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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

HELP! Flying with a potential ectopic pregnancy??

61 replies

LouLou9401 · 03/01/2023 09:59

Hi Ladies,
I am currently in Taiwan living with family after backpacking for a few months.
I found out I was pregnant a few weeks ago, I'm now about 5 weeks, I was certain I wanted an abortion so went to the doctors clinic here and they couldn't find the foetus, fast-forward another appointment, they still cant find it and now think its outside the womb, potentially an ectopic pregnancy.
I need to fly back to the UK due to safety concerns of healthcare over here and also to have a support network - I don't have a choice.
Am I at risk of something happening to me on the flight because of this?

Any help to ease my mind would be fantastic!

Thanks,
Lou

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

fortifiedwithtea · 03/01/2023 15:13

I’ve had an ectopic pregnancy. Its was after a missed miscarriage. Doctor suspected and I tested positive for pregnancy in her surgery. Sent me to hospital for blood test but it was inclusive . However I started getting shoulder pain and was advised to come into hospital. I was booked in for routine keyhole surgery to investigate.

DH begged me not to have the surgery thinking it would jeopardise a viable pregnancy. I walked to the nursing desk and told them to cancel surgery. Nurse looked at me and told me to look where I had walked from. There was literally a trail of blood all the way back to my bed! And I don’t remember any pain. So obviously surgery went ahead pdq after that. I woke up with a huge incision and I believe my life had been in real danger.

I would not risk a long haul flight.

WingingItSince1973 · 03/01/2023 15:18

Dear OP I had an ectopic and was kept in hospital from the moment we knew. I started with horrific pains. I didn't know I was pregnant but a switched on GP had me do a test. As it was the pregnancy was outside my womb and fallopian tubes and was about 6 weeks. I had to have an operation to remove it. It's really really important to not fly. You don't know where the pregnancy is so you don't really know the risks. I was scanned and they couldn't see it. Only when they went into my tubes and found it wasn't there either. Please get different advice xxx

Knobknob · 03/01/2023 15:21

You say 'we have been advised'. Have YOU spoken to someone op in English ?? It does sound like strange and potentially dangerous advice

ElfDragon · 03/01/2023 15:22

I had an ectopic. From the point it was diagnosed (Friday, 12.45pm appointment) I was not advised (in reality, not allowed!) to leave the hospital, and was immediately booked in for surgery. I too was abroad, and therefore had to get insurance clearance etc. my slot was booked and rebooked throughout the afternoon, as the clearance didn’t come immediately, but I was not allowed to leave. I finally went down for surgery at 6.30pm, and my surgeon was beside himself with fury at the delays (mostly due to hospital incompetence, not insurance issues). I can’t see how any doctor is letting you merrily walk around, and potentially plan international flights, after having diagnosed an ectopic pregnancy.

Get better medical advice, and a fuller understanding of the situation you are in.

NameOchangeO1 · 03/01/2023 15:25

I've had two ectopics and I would not risk it either. Ruptured ectopics are a life threatening event, not just a bit of spotting and the medical professional you spoke to sounds rather uninformed.
When my second one was diagnosed in London (before 6 weeks pregnant) I had to go home to make arrangements for my children to be taken care of and the doctors were not massively keen on me being home alone for a night. Being on a long haul flight sounds just plain dangerous. If something goes wrong the help you need will not be there.

Original poster

LouLou9401 · 03/01/2023 15:30

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the advice and your experiences,

I'm going to call my gp in the UK and get clear clarification tommorow.

I've never had to experience this before so I'm absolutely terrified. The 2 seperate clinics I've been to here in Taiwan have said the same thing and without knowing where the foetus is, they can't confirm which abortion method will be safest. They spoke briefly about ectopic from what I could tell but the general concensus on the options were:

Its still too early to detect and it was potentially hiding inside the womb
it's out of the womb
It's ectopic

So will see what the British doctor says tommorow and I can have peace of mind.

Thanks x

OP posts:

cleanbreak2022 · 03/01/2023 15:31

Sorry, not read the entire thread but I have had an ectopic. I was diagnosed in hospital and was in shock.

I asked to go home and get an overnight bag, it would have been roughly 2 hour round trip. I was told 'no, you will not survive' it was starting to rupture.

I was in surgery immediately.

It is not spotting or painless. It's internal bleeding and agony. Combined with air pressure it is something that could be catastrophic.

TokyoSushi · 03/01/2023 15:35

Adding to the chorus of 'please don't fly until you know exactly what you're dealing with!'

Good luck OP, hope you're sorted very soon.

AriettyHomily · 03/01/2023 15:36

You cannot consider a long haul flight with an ectopic pregnancy. A British doctor tomorrow isn't going to tell you what you want to hear. You need emergency treatment now if it's ectopic.

Remagirl · 03/01/2023 15:42

You would be crazy to ignore the good advice you've been given here. Ectopic pregnancies are medical emergencies (this means they are a threat to your life).

euff · 03/01/2023 15:42

Please get medical advice. I had an ectopic rupture on a flight home (did not know my pregnancy was ectopic when I boarded). I started to feel unwell at boarding but though I had picked up a tummy bug which I do every time I'm there. I deteriorated on the flight which was only a couple of hours to Dubai where we were meant to catch a connecting flight to London. I had an emergency laparoscopy in Dubai and was told I'd lost two litres of blood. The consultant said I was lucky I wasn't on a direct flight as I wouldn't have made it home.

euff · 03/01/2023 15:44

Sorry had a laparotomy not laparoscopy.

ittakes2 · 03/01/2023 15:55

OP - I think your were judging the start of your pregnancy on conception day - but that is not what the medical profession does. I had IVF so I knew exactly my conception day....but hospitals would add two weeks on to this. If you can imagine there was a time that pregnancy tests did not exist - a woman's pregnancy is considered to officially start the day after her last period. So your pregnancy started on November 27th.

unnumber · 03/01/2023 16:12

Don't fly, but don't be too frightened, meanwhile.
Have a plan to get to a hospital quickly if you have shoulder or abdominal pain.

Write down the information - pregnancy of unknown location, last period 27th November.

Get any figures on HCG levels and write them down with dates, too. (Slow growth is the main predictor of ectopic pregnancy but it's not definitive)

Keep an eye out for spotting (miscarriage or ectopic) and keep testing.

See a competent professional asap there.

Is the worry that you don't have health insurance for treatment in Taiwan? Don't let that stop you from seeking emergency care.

Axahooxa · 03/01/2023 16:47

Healthcare in the UK is currently dire. I’d choose Taiwan.

cestlavielife · 03/01/2023 16:49

Please read
www.nhs.uk/conditions/ectopic-pregnancy/
A rupture is an emergency

Your gp in uk cannot treat this via a phone call but by all means call them

Trinity69 · 03/01/2023 16:59

As said above DO NOT FLY!!!
I actually can’t believe that they know you’re pregnant, can’t find any signs of pregnancy in your womb and have just left you to go on your merry way. I had my ectopic many year ago now but remember it like it was yesterday. The pain is horrendous and this is your life we’re talking about. You might die. Stay where you are and make sure the hospital knows the situation.

Trinity69 · 03/01/2023 17:00

If you get on the plane I mean. You’ll be fine and well looked after if you stay put.

ChristmasCakeAndStilton · 03/01/2023 17:01

Just adding to the "when it goes, it can go fast".
I was at work mid afternoon when the next set of bloods came back and they asked me to return to the hospital. I felt like a fraud being admitted. By 8pm my husband had to "translate" for me, as noone could understand what I was saying. I was in emergency surgery by 10pm. 5 hours was all it took from "why are they making such a fuss about this" to "you will die if we don't deal with this now". I was just over 6 weeks.
Please don't get on a longhaul flight without clarification about what is going on.

PS options 2 and 3 are the same - an ectopic pregnancy is one that isn't where it is supposed to be ie not in the womb.

MadZott · 03/01/2023 17:02

Am interested ectopic pregnancy that ruptures can kill you and quickly.

I've had an ectopic and the memory of the pain traumatises me still over a decade on.

There is no way on earth I'd get on a plane.

MadZott · 03/01/2023 17:05

MadZott · 03/01/2023 17:02

Am interested ectopic pregnancy that ruptures can kill you and quickly.

I've had an ectopic and the memory of the pain traumatises me still over a decade on.

There is no way on earth I'd get on a plane.

*an untreated

Soontobe60 · 03/01/2023 17:10

LouLou9401 · 03/01/2023 13:59

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for your input, I have spoken to a medical professional who has advised that it should be safe as I am so early (under 5 weeks) and if it was to rupture, it would be some slight spotting and not painful! The main concern would be if I was 8 weeks or more as there would be a bigger risk.

Much less panicky now 😊

Thanks!

That’s not correct! A ruptured Fallopian tube is a potential life-ending event. My sister ended up in intensive care with one, which resulted in her getting sepsis. It’s really not something to take a chance on. If you have travel insurance and you fly then something happens on the flight you could end up with a massive debt.

Dashie · 03/01/2023 17:22

OP just so you are aware, a GP in the U.K. can not advise you when you are overseas. Please seek advice from a doctor local to where you are now.

usedtolovenaps · 03/01/2023 17:28

If you're under 5-6 weeks, how can you know it's ectopic? A lot of people won't have anything on the scan this early. In one of the comments you say you're under 5 weeks.
There seems to be a lot of miscommunication.

Blueborage · 03/01/2023 17:45

Presumably medical technology in Taiwan does stretch to a transvaginal ultrasound. Ideally you want to get it out and keep the fallopian tube rather than waiting for it to rupture. I can't see anywhere that suggests that you can have a mild rupture either - the foetus grows and ruptures the tube - and it is a medical emergency.

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