Hey 👋 so have been back and forth to doctors about this and I have only got as far as being given tramadol on repeat. I have had 2 scans in the last couple of years (had to beg for those) and they were clear, but I know my body and know something’s off. I was supposed to get a colposcopy last year but the referral switched to a different hospital who refused to do it because I’m under 25 (the whole point I was referred for this was to surpass the over-25 limit for smears
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Anyway, here’s my history:
18 months ago was in A+E with severe cramping. At first thought it was ovarian torsion, they scanned and said I had 3 cysts and wanted to watch them in case it was a torsion etc. One ended up bursting while I was in hospital and I had sepsis, was kept in for 8 days (I think it was 8?)
I was advised to have a TOP at that point as I was 8 weeks and doctors said everything that had gone on would have been dangerous for the pregnancy. I just kind of went with it because I was scared of the outcome if I didn’t. Sidenote - was scanned at 8 weeks before the TOP (surgical) and there was no heartbeat yet, is that normal?
Since then I have been TTC again on and off, works out as 13 months in total but as I say they’re on and off so now that I’m continuously going to be trying I’m just counting as cycle 2.
My periods are very very painful. I have acupressure mats and spend most of my period laying on the cold floor or on the mat, or in bed surrounded by an electric blanket and hot water bottles. I have vomited a couple of times from period pain and often feel like I’m going to pass out when I’m on my period.
I have had visits to a&e multiple times for transexamic acid for the heavy bleeding.
Sex is often painful. It feels like a sharp digging. My partner definitely does not have a spikey penis (lol) so I don’t know why it feels like that? We stick to it during fertile window usually as I’d rather have the pain and try than not try at all, but he often has to stop as he says he can’t continue because he sees my face and feels like he’s raping me as I look like I’m in pain I guess? Once or twice I have also had dark purple/black bleeding after sex.
I have horrible cramps but also bad back pain and pain radiating down legs during my period. I also passed a decidual cast last year, but have read that is nothing to be worried about?
I get ovulation pain and often cramp from ovulation right through to my period and then some, it’s like the cramping just doesn’t go.
To summarise: my periods are hell. I’m sick of being young and unable to have fun, pain free sex. My doctors don’t want to hear about it and just give me tramadol on repeat. I’m worried my fertility will be problematic too but don’t want to get testing as I think my partner will think I’m overreacting and get a bit freaked out, as the TTC thing is kind of an “if it happens, great, if it doesn’t, we can wait” kind of thing for him, he makes up for my extreme lack of patience. How can I get help please? I’m in Edinburgh if anyone has any recommendations?
Side note — those little acupuncture needles, do they work well for endo?