Dr. Manwani Saloni Dilip
Obstetrics and Gynecology
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I had my period at the beginning of the last month. I took a pregnancy test in the mid of the last month, which was very faint but was positive. So I repeated the test three more times in the next three consecutive days using different brands of pregnancy test kits. The results were the same all the time except for the last time it was more pronounced. So, I went to my doctor, and they drew a beta HCG that came back at 5.4, which they told me was normal since I was so early, but they wanted to repeat in the next 48 hours. So today, I got my test done again, which was 2.17. My period is two days away, but I have nausea and vomiting, breast soreness, and slight cramping. Also, I had pinkish-brown spotting some days back. I am concerned as my doctor said I am not pregnant and not even a miscarriage. However, my baseline HCG was drawn about a year ago, and was 0.12. So now I am confused. Is it possible for HCG levels to drop like that and still have a viable pregnancy? Kindly help.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I can understand your concern.
Usually, non-pregnant results are considered less than 25 IU/L, so the normal levels can fluctuate around any value less than 5. Therefore, even though the value now is higher than your last valued measurement, it does not mean you were pregnant because it is less than the threshold. The faint positive pregnancy test sometimes happens when the level goes slightly more than the threshold. Also, the pregnancy test should always be done after you miss your periods which is more indicative of pregnancy.
Kindly revert for more queries.
Thank you.
Patient's Query
Thank you for your reply, doctor.
Is there any chance of a viable pregnancy as I have not got my period? Will my HCG be increasing instead of decreasing? Kindly help.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
If you were pregnant, the HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) level after 48 hours generally becomes more than double the first value. So even if it rose below the threshold, there would be a slight chance, but now it is less than half of the first value.
Thank you.
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Obstetrics and Gynecology
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