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Is A HCG Level Of 233 After Abortion A Cause For Concern?
Posted on
Tue, 22 Mar 2016
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 22 Mar 2016
Answered on
Mon, 30 May 2016
Last reviewed on
Brief Answer:
It is unlikely this is a new pregnancy, but you may have retained tissue
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.
Normally your bHCG levels return to normal (non-pregnant) within two to four weeks of a pregnancy termination. Pregnancy hormone levels peak between 8 and 10 weeks gestation, often reaching over 100,000. So if your hormone levels were that high before your procedure, it can reasonably take up to 6 weeks for the hormone levels to disappear completely.
However, the fact that your level has stayed the same over a few days may be concerning. Normally the HCG levels should drop by one half every 2 days or so. If this were a new, healthy pregnancy, the level should double every 2 days, so I really do not think that scenario is possible.
So if your level remains around 200 there may be some tissue that still remains from the pregnancy inside your uterus. Your GYN Doctor should continue to follow your levels weekly until they return to zero, and if they do not drop further, you may need an ultrasound or your doctor may prescribe medication to help you pass the rest of the pregnancy.
I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful. If you need any further assistance or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best wishes,
Dr. Brown
It is unlikely this is a new pregnancy, but you may have retained tissue
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and I hope I can help you today.
Normally your bHCG levels return to normal (non-pregnant) within two to four weeks of a pregnancy termination. Pregnancy hormone levels peak between 8 and 10 weeks gestation, often reaching over 100,000. So if your hormone levels were that high before your procedure, it can reasonably take up to 6 weeks for the hormone levels to disappear completely.
However, the fact that your level has stayed the same over a few days may be concerning. Normally the HCG levels should drop by one half every 2 days or so. If this were a new, healthy pregnancy, the level should double every 2 days, so I really do not think that scenario is possible.
So if your level remains around 200 there may be some tissue that still remains from the pregnancy inside your uterus. Your GYN Doctor should continue to follow your levels weekly until they return to zero, and if they do not drop further, you may need an ultrasound or your doctor may prescribe medication to help you pass the rest of the pregnancy.
I hope I was able to adequately answer your question today and that my advice was helpful. If you need any further assistance or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best wishes,
Dr. Brown
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
So a home pregnancy test would be inaccurate if positive? I took the clearblueeasy advanced test which tells u how many weeks and mine was positive 2-3 weeks. Wen i date back two weeks ago its tge exact day i resumed intercourse. The emergency room did an ultrasound n said it cld be a new pregnancy they saw something on the ultrasound but wasn't able to tell what it was they said maybe because I was so early if I was pregnant. They also noticed a very small cyst on my right ovary
Brief Answer:
Urine tests are not accurate you need blood test to measure levels
Detailed Answer:
Hello again,
A urine pregnancy test will be positive at an HCG level over 50. The amount of HCG in your urine can be affected by how hydrated you are, so they are only useful to say you have an HCG level over 50, not to accurately measure the level nor have any way to know if it is a new pregnancy or retained tissue, no matter what brand you use.
If the ER saw something in your uterus on ultrasound I would strongly suspect you have some retained tissue in your uterus from the procedure. It is really not possible to conceive again until your levels reach zero.
Regarding the ovarian cyst, it is normal for 30 percent of women to have them detected on any routine ultrasound. So the cyst is really not relevant to your current situation.
To figure out if your pregnancy is new or leftover tissue, you need a blood HCG test repeated every 48-72 hours to see if the level goes up or down, or remains the same. If the level does not go up, it is definitely not a new normal pregnancy. It is impossible to know whether a pregnancy is normal from just one hormone level at the time of an ultrasound, unless there is an obvious fetus with a heartbeat. The urine test cannot be used accurately for this purpose. Again, because it is unlikely you ever had a negative pregnancy test after your procedure, I sincerely doubt this is a new pregnancy and I encourage you to see a GYN doctor to have a repeat blood test and possible ultrasound, and if you have retained tissue you will be able to receive treatment.
I hope this additional information is helpful and that you seek further local medical care for your situation.
Regards,
Dr. Brown
Urine tests are not accurate you need blood test to measure levels
Detailed Answer:
Hello again,
A urine pregnancy test will be positive at an HCG level over 50. The amount of HCG in your urine can be affected by how hydrated you are, so they are only useful to say you have an HCG level over 50, not to accurately measure the level nor have any way to know if it is a new pregnancy or retained tissue, no matter what brand you use.
If the ER saw something in your uterus on ultrasound I would strongly suspect you have some retained tissue in your uterus from the procedure. It is really not possible to conceive again until your levels reach zero.
Regarding the ovarian cyst, it is normal for 30 percent of women to have them detected on any routine ultrasound. So the cyst is really not relevant to your current situation.
To figure out if your pregnancy is new or leftover tissue, you need a blood HCG test repeated every 48-72 hours to see if the level goes up or down, or remains the same. If the level does not go up, it is definitely not a new normal pregnancy. It is impossible to know whether a pregnancy is normal from just one hormone level at the time of an ultrasound, unless there is an obvious fetus with a heartbeat. The urine test cannot be used accurately for this purpose. Again, because it is unlikely you ever had a negative pregnancy test after your procedure, I sincerely doubt this is a new pregnancy and I encourage you to see a GYN doctor to have a repeat blood test and possible ultrasound, and if you have retained tissue you will be able to receive treatment.
I hope this additional information is helpful and that you seek further local medical care for your situation.
Regards,
Dr. Brown
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
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