Help for sister - at wits end.

[Rosieeo]

Hi,

I don't even know where to start with this as my poor sister has a list as long as her arm when it comes to undiagnosed health problems but I'd (and she, she asked me to post) would really like to know if anyone has had a similar experience.

In her early/mid twenties DSis had a lot of abdominal pain, sometimes so bad that she almost passed out and on occasion bled. Two colonoscopies (sp) revealed nothing, although they could never get all the way round as it caused her such severe pain. She was 'diagnosed' with IBS and that was it. When she stopped taking the mini-pill her symptoms improved dramatically.

Fast forward a couple of years, DSis married and had a baby (DNep, who is now 3 months old). She was symptom free during her pregnancy but over the past few weeks they have returned, although the pain is in slightly different areas. She is waiting for a scan and a consultant appointment. She describes these pains as worse than late contractions.

Very recently her symptoms have included feeling like her bladder is full all the time and it being an effort to wee, although it doesn't sting. Back pain, pelvic pain, pain in her groin.

She is at her wits end. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

[KilledBill]

Definitley sounds to me like endometriosis.

This can take, on average, 8 years to be diagnosed, the docs are unfortunatly notoriously crap at diagnosing this.

She could have mistaken "abdominal" for gut pain, leading to them investigating the wrong part, or endo can sometimes affect the intestines anyway. Also, taking the mini pill- hormones increase endo symptoms in many women because it is the growth and shedding of the linig of the womb elsewhere in the body - this is why women are advised not to take eostrogen with endo.

Lastly - symptom free while pregnant. This makes sens as no monthly cycle. Your sister needs to see a gynae ASAP.

[Rosieeo]

Thanks, that's really helpful. Her doctor had dismissed endometriosis because she doesn't have bleeding in between her periods.

I'm going to email her a link to this thread and hopefully she'll come and ask questions.

[KilledBill]

Well unfortunatly doctors often dismiss it, see a female one if poss and demand gynae appt. Plus its rubbish about bleeding between periods - not a fail safe symptom of endo.

To confirm endo will require an operation - probably hysteroscopy and laparoscopy, or one of those. These are pretty straightforward day case procedures, dont let them fob her off with a scan, endo can hardly ever be seen with ultrasound whether internal or external.

[emuloc]

has she asked her doctor to check for ovarian cysts. It might be worth mentioning so they could rule it out.