Did you Go to A&E with ectopic symptoms

[Boredinthehouse12]

Hi ladies, I am 5+6 and have been having lower right sided abdominal pains since four weeks. I woke up today with a pinching sensation in my lower right side and have a feeling it might be ectopic. I have tried to contact my GP but have been unable to get through. I am unsure what to do. Should I go to A&E?

If you have had an ectopic before, what did you do? If you went to A&E did they scan you there and then?

I’m not bleeding but I’m aware not all ectopics bleed.

Any advice would be appreciated

Hi ladies,

I ended up in A&E for 6 hours and did not get scanned. They checked my abdomen and dine bloods. The doctor advised ‘suspected ectopic’ due to the pain, however they also said my HCG was within the normal range.

My sore boobs have reduced over the last few days and my nausea is basically non existent so I’m thinking it’s a MMC.

I’m due for a scan tomorrow so will find out then. The pain has gone now, so really confused. Apparently the pain linked with ectopic doesn’t go away?

My pain did go (although it didn't rupture), just keep an eye on your symptoms and go back to AandE if needed. My experience was very similar to yours (as didn't get scanned in A&E and couldn't self refer to EPU without prior ectopic) but it did get caught before rupture and although I lost my tube I did get pregnant easily enough afterwards.

That said pain doesn't always mean ectopic/miscarriage, it can just be part of early pregnancy but best to get checked out (just wish there was a straight forward path of where to go outlined). Fingers crossed for your scan

Fingers crossed all will be well

The pain does come and go, but hopefully it will be okay for you. The doctors couldn't understand why I wasn't in agony all the time, but it came in waves for me.
I hope they find out what's going on for you as soon as possible.

The fact that tour bloods are in nirnal range is a reassuring sign because mine dropped pretty quickly. My pain was constant to begin with and only subsided with pain relief but it was a very intense pain. If the pain does continue then ask them for a scan sooner instead of tomorrow. I'm confused as to why they wont scan you sooner if they suspect an ectopic. Fingers crossed everything is ok and it's just your body preparing.

I hope your scan goes ok.

My ectopic pain started before my pregnacy was registered and you're absolutely stuffed as the midwifes don't want to know, EPU won't see you without a referral. I got seen out of hours at Minor Injuries, who gave me antibiotics for a kidney infection. I then had a GP appointment on the phone, who told me I was miscarrying... and nearly 2 weeks later, I ended up calling 111 in floods of tears as noone would see me. The pain had gone from "not great" to "really bloody awful". 111 referred me to EPU, but it was too late and I was rushed straight to theatre.

Moral of my sad story is keep fighting, be pushy, demand to be seen and expect answers... it may save you from surgery.
But, if it is ectopic, there are lots of lovely support groups on facebook and lots of positive stories about conceiving again soon after etc. (I am currently 37 weeks, expecting a year to the day that I had surgery!)

It's hard to pinpoint ectopic pain as so many people feel different things. Shoulder pain is a bit of a myth - it doesn't happen to many people until it's a life threatening emergency.
I felt incredibly bloated, had generalised pain on one side, but had a lot of bowel pain/pressure and the best description was that it felt like my organs were squished together.

It's years ago now but I had an ectopic and ended up having emergency surgery. I did get some bleeding so it was seen as a threatened miscarriage and the GP couldn't get an appointment for a scan so told me to go to the hospital the following day for one. During the afternoon the pain became worse and worse, I felt hot and dizzy. I phoned my DH to come home to take me to A and E where they moaned at me for feeling too faint to sit up. But once the doctor saw me I was whisked into theatre. The ectopic had ruptured my fallopian tube so I was bleeding internally and could have died if I'd followed my GP 's advice to wait. (She hadn't examined me as she was convinced it was a miscarriage).

Really hope your scan goes well.

Just wanted to say the pain does come and go.

I'd been diagnosed with an ectopic and received a methotrexate injection to kill off the pregnancy without surgery, but told to present to a&e if I had concerns. 2 weeks later I was on the floor in agony throwing up with the pain. Went to A&e flagged up diagnosed miscarriage and was told by the triage nurse to go home if I just fancied a scan 🙄. Luckily the receptionist was appalled and went to speak to a dr. I was admitted but by the next morning the pain had gone. However when I went for a scan (in the morning whilst still an in patent) it became clear I was bleeding internally and had surgery later that day.

Long story short is don't be afraid to be pushy. Had I listened to that triage nurse I know I wouldn't have gone back to hospital when the pain inevitably came back and the outcome would have been very different. Good luck.

@Onelifeonly @lovingtheheat I'm so sorry to hear that I'm not the only one to have a truly sh*t experience. I was shocked how everyone told me offhand it was just a miscarriage and I could expect pain and bleeding... with literally ZERO examination. I put it down to Covid and not being seen face to face, but it seems it's just standard practice :-(

When I got my scan, the Dr literally said "Wow, your stomach is FULL of blood". I dread to think what had've happened if it had have gone any longer.

My pain came and went, my HCG doubled every 48 hours. My hospital ignored me, even in a&e. Don't let them fob you off at the scan and tell you it's too early, they need to keep scanning and testing you until there is a proper conclusion. Good luck x

It amazes me how little help and support there is for ectopic pregnancies and very little awareness. I remember a lady coming to me a few weeks after mine as she had heard about it and as we were talking about it she said "so you basically had a miscarriage" whilst rubbing her bumb! I told her to go educate herself. It actually really upset me because it put me in a very dark place just knowing how close I came to that pregnancy ending my life and I didnt feel I had much support because not many people knew what it was and put it down to a miscarriage when it felt different in so many ways mentally and physically.

@Miracle29

It amazes me how little help and support there is for ectopic pregnancies and very little awareness. I remember a lady coming to me a few weeks after mine as she had heard about it and as we were talking about it she said "so you basically had a miscarriage" whilst rubbing her bumb! I told her to go educate herself. It actually really upset me because it put me in a very dark place just knowing how close I came to that pregnancy ending my life and I didnt feel I had much support because not many people knew what it was and put it down to a miscarriage when it felt different in so many ways mentally and physically.

God I can't imagine how you felt when she said that. My ectopic was 12 years ago, the EPU matron was vile the whole time I was pregnant and trying to get help even on the last time I went in she said "you won't see anything you know". After the ectopic had been discovered my husband was going home to get things for me to be admitted for surgery and she said "I suppose being a man you won't know where these things are" and then she sent me to the ward with a miscarriage leaflet. I put in a big complaint after my recovery but she denied it all, despite other nurses who had attended to me telling me how it was time the old school matrons left their jobs to make way for those with better bed manners.

Hi ladies, I managed to get a scan today and it turns out the pain was being caused by a cyst, so it’s definitely not ectopic!

Thank you for all of the support and advise xx

Advice*

Lovely news OP

Oh that's great news op!!

That's great news

Goad it was good news today

@Boredinthehouse12

Hi ladies, I managed to get a scan today and it turns out the pain was being caused by a cyst, so it’s definitely not ectopic!

Thank you for all of the support and advise xx

Oh that's brilliant news - not brilliant about having a cyst but certainly brilliant that it's not ectopic. Wishing you all the best for the rest of your pregnancy ☺️

That's great news 😊