Low HCG Level urgent advice required

[gillianl22]

My period was due to start on the 24th of May and has still not arrived i am now 12 days over due.  I have taken various pregnancy tests and all have came back with different answers.  Some are telling me i am pregnant others are negative.  I gave a urine sample into my doctor on Monday 02 June and the results came back on tuesday were that i have shown a low hcg level but not enough to be pregnant more tests are being done as we speak.

Could anyone tell me if they have been pregnant on a low hcg level and has this also happened to those who were on depo-provera.  All comments are much appreciated

[Hoping4_2]

I am currently PG with Low HCG. I was told my first BETA was Negative after IVF. 2 weeks later I still had signs so I did a HPT and it was positive. SO I called my DR who ordered a BETA and it was Positive but only 103. The next day they did a U/S and could not find anything. Well ,they did another BETA and it was 170, then on monday I did a BETA and it was 236. They said it is rising but not enough and to expect either MC or Ectopic. I go tomorrow for another BETA and U/S to see what is going on. I have been going through this since last Wed. I have been bleeding since Sat. I have read all kinds of positive stories on it though, so hanging on to hope. I think you need to have BW done. What tests are they doing????

[Hoping4_2]

The hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (better known as hCG) is produced during pregnancy. It is made by cells that form the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it has been fertilized and becomes attached to the uterine wall. Levels can first be detected by a blood test about 11 days after conception and about 12 - 14 days after conception by a urine test. In general the hCG levels will double every 72 hours. The level will reach its peak in the first 8 - 11 weeks of pregnancy and then will decline and level off for the remainder of the pregnancy.

Key things to remember about hCG levels:
In a bout 85% of normal pregnancies, the hCG level will double every 48 - 72 hours. As you get further along in pregnancy and the hCG level gets higher, the time it takes to double can increase to about every 96 hours.
Caution must be used in making too much of hCG numbers. A normal pregnancy may have low hCG levels and result in a perfectly healthy baby. The results from an ultrasound after 5 - 6 weeks gestation are much more accurate than using hCG numbers.
An hCG level of less than 5mIU/ml is considered negative for pregnancy, and anything above 25mIU/ml is considered positive for pregnancy.
The hCG hormone is measured in milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/ml).
A transvaginal ultrasound should be able to show at least a gestational sac once the hCG levels have reached between 1,000 - 2,000mIU/ml. Because levels can differentiate so much and conception dating can be wrong, a diagnosis should not be made by ultrasound findings until the hCG level has reached at least 2,000.
A single hCG reading is not enough information for most diagnoses. When there is a question regarding the health of the pregnancy, multiple testings of hCG done a couple of days apart give a more accurate assessment of the situation.
The hCG levels should not be used to date a pregnancy since these numbers can vary so widely.
There are two common types of hCG tests. A qualitative hCG test detects if hCG is present in the blood. A quantitative hCG test (or beta hCG) measures the amount of hCG actually present in the blood.
Guideline to hCG levels during pregnancy:
hCG levels in weeks from LMP (gestational age)* :

3 weeks LMP: 5 - 50 mIU/ml
4 weeks LMP: 5 - 426 mIU/ml
5 weeks LMP: 18 - 7,340 mIU/ml
6 weeks LMP: 1,080 - 56,500 mIU/ml
7 - 8 weeks LMP: 7, 650 - 229,000 mIU/ml
9 - 12 weeks LMP: 25,700 - 288,000 mIU/ml
13 - 16 weeks LMP: 13,300 - 254,000 mIU/ml
17 - 24 weeks LMP: 4,060 - 165,400 mIU/ml
25 - 40 weeks LMP: 3,640 - 117,000 mIU/ml
Non-pregnant females: <5.0 mIU/ml
Postmenopausal females: <9.5 mIU/ml
* These numbers are just a GUIDELINE-- every woman’s level of hCG can rise differently. It is not necessarily the level that matters but rather the change in the level.

What can a low hCG level mean?
A low hCG level can mean any number of things and should be rechecked within 48-72 hours to see how the level is changing. A low hCG level could indicate:

Miscalculation of pregnancy dating
Possible miscarriage or blighted ovum
Ectopic pregnancy

[gillianl22]

I have currently given a urine sample and have to give another tomorrow after more results but getting a little worried now as no one seems to be able to help me, really sorry to hear what your going through!!

[Hoping4_2]

I would ask for BW not urine. It will give a more clear awnser. Also ask for U/S. How far along do you think you are? Is it possible to just have the dates off, or was this IVF?

[Heather5]

I agree with Hoping4_2. Make sure they give you a blood test instead of a urine tests! The urine tests are not as accurate and only gives you a +/- answer, while a blood test can tell you your actual HCG level. Best of luck!

[gillianl22]

think i'm about 4-5weeks, this wasn't IVF it was a night of madness to be honest thanks very much for all your help much appreciated

[Hoping4_2]

maybe the dates are off then. I would not worry too much, but I would ask for BW instead of urine. Just to be safe.