Ectopic or not?

[Laura199214]

Hi.

I'm a little scared.

This is my first pregnancy and I only found out im pregnant 5 days ago.
However the day after I found out, my shoulders started hurting.
It was like a sharp pain at the nib of my shoulder and I know that's a sign of an ectopic pregnancy.
However it was a sharp pain that came and went in seconds and happened maybe 3 or 4 times throughout the day.
I did also have pain in my left side which I can only describe as period cramps.
I went to the hospital and my hcg levels were at 241 and they scanned me internally and found nothing (which is to be expected but I mean they found no fluid)
The hospital then said to come back in two days which I did.
My levels went up to 850 but they couldn't scan me.

I felt really nauseous but for the past 2 days my nausea has gone.
The pain in my shoulders is more of an ache then a sharp pain even though now and again I am having that sharp pain and my arms feel between have a jab and having that numbness/ someone punching me in the arm and giving me dead arm. Today my neck is aching really bad, and a cross between a sharp pain and a pulled muscle ache.

I go back to the hospital for a scan in 3 more days but I can't stop worrying .

Has anyone else had this in early pregnancy and it turned out not to be ectopic. Or is it almost certain it is ectopic?

Thought I'd add I've had no bleeding what so ever.
Thank you

Hi! I had similar in my second pregnancy, accompanied with really bad shooting pains across my uterus. Like you I went in for an early scan but they only found a pregnancy sac, this went on for 2 further scans until eventually I went back and they found a heartbeat. I think I went every week to be scanned. Try to relax I know it’s easier said than done but sometimes the power of positive thinking does help. If it is ectopic then there isn’t anything you could have done, that’s what I kept telling myself.
My DH wasn’t allowed in with me for those early scans, is your partner able to go with you? If so, close your eyes when you go in, get him to hold your hand and watch the screen, tell him to squeeze your hand if there’s something good on the screen for you to see. That way you might feel more protected by him guiding you. Sounds silly but I got my DH to do this at our 12 week scans and it just mentally helped me.
Good luck hope all goes well x

I'm glad you're having this checked out. But there is some good news in there: the hcg more than doubled in 48 hours. And shoulder tip pain is generally one of the later symptoms of ectopic, as it signifies internal bleeding has reached your diaphragm. This would happen after the tube has burst and you're being blue-lighted to emergency surgery. The fact the pain has happened so early means it probably isn't caused by internal bleeding.

So again, you're doing the right thing getting checked to make sure any developing pregnancy is indeed located in your uterus and not elsewhere. But it sounds like there's some pretty hopeful news here that it may not be ectopic at all.

@mumandcub thank you for all of that. They said I can't bring him, however I'm going to ring them tomorrow and explain i really suffer from anxiety and not in the way everyone has anxiety, I really suffer and I have a lot of mental health problems and the more the days are passing the more I'm crying and not been able to leave the house, and I used to S.H and its been hard not to go back to bad habits when I'm feeling so many worrying feelings. And try and push for him to be in the room with me. Also did you have period like cramps for a few weeks in your early stages? I think tomorrow or the day after I will be 5 weeks and I'm still having period like cramps.

@physicskate thank you thats what I kept thinking but the pain won't shift and if anything is spreading.

I had an ectopic. The only symptom I had was spotting. I got to 9 weeks before it was treated and it didn't rupture.

I think the shoulder tip pain is from internal bleeding isn't it?

Surely if you were bleeding internally the person who examined you would have noticed. The shoulder thing might then be unrelated?

Good luck. Ectopics are not pleasant, there is still hope for your pregnancy though. My hcg would never double in 48 hours when I had mine.

Fingers crossed they let you bring him, I thought guidance had started to change so with a bit of luck in your case they may make an exception.
I can’t remember cramping but then again cramping is totally normal in early pregnancy so don’t overthink it if you’ve got that.
I do hope you get a positive outcome. I remember literally howling when they finally got a heartbeat. The somographer even let me take off my mask and then cried herself because I was crying happy tears lol!!
Just think positively, try and breathe, close your eyes and wait for them to tell you what they can see. If they can only see a sac on next scan, it doesn’t mean baby isn’t going to be there on the following scan because you’re still early x

@OnSilverStars apparently yes but they didn't say anything reassuring and kept saying "you're not out the woods yet" "this doesn't mean its not ectopic" "it could still be ectopic" so that's made me even more nervous

@mumandcub
Thank you. I'm hoping so much everything is okay. I love this baby so much already. If Saturday goes well I don't know how I'm going to cope another 7 to 8 weeks for my 12 week scan. Another fear i have is if its not ectopic, what if their heart beat isn't there at the 12 week scan.
When I say I have anxiety I mean I have anxiety 🤣🤣

I had period type pains and often sharp pain upon movement for ages in my first pregnancy. The pain used to wake me up.

I'm 32 weeks with number 2 and still sometimes get sharp pains when I move. The sharp pain I get is round ligament pain and is totally normal (though uncomfortable and unpleasant!!).

I'm not saying this is the pain you're getting. What I'm saying is that pain and discomfort are part and parcel of any pregnancy.

I still think it's a good thing you're being checked out. Just don't expect to see a heartbeat at this scan. What you want is a gestational sac in the uterus (you are unlikely to see a yolk sac within the gestational sac, but it's possible).

OP, have you had your scan? How did you get on?

@mumandcub and everyone else who commented
Thank you so much.
I went for my EPAS today and ........
IM HAVING TWINS!!!!!
Not ectopic just major pain due to double the amount of hormones apparently.
First pregnancy as well. Absolutely kakking myself!! But absolutely over the moon at the same time
Thank you everyone!!!

Oh wow!! Massive congratulations OP!

YAY!! Over the moon for you, congratulations! Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy x

Omg @Laura199214 congratulations, that’s certainly wasn’t the news you were expecting! Xx