How to Deal with Ectopic Pregnancy Symptoms

If a woman starts to experience some of the ectopic pregnancy symptoms, she will most likely be given a quantitative HCG test, which measures the level of HCG in the blood; if levels are lower than expected for the woman's particular stage of pregnancy, the doctor will suspect an ectopic pregnancy. A woman will also be given a pelvic exam, an ultrasound, and a vaginal exam. A culdocentesis may also be done, in which a needle is inserted into the space at the top of the vagina, behind the uterus to look for blood from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.

As the fetus grows outside the uterus, it will eventually cause whatever organ contains it, along with major arteries, to burst. This can cause severe intra-abdominal hemorrhaging and can, if not treated promptly, be fatal for the mother. Dealing with ectopic pregnancy symptoms by ending the ectopic pregnancy is the only option, as the embryos have no chance of surviving.

Various options exist for dealing with ectopic pregnancy symptoms, and they mainly depend on how big the embryo is. When the embryo is still relatively small, surgery may be avoided; a woman can be given the drug methotrexate. The drug works by stopping the cells of the placenta from growing after it is injected into a muscle and travels through the bloodstream. Unfortunately, success rates with this drug are lower than with surgery; indeed, in some cases, women will require both methotrexate and surgery. Some side effects upon using the drug could be the presence of abdominal pains or cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

A woman may be too far along to use methotrexate; in addition, she may be bleeding internally, breastfeeding, in severe pain, or have certain health conditions which prohibit the use of this drug. In this case, if the embryo is still relatively small and the woman's conditions are relatively stable, another option in dealing with her ectopic pregnancy symptoms would be to remove the embryo through laparoscopic surgery. A small camera is inserted through a small cut in the abdomen and the tubes are examined; the embryo or its remains can be removed through this cut and if the woman does not have extensive damage to her tube and/or is not bleeding extensively, the tube may be allowed to remain in place. This type of surgery requires general anesthesia and approximately a week of recuperation time.

If a woman has a great deal of scar tissue in the abdomen or experiences heavy bleeding, or if the embryo is too large, major abdominal surgery will be needed to deal with ectopic pregnancy symptoms. General anesthesia is given in this case; the doctor must open the abdomen and remove the embryo. Again, depending on the woman's condition, her tube may be preserved or it may have to be removed. Six weeks recuperation time is required following this surgery; some side effects may include feeling bloated, and/or abdominal pain and discomfort.

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