Dr. Lorena Zijaj
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I was wondering if I could ask a few questions about a potential ectopic pregnancy? I recently started new birth control (after not taking any sort of birth control for three months) called Drospirenone and Ethinyl tablets, USP (3mg/0.02mg) and I am now on day 22 of taking the pills. I had unprotected sex within the first week of taking the pill. However, I have always had a really light period and rarely got a period when I was previously taking birth control. The last day, I had unproductive sex was exactly 19 days ago. However, about five days ago, I started to have more intense cramps on the same side and I am also bleeding. This is what it felt like last year before I took a test, just way less severe. I looked online and learned that I can take a pregnancy test at least 19 days after intercourse, so I just took one, and it came back negative. I am not sure if I am having an ectopic pregnancy or it is just too early to tell if this could be a side effect of the new birth control? Or if this is just my regular period (despite it starting in the middle of my pack)?
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
You have to know that contraceptive pills will prevent a future pregnancy if you have taken the pills for seven days. After that, you can have unprotected sexual intercourse. So before that you have to use another form of contraception. Also, if you have had sexual intercourse not in your ovulatory day (that means at first day of your cycle), the possibility of a pregnancy is low. The urinary test has a high accuracy, if you perform that after a week of menstrual delay. I read that you have experienced a rupture ectopic pregnancy last year. The typical symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy are missed period, abdominal pain, cramps, and spotting. I recommend you a b-HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) blood test. You can repeat that every 48 hours to detect a future pregnancy. It will double its value in an intrauterine pregnancy, meanwhile, the rise of b-HCG value in an ectopic pregnancy has another pattern less than a normal pregnancy. Also, the COC and the medication that you take can affect your cycle. I would recommend b-HCG blood test at first. If you have the bleeding within your expected date without delay, it would be your cycle that has come.
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Obstetrics and Gynecology
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