Questions about ectopics (updated at bottom)

Hi everyone!

So I just came back from my doctor- had to get blood drawn. I stopped in to tell her that my bleeding has gotten heavier.

She said that my progesterone from to days ago came back in the 900s- low for over 6 weeks pregnant. She says that she ordered an extra battery of tests b/c now she is more concerned about ectopic pregnancy since she "didn't see anything in my uterus."

I am totally confused, b/c she had said that the dark spot that came up on the U/S was probably the beginning of a sac, but now she seems to have changed her mind?

So, my questions for anyone who has been through this:

- did you have any pain that indicated your pregnancy was ectopic?

- How did your doctor diagnose it as ectopic? How did they know?

- How did your doc treat it if it was (mine is saying I could take some medicine- metha-something) I thought it was treated by removing the tube?

I appreciate any info anyone has, as I am totally confused now, trying not to worry but I am kind of scared......

Message edited 9/28/2008 4:52:52 PM.

Re: Questions about ectopics

They aren't sure if mine was etopic or not.
The medication (shot) they're referring to is methotrexate. It's a chemotheraputic drug used in a fraction of a dose which will kill off the cells. I had to get the shot b/c my beta kept rising after my period came and went and they couldn't fine anything- no spot on a sonogram anywhere.
They did tons of bloodwork on me and sonograms- she REALLY poked around and kept asking me if anything hurt. She said 'usually' if its an etopic and it's in my tube that my tube would've been so swollen from the growth in there that I'd be in tremendous pain w/ all of the poking.
Etopics are dangerous and tricky. Make sure they keep CLOSE watch on this. You can risk losing a tube and it's EXTREMELY painful from what I've heard. When they told me I had to get the shot I didn't pay any mind to them b/c my beta wasn't even at 100- so I couldn't see the risk- it wasn't until they told me they tested my liver enzymes and that my liver was starting to fail that I gave in and got the shot. Once you get the shot (2 in my case both at the same time)- you're not allowed to TTC again for 3 months and you'll still have to go for bloodwork to check your beta- if it doesn't go down by a certain % w/in a certain time frame, you'll need to get a 2nd shot- luckily I didn't need to. HTH!

ETA: I don't think they'd just remove your tube unless they KNEW it was def. in there and there were no other options.
Though I'm totally against the methotrexate shot, I'd opt for that IF they knew it was def. etopic or didn't know what was going on and thought you were in danger. I'm sorry you're going through this.

Message edited 9/26/2008 12:56:09 PM.

Re: Questions about ectopics

Thank you so much- that totally explains it. She was talking about testing my liver function and stuff, but I had no idea what she was talking about!

Okay, this is really scary. I guess all I can do is wait for tomorrow and see what my blood results are.

I guess the important thing is catching it early, which she seems to be trying to do.

Did you have any of the symptoms like nausea, fever, pain?

Re: Questions about ectopics

Are you sure that she didn't mean your beta was in the 900's? for Progesterone to be that high at 6 weeks, I never heard of.

I wasn't trying to get pg when I had my ectopic, I was on BCP. I spotted mid cycle, which I never do, ob told me to POAS, so I got a BFP. Prog & Beta rose slightly, they thought it was a m/c. I had a D&C. My beta kept rising. So they knew it was ectopic...I had 2 shots of methotrexate.

Re: Questions about ectopics

I don't know the difference between a beta and progesterone- I am sure you are right, though.

I know she said when they drew the blood that she was testing for progesterone- today she just said, "your levels came back...its a 970" or something like that. I assumed it was progersterone, but we all know what happens when you assume, right?

Re: Questions about ectopics

Re: Questions about ectopics

Thanks for the info- I need to get myself off this computer now b/c researching ectopic prenancies is scaring the crap out of me!

Re: Questions about ectopics

didn't she do an U/S???? She would have seen an ectopic in the ultrasound...
I know that when I went, that was the first thing they looked for, to make sure it was in my uterus, and not anywhere else.

There is NO WAY your progesterone was in the 900s....there is no such thing. You must have misheard her talking about your beta (HCG Levels)

Message edited 9/26/2008 1:52:39 PM.

Re: Questions about ectopics

Re: Questions about ectopics

Re: Questions about ectopics (updated at bottom)

Just got off the phone with the doctor. I was supposed to call yesterday for results, but I didn't. I am kind of one of those people who likes to ignore things until they go away!

Anyway, I noticed on my cell that the doc has called twice since yesterday, so I figured I should suck it up and call her back.

My Beta went up from 922 to over 1300. Yuck. I have to go back for one more tomorrow, and then if it hasn't gone down, they want to do the methotextrate (sp) shot on Tuesday.

Not what I was hoping for. I have to say, though, in my heart I really don't think I will need it. I just believe that the numbers will fall. I might be crazy, though. Who knows!

Re: Questions about ectopics (updated at bottom)

Re: Questions about ectopics (updated at bottom)

Re: Questions about ectopics (updated at bottom)

They realized during my first sono that my pregnancy was ectopic. I was 9 weeks. (There was no pregnancy tissue in my uterus and the beta was high enough that they definitely should have seen something by then. My ectopic was caused by a large ovarian cyst, which blocked the view of the embryo from the sono. Thank God for small favors, I guess. I never saw the heartbeat.)

It did hurt, but I was bleeding internally by the time they caught it and my life was in grave danger. I had a hard time seeing this at the time, but I got VERY LUCKY.

I had some pregnant friends in the same place as me and I thought that what I was experiencing was stretching pains. I have a very high pain tolerance and when mine hurt more than everyone else's, I should have questioned it, but I didn't. What did I know? I just thought that the pain was part of what it felt like to be pregnant.

I lost my tube in the surgery, so I know nothing about the metho. shot.

Reading about ectopics on the internet can scare the heck out of you. I'm glad I didn't look until after I went through my ordeal.

Best of luck to you. I'm sorry you are going through this.

Re: Questions about ectopics (updated at bottom)

Oh man! That stinks!! I'm so sorry that you have to go through all this.

Re: Questions about ectopics (updated at bottom)

Got some good news, actually. My beta dropped to a bit over 500. Looks like whatever it is, my body is taking care of it on it's own. I guess that's my silver lining....


Back to the drawing board we go....

Re: Questions about ectopics (updated at bottom)

Im so sorry, I'm glad the beta went down , thats good news but Im sorry that this has happened at all