False Negative HPT's - The Hook Effect?

[paranoidpattie]

Has anyone ever heard of the "Hook Effect"?  I was doing my normal web surfing and came across this topic of women who were pregnant but didn't show positive on HPT's or sometimes on blood tests.  The Hook Effect could be why and it has to do with certain antibodies that attach to HCG and masks it from showing up or something like that, and that's why it's sometimes not detected on tests. I thought this might be good for some of us who want to obsess even more about trusting HPT's.   Everything I find on the web seems so scientifical and I was trying to find something in layman's terms but these are the closest links I could find.  I still don't understand it but I was hoping one of you could help break it down for me.  


http://www.hcglab.com/hCG%20Ref%20Service%20Reprort%202001.htm

http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/ijgo/vol6n2/test.xml

http://www.globalvines.com/mdsdiagnostics/Negatives.PDF

[ladybug1981]

im convinced im pregnant. i am still getiing periods although they have gone from being over 4 days long to only just over 2 and they were like clockwork before. i know all info on internet says its impossible to get period and still be pregnant but i have also got veins and swelling in my breasts which were never there before and heavy discharge. ive also had symtoms like sore lower back and heartburn but all urine tests and 1 blood test have came back fine. could i still be pregnant? HELP!!!

[3494]

uh i need help iam goign truw all that but the teast kip coming out nagative wut du i du iam so cunfused
i wanna see my doctor agan but i fill as if he thinks iam crazy..

[Sasha1969]

Have not only HEARD of it - have experienced it - was 22 weeks pregnant before the baby moving in my stomach finally made me yell at the doctor that I wanted him to take me seriously. He felt my stomach, frowned a lot, got the nurse in and said yes, there is a baby in there - they then still made me pee on a stick again, take 2 different blood tests - one is a more specialized one than the other. On the pee on a stick and regular blood tests it still said I was not pregnant and the doctor advised me that I had something called the "hook effect" which essentially means my HCG level was so high the test couldn't understand it. Guess what - I had twins! The doctor said multiples and a more advanced age in the mom can cause this high HCG - whatever it was, if you really do feel pregnant make sure you take care of yourself and eventually someone's gonna be proved right or wrong!

[Grilly]

I've always felt when I was pregnant. I'm 47 now and feeling like I'm pregnant or going crazy!  No period, no positive hcg, tender breast, a bit nauseous. Taking folate and good care of myself. Everyone will think I'm crazy if I even suggest it, so I guess I'll have ti wait abd it will prove itself either way. I just wish I could file it on the back of my brain and. Not think about it all the time. Thanks for listening!

[LadyM84]

when my mum was pregnant the test was never positive , she went to the dr and said i think im pregnant so they did a test and it was neg , so they sent her on her way . anyway she waited and still no af so she went back and said i really do think im pregnant , so another test was done and another negative was the result . so of she went again. anyway 1 day she went back to the dr and said look whats this moving in my tummy ?? the dr looked at my mum and said do you want to be pregnant or something ?? my mum was only 16 at the time and her dad would go mad . so she really didnt want to be pregnant , anyway the dr flt her tummy and said we best book you in for a scan . ha ha turns out she was 6 months pregnant and never had a positive result . but just for the record my mum went on to develop bone cancer and a white blood cell disorder , shes ok shes 44 now but the illness could have been why she never had a positive result

[rachel2930]

I'm currently going through a bit of a situation. In february I did a HPT and it came up negative, two days later I had a positive blood test but levels were really low and I was told to expect a miscarriage. The next day i started to bleed, but nowhere near my normal period and a little bit heavier than spotting. i went for another blood test two days later and it came back negative (not sure if that meant there was nothing to detect or levels were still low). So we were told we'd miscarried at four weeks. two weeks later and i wasn't ovulating (not so unusual after miscarriage) and a blood test couldn't confirm if I'd ovulate or not. I expected AF a week ago and nothing has happened but I've continued to 'feel' pregnant, sore breasts, crampy pulling pains, stupidly emotional etc etc. i phoned my gynae who was very supoortive but assured me that it was unlikely that I'd still be pregnant after a neg test and bleeding. She has invited me for a hormone test to see if AF is imminent. I remain unconvinced that I will get AF any time soon. What's going on? Could I still be pregnant? The Hook Effect has me hooked!

[babiesxx-xy]

WOW!  This is awesome- - I will check out your links and see what's going on.