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Pregnancy

Do you always bleed with an ectopic pregnancy?

33 replies

user1485706893 · 31/01/2017 12:21

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?

OP posts:

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Cynthia146 · 30/09/2020 16:49

Thank you for sharing this. I went to the er Saturday they did a scan but they said they couldn't see anything because it was too early. I've been in pain for a week now sometimes it's all around my abdomen and some days it's on the right side. I have the pain that goes down my right leg as well. My OB scheduled an ultrasound next Monday but today is only Wednesday I feel like I should go to the emergency room but I'm not sure if it's still too early for them to see anything I am 6 weeks today.

Bree1234 · 03/09/2020 22:35

i know this is an old thread, but thought it might still help someone browsing! And how serious it actually is..

I had a ruptured ectopic at around 7 weeks.. where i lost my right tube. I had no symptoms other than dizziness on the odd occasion n the odd niggling pain. I went to the toilet for no2! (Tmi) and then i had a sudden wave of sickness and was sweating like a mad woman. I could not stop being sick! I then got the pain! It was awful.. ambulance was rang, i was in and out of consiousness, really bad bad shoulder pain. Rushed to hospital for emergency surgery! 4 to 5 hours later in surgery,(c-section cut) blood transfusion, catheter and tubes coming out of me. So no bleeding is not always a sign. Trust ur instinct and get checked out asap!

bunnyrabbit93 · 06/02/2017 09:17

That's great OP ! All the best for the rest of your pregnancy

saffronwblue · 02/02/2017 22:19

Good news - hope you can start to enjoy the pregnancy now.

user1485706893 · 02/02/2017 22:12

The scan lady was a bit taken aback when she read that I've had this pain for 5 weeks and keep getting dismissed. I used up more time and NHS money by doing that then just letting me have a scan in the first place! Oh well! Thanks again guys :)

OP posts:

BiggerBoatNeeded · 02/02/2017 20:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BertieBotts · 02/02/2017 20:27

Oh brill. Good to hear.

I am absolutely astounded they sent you home with a suspected ectopic three weeks ago without scanning though. That's horrendous.

user1485706893 · 02/02/2017 20:24

Hey there! Yes thank you it went really well. Baby's fine, saw it's little heart beating away. Also I have no cyst or anything so no one really knows why I'm getting this pain. Hopefully just one of those things! Thanks a lot for all your advice :) x

OP posts:

BiggerBoatNeeded · 02/02/2017 20:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

user1485706893 · 02/02/2017 08:33

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

OP posts:

BiggerBoatNeeded · 02/02/2017 08:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

user1485706893 · 02/02/2017 07:57

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.

OP posts:

BiggerBoatNeeded · 01/02/2017 22:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

user1485706893 · 01/02/2017 15:06

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...

OP posts:

BiggerBoatNeeded · 01/02/2017 14:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dontlaugh · 01/02/2017 00:18

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. 💐

Dontlaugh · 31/01/2017 23:31

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. 💐

bunnyrabbit93 · 31/01/2017 23:27

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

puckingfixies · 31/01/2017 23:27

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.

PoshPenny · 31/01/2017 23:24

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.

cantmakeme · 31/01/2017 23:14

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.

saffronwblue · 31/01/2017 23:11

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.

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cantmakeme · 31/01/2017 23:09

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.

user1485706893 · 31/01/2017 22:08

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

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HopelesslydevotedtoGu · 31/01/2017 17:18

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.

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