QuestionThank you for your response, my HCG at 48 hours went from 26 to 126. However, in the meantime my progesterone came back at only 2.3 . My physician has prescribed crinone progesterone suppository. My question is this. Do progesterone numbers this low always indicate that a pregnancy is non viable? Is there any specific data on this? Does this progesterone level alone indicate that I am at a high risk for an ectopic pregnancy? Thank you.
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Followup To
Question -
I am 31, have one child, first date of LMP was 2/27, however due to temperature charting and observation of cervical fluid I am fairly certain I did not ovulate until cycle day 28 if that helps.
Brief history, with my son my HCG at 15 days post ovulation was only 32. I am now pregnant again, and my 15 day HCG is only 26. I had negative early HPT all the way through 13 days post O, my first positive was on 14 days post O.
I have now been told that it is not likely this is a viable pregnancy. I will have 48 hour repeat HCG tomorrow morning.
My question is this, I have been told that women with PCOS tend to have low HCG. I cannot find good evidence to back this up. Are you familiar with this? What is your opinion. I know I will have much better information after the repeat blood work, but as I can see from your responses, you really do seem to understand how a little education on the process makes the stress of waiting so much easier.
Thank you sincerely for your time.
Answer -
Patients with PCOS can, indeed, have low HCG levels. However, if there is an increase in 48 nours, there is certaiinly hope for a viable pregnancy. It wold be ideal if there was doubling of the results in 48 hours. I still maintain that the best time to take a pregnancy test is seven days after missing yur next perod. A pregnancy test is not accurate until 14-21 days after conception. Ify our last period started on 2/27, The best time to take a pregnancy test is 21 days after conception.
AnswerYour progesterone values have nothing to do with the possibility of having an ectopic pregnancy. The HCG values in 47 hours, indicate a viable pregnancy (if there is a doubling of the results in 48 hours) a miscarriage if the values halve in 48 hours, and an ectopic pregnancy if there is a plateau of the results in 48 hours (both values are the same). If the value is less than 5, you are not pregnant. If you have bleeding and pain, a sonogram should be done to determine if there is a risk of ectopic pregnancy.However, basically, an ectopic pregnancy is due to a failure of the fertilized embryo to travel back to the uterus and implant. Either the tube is kinked or there is some inflammation that prevents passage of the fertilized egg. It is not due to low progesterone levels. Crinone is a good treatment for low progesteroe and may, indeed, prevent miscarriage. Your values did more than double, so it is a good sign. I would repeat the test in a week or two. By now, a sonogram should show a viable fetus.
