Medical Mystery. I am showing as pregnant but negative tests

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Hi

I made another thread about this, I repeat that info in this one just so anyone science-minded might be able to figure out what is going on.

I think that I either was or am pregnant but have no clue what is going on because I got a period on August 11 after which my symptoms only have continued to progress and am testing negtiave on all urine and blood pregnancy tests, which test levels of HUman Chorionic Gonadotropin, produced by the placenta so that the womb will not reject it.

On quantitative blood tests I have consistently tested under 2 units for HCG, and the test goes no lower.

I think that I am almost through the seventh clinical week (fifth week of fetal development) of something that is SOME KIND of pregnancy though, I get more symptoms all the time.

Three days ago I had a pelvic (through the pelvis) ultrasound which the technician seemed frustrated trying to see anything with, then did a transvaginal ultrasound which is more accurate. HOwever, she could not tell me what she saw legally. I have to wait until Tuesday to go into my doctor for him to tell me face-to-face what he saw if anything.

In the meantime while visiting home for Labor Day I woke up with an intense fever and headache, both generally bad signs if pregnant, so I went to the ER. The ER was totally unhelpful, doing a pelvic ultrasound but refusing to do a transvaginal because they saw "nothing at all" in the pelvic one and it would show "because I'm so skinny." I am not at this point actually skinny at all. I have gained a massive amount of weight on my thighs, abdomen, butt, and chest, in comparison to my usual lack of fat in these places. To the average person I might just look like a normal adult female, but I normally have the BMI of a "normal" adult male. And it's not even true that I am so skinny, because the ultrasound tech commented on how bloated my stomach looked after I'd drunk water. It indeed looks really noticeably pushed out with even a little food/water.

I am now intensely worried about that ultrasound having damaged something because it was incredibly painful. She kept telling me that was normal, and I have read accounts of people with successful pregnancies who had cramping and pain and bruises after an ultrasound, but I really have a hard time just walking today from how hard she pressed and I am worried she ruptured something/caused fetal stress if there is a baby. If there is a baby it might be very fragile seeing as I am not registering as pregnant.

I have read people on this site and others say they registered as having no HCG. SOme of these were miscarriages and some were successful pregnancies although some were premature or underweight. You can see why I'm worried.

Anyway, other symptoms I am having include:
A very new and noticeable "shaft" of veins going down my front to the uterus area, that pulses with blood whenever I stand up from sitting or lying, or get more active. This simply did not exist before. I can hear and feel the pulsing like with other vein complexes, but this is like a whole new circuitry of blood going down my front, it's very strange and does not seem explicable except by pregnancy.

I have a linea nigra (blue-blackish line down from from bellybutton to public area) that shows up in pregnancy many times but I can't for the life of me remember if it existed before, and if I am one of those weird people who has it all the time. This is the first time that I consciously noticed it if so.

Some reproductive organ (cervix?) (uterus)? Is higher in my abdomen than before and has been since five days after possible onception. That was my first sign something weird was going on. You can see and feel it clearly through my skin pressing out and higher up than normal. This is extremely noiticeable in me again because I normally have a frame very much like a teenage boy's but this makes me look and feel very girly. It is at this position usually for a week after a normal period, I have noticed before, but it NEVER stays like it has for six weeks straight now.

The doctor did a perfunctory pelvic ultrasound about three weeks ago that showed a cystic mass in one ovary. No word on whether that is still there, except that the latest pelvic ultrasound did not show it or anything.

I have been totally exhausted.

I am so sensitive to noise as of a week after possible conception I started crying and had a panic attack a few days ago when a subway car passed close to the mcdonald's bathroom I was in underground. All I could think was that it was damaging a baby if one was there, but it was also not controllable by me, I couldn't stop panicking even though I knew stressing out longer made it worse.

I had to quit my dogwalking jon cause I can't take a tiny dog pulling on a leash. Everything I have read seems like this would be consistent with Pelvic Girdle Pain, in which muscles actually separate and a person can't do normal activities like bending, sitting up, and carrying things without feeling sudden intense pain. It only occurs in certain pregnancies though according to literature.

Two weeks ago I had a CA-125 level of 45. CA-125 is a biomarker used to determine the level of risk of certain female reproductive cancer, presence of benign cyst, pregnancy, or pelvic inflammatory disease. They checked me and said I don't have PID> I had a small cyst but the doctor said he didn't think it could be causing all that pain, and he said it could have been a benign normal cyst and again nothing showed up yesterday. It was not during the point in the menstrual cycle when this level could possibly be elevated as a natural progression of ovulation/period.

My skin is extremely soft. I started taking prenatal vitamins a few days in so having any imbalances corrected might have done that but I highly doubt it, I've been in good health before where my skin actually looked clearer and more youthful but it was never this soft, this feels like some sort of oily coating. Maybe most girls have this skin all the time, I have felt some girls' skin and noticed it kind of is, but this is incredibly unusual for me even at the pinnacle of health.

My abdomen is extremely tender even before this latest ultrasound.

I keep having stretching muscular pains that feel like the vaginal cavity is stretching lengthwise and like the muscles that comprise the whole belly area are stretching balloon-style. These are actually very comforting because they feel like what a pregnancy "should" be and not some kind of off-the-rails health issue. They are accompanied by a warm, slightly numb "buzzing" feeling like endorphins maybe are being released. It feels semi-like period pain except not with the sense of "getting rid of" anything.

As to the weight I've gained, I can't comfortably wear most shirts and dresses anymore.

I am under intense stress because the guy I was with, I caught cheating on me with his roommate after he invited me over. He has been ignoring me for weeks now. He knew very well this was a possibility and was joking affectionately about the possibility until I caught him with the roommate.

My mother also has Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and while I was home yesterday visiting for Labor Day she tried to prevent me from calling an ambulance to the house. I was specifically instructed by the doctor on call that I should call 911 if experiencing unusual pain because it was closed yesterday. There is a long history of her acting like this towards me and I literally cannot and should not have to take this stress at this point, she's a truly horrible and disordered person who has time and again imperilled my health because of her need to control situations in a way that is not logical.

I am worried that all this stress has done and is doing bad things.

I am sure I missed some things, but this is the general situation. I just needed to get advice because I can't do ANYTHING without accurate information on what is actually going on. I am in a lot of pain from what I can only at this point assume is Pelvic Girdle Pain as well as normal stretching discomfort and the latest possibly damaging ultrasound and I just can't believe I still have no answer after six weeks what is going on. I know others on here and on other sites have had period well into pregnancy and negative blood tests well into pregnancy but every doctor or nurse I speak to is totally dismissive of that possibility, and just keep flatly telling me "You're not pregnant, you can't be pregnant and get a negative blood test, you can't be pregnant and get a period" even while commenting on obvious bloating, something pushing out of my belly, and with provably unexplained symptoms like the CA-125 test. I honestly don't understand how people could be so callously and willfully stupid if it's hurting people they are trying to help. Both statements they make about it "not being possible" are untrue and there are cases on record of that being the case, including many cases of something called the ":hook effect" when in for example twin pregnancies high levels of hcg cause the test to not be able to register them and instead show negative. Does anyone know of any actually good ob-gyns in New York or Philadelphia or nearby who would be able to determine based on other signs/levels the likelihood of pregnancy? Again, I still have to see what the ultrasound says, but I also have read accounts of people whose ultrasounds showed nothing til 8 weeks. Also if there are complications these symptoms could be explainable by that.

More things I forgot to mention:

As of a couple weeks ago, I am constantly hungry despite eating al the time. I have spared no expense in getting food to eat.

I am however suddenly incredibly picky about how it is prepared. I am usually known for being someone willing to eat old, leftover, expired food and take a risk on it if it looks semi-okay. I obsess and can't bring myself to eat anything now if I see a single fly land on it.I have thrown away several perfectly good meals because I am afraid the meat somehow has been contaminated. What I do eat I know must be safe and I eat a lot of it.

I am exhausted a lot now, as of two weeks in, just a general exhaustion.

I feel like rubbing my protruding abdomen a lot. This "womanly" feeling normally grosses me out because I am more tomboyish but I think elevated progesterone is making this feel necessary.

I am normally very go-gettery but I am not even trying to appear capable anymore, I am just flatly saying I can't do this or that cause I striictly do not want to put more strain on things.

I have heartburn as of three or so weeks ago. In the past week if I go a couple hours without eating I have started to feel some nausea. I don't take this as a bad sign, it also seems "right" if things were progressing okay.

I know someone who felt pregnant and the symptoms were caused by a large benign growth in the uterus.

Could possibly be a false pregnancy, those happen from time to time and produce a lot of pregnancy symptoms. Growths on reproductive organs or in certain parts of the brain can release hormones that make you seem pregnant to. If your ultrasound still shows nothing you really ought to look at the cyst a little more closely.

This was my line of thinking, too, but my previous response seemed to upset her, so I opted not to respond anymore.

I do think that she needs to get a more thorough investigation. Pseudocyesis (false pregnancy) which can sometimes even result in very real pregnancy symptoms - mind over matter and all that - is one thing, but growth is not.

I am also wondering if this could be abdominal hernia, given her stated symptoms of abdominal swelling & tenderness, and pain / discomfort in the abdomen when lifting things or bending over (which she mentioned in a previous post) ?

I wish the OP very well and it is not my intention to upset her. I do hope that she is pregnant (which she seems to want) but I do think she should get a more thorough medical examination.

JMHO.

Thanks, well I spoke to the doctor and he said the cyst is till there, the last ultrasound was wrong, and he wants me to get yet another ultrasound from someone else because from what he sees this cyst should not be making me gain weight esp. on thighs etc. that could not be from bloating. Two other doctors said the same thing, that the weight gain could not be from the cyst, do they just not know very much? They seem like fairly good doctors if arrogant. I have read cysts can cause weight gain in those areas but they all explicitly reject that possibility, one female on-gyn, one male and one primary care doctor I saw. I normally can't gain fat to save my life so this could not be just accidental or coincidental.

they have screen for and ruled out and ectopic pregnancy ?
these are life threatening.

It sounds like it could be a number of things. Like someone else mentioned, please have them rule out ectopic pregnancy exhaustively. Especially if you have an IUD (Mirena, Paragard) - IUDs increase the chance of an ectopic pregnancy. With ectopic pregnancies it's generally not a matter of if, but when, the condition will become dangerous and require intervention.

You should make sure various gynecological cancers are ruled out, particularly if you have a family history. I've personally known a woman with uterine cancer, she had a massive tumor and looked pregnant. You mentioned that you got one mutation ruled out, but could you see an oncologist to make sure your cyst isn't something to worry about? Some women also get benign uterine cysts, and it's certainly possible to get them to an extent where you could look or feel pregnant.

If you have ovarian cysts, this may have been written off as a normal sign of ovulation on the ultrasound (looks very similar). Cysts can be ridiculously painful and I'm amazed your doctor wasn't aware of that. I get ovarian cysts and they've landed me in hospital on suspicion of appendicitis. I had the fever, vomiting and everything. Also you should have polycystic ovarian syndrome/PCOS ruled out since it can cause weight gain along with other hormonal and metabolic issues. I'm actually amazed your doctors haven't brought this up since the presence of gynecological cysts is known to co-occur with metabolic abnormalities and weight gain.

If you're taking hormonal birth control, keep in mind that it mimics a pregnant state and can cause pregnancy symptoms, including weight gain, nausea and vomiting, and sensory issues. Especially true if you've recently changed BC.

It could potentially be a chemical pregnancy, too, although to be honest I think this is pretty rare, and either another cause or actual pregnancy is more likely.. AFAIK there are numerous hypothesized causes, ranging from psychosomatic (I'm a huge skeptic of "psychosomatic" illness though) to an implantation that fails to gestate properly.

Pelvic inflammation/PID (I think you mentioned it?) can cause a feeling of "heaviness" that could be mistaken for pregnancy, along with other symptoms. Common causes are urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, and sexually transmitted infections. I know you said it was ruled out, but perhaps there was something they didn't test for? Some of this stuff can be caught from dirty laundry, improperly sterilized pools, etc so exposure is possible even if you're always responsible about protection. Plus urinary tract infections and bacterial/fungal issues are always a possibility. Doctors can only detect those organisms that they test for, but there's a lot of different microbes that can cause you trouble! Did they culture your urine at all?

Is there any chance your symptoms could be gastrointestinal rather than reproductive? You mention bloating, which can go with either. Given your weight gain you may also want to have your thyroid tested. Exhaustion and weight gain, particularly coupled with changes in mood and appetite, are classic hypothyroid symptoms.

Finally, it could be a pregnancy. As you've noted your HCG levels could be too low, too high, or (theoretically) you could be past the window in pregnancy during which HCG is produced. I've known women who've gotten upwards of 8 negative tests but turned up pregnant. It's also possible to bleed a bit during pregnancy, which can be mistaken for a period.

Your worries are totally understandable. If your rule out everything else, the tests are inconclusive and you still feel pregnant, it might be wise to wait and re-test. I'm also sorry to hear you're having to deal with arrogant doctors. I've been there myself and it's horrible. Best of luck, I hope you get some answers soon!

Not an answer to your question, but others already said what I would have to that.

BMI doesn't differentiate between genders. So you do have a normal BMI.
Also, the skinnier you are, the more likely your stomach is to noticeably protrude when you eat.

Could be wind.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX7Yt0D4NEg[/youtube]

I had a tumor in my pituitary gland called a "prolactinoma"…What it did was make my body think I was pregnant, thus I received ALL the symptoms of pregnancy, i.e. no periods, morning sickness, tiredness and high prolactin levels (blood test at OBGYN), but I was NOT pregnant. Read a bit about it. I lived with it over 10 years, was put on all kinds of hormones, blah, blah, blah and the stupid doctors NEVER detected it was that…until a friend who studied Chinese medicine told me how all my symptoms were related and I began to search the internet (this was over 15 years ago).