Ectopic Pregnancies

ThereseRowe

Have any of you had them? If so, please tell me about your experience. Did the pain progress slowly? Did it come and go or was it constant? Where did it hurt? How far along were you when symptoms presented?

Thanks for your help!!

jsuprena

I had an ectopic in 2010 which presented (as a surprise) at week 8. It started with back pain and nauseousness. The doctor treated me with methotrexate 2 days after diagnosis but 48 hours later I was in so much pain, I had to go to the ER. They did surgery the next day as it threatened rupture and I was bleeding internally. It was extremely painful when I went to the ER.

jsuprena

To answer more of your questions, the pain grew over the span of 5-6 days starting with back pain (similar to premenstrual cramps) and ending up with sharp pains that I could not stand or walk with. It came and went and hurt mostly in my lower back and lower left front pelvic area (it was stuck in my right tube).

BeccaOC

This is such a scary thing... Especially if your care provider won't really see you or tell you anything about your hormone levels or examine you until week 10. It makes it hard to be excited about the pregnancy when you read things like this that make you wonder if something might be wrong...

How common are ectopics anyways?

bodziochl

I had one in November. I was only 5.5 weeks when they found it and I was given methotrexate. I was lucky it was caught so early, so it dissolved on its own and I didn't have to have surgery. I had nausea and pain in my right shoulder. The dr says the shoulder pain was unrelated but I disagree. Other than that, no symptoms. If you are having pain on one side or the other, maybe you can have an early u/s. I just had mine early bc i was going to a fertility dr and the pregnancy was via IUI.

bodziochl

I got pregnant on my own a month later on my own, which I didn't think was possible. And here I am now, 7.5 weeks and baby is in the right place this time! There is hope after ectopic

MissErika16

I had one in May 2000. I didn't have any pain. It was caught at 5 weeks because I was spotting and had erratic HCG levels. I was treated with methotrexate and pregnant again in Nov 2000. At the time they had me sign something that said I would NOT get pregnant again for 3 months due to methotrexate staying in your system. Maybe that's different now.

bodziochl

They say it is out of your system in 6 weeks now

Christinek1220

I had one in 2013. I just woke up one day and was in so much pain I couldn't stand or care for my daughter. We had no idea I was pregnant as I hadn't even missed a period but after I went to my pcp he sent me to the ER. Loads of tests and really scared they finally determined I was pregnant but my hgc levels were all over the place over the next few days so they figured it was an eptopic. It resolved itself naturally so I never had to have any surgeries or anything but I was in SO much pain (think excruciating cramps on my left side) for 2-3 days. It was so painful I passed out a couple times. In the end I had on and off mild pain in the same area for about 6 months. The only sign I had prior to waking up to the extreme pain was constipation. I was very constipated leading up to the pain so I figured something was up but had NO IDEA it could be an eptopic since I was on BC but it was low hormone BC since I was nursing my daughter at the time.

Hope this helps!

Sweetest116

Well this post completely freaked me out... (not anyone's fault at all by the way!).  Pregnancy is so scary, always something to worry about.  

Sweetest116

I have this unfounded fear in the back of my mind that it's ectopic. I had this fear with DS1 too.  I get super sharp pains on my right side here and there. I'm SUPER nauseous and tired. Sometimes my back kills.  All of which are also healthy pregnancy symptoms, but man that fear is in the front of my mind.  Many mentioned hCG was all over the place?  Is that common in ectopics? (hoping my betas can be a soothing sign)