Pregnancy scare, and now I have stomach pains...

[Iris]

Hey everyone. I'll try and make this story as short as possible.

I'm on a contraceptive pill (Cerazette is the brand name in England - it is a progesterone-only pill with a 12-hour window, as opposed to the normal 3 hrs, which I take every day. I don't have periods. I've been taking Cerazette for a few years now and am normally very good at remembering to take it.) However, two weeks ago on Saturday, when I came to take my pill, I realised I had somehow totally forgotten to take Friday's pill, and had had unprotected sex in the meantime. So I went to the chemist to get the morning-after pill. The chemist warned me that if the emergency contraception doesn't work, it can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy.

And I keep getting a weird pain in the left side of my abdomen.

I am probably jumping to silly conclusions and looking at the worst case scenario...but could anyone tell me, if they don't mind, how you would know if you had an ectopic pregnancy? And would you know this early on?

I spoke to a nurse who said the only thing they can do is wait 4 weeks and then give me a preg test...

Any help or advice would be really appreciated.

[AlorelithRose]

What Are the Symptoms of an Ectopic Pregnancy?

Common symptoms include:

• Light vaginal bleeding
• Nausea and vomiting
• Lower abdominal pain
• Sharp abdominal cramps
• Pain on one side of the body
• Dizziness or weakness
• Pain in the shoulder, neck, or rectum

How Is an Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosed?

Once you arrive at the hospital, a pregnancy test, a pelvic exam, and an ultrasound test may be performed to view the condition of the uterus and fallopian tubes.

I found all of this on
http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/preg...opic-pregnancy

So it sounds like they could to a pregnancy test, pelvic and possibly an ultrasound to help diagnose it and begin treatment. Perhaps you should see a different nurse/doctor if they told you to wait 4 weeks in pain before they could tell.

[TeamTwig]

Typically, on the pill, if you miss one day, but take two pills the next day (the current + the missed pill) you do not need to use back up contraception - indicating that the risk of getting pregnant from missing only one pill is very low. That being said, people can get pregnant without missing pills too - while rare, it does happen.

You mentioned that you weren't getting your period - is this because you just naturally stopped getting it once you started taking the pill, or do you take your pill without the 7 day break at the end of the pack? In other words - intentionally skipping your period?

I take my pill (a mixed hormone pill, high on the progesterone) continusouly - I don't take the 7 sugar pills at the end of the pack, and intentionally eliminate my periods. I've done this for years after developing bad pms migraines when I was in my early twenties. I'm very good about taking it, but am still human, and once in a great while will forget to take one. When that happens, it's not uncommon to get some minor cramping as your body has a "withdrawal" from the hormones in the pill. Some women also get some light bleeding or spotting after missing a pill.

Are the pains you're experiencing like a sharp or cramping pain? The morning after pill can also cause cramping, nausea, and discomfort. That, in addition to the missed pill could have really screwed with your hormonal levels and caused your body to experience cramping, or discomfort.

I would think it would be highly unlikely that you're pregnant - but certainly follow up with your doctor if you continue to experience symptoms.

Good Luck! Pregnancy scares are no fun. I've never had one, but I've had several friends who I've had to hand hold through the ordeal.