Post-Abortion Pain & Symptoms: What to Expect & When to Worry

Question
Dr. Joan, I live in the US. I had surgical abortion in July and I had sex within 3 weeks of the procedure. I have not had my period since then, and I know it is normal to not get your cycle for 3 months after. But I am having sharp pains in my stomach, cramping, nausea, and dizzy spells. I have taken a total of 12 hpt and they were all negative. And in Aug I went to my doctor and had 2 blood tests done. The first one tested my hcg to be 4 ml and the second one week later was 3 ml. They said it was a false positive but I am not feeling normal and I don't know what is wrong. Could I be pregnant? I thank you in advance for your advice.

Answer
Dear Tally,
You should definitely have another evaluation by a doctor.  The doctor should evaluate the stomach pain, and make sure that the pain is not coming from the procedure.  There are two potential causes of your symptoms, related to the abortion: infection and retained tissue (a small amount of tissue was not completely expelled).  You can have either of these problems with a negative pregnancy test.  A doctor who examines you may also find out that the pain you are having is unrelated to the abortion. The source of your pain may be your digestive system, rather than your uterus.  A simple examination should help to find the source of your symptoms.

I hope this is helpful,
Doctor Joan
http://www.earlyabortionoptions.com
New York City