Conference turris::womannotes-v2

    Tubal pregnancy can be lethal if it is not caught in time.
    The tube and rupture and the woman can bleed to death.
    
    The symptoms are quite similar to appendicitis - i.e. abdominal
    pain. Usually it is not evident until the embryo has grown big
    enough to be stressing the tube. The only women that I know of
    who have had a tubal lost the tube in question.
    
    If you think you might have a tubal pregnancy get to the doctor
    immediately.
    
    Bonnie

    
    Ectopic pregnancies are life-threatening.  Eventually the
    fetus will grow large enough to rupture the fallopian tube,
    leading to internal bleeding.
    
    Symptoms include: 'normal' symptoms of pregnancy-breast tenderness,
    cessation of menses (may not be noticed if the woman is bleeding
    internally, as the discharge of this blood may be mistaken for
    menstruation), nausea, thickening of the waist.  
    
    Abnormal symptoms include: cramping (again can be mistaken for
    menstrual cramps), vaginal bleeding, pain and/or tenderness of
    the lower abdomen...when the fallopian tube ruptures, internal
    bleeding occurs, leading to shock (dizziness, pain in the lower
    abdomen, swelling of the abdomen, changes in the pulse rate).
    
    It is critical that an ectopic pregnancy be diagnosed immediately.
    If the tube has ruptured, IMMEDIATE medical attention is necessary.
    
    Deborah
    

    The info is for a close friend's daughter who is scheduled for an
    ultrasound at 2:00 (NOW!)...today. Thanks for the quick response
    and excellent description.
    
    

    If you would like to know more, see also:
    
    Womannotes-v1, topic 602 "Tubular (Ectopic) Pregnancy"
    
    -Jody
    

I had a tubal - diagnosed at 6 weeks fetal age (based on ultrasound sizing)
If the girl does have one, loss of tube is not inevitable - I had micro
surgery done by a Dr.Seibel in Boston - it is new, and of course depends on
the implantation of the embryo, size, etc. 

My tube is fine, and is clear - no blockage. Prompt care is important.

    Topic 602 in v1 was excellent!

    Hi.  I strongly urge you to get to a doctor immediately.  When I
    was 21 I had an ectopic pregnancy which has changed my life forever.
    
    I came very close to death, as I was 6 months pregnant when diagnosed,
    and at that time I was very thin.  I didn't gain a lot of weight
    and I hadn't much of a "baby belly".  But I will tell you that my
    symptoms were the same as if it had been a normal pregnancy.  I
    bled all the time, but since I've had major problems with periods,
    just assumed it was "normal".  My breasts got milk, I had to urinate
    all the time, I fainted a lot and got cramps in my legs from lack
    of potassium.  The pain was incredible, worse than menstrual cramps.
    
    Initially the doctor told me it was PID.  Then I got so ill and
    tired, my mother begged me to see a "good" doctor.  I was seeing
    all the OB/GYN's at the Fallon Clinic at that time.  They did do
    pregnancy tests, which came out negative for some reason, although
    I had a sneaking suspicion that I was pregnant once the milk started
    coming!  I saw a doctor of my mother's choice.  By that time I was
    bleeding so badly, I was quite ill and my boyfriend and mother were
    very concerned.  I could not walk straight, I walked hunched over
    and I could not walk up the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment,
    I sort of dragged myself.  The doctor my mom recommended told my
    boyfriend and I immediately upon a tissue sample of the blood that
    I was miscarrying twins.  I was admitted into the hospital for a
    D&C, which was performed and I still was sick.  I was at work when
    the baby ruptured my insides.  Now I am a mess internally, lost
    my left tube and ovary, and part of my bowel.  I was rushed to the
    hopsital via ambulance and that was 6 months from the date of
    conception.  At the time I was brought to St. V's in Worcester,
    the Fallon Clinic doctors still insisted that I wasn't pregnant,
    and finally one of the senior OB's told my doctor that they were
    performing emergency surgery immediately, as I was bleeding to death.
     I signed a form and they put me to sleep and removed the baby.
     
    
    As it turned out, I was pregnant with twins, miscarried one and
    the other was ectopic.  I sued the Fallon Clinic doctors for
    malpractice but was too intimidated (not to mention broke by this
    time) to really follow up on the suit.  I urge anyone who belongs
    to the FCHP to think twice about Dr. Asbell.  Actually, all the
    OB's there looked at me, and some of them actually said that my
    illness was "all in my head".  I started to believe it, and had
    my mother and boyfriend not been so persistent, would not be alive
    to tell this story.
    
    Please don't hesitate to mail me if you are interested in further
    information on this subject.  The physical ramifications of "waiting
    too long" have been - not being able to have children now, severe
    pain constantly due to adhesions, and pain during intercourse
    constantly.  I still have one tube and ovary, and menstruate, but
    due to the adhesions, it is highly unlikely that I will be able
    to carry a child to term if I am lucky enough to get pregnant again.
    
    

    How is a tubal pregnancy diagnosed??  Would an ultrasound detect
    it??
    RE: -.1, couldn't a pregnancy test have diagnosed your condition?

< Note 633.8 by SEAVU::WOLOCHOWICZ "NANCE" >

>    How is a tubal pregnancy diagnosed??  Would an ultrasound detect
>    it??
>    RE: -.1, couldn't a pregnancy test have diagnosed your condition?

	I could not get a postitive pregnancy test and I really don't
	understand why when I had a tubal pregnancy.  In fact the doctor
	would not believe I was pregnant until it ruptured and I nearly
	died of internal bleeding.

	_peggy

		(-)
		 |

			I have learned to listen to my body
			it usually knows what is happening.

    It is my understanding that it is not abnormal for a tubal pregnancy
    to go undetected by a pregnancy test.  I'm not sure why, but that
    is what the doctor told my sister when she was being tested.
    When her pregnancy test came back negative, they did an untrasound
    to see if she had a tubal pregnancy.  Her problem turned out to
    be a hormone imbalance.
     
    

    My friend's daughter had already been diagnosed as pregnant. The
    ultrasound was performed because she was having a lot of pain and
    maybe some other symptoms (I don't know all the details.) The ultra-
    sound seemed to prove that the suspicions were a false alarm...and
    apparently all is well.
    
    Thanks again for the info though...it was appreciated.

As a veteran of 4 ectopic pregnancies, I know more about them than I wish
I did ...

Sometimes an ectopic pregnancy will be registered with a pregnancy test,
however, if a pregnancy is suspected and is not detected with a standard
test, insiste on getting a quantitative HCG (or HGC - I can't remember which) 
done.  Whenever a pregnancy occurs, this hormone begins being produced.  In a 
"normal" pregnancy, the count should double every day - there is a "known" 
baseline.  When your count comes back at some value X, the doctor should be 
able to determine whether it is "good" or not - depending on your conception
date.