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What Causes Sore Breasts, Headache And Lower Back Pain?
Question: Hi I took norethisterone from 5-11 July to stop my period for my honeymoon, I had a bleed then on 17 July, I am now experiencing quite a few signs of being pregnant eg very painful swollen breasts, headaches, lower back pain, nauseous and very emotional, I'm not sure if my period is late because I don't know if I count from the original date or from the 17th after stopping the pills. Could all these symptoms just be a side effect from the norethisterone or could I indeed be pregnant, thanks
Brief Answer:
chances of pregnancy are low
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX and welcome,
You have taken norethisterone but I am not sure if you used any contraceptive. Also please clarify as to how was the bleeding on 17th, how many napkins or tampons were needed and was it similar to your regular period? Also did you use any contraception after this period?
As of now, since you had a bleed on 17th, your symptoms are most likely not due to pregnancy. It takes about 3-4 weeks after ovulation and almost 6 weeks from the date of last period for pregnancy symptoms to occur. If you had bleeding similar to your period on 17th then it indicates that you were not pregnant before that.
If the pregnancy occured in the cycle after 17th then it is too early for it to give rise to symptoms. So in both cases it is unlikely that the symptoms are due to pregnancy if there was a good period like bleed on 17th.
The symptoms may be caused due to a syndrome called premenstrual syndrome, or a hormonal upset due to use of norethisterone.
Stress also leads to hormonal upset and causes such symptoms. As of now, if you want to rule out a pregnancy get a urine test done. It will reveal the status 3 weeks earlier than this day. meaning that if the pregnancy was conceived at least 3 weeks ago then only the test comes positive. If it was conceived after 17th then it is too early for it to come positive.
I would be glad if you provide me the details of your history so I may help you better. Personally I do not feel that it could be a pregnancy if the 17th period was similar to your regular one.
I would be able to explain about the counting once you provide the details to me.
Hope this satisfies your query.
Thanks for using HCM.
Feel free to ask any more questions that you may have.
Dr Madhuri Bagde
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist
chances of pregnancy are low
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX and welcome,
You have taken norethisterone but I am not sure if you used any contraceptive. Also please clarify as to how was the bleeding on 17th, how many napkins or tampons were needed and was it similar to your regular period? Also did you use any contraception after this period?
As of now, since you had a bleed on 17th, your symptoms are most likely not due to pregnancy. It takes about 3-4 weeks after ovulation and almost 6 weeks from the date of last period for pregnancy symptoms to occur. If you had bleeding similar to your period on 17th then it indicates that you were not pregnant before that.
If the pregnancy occured in the cycle after 17th then it is too early for it to give rise to symptoms. So in both cases it is unlikely that the symptoms are due to pregnancy if there was a good period like bleed on 17th.
The symptoms may be caused due to a syndrome called premenstrual syndrome, or a hormonal upset due to use of norethisterone.
Stress also leads to hormonal upset and causes such symptoms. As of now, if you want to rule out a pregnancy get a urine test done. It will reveal the status 3 weeks earlier than this day. meaning that if the pregnancy was conceived at least 3 weeks ago then only the test comes positive. If it was conceived after 17th then it is too early for it to come positive.
I would be glad if you provide me the details of your history so I may help you better. Personally I do not feel that it could be a pregnancy if the 17th period was similar to your regular one.
I would be able to explain about the counting once you provide the details to me.
Hope this satisfies your query.
Thanks for using HCM.
Feel free to ask any more questions that you may have.
Dr Madhuri Bagde
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist
Note: Revert back with your gynae reports to get a clear medical analysis by our expert Gynecologic Oncologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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