Flare or Pregnant

[megawatt]

Hi there,
Just writing because I'm really concerned about my wife at the minute. She was dx with Crohn's Colitis over 4 years ago, she's been off meds for over 2.5 years, just been taking Primal Defense, VSL#3, Fish/Flax oil, Vit E,D3,B12, Colostrum, Turmeric, Glutamine, Green tea extract... she's been really well. Was just that about 2 months ago we decided to try for a baby. She came off all the supplements apart from the PD/VSL and Fish oil and also she started taking a really broad multi vit/supplement specially for pregnancy.
Anyway, a couple of wekks ago she started to feel nauseas, and also started getting some food craving - she can't eat anything at the minute that isn't spicy. Well we automatically thought that she was pregnant - however, today she got her period, also acompanied by vomiting this morning. She's done a pregnancy test and this was negative, maybe it's too early to tell. So now we're not sure if she's getting ill or what. Throughout all, no D, her BM's are normal - twice a day as she has for the past 2 years. No fever, no pain, just this nausea and food craving. It doesn't sound like a flare but we're not sure. Just wanted to ask you guys... do you think it's normal to get food cravings during a flare? Also, can you get a flare without any D or pain?
Not sure what to think.. I'd be grateful for your time..
Best of luck to you all.
MW

 

[katiesue1506]

Its possible to have your period and still be pregnant... and yield a negative on a pregnancy test... but those are all VERY slim to none chances... I would say depending on how late she was... and what day this is in her cycle to wait a couple days, take another pregnancy test and if its negative to go and get checked out at a doc for a flare. Even if she were pregnant I don't think food cravings or morning sickness would start this early.

 

[Colt]

You can not have a period during pregnancy. I wish people would get over this. So many believe this myth that it tends to spread and people don't report serious pregnancy problems. It's physically impossible. A period is when the lining of the uterus falls out. That same lining is where the fertilized egg implants and the placenta grows from. If you had a period during your pregnancy it would be a miscarriage. Also if the egg is still in the tube when the pregnancy starts there will not be a lining to implant in.

What you CAN have is implantation bleeding caused by the fertilized egg making it's connection. It's usually light bleeding or spotting. You can have spotting during your pregnancy and as long as it's not too much it is okay.

 

[Kev]

So, it's impossible to have an ectopic pregnancy AND still discard the uterine lining?

 

[Guest]

if its an ectopic, then yes, the lining can still be shed.

 

[Kev]

Still be I understand, but the question is 'MUST' it be..

 

[Guest]

i would think it depends on the levels of hormonal activity... although i'm not completely sure, i would imagine that, as hormones govern the menstrual cycle, if the body is strongly behaving as if it is pregnant there would be less likelihood of a "normal" menstrual cycle ie ovary stimulated to release an egg etc etc..

MW i would probably, if in your wifes situation, request a hormone test from the gp at this stage. it could be that she was pregnant and this period was in fact the loss of pregnancy, or it could be an ectopic. it could also be nothing to do with pregnancy/hormones, but its worth checking out.

 

[butt-eze]

I bled a little during my 5th and 12th week of pregnancy. Everything was always fine for my little guy. False negatives on tests are always possible. It's important to just stay relaxed about the situation. If she is pregnant she needs to just keep her stress level down.
As for flares...they come in all different shapes and sizes. Don't rule out a flare but don't panic either. Her body could simply be adjusting to eliminating certain supplements. Some people are sensitive enough to this that they will crave what their body needs.
Have your wife take another pregnancy test in a day or two. Or call your doctor and have a blood test. There is a certain hormone that will be elevated if she is pregnant. Good luck!

 

[D Bergy]

The flare could be just the lack of the anti inflammatory supplements. The nausea and flare could be from the pregnancy vitamin if it has a boat load of Iron in it. Vitamins have made me hungrier when I was younger, but no weird cravings.

Pregnancy test are pretty accurate, but nothing is infallible.

Dan

 

[Colt]

So, it's impossible to have an ectopic pregnancy AND still discard the uterine lining?

I'm considering an ectopic pregnancy (implantation into the fallopian tube and not the uterine lining) a type of miscarriage. The fetus can not possibly survive.

The thing to remember is that spotting during pregnancy is okay. Your cervix is under a lot of stress and unless you've lost your mucus plug that's where the blood is coming from. But, your MW/OB needs to be kept up to date because the bleeding could, either in severity or in combination with other symptoms, indicate a serious complication. Unfortunately the myth that women have a full menstrual cycle while pregnant causes these things to go unreported sometimes until you end up with women coming to the ER with miscarriages or carrying dead babies and that really upsets me so I make a point to correct that myth every time I get the chance.

 

[Kev]

Yeah, I know ectopics can't possibly survive.. (in fact, they pose a life risk to mom)

But, if an ectopic occured, DOES it necessarily mean that the lining would not be discarded? Formation of a new lining would depend on hormonal activity, so I can see it not happening. But expelling the old lining? Is there a chance it woud do so despite the ectopic? I wonder what an OB/GYN would say on this?

 

[Colt]

Ectopic pregnancies will trade hormones between the fetus and mother and cause a positive pregnancy test. Those same hormones will usually prevent menstruation as they would in a normal pregnancy. About half of all ectopic pregnancies result in a spontaneous abortion before any major changes happen in the mother's body though. The fetus burrows into a blood vessel and the blood flow pushes it out.

 

[Kev]

Well, part of what puzzles me is that I heard of a case (granted some time ago) of a young gal with an ectopic pregnancy, but docs thought it was a tumour near her ovary. I can understand a false negative prenancy test (esp. back then) but I would have assumed that a pelvic exam would have shown the formation of the cervical plug. And, tho it may have been a case where the girl in question misled the doctors, but she claimed that she had had her period.

 

[Guest]

a quick glance through a few sites on google has indicated to me that generally women who are having an ectopic do not have a period. in fact, a missed period is one of the signs to look out for (along with other tell-tale ones) if you suspect ectopic. however, all the sites also say that bleeding is common with an ectopic.. so i suppose anyone could mistake bleeding for period.. also a woman with an ectopic pregnancy can have a negative or positive pregnancy test result, & the fertilized egg can actually lodge in other areas apart from the fallopian tubes.

this young girl you mention kev, she may not have been aware of the difference, and not known to be on the lookout for other unusual symptoms.