dark, almost black blood for quite some time with my ectopic. It turned out to be quite far along for an ectopic pregnancy, and it had ruptured but the bleeding occurred before the rupture.

If you have suspected ectopic I would be pushing for a scan asap. it is not a 'wait and see' situation.
My experience was scant brown blood.

Oh and OP i was repeatedly sent home although I said something was wrong many times! I just knew it felt wrong, I was dizzy and had the dark bleeding, and even my breast pain felt wrong (one side only).
Try to be around other people before your scan so they can get help for you if you need it. Hopefully it is all ok, I know how scary it is.

GET A SCAN, if it's not in the uterus it's not a viable pregnancy and will go wrong. I KNEW I was pregnant, my breasts grew and felt "different" when I was only a few days late. Trust your instincts. Do some research on the internet about your symptoms, but proper medical pages not Internet forum chat as the doctors will dismiss that.

saffron is right, it's not the case that you will miscarry if it's ectopic. It has to be monitored and you may need a chemical termination or surgery to avoid a rupture and the complications that can follow. I was told by my GP that a miscarriage is lots of blood and some pain, an ectopic is lots of pain and little or no blood, in my experience (twice) the bleeding during an ectopic resembled prune juice - very dark and watery. Bleeding after a rupture occurs internally, if you have a suspected ectopic please seek medical attention sooner rather than later and don't be fobbed off. Take care.

With my ectopic I had pain but what felt like constipation and gas then the next day slight spotting then alternating pain at night and spotting I thought I was having a mc until the pain was unbearable and only on one side. The pain started Wednesday night and by Friday my Fallopian tube had ruptured but the bleeding never really got heavy just light to medium spotting

It is not possible to miscarry with an ectopic, unfortunately. So the hospital got that wrong.
The gold standards for diagnosing ectopic are transvaginal scans and bloods to check for hcg levels.
The scan will show nothing in the uterus if it is an ectopic, the bloods will initially show HCG levels which normally double in the first stages of a normal pregnancy and in suspected ectopics are taken 48 hours after initial bloods.
If bloods are doubling but uterus is empty or sac is unknown location then it is usually treated as a suspected ectopic.
It is literally unheard of for a hospital to suspect ectopic and then send a patient home, they will offer a plan and try to pin down diagnosis but miscarrying with an ectopic is impossible as the embryo is implanted outside the uterus so it's not physiologically possible to miscarry.
Sorry you are going through this, been there. 💐

It is not possible to miscarry with an ectopic, unfortunately. So the hospital got that wrong.
The gold standards for diagnosing ectopic are transvaginal scans and bloods to check for hcg levels.
The scan will show nothing in the uterus if it is an ectopic, the bloods will initially show HCG levels which normally double in the first stages of a normal pregnancy and in suspected ectopics are taken 48 hours after initial bloods.
If bloods are doubling but uterus is empty or sac is unknown location then it is usually treated as a suspected ectopic.
It is literally unheard of for a hospital to suspect ectopic and then send a patient home, they will offer a plan and try to pin down diagnosis but miscarrying with an ectopic is impossible as the embryo is implanted outside the uterus so it's not physiologically possible to miscarry.
Sorry you are going through this, been there. 💐

Thanks every one. I have no real idea why they just left me to it. After my a&e visit I had to beg my gp for a blood test and that was 10 days later. As for normal, that could mean anything as at the time I wasn't down anywhere for specific dates, they could have dated me 3 weeks when I was 5 and said it was normal :/. Anyway I have a scan tomorrow morning, after badgering another gp. The pain's still there, I'm not convinced it's bad enough to be ectopic but it really annoys me that i've had to beg my way through all this for a month...

God I'm so worried. I've barely slept for 2 days (going alone isn't helping but there's nothing I can do about that) my dds has decided that 5:30 is reasonable to be up and about (she's 2). I know it's probably all ok but at the same time I've had a bad feeling about this pregnancy since day 1 :/. Well, I'll find out in a couple of hours! Thanks for that advice BiggerBoatNeeded. Again I'm truly sorry that you've been through that and I thoroughly appreciate the replies.

Thanks very much :) and breathe I'm sure all will be fine...