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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Neva on April 4, 2006, at 21:49:11
I read a post a few days ago because I recently went off of birth control pills. I had all the symptoms that are "supposed" to occur. I got bad acne, a little bloading, mood swings. The whole thing. However, since I missed a period I got nervous and took a pregnancy test. It came out positive. So maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better and hope that I'm not pregnant, but I have had false positive tests come up. The last time I took a urine pregnancy test it came out positive, I tested positive for gonorrhea, however. Then after a second test that also came out negative. So is there something up with my body or am I just pregnant? I just wanted to make sure that a false positive can not occur because I went off birth control. Can it?
Posted by Glydin on April 4, 2006, at 22:06:42
In reply to PMS or Pregnancy? After I stopped birth control..., posted by Neva on April 4, 2006, at 21:49:11
> I just wanted to make sure that a false positive can not occur because I went off birth control. Can it?
~~~ I'm not an expert but I'm thinking no. If it's a urine pregnancy test, it's checking for HCG which I don't think would elevated due to the ovaries coming back on line (so to speak). I would have a blood test and an exam, if it were me.
Some things can go strange with urine pregnancy tests and result in false positives but I don't think coming off BC hormone treatments would do it.
However, some else might be more in the know and blow me out of the water......
Good luck!
Posted by Racer on April 4, 2006, at 22:44:21
In reply to Re: PMS or Pregnancy? After I stopped birth control..., posted by Glydin on April 4, 2006, at 22:06:42
It's hard to say, but from what I"ve read, false positives are pretty uncommon on those home pregnancy tests. Except the "digital" ones that have the special holder. Those are apparently less reliable than the regular "two lines versus one line" tests. (There's even a website about them, cross my heart, called something like "peeonastick.com")
What's more common, though, is getting a positive test result, and then miscarrying very early. The pregnancy tests can detect the hormones in pregnancy before the zygote implants, so if there's failure to implant, you would no longer be pregnant. The statistics are pretty grim: nearly half of all eggs fertilized do not result in a viable pregnancy. And if all conditions are optimal for conception, it will take place about 25% of the time.
(Not like I've ever thought of this stuff, huh?)
The last time I took the Pill, I had a lot of spotting when I stopped it. And felt pretty dang sick for a few days, too -- so much so, my doctor ended up putting me on bed rest for several days. Everyone's different, but it can play funny tricks on you.
Hie thee to your OB/GYN, and get it checked out...
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 5, 2006, at 4:09:35
In reply to PMS or Pregnancy? After I stopped birth control..., posted by Neva on April 4, 2006, at 21:49:11
Hi!
Again, I'm no expert unfortunately, but I think birth control pills elevate your hormones to mimic some aspects of pregancy - albeit on a lesser scale - so maybe you haven't left a long enough time since stopping the birth control bill, and taking the test. For me, after stopping the pill, I had to wait 6 or 7 weeks before my period came.
Posted by Glydin on April 5, 2006, at 8:45:20
In reply to Re: PMS or Pregnancy? After I stopped birth control..., posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 5, 2006, at 4:09:35
Another factor that folks are sometimes not aware of is, a number of the urine pregnancy tests will appear positive over time if allowed to sit. This is due to the creation of an evaporation line and not a reaction to the presence of hCG. Reading them at the alloted time is important.
From what I know, the only supplemental hormones that will create false positives are those used in fertility treatments and not those normally found in BC hormone treatments. Also, most OTC or RX meds or generally ingested substances will not render false positives. That being said, strange things do happen.
This is the end of the thread.
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