Would a FBC (full blood count) blood test show..

[Ghostonthedancefloor]

HCG?

After mentioning being really tired and run down recently, the doctor sent me for a blood test. Came back fine. However the reason I ask is I have taken several of those cheap strip pregnancy tests over the last 6 or so weeks, and three of them have come up with a very (very) faint line. No line progression at all and to be honest have come up after the allotted read time.

However having already had three DC I have taken many a pregnancy test in my time, and have never had anything other than a completely blank white space on the test if I have not been pregnant.

Have taken two FRERs - both negative.

I have also been having periods when I’ve supposed to be.

Any one had this before? And I had no idea where to post this so apologies in advance!

No. You need a HCG blood test

Thank you chick. I think I’ll mention it next time I’m at the GP.

No, it wouldn't, you need a specific HCG test.

A FRER is as sensitive as it gets though, so I'd say the more likely answer is that this batch of internet cheapies are prone to shadows/dye pools. Sorry.

Are they the cheapie strips you buy off the internet?

If so, for me they'd always show up verrrrrry faint pink lines, usually after the time window. Heartbreaking as I was TTC and I thought it was a sign I was pregnant. But nope!

It wasn't all the tests I must say, it was just random ones. Maybe a bad batch.

Over the 6 weeks, they would have got darker and your FRERS would have picked up enough to make an obvious line imo.

Yes, my thoughts absolutely.

I’ll try and attach a pic just to show. They are the ones from good old Home Bargains!

No need to be sorry, as much as I’d love a 4th it just isn’t practical right now. One day hopefully!

(The one at the top is the one I’ve taken today)

Yeah mine did this, though they were from the Internet - might be same supplier tho!

Always came up after the 5 minutes.

You could ask DR for hgc to make sure but I would guess a reliable pregnancy test like a FRER or a CBD would have shown by now?

However..... one last thing you could try is diluting your urine and dipping the test in. There is a phenomenon called the hook effect, where sometimes high levels of hgc won't show on a home pregnancy test -- especially if you first test after 5-6 weeks.

Most of Mumsnet think it's fake for some reason, but it's not. Quite a lot of legit sources suggest otherwise.

www.avawomen.com/avaworld/false-negative-pregnancy-test/

fetalmedicine.org/abstracts/2015/var/pdf/abstracts/0719.pdf

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5475266/

www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/hook-effect (not in pregnancy but same phenomenon)

It might be worth a try just to rule it out 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you wildflower! I’ll have a gander at those now.