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Hi there,
I am on birth control and have taken my pills regularly. My last menstrual period began on 7/21. My next period was expected on 8/18 (details on that later). Sometime around 8/5 I began to notice that my breasts were sore. They have felt sore before, but ONLY for a day or two before my period. What was therefore unusual in this case was that the soreness occurred so early (couldn't have been PMS), and that the soreness has remained for this long (up until present, 8/25), although it has decreased in intensity during the last week or so.
In addition to the soreness, breast tingling began around 8/11 and has occurred off and on (at least daily) until present. Again, the intensity has decreased within the past week or two.
On 8/12 I went to the gym and was unable to finish my normal workout because it made me dizzy and fatigued. This sort of fatigue has continued since then during any activity where I must exert a lot of effort (working out, lifting heavy objects, climbing stairs), although it, too, has decreased in intensity as of late (but is still present). Also, I normally have trouble sleeping but during the past few weeks I have been falling asleep in a snap and sleeping deeply all night, even if I go to bed very early. This NEVER happens to me!
On 8/14 and 8/15 (3-4 days before my period was due) I experienced brown spotting with a little bit of pink and possibly some red. There was a little bit of back pain during this time like I would normally get during my period.
My boyfriend and I both seem to agree that my breasts look somewhat fuller, that my nipples seem to have darkened a bit (they are even a bit splotchy in pigmentation, which is unusual), and that they have more "little bumps" around the areola that haven't been noticed before.
On 8/18 my period did not come as expected and it still hasn't come. When I'm on the pill my period has almost always been exact and I can forecast it to the day. It has, however, been very light since being on the pill. I was wondering if possibly the spotting was my period? (Even though it's usually very consistent).
Lastly, I have rheumatoid arthritis, and around the same time the breast soreness began, my joints started feeling significantly better (and they still do). They haven't felt this good for this long in years, so I'm wondering if this improvement could somehow be linked.
The only problem is that all tests so far are negative. I have taken multiple EPT home pregnancy tests as recently as this morning, and they are all negative. I believe that the sensitivity for these tests is very high and that if I were pregnant, it would have picked up on the hormone by now. Additionally, I had my gyno office order a lab blood test for me last week. They took my blood on 8/18 (the day of my expected period) and they reported that the results were negative.
I'm starting to believe that I'm probably not pregnant, but is there still any chance that I could be? The signs are just so overwhelming. I'm wondering if I should take one more blood test to be sure. And if I'm not pregnant, WHAT on earth could be causing all these symptoms? TI did talk to the nurse at my gyno office and she offered the possibility of a cyst, which could caused a missed period and breast soreness, but I don't think this is a plausible explanation because it doesn't account for all the other symptoms. I don't think the symptoms can be "in my head," as I had NO expectation or hoping for pregnancy whatsoever. It was the last thing on my mind when I began noticing symptoms.
Your input would be much appreciated, as I am extremely confused and can't seem to get plausible answers from the nurse. Thanks!
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Hi Rose2 - Thanks for writing and sharing your concerns. Do you have a regular doctor in addition to your gynecologist? While I appreciate your focus on whether or not you may be pregnant, you already have already done multiple tests. Since you have some symptoms that may or may not be related to your rheumatoid arthritis, and you are describing symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness and inability to sleep, it would be good to see a physician who can look at your entire health situation and, as needed, order lab or other tests to evaluate your overall health status. Autoimmune disorders can manifest in many ways, and your body is trying to tell you something through your symptoms. No, they are not "in your head." You need to see a medical professional who will take them seriously and work with you to uncover the causes and help you return to a normal lifestyle.
Let us know what you decide to do, and hang in there. Pat
August 25, 2010 - 5:28pmThis Comment