Understanding Low-Level Pregnancy Hormone Levels & Bleeding

Question
I'm 21 yrs old and six months ago my dr said she thought i was pregnant.when she did the urine it didnt show up so she did a blood test. she said the pregnancy hormone wast here but it wasnt high enough to give a positive. three months ago she did the test again and she said it was higher than last time but not high enough to give a positive. I had some of the symptoms like the weight gain and the tenderness and increased appetite. i've bled for a total of 4 days since may. i have an appt with an ob/gyn in february but i think i should try to see someone sooner.
i'm very confused and so is the dr. Do you have any suggestion as to what is causing this? should this be a reason to be seriously concerned?

Answer
Hi Erica,

This sounds more like a hormonal issue to me. Unfortuently, hormonal imbalances will mimic pregnancy symptoms to a tee. So as you can imagine, it can leave many ladies confused.

If you were pregnant, your HCG levels would be doubling. But clearly they are not, infact they are extremely low. This most likely indicates that pregnancy is not what is causing you these problems.

I would definatly see a doctor much sooner. Especially with the concern you carry, I think waiting until February is far to long.

They can do hormonal testing, and perhaps a sonogram to see exactly what is going on. Ovarian cysts, and uterine fibroids could perhaps be an issue as well. Also, thryroid testing would be essential in this case as well.

Regardless, if this is a hormonal issue, its correctable with treatment. There are drugs available that will induce a period, in hopes to regulate your cycle. Its generally not a serious concern at all.

Even if its something more internal, such as a cyst, or fibroid, these are treatable conditions, and generally not a huge concern at all.

I apologize that my answer is inconclusive, but I did give you some reasons as to what could be going on. The only way to know for sure, is to see your doctor and have the appropriate testing done.

I do hope this was of some help, and I thankyou for writing.

-Kristy