Endometriosis

[curvybebe]

I was diagnosed as having this condition 6 years ago when tryin for my 1st DD I have since had another DD who is now approaching 3 yrs. I was told by consultant that pregnancy would clear endometriosis for up to 2 years. I have recently began to suffer painful sex and very irregular bleeding (mainly induced after sex) I was wondering if they were symptoms to endometriosis??? Has anyone any advice on how to cope with this condition?

[jambuttie]

ahh hun can totally sympathise with the pain factor

I say you should go back to the docs and be checked over again

I had suspected endemetriosis and was in bloody agony, I opted for total hysterectomy last year just before my 30th birthday and I can honestly say it is the best thing I have ever done.

Drastic yes but I am no longer in pain either

[MeerkatsUnite]

Hi Curvybebe,

You are already showing one of the symptoms of endometriosis post the originally made diagnosis - deep pain during intercourse. This is very suggestive of endometriosis. It can and does recur.

Did you have a lap operation originally, is this how it was found?. Were the original endo deposits lasered out?.

The four classic symptoms of endo are:-
painful periods
deep pain during sex
pelvic pain (continuous or cyclical)
subfertility

Other symptoms or signs that can occur include:-
heavy periods
pelvic mass
bowel symptoms
bladder symptoms

In general any symptoms that are cyclical in nature, and that get worse during menstruation may be due to endometriosis.

Would strongly suggest you return to the GP asap and ask for a referral to a gynaecologist for further evaluation and treatment. Do not be fobbed off - seek a second opinion if needsbe.

The National Endometriosis Society have a website which is very useful - they have an active message board and you can post on there. Many of the women on there would be able to advise you further.

The web address is www.endo.org.uk.

Would also suggest you read the NAS's publication Endometriosis and Fibroids. This will give more information to you. When it comes to endometriosis the more info you have the better.

If a hysterectomy was offered I would advise you to think extremely carefully about this. It can greatly relieve the pain of endo but a more extensive pelvic clearance is needed to give anything approaching a cure. If you have endo your ovaries must be removed during this operation, otherwise any residual peritoneal endometrial implants will remain active. If ovaries are retained, 13% of women will have a recuurance of endo within 3 years and 40% after 5 years. The more severe the endo the more likely it is to return.

HTH

[curvybebe]

Thankyou both for your messages. I'll be making an appointment with docter next week. I had a lap op when having investigations into why i wasn't conceiving didnt have any lazer treatment as they said it was a mild case and it wasn't the reason i wasn't conceiving. Had to take clomid to have my DD's.

[Milliways]

Sorry to hijack a thread, but would getting some blood clots in periods be early signs of endometriosis? My periods have become a little irratic lately, more heavy & passing some clots. No pain & I have hip problems so often get pelvic aches etc.

Just wondered if this may be a cause?

[galaxy]

I was just about to post for advice on this. I was referred to gynae as for the past 3 years I have been suffering with:

Severe pain during and after intercourse

Very tender/painful pelvic area

Lower back ache

Heavy and painful periods

General fatigue.

My GP thinks it may be endometriosis and the consultant has initially put my on a strong course of 2 lots of anti-biotics to rule out a pelvic infection. They have made me have the most awful stomach upsets all week. ONe day to go but I'm not due to go back to the consultant until 14th Feb at which she may refer me for a lapioscopy.

She did ask me if I intended to have any more children, which I presume was relative to the potential options if it is confirmed.

[hunkermunker]

Milliways, pain's the biggie with endometriosis - well, it was for me.

Galaxy, sounds like endo to me - and whilst it can impact on fertility, it doesn't always.

I have severe stage 4 endo (as bad as it gets) - my left ovary was impossible to see because of adhesions and I was in agony every day for months before I had surgery (childbirth w/out pain relief was easier than most of my periods, honestly).

I can recommend a fantastic surgeon if anyone's based in London - Mr Richardson at Chelsea and Westminster (and I think somewhere in Guildford). He's done two laseroscopies on me.

I needed clomid to conceive DS but fell pg naturally and as quickly as is possible(!) this time. The main thing is to sort out the pain and for me, surgery was the only thing that worked. There are a lot of drugs out there, but they're largely (IME) too side-effecty to take.

[galaxy]

I had a scan, like you have for pregnancy which showed no cysts. Would that have shown up adhesions too of there were any?

[hunkermunker]

No. Endometriosis rarely shows up on scans. Mine didn't - and I had LOADS of it. Surgeon said I grow it "very well"...

[Miaou]

I had a huge amount of pain with my endometriosis too, and had a laparoscopy (this is going back about 12 years). The surgeons found such a small amount that they actually thought that something else must have caused the pain - but lo and behold it cleared up immediately and very fortunately I've never had it since.

[hunkermunker]

Miaou, the endo implants can sit on nerves and be excrutiating, even if they're very small. Some women have large amounts of it and much less pain. Depends where it's sited.

[Miaou]

Ah, that might explain it then. Don't know where mine was (they probably told me but Very Important Information tends to go in one ear and out of the other with me )

[MeerkatsUnite]

Galaxy

You probably read my previous message on this thread but I hae to say your case is extremely suggestive of endometriosis.

The four classic symptoms of endo are:-
painful periods
deep pain during sex
pelvic pain (continuous or cyclical)
subfertility

Other symptoms or signs that can occur include:-
heavy periods
pelvic mass
bowel symptoms
bladder symptoms

Would suggest you look at the National Endometriosis Society's website which is www.endo.org.uk. This will provide further information.

[MeerkatsUnite]

Miaou

Thats another strange thing with endometriosis - "mild" cases of endo can cause sever pain whilst endometriosis which is seen as severe/chronic produces less pain overall.

[galaxy]

Thanks MU