So confused - been to EPAU....

[elnmummy]

Hi
I posted the other day about this situation but here's a quick summary:
AF was due last Monday and I got + HPT's from Saturday. Started to bleed Tuesday night and that lasted about 6 days. One day break then brown spotting yesterday. But I am still getting positive HPTs - even CB digi and middle of day tests....I have become fanatical!

Because I have had a molar pregnancy in the past my GP referred me to EPAU this morning - internal scan showed nothing which the doc said at 4+6 is not unusual. He couldn't see left ovary but saw the right one - said the left probably obscured by the bowel. Blood test results show low HCG levels; the nurse said they are unlikely to indicate an ongoing pregnancy. They have told me to retest in a week and call them back.

So I have just done a Superdrug test and it's still positive. Of course sat here googling and apparently some tumours can cause HCG to be produced - the ones that can occur after a molar pregnancy albeit rare and my follow up treatment gave me the all clear. I know reading stuff online is stupid but I have reall scared myself into thinking it's either that or an ectopic pg.

Does anyone have any ideas how long it takes for HCG levels to fall after a miscarriage - low enough to not be picked up on a HPT?

Sorry for the obsessive ramble but I just can't bear the thought of waiting another week to start to establish what's going on.

Thanks in advance x

I am just so confused

Sorry, I don't know anything about Molar Pregnancies so can't really comment, but didn't want to read and not say anything. You poor thing. What a nerve-wracking situation to be in. One thing - I think if there were a possibility of ectopic, they would have seen (even at that stage) an inflamed fallopian tube on the scan (I was told yesterday at my early scan, that they can't see the tubes on a scan unless they're inflamed). Please, if that's wrong, someone correct me!

As far as I know, HCG levels can stay high enough to be spotted on a home test kit for a while (like, days or a week). Certainly if you have a MMC, if you peed on a stick, it would still say you were pregnant (and you'd feel pregnant, too ).

I hope someone who knows more about this comes along and gives you the reassurance you need. In the meantime, can you call the EPU and ask for clarification?

Hi elnmummy

I think I saw your other post too. Sorry you are going through this uncertainty and that the EPU doesn't seem to have given you any clear answers. It sounds like they think you have probably miscarried but just don't have enough information to tell you for definite.

Did they tell you exactly what your HCG level was? Did they say if a thickened lining was visible on the scan?

The fact that you still have HCG in your system as shown on the blood test this morning explains why your pregnancy test is still positive. It varies a lot but it can be a matter of weeks before HCG drops completely after a MC.

Hopefully Reshape as reassured you about the ectopic risk. With an ectopic you would likely have pain as well so if you are still worried about that, watch out for one-sided abdo pain / shoulder tip pain.

I know very little about molar preg but if your treatment gave you the all clear, by far the most likely explanation for the HCG in your system is that you have recently been pregnant or may still be pregnant.

In terms of getting answers quicker than next week, can you call back the EPU and ask them to take another blood test in 48 hrs (Friday?). If your HCG rises/doubles, you may still have a viable pregnancy. If it stays the same, it is likely that you are still miscarrying. If it falls, it is likely that the miscarriage is complete. (I think). Even your GP could do this blood test (although in my experience you get same day results at the EPU) and it might give you a good indication of what to expect much sooner than next week.

Horrible situation, that I know very little about - only contribution I can make is that I know Superdrug HPTs are very sensitive, detecting lower hCG levels than e.g. Boots ones - maybe this explains the still +ve test as hCG levels might be falling?

Is there any reason why your hospital is not taking regular blood tests (every 48 hours or so)? That was the protocol followed when I had odd bleeding and a BFP- it took about a week to diagnose an ectopic.

Reshape- you often still can't see tubes on a scan with an ectopic. A large number of ectopics are never identified on scan and my docs invariably do a lot of poking around with the internal scan thingy and pressing on my tum to try to get a decent view of both of my tubes and ovaries. It's often not that easy - my left ovary hides behind some gut too. With both eps they had to guess that it was in the tube since they could see my uterus and ovary on the scan and the preg was somewhere in between.

Poor you. They should definitely do another blood test 48 hours later. On the forums I was using when I had a mc in January some women had +HPT's for weeks. Have you noticed the lines getting fainter? Hope you get some answers soon.