Hcg levels/ultrasound... Confused

Jlk2016

June 8th my hcg levels were 101, June 15th 2500 if you look at the charts, that puts me at roughly 5-6 weeks as of last Wednesday. Today I had a dating ultrasound and there was nothing but a sac measuring at 5 weeks. None of this makes sense to me. I understand there's a wide range in the hcg levels, but this just seems way off. Honest opinions wanted. Anyone ever have something like this happen?

cinderin

the hcg number doesn't matter as much as the doubling does. did you get your hcg done more than the two times? 

Jlk2016

No, so the numbers in this chart mean nothing, basically?

cinderin

well, you fall within those, right? 

cinderin

are you having any other symptoms? 

Xstatic3333

Did your OB seem concerned? Were you tracking ovulation at all?

Jlk2016

If my hcg levels were 2500 last Wednesday that would put me in the 5-6 week range last week. Today, at my ultrasound there was just a sac measuring 5 weeks exactly. I feel like that is "high" for only being 4 weeks. PGAL brain just has me on edge. That also would put my BFP at 5 days DPO

cinderin

I am PAL too. it's very hard. 

what did your OB say? are you coming back in for another u/s in a week? 

musicinmysoul17

There is such a big range of "normal" HCG numbers and at only about 5 weeks it's harder to accurately date on an US. I just did a Google search for "hcg levels" and basically every article or chart is slightly different because every pregnancy is different. It's important to get more than just one HCG draw to see the numbers doubling. I would get another draw and talk to your doc about your concerns.

Jlk2016

Yes, July 5th. 
My nurse just called and said that it wasn't necessarily "normal", but they aren't ruling anything at this time.... Now, we just sit and wait.

Gingersnap

The waiting is the worst. 
I'll be sending positive vibes for you, PAL brain is so hard. 

juliehollz13

Lurking from December

According to the HCG doubling time calculator your doubling time is 36 hours....which is normal....so....? My HCG levels were around 4,000 at 5 weeks. Early ultrasounds can also be up to 1 week off and even at 5 weeks you will more than likely not see anything but the sac. My RE wouldn't do an U/S until 7 weeks for that reason. 

Jlk2016

My concern lies more within the fact that my hcg levels were 2500 LAST Wednesday.... All of the charts I have looked at puts my levels at 5 weeks then, but now 5 days later, my US Is showing just 5 weeks. I'm just going to remain positive.

blush64

Jlk2016 said:

My concern lies more within the fact that my hcg levels were 2500 LAST Wednesday.... All of the charts I have looked at puts my levels at 5 weeks then, but now 5 days later, my US Is showing just 5 weeks. I'm just going to remain positive.

Maybe you had high hcg numbers for 4 weeks. The charts might be average but there are people who don't fit the averages. Maybe your numbers were just high at that point for some reason and this week you really are where you are supposed to be. I would try to stay positive.

paigeed

Jlk2016 said:

My concern lies more within the fact that my hcg levels were 2500 LAST Wednesday.... All of the charts I have looked at puts my levels at 5 weeks then, but now 5 days later, my US Is showing just 5 weeks. I'm just going to remain positive.

Just because your levels were high enough to put you at 5 weeks on that chart doesn't mean you were actually 5 weeks along. Hcg doubles and changes at random rates that are different for each individual and each pregnancy. I wouldn't worry about the HcG number at all. When was your LMP? Base how far along you are off of that. If you really are 5 weeks then your US was normal, a sack would be all you could see. If by your LMP you are more like 6+ weeks you should have been able to see a little more. When was your LMP?

Jlk2016

5 weeks is right on with my LMP. May 16th. We had been tracking ovulation because we were actually trying to "prevent" getting pregnant after months of trying following a mc last year, we decided we were done, emotionally it was too much. My days of ovulation were May 28- June 1 and we had sex the 26th. I'm just overly anxious, I understand that, but each of you have great points and science can be crazy at times!

MrsDramaK

I'm curious how you were tracking ovulation.  If you weren't temping those days aren't necessarily correct.  Regardless it's impossible to be 6 weeks pregnant if your only 5 weeks from your LMP unless you somehow managed to O before AF arrived which as far as I am aware is scientifically impossible.  Regardless be happy your 5 weeks from LMP and baby is measuring 5 weeks, don't borrow trouble by reading in to numbers that studies show have a wide range from woman to woman.

Jlk2016

It doesn't appear that it is scientifically impossible according to my doctors office. When speaking with the nurse, women who are older apparently have a tendency to ovulate more than once a month (news to me) and I also find it interesting that I got my BFP 5 DPO, it seems incredibly early.... Truly, other than being tired, I took the test because it was laying around my house, basically for shits and giggles. It actually ISNT impossible to be further along than your LMP, especially considering it all depends on your cycle length and temp/ovulation (as you mentioned). Don't get me wrong, I am happy, but after the nurse and the tech saying that my levels and US being so far off are not "normal", but not to stress too much "yet", of course I am worried. I posted here wondering if anyone had been through something similar, what their personal
outcome may have been, that's all. It's glitter and unicorn farts over here!

MrsDramaK

@Jlk2016 First of all there's no need to be rude when I was just trying to be helpful.  You still haven't answered how you "know" when you ovulated and that might clear up why you turned a test so early.  There are a lot of reasons for HCG to be high, but in general if it's going up and not down it's nothing to worry about and it seems your doctors are giving you sound advice.

But none of us here are medical professionals, so all we can do is give our personal knowledge nothing we say is going to magically make everything right or everything wrong.  Truth is, pregnancy is a waiting game for all of us, especially those of us who have experienced loss.

Jlk2016

@MrsDramaK not sure how I was rude, I was simply sharing with you what I was told. I was simply tracking my ovulation with an app on my iPhone. Although my cycles have been off a little here and there, at 38, I'm pretty in tune with my body for the most part and am confident that I did O that particular wknd.

You are absolutely right, nobody can offer anything to magically give the answer, however this IS a msg board where we turn for venting, advice and reassurance and that is exactly what I came here looking for. I thank you for your input, being a mother of 4, my last being a 27w 5d preemie and having had 7 miscarriages myself, I am fully aware of what a crazy ride pregnancy can be. Thank goodness we have other women to open up to in regards to our concerns!

MonaLisaRalphio

@Jlk2016 HCG levels do not continue to double past a certain point.  They start to plateau once they get really high, and they even drop way down once the placenta takes over hormone regulation.

I've seen dozens of HCG level charts like the one you posted, and I swear every single one is different.  Your numbers seem really normal and honestly, it just sounds like you're borrowing trouble by worrying about this.  You're in good shape right now!

momousekee

I was doing the same thing last week before my first ultrasound. My numbers seemed high for known gestational age and I did a ton of googling. It's ok for your hCG to be higher than your ultrasound indicates. Some embryos just make more hCG. It usually indicates a strong pregnancy. 

Good luck, and stay optimistic!

Jlk2016

@MonaLisaRalphio I think the part that really had me worried was hearing the nurse tell
me it wasn't necessarily "normal", but nothing is ruled out yet.... I'm choosing to be optimistic, and getting such great reassurance here has definitely helped!

MagicMikki

First, I'm so sorry to hear of your losses.  But in all seriousness, if you expected ovulation to be the 28th-1st, why did you have sex on the 26th if you were TTA?  That's perfectly within the FW...

Also, I think what PP was asking is how you know when you ovulated.  Tracking your cycles on an app does not actually provide you with that information. Apps take into consideration the 'average' cycle information for many women (I.e 28 day cycles, O date on CD14, etc.).  It can tell you generally when you might ovulate, but if you aren't temping or at least using OPKs, then you really have no idea when you ovulated.  

The reason this information was requested by a couple of PPs who were trying to help you is because your O date can obviously impact not only your hcg levels, but also how big the sac is measuring.  It's incredibly possible to have high hcg levels, but your sac is still measuring right on during your early ultrasound.  

Jlk2016

@MagicMikki You're absolutely right, and as I've stated above, the biggest concern for me was when the nurse called me saying that this wasn't "normal". Just PGAL brain has me overthinking. I'm incredibly happy that I am pregnant and clearly we weren't being overly cautious, regardless of how "regular" my cycles have or have not been, by DTD so close to the apps "recommendation for ovulation dates".

Basically what I was trying to convey, is that the majority of the hcg level charts say that 4 weeks is anywhere from  (roughly) 5-426 and 5 weeks is (roughly) 18-7430, 6 weeks 1080-56,000.... With that being said, if my US measured at 5weeks today, my HCG levels last week were incredibly high (according to the AVERAGE) for being 4 weeks 2 days. It could be a number of outcomes, multiples, blighted ovum, outside of the "average". If I would have guessed I was closer to 5 weeks ( just simple "coincidences" making me think otherwise i.e. BFP 5 DPO, crazy symptoms, hcg levels for the AVERAGE) I would have declined the US, just for the simple fact that one so early on can be more nerve wracking (obviously) than helpful.

MrsDramaK

@Jlk2016 for the record saying everything is "glitter and unicorn farts over here" when people are trying to comfort/reassure your concerns comes across as rude.  Second of all even the person most in tune with their bodies can misinterpret their bodies sign.  The only way to know when you O'd with 100% certainty is by temping.  Since a positive at 5 DPO is highly unlikely (less then 15%) you probably O'd earlier then you think, not definitely, but probably.

Again, I wouldn't worry about the HCG numbers if your ultrasound is measuring on point with your LMP, the ranges are wider even then what they give you on those estimates and as PP mentioned high HCG levels are generally indicative of a healthy pregnancy, so this is all good news.

Jlk2016

@MrsDramaK I guess your idea of rude and my idea are two different things, so we will just leave it at that. In all other BMB I have ever been in, glitter and unicorn farts are a happy thing, I mean how can they not be?? 

as you previously stated, nobody here (except for one, I did see) is a medical professional or qualified to give medical advice. Being as though an actual medical professional DID tell me that the hcg numbers and the ultrasound were NOT normal, I'm going to go with that and just keep
praying for a healthy pregnancy. All I was looking for in this post was if anyone else had been through something similar, (thank you @momousekee ) for reassurance, but apparently that might be frowned upon here, it seems more of a battle of "who is right". 

CornchipLA

@jlk2016 I've not had this experience but I would ask you doctor to clarify.   Maybe set up a follow up.  It's still early so I think anything can happen.  Stay positive!