Am I pregnant??? Sounds like a silly question but read details before telling me to do a test!?

Question

Well, the tests show positive, so don't tell me to take a test, but here is the problem: I had my last period July 28th. I had sex on Aug. 3rd and Aug. 8th. After that, I had some bleeding (only spotting). I had a pregnancy HCG test, it showed positive but only 150 u/l. My doctor said I might have been pregnant since before my period and miscarried, and I repeated the test after a few days, and it was 125 u/l, so he said this confirmed the miscarriage version (because the hormone decreased). Today I had a test and it showed 265 u/l. It is increased, but still quite low, especially after 10 days of being 150. So my question is: has this ever happened to you? Do you know what the HCG level should be before being late? Could the HCG have risen after a miscarriage? Please answer only if you are a med. professional or have had a similar case.

Answer 1

Please, go see your doctor -- or a different doctor, if need be. Those levels need to be checked again.

Hcg levels after a miscarriage can fluctuate if your body retained some of the products of conception. When that occurs a D&C is needed to remove the remaining tissue; this should be done quickly (in such circumstances) because with retained tissue comes risk of infection.

There is another common reason for fluctuating hcg levels, and that is an ectopic pregnancy. The most common of these is a tubal pregnancy, but it can be elsewhere -- basically, an ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy in which the fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus. Low hcg levels, and/or fluctuating hcg levels, are a sign of a possible ectopic. Ectopic pregnancies are dangerous -- potentially, very much so -- but if caught early enough can be medically treated, requiring no surgical intervention. Typically, a drug called methotrexate is administered by injection, dissolving the pregnancy. One problem with such low hcg levels is that confirming an ectopic, one way or another, is unlikely; with such low hcg levels an ultrasound would not be expected to show anything, so it's not likely an ultrasound would confirm a pregnancy in the uterus, or elsewhere. The positive send of the low numbers is that, in the event of an ectopic, rupture is less likely because everything is so small.

There's nothing (in the question as written) that suggests that you were pregnant before July 28. On what basis did your doctor suggest that possibility? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. You don't note when you first took a test and/or when your hcg levels were at 150, and I'm assuming that your doctor felt the levels were low and therefore posited that the levels were on their way down from an earlier pregnancy...in any event, that's not a necessary theory, at all, to explain low hcg levels nor would it be the first I would expect a doctor to raise.

Regardless, that the hcg levels are unstable as they are is a sign that something is wrong, with the two most "likely" (read: obvious) things for a doctor to consider being an "incomplete abortion" (medical term for a miscarriage that's not complete) or an ectopic pregnancy. Either requires medical attention.

As for what a person's hcg levels "should" be. the range of normal hcg levels during early pregnancy is quite wide.


Week from ....................................... Amount of
the ......................................................hCG in mIU/ml
Last
Menstrual Period
(LMP)



3 .................................................5 - 50
4..................................................4 - 426
5 .................................................19 - 7,340
6 .................................................1,080 - 56,500
7 - 8.............................................7,650 - 229,000
9 - 12...........................................25,700 - 288,000
13 - 16.........................................13,300 - 254,000
17 - 24..........................................4,060 - 165,400
25 - 40..........................................3,640 - 117,000

(Source: http://www.inciid.org/article.php?cat=&id=241)

I have had several miscarriages, and an ectopic that was diagnosed when my hcg levels were low...and barely went up...then went down a bit...then went up a bit. My ectopic was successfully treated with methotrexate.

Incidentally, I was under the care of specialists at the time, who immediately focused on the rising/falling hcg levels and the potential ectopic connection; in discussing the issue with some OB/GYNs I know I was surprised that some of them were not really aware that fluctuating hcg levels are an indicator of an ectopic pregnancy. I urge you to speak with your doctor.

Best of luck.

Answer 2

I have gotten pregnant right after having a misscarriage and my Hcg level was dropping but didn't make it to 0 before climbing back up because I became pregnant again. That might have been what happened to you. Your doctor didn't have an explaination for you when you were there. They should have told you all the things that could cause this. Does he want you back in a few days to re test to see if they are still going up. If not, you need to call the doctor and ask them to do this for you. That will be the only way of know what is going on. Good Luck and if you are pregnant, I hope it works out for you this time, when I got pregnant right after my MC, I lost that baby too, because I got pregnant to fast and had scar tissue so the baby could not attach.


Good LucK!

Answer 3

The same thing kinda happened to my friend. She took a test and it was positive so she went to the dr a few days later and they did a vaginal ultrasound and they told her there was no baby. Then they did blood work and they told her that he hormone level was very low so they came to the conclusion that it was a tubal pregnancy since they couldn't find a baby and her hormones were low. She went back a week later for another sono and the saw the baby in her uterus with a heart beat and all! But her bloodwork showed that her hormones when up some but were still too low so they told her to be prepared to miscarry, and she did about a week after that...

Answer 4

Thats weird, Since when I miscarried My number was in the 600's and 2 days later was like 85 then 2 days later was 7 so it should have decreased? Maybe you are pregnant again? That is very odd.. Hope all is well with whatever it is.. Good luck!!

Answer 5

Your great guess is to have her pass to the medical professional so they are able to run a few checks rationale if she isnt pregnant some thing probably fallacious. After having a miscarriage it's going to take awhile to get pregnant but when your significantly involved simply have her get checked. Good Luck!

Answer 6

go to a doctor