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19958287 tn?1487358609

Positive Home Pregnancy test but negative blood hCG test?

I am told there is not such thing as a false positive home pregnancy test. I am sharing my story in hopes to find some answers to my situation.

I have a 17 month old son who I still breastfeed. My cycles started again when my son was 10 months old and they where 40 to 35 day cycles (I use to be 28 before pregnancy).  

I had unprotected sex on the 2nd day of my cycle (7th of January 2017) I was bleeding. This cycle was the first to be back to normal (29 days). I didn't think I could get pregnant during the bleed of my cycle but knew theres always a slight chance. I was expecting to start my next cycle on the 2nd or 3rd of February, with the assumption that I was regular again. I had bought some cheap HPT (home pregnancy tests) from amazon and took one on the 30th and another on the 1st of February, they both came back negative. I did indeed start to bleed on the night of the 2nd of February and it lasted 3 days from medium to light bleed. The only thing was I didn't have any of the normal PMS I get like cramps or backaches. The only symptom I had was the few days prior to bleeding I was very emotional, sensitive and moody. I did consider this as my cycle starting and didn't think much about possible pregnancy at first. the week after my bleeding stopped I was having headaches all day everyday which is not like me at all. I was irritable and tired, common symptoms of pregnancy. I realised I shouldn't trust these tests I bought online as I found reviews of people saying they didn't work for them. On the 9th of February I bought a Early Detection HPT from a Pharmacy (Lloyds Pharmacy own brand). I got a BFP (big fat positive) the line was faint but a clear line after the 3 minutes as instructed by the directions. The line became much more visible after about 5 to 10 minutes. I had doctors appointment that morning and I asked for them to take a test there because I was concerned that I had bled 7 days before getting the positive HPT. the doctor told me a positive is a positive and bleeding in the first trimester is can occur and can be common. He then told me to retest at home in 2 to 3 days to see how my pregnancy is progressing. I really wanted the blood and urine pregnancy test but accepted what he said.

My partner went out and bought me two more tests this time ClearBlue brand, but not early detection. I tested 2 days after (the 11th of January) with the morning urine just as the last test I had done. I got a BFN (big fat negative). I was confused but thought maybe I needed the early detection test to get a positive reading. I did have unprotected sex a few times after the 7th of January BUT my partner didn't ejaculating inside me (pull out method). The last time we had sex was on the 30th of January. I thought maybe I got pregnant then and am really early in my pregnancy. I took a new test on the 12th of February with a First Response Early Detection HPT and got another BFN! This was 4 tests now saying negative only 4 days after a positive. I was very confused and worried. I booked another doctors appointment on the 13th of February. This doctor was female and she did take a blood sample to test my hCG levels in my blood to know for certain if I was or am pregnant. She said I could have had a chemical pregnancy (early miscarriage) since I did test positive once before. I went home devastated and became obsessed looking at forums to find answers. I also bought more tests from the same Lloyds pharmacy brand and got another BFN on the 14th of February. I kept doing more research and I found this thing called the "Hook Effect"

"variant hook effect." As pregnancy progresses, there are actually different variant forms of hCG that begin to appear in the urine. After about 5 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. 3 weeks after the expected period) concentrations of hCG beta core fragment are higher than all other forms of hCG. This is perfectly normal. Unfortunately, the concentration of hCG beta core fragment can saturate one of the antibodies used in the assay in certain pregnancy kits, and the other antibody doesn't recognise the beta core fragment. As a result, no sandwich forms and the test is read as a negative. The farther in pregnancy a woman is, the more likely that this false negative will occur. Similar to the hook effect, the variant hook effect can be confirmed if testing shows a positive result after diluting the sample."

I was reading how women where diluting their pee with water and getting positive or stronger positives on their HPT when they where further along in their pregnancies (7+ weeks). I dashed over to the pharmacy and bought the same tests I had got the positive result the week before. February 16th I went home to test this theory out. Sure enough I got a BFP! I took both tests hours apart diluting the urine with tap water. The lines where faint like the first test I took but did have colour and where definitely lines, I had friends look at the tests after taking them. They grew darker over time.

I had my doctors appointment the next day, February 17th, to get the hCG blood results. At this point I was certain they would be positive with high hCG levels. I was told my hCG blood levels was at 2 and was therefore NOT PREGNANT.

I have been having the feeling I am pregnant even though I am told I am not by the blood test. My question is...
is it possible the blood test is a false negative and that I could still be pregnant? I am due my next cycle on March 1st. If I do not bleed or do, I don't know what to think. I know plenty of women who bleed during their pregnancies, even the doctor said so. I have slight symptoms and pings in my uterus.

Please anyone with similar stories with facts or a medical professional with facts and advice if this is possible. I am worried because I have a scheduled appointment to get injections for steroids for a separate condition and I know it could be harmful if pregnant.
2 Responses
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Avatar universal
I would doubt you are pregnant but the only real way to tell is wait.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
you are most likely not pregnant , i had many feelings that i was pregnant took multiple tests and they came back negative
Helpful - 0
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