Ectopic Vs. Cyst

stephlas8

I have called the nurse, but for those of you who have had ectopic pregnancies or corpus luteal cysts, can you share some of your symptoms?

I do not think it is ectopic because I am 5 weeks along and I have had no bleeding. The pain is around my right hipbone and has increased during the day. I am afraid to continue calling the nurse but really think I should be seen to have my betas drawn. If this is a cyst, would this be common pain to be having? No dizziness, just the pain in my right side that occasionally hurts my lower back. I'm also having progesterone oil injections, but doubt that this would be a side effect.

Could this be ectopic if I'm not bleeding and if not, is this normal cramping for early pregnancy/could be the cyst?

Thanks for the help. 

juliane2004

My doc was afraid I was having an ectopic but told me straight out that bleeding was not a sign of an ectopic. Not sure if I believe it, but that's what they told me.

Also, if you think it's ectopic (even a possibility, based on your pain location) it can't hurt to call your doc. It's better to have it be nothing and call than to have it be ectopic and not call.

RebeccaLovesChris

I've had ectopic and the pain was like cramps but focused on one side.  I would call the doctor again.  All it would take is an u/s to confirm that the baby is in your uterus and not the tube.  First, for piece of mind, but also if it is ectopic, you want to catch it before it ruptures.  If it does, it is the most horrible pain, it causes internal bleeding which could be very serious, and then it could also burst your fallopian tube.  You really rather be safe than sorry with this one, call and see if you can get in tomorrow morning.

stephlas8

Maybe I should try another OBGYN. When I called the nurse she said that I was too far along to have an ectopic pregnancy and that she really didn't think it was but I haven't seen them yet. I'm extremely nervous and feel like she isn't really taking me seriously. She's been very helpful and prompt in calling me back but has just written off the possibility of it being ectopic. 

juliane2004

stephlas8:

Maybe I should try another OBGYN. When I called the nurse she said that I was too far along to have an ectopic pregnancy and that she really didn't think it was but I haven't seen them yet. I'm extremely nervous and feel like she isn't really taking me seriously. She's been very helpful and prompt in calling me back but has just written off the possibility of it being ectopic. 

That's really weird since most ectopics aren't diagnosed till 5-7 weeks along.

stephlas8

thats what I thought, too. 

RebeccaLovesChris

juliane2004:

stephlas8:

Maybe I should try another OBGYN. When I called the nurse she said that I was too far along to have an ectopic pregnancy and that she really didn't think it was but I haven't seen them yet. I'm extremely nervous and feel like she isn't really taking me seriously. She's been very helpful and prompt in calling me back but has just written off the possibility of it being ectopic. 

That's really weird since most ectopics aren't diagnosed till 5-7 weeks along.

Exactly.  I have no idea how far along I was (I thought I had a period but it turns out it was bleeding from the ectopic), but I was further along than 4-5 weeks for sure.  I would either find a new OB (but that might be too time consuming since you need to be taken care of now).  I would call tomorrow morning and talk to a doctor and insist that you be seen.

My OBs office wasn't able to see anything on their u/s so they sent me to the hospital for better u/s.  They didn't see anything on there at all, but they monitored my Betas and noticed it was still going up.

Your office should hear that you are in pain and want to get you in right away, not brush you off and tell you that everything is fine.

funkymonkeyohyeahhh

I would definitely plan to visit another practice from here on out. The nurse is making no sense. You're too far along for an ectopic? Huh? Does she mean because it would have ruptured by now? It only ruptures when it grows large enough to put enough pressure on your tube. At this point, it is so tiny that the possibility of that happening is highly unlikely.

Also, it takes the ectopic putting pressure on your tube to cause the serious pain (or rupturing causes pain of course). If you are just 4.5 weeks along, it's rare that you'd have such intense pain already. I had pretty bad cramps around that time with this pregnancy (which was confirmed as a healthy uterine pregnancy today) and it turned out to be gas. I got them again last night for a few hours and a few hours later was extremely gassy.

Is there any way that your last period could have not actually been and you're further along? Not sure if you were charting, taking OPKs, etc.

For what it's worth, I had a ton of bleeding with my ectopic. I got what I thought was my period (2 days late) and bled or spotted off and on every day for 2 weeks. I realized something was wrong, took a pregnancy test and it was instantly very, very dark. I was 6 weeks pregnant with an ectopic pregnancy. 

Bleeding can be a sign of ectopic pregnancy, but you can have an ectopic without bleeding.

I also had no cramping whatsoever. 

I have also had cysts before and they can be very painful.  Because I experienced no cramping with my ectopic, I can't compare the two types of pain.

Call a different doctor and explain your situation. A caring OB office will get you in for an ultrasound ASAP. It takes 2 minutes to confirm where baby is. If you have decent insurance and your pain does not subside, you may consider going to the emergency room. Ectopics aren't something to mess around with.

GL!

SeussicalOne

With my ectopic I had no pain. I had what I thought was my regular period, but continued spotting the following week which led me to call the doc. My slow-rising betas indicated it was not a viable pregnancy and I started bleeding/passing clots leading me and the nurses to believe I was miscarrying naturally. But since my betas continued to rise, they gave me an ultrasound at 8 weeks that they formally diagnosed the ectopic with and I ended up having emergency surgery that day. The doctor said I had already started bleeding internally and was probably a day away from having a ruptured tube. 

With my healthy pregnancy, I had those same pains you're talking about at 5 weeks. I called and they gave me an u/s based on my history where we were able to see the pregnancy was in the uterus. So it can't hurt to call and hopefully they'll check you out. 

candygirl29

About a year ago, I was diagnosed with an ectopic at 6 weeks. My doctor acted on it very urgently as this can be life threatening. My symptoms were spotting that turned into heavy bleeding, cramps that turned into the worse pain ever. I never had any pregnancy symtpoms such as nausea, fatigue, appetite changes etc. I ended up having surgery and loosing a tube.

If I were you, I would find a new doctor if your doctor does not have a sense of urgency on this or go to an emergency room. An ectopic pregnancy is nothing to play with and is time sensitive. It can be life threatening or cause major damage to your reproductive organs. I wouldn't wait another minute. If I had caught mine early, I possibly would not have lost a tube.

stephlas8

Thanks so much for all of your input ladies. I have not had much pain at all this morning and still no bleeding. Last night, the nurse on call said to lay on my left side and put a heating pad on my back. Turns out it may have just been gas... but I still am trying to be seen today or tomorrow just in case. I have called another OBGYN that seemed to be a little bit more concerned. I had endometriosis removed last Sept and know that I'm at slight risk for an ectopic, but think that the last two days were just terrible gas (had no clue gas could EVER be that painful!). Hoping and praying for the best!

Thanks again for all of your responses.