Bleeding. Worried. Ruining my life.

[Ebonyxrosex]

I've been having discomfort around my ovaries for 4 years. Not a massive pain but it just feels mildly sore or irritated. Mainly my left. It's been checked three times and everything looks clear. Yet this naggy pulling sensation is often there. Definitely worsens with ovulation. I have heavy periods. I often feel sickly.

I tried the mini pill in march for six weeks. I bled and bled. Since coming of that I've had headaches every month and stronger pmt. I feel unwell midcycle and spot and feel rubbish for a couple of days.

Today (3 days after ovulation) ovary area is still feeling mildly irritated. I did a plank after my shower and a strange pain shot through that area. I stopped. Went downstairs and Started cooking tea. Felt something down there. Went upstairs and there was loads of blood . I got tissue and wiped it away.

I've been having trouble all year but the gps don't have much to offer me now as there's only hormones or transexamic acid. But this is really starting to scare me. I often don't feel quite right.

It's also getting me down because I'm getting to know someone. It's very early days and basic friendship but I am starting to think I'm going to have to let the opportunity pass because how can I have an intimate relationship with anyone. Also due to being so up and down with how well I feel I can't make plans.

My body is ruining my life.

Any experiences?

Hi OP. I've been like this since my 20s. Had various investigations and I do have PCOS, but no one has really confirmed if that caused the levels of bleeding I've experienced and other symptoms like yours. I'm 46 now. I can't take any mini pill or pill without bleeding on and off heavily. Any contraception I've tried (injections, implant, coil) has been a side-effect disaster. I've just put up with it all, which I strongly wouldn't recommend to you. What I would recommend is doing the opposite of what I did (I know! Not practising what I preach) and to really to advocate for yourself and to persist demanding diagnosis and treatment. I had various negative, dismissive experiences with GPs and doctors, which I won't go into here. But change doctors if you have no joy with the ones you've got if possible. Try sexual health clinics as well, who can be more helpful I've found. Push for referrals and consultations. Research online and join groups like the ones others have mentioned in this thread. Definitely get a smear too.

As I said, I'm 46 now. I've had two children (surprisingly, given my gyne-history) and things improved to an extent after that (periods less tsunami-like, pains are less), but I still get irregular bleeding and other symptoms. I've just given up now and am waiting for menopause to free me from this crap hopefully one day.

I was in two minds about posting, because I don't want my experience to put you off. But I wanted you to know that other people have similar experiences and it isn't always something sinister. In my 30s I met another woman just like me and she'd had no joy getting a diagnosis either, although she was being more persistent than me in trying. We compared notes about how shitty we were feeling, how it was affecting our sex lives and feelings about our bodies, etc... I think FB groups and similar could be brilliant for you. When you next see your doc be sure to say what you've said here. This is ruining your life/interfering with normal life - your sex life and emotional health are all being affected. xx

@herewegoagain25

Sorry to hear you are going through this, it can be soul destroying.

Not quite the same symptoms, but I got diagnosed with endometriosis after a 10 year battle for a diagnosis. Pain, bleeding, vomiting etc. You really need to find the right GP, someone who will take you seriously.

Internal scans can be a waste of time. I ended up paying for an initial private consult, who then got me a referral for a consultant - then my GP did that through the NHS. It cost a few hundred pounds.

Keep fighting, trust yourself and your body.

I was thinking the same. I was diagnosed with endometriosis 33 years ago, and a lot of these symptoms resonate. Be persistent and keep going back to the GP until they take you seriously. And please don’t think “this is it” if endometriosis is diagnosed. There are effective treatments.

OP, I want to address the relationship element of your post, because I think very one else is focusing on the medical side.

Of course you should get that sorted, and there are many wise and women with personal experience on here who can offer advice.

But as for your fledgling relationship. I really think you need to give this person more credit. If he is someone worth your time and attention, he will probably be a lot more understanding than you seem to think. Unless he is a 19-year-old, he will not be completely ignorant of the ways of the human body. He may have exes or family members with issues that affect their day-to-day life. He may have health issues of his own that will increase his understanding of your struggles. Or, he may just be an empathetic, worthwhile person who will be prepared to listen to you and treat you with consideration and respect. Don’t let opportunities for happiness go by. That really is a shortcut to ruining your life.

When you ring your GP, I'd emphasise the feeling full quickly and weight loss. These are the two symptoms that are most likely to get you a speedy referral. They aren't necessarily sinister. Any abdominal inflammation will impact on your digestive system and if you're eating less, the likelihood is that you'll lose weight. Just having a smear isn't likely to cover all eventualities.

I had similar issues. Initially suspected appendicitis (pain came on suddenly and was severe). I had a variety of tests - ultrasound, CT, colonoscopy, gastroscopy, all showed nothing. In the mean time I was in so much pain I couldn’t work. I had to keep pushing and in the end got a nice GP to agree to do a gynae referral. GP agreed to do a laparoscopy which found and treated endometriosis. The pain was gone straight after the op (I was sore in the area but the chronic pain was gone). I’d had heavy, painful periods since I was 13. I was diagnosed with endo aged 36...so yeah, be persistent. It’s not normal but you may well have to push to get a referral.

I can't help with your problem but this thread discusses how women are routinely fobbed off by medical profession especially for 'womens issues'. Worth a read anyway.

Thank you. Ive put off smears as I was pregnant at 25 and 27. I've had a HPV swab tested last year and it was clear. So I've been checked for hpv. Then as my investigations began so did covid which stopped everything. I went to see a nurse in late Feb who was supporting the drs as they are always struggling. I was fully prepared to have swabs or smear etc. She said I had to go back for a seperate appointment for that. Then they had nothing in the week I was available around the kids. Then covid happened.

I've had scans on my abdomen and they said it was all clear apart from one fibroid but she said it's tiny and harmless.

I've tried things to help my periods. The general shitty feelings are what's really getting to me. Nausea and low energy. Crampy.

This new chap is literally someone I've been chatting too and flirty with. No numbers swapped yet but I was hopeful it would happen. It's not the easiest thing to talk about to a new man though, if it gets to that point. I used to be able to just go out because I felt well enough to plan things. Now it's like I can't do much half the month due to bleeding or feeling shattered and sick. Not to mention how mortified I'd be if I slept with a new partner and my lady parts decided to bleed on him.

It just makes it much harder to be intimate and to let people get close. Which is frustrating because I'm at a confident age now where I feel I should be enjoying my life.

It's helped to read other views on this. I wouldn't say I have bad pains. But I have many of the other signs if endometriosis or a hormone imbalance. It's just getting GPS to actually take me seriously. They are very quick to put it down to anxiety.

I will be asking them for a referral tomorrow to gynocology. I fear it's a long road ahead. But I want to get better for my children. I feel I'm not able to be the mum I want to be.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3402449-Aibu-to-ask-you-to-tell-me-your-experiences-of-being-dismissed-by-medics-as-a-sick-woman-I-promise-to-listen?pg=1

Ok the swab for HPV is very reassuring. As I understand it, and anyone please correct me if I'm wrong, when they do smears now they check for HPV and if it's negative they don't then check the cells due to how unlikely it is to show any abnormalities.

Keep fighting for the doctors to take you seriously but in the interests of thoroughness, still chase that smear test.

Sorry haven't RTFT but I would bet my house that you have endometriosis. That pulling sensation? Adhesions sticking things together inside you. I know that feeling so well.

Get to the GP and push for a gynae referral - you need a laparoscopy. Ultrasound is useless for diagnosis endo. And when you have a laparoscopy, if they find endo you need excision (that bit is important).

Good luck - endo is a shit disease but it can be managed

I see someone else on the thread has mentioned endometriosis. It is worth pressing for investigations for this. I suffered with this, undiagnosed, for more than 15 years, constantly dismissed by my GP. Only persistence finally got a diagnosis when my MIL read a magazine article about it and the symptoms tallied. Intermittent pain, sometimes agonising; irregular periods and bleeding, often very heavy; frequent infections with smelly discharge; often feeling unwell and nauseous; pain after sex.

They’ve probably not offered a smear as it’s not a diagnostic test when you have active symptoms. It’s a screening method. Yes, you are overdue and should have this done separately.

Saying that, I thought if you are clear for HPV they don’t check the sample for abnormal cells (in some areas).

Don’t rule out ovarian cysts. An old friend of mine suffered with these and would bleed when they became problematic.

I have regular periods every 25 days. They last a week and are heavy and clotty.

I have normal cramps and often when I sit down I feel bruised in the womb area during this time.

I can't say I have actual horrible period pains that put me in bed. I have mild aches and I am often aware of the ovaries. It's like they feel sensitive and it's a mild ache. But it feels like something on that left area isn't right and it's been on and off for four years

I can be as happy as Larry and still suddenly get mild nausea. I have suffered from anemia alot and even when my numbers go up I still feel quite fatigued on and off.

I am very sensitive to my cycle. So I get 7 days of period and problems. Usually followed by a bad head from a muscle in my upper back. This flares up a couple of times a month.

Then days 12-14 I get spotting. Achy ovaries and a general rubbish feeling.

Then around day 18 I get anxiety for a night or two.

Then a week later I bleed again.

I tried contraceptive pills mercilon, microgynon and desogestral. The combined ones affected my mood and gave me really strong nausea. I was up on the night wanting to throw up. I also had my first panic attack three days after started mercilon. The Dr would not believe me. She said it couldn't possibly cause those symptoms so soon. I know it did. I swallowed it and happily carried on with my life and the next morning I felt extremely low. It stopped 24 hours after stopping them.

Yes I believe they only check for hpv now and if it's negative they don't need to do a smear. That's why I paid privately for a home test. But it's still checked at the same labs as NHS use. Then a Dr contacts you with the results. I tested negative for all strains of HPV. I believe it said they cause 99% of all cervical cancer?

I had a smear a couple of weeks ago.

I hope you are feeling a bit better today OP. But you really can’t carry on like you are, ring your GP and book a smear test & appt to discuss your symptoms.

I had very heavy bleeding in my thirties the Mirena coil sorted it out for me, my periods stopped infact. Perhaps your GP may think it could help you. You would need to have full checks including a smear prior to fitting if that’s what you decided.

But in any case your symptoms need to be checked out, worrying at home isn’t going to help. Please make that call today. Good luck OP, I am sure things can be solved simply and you can start to enjoy life again.

OP the weight loss, nausea and fullness are also symptoms of ovarian cancer. Just adding one more voice to urge you to keep advocating for yourself to get this diagnosed, as difficult as that is.

You need a laparoscopy. There really is no other way to know what's going on.

I had similar symptoms and when they went in, my entire system was stuck together with scarring and adhesions. They picked it apart and removed some big fibroids. Managed to do some other damage while in there but that's another story

It wasn't a walk in the park by any means and recovery was long but for the first time in a decade I don't feel like I can't plan anything.

Yes I am going to contact them today. But I have been chasing this up for a year. I don't sit here nor doing anything. I head bloods done three times. They come back with anemia and vitamin D deficiencys. I was referred for a scan. I was then told I could the sent to gynocology due to the obvious covid situation back in June. I've phoned the drs every month. They always offer me pills and or therapy.

I had my ovaries checked six months ago. I presume ovarian cancer would have shown on that? They said it was all clear....

I've paid for the HPV test as I've stated. I feel I need refering now so I will chase that up today.

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I appreciate all of them.

Hi OP!

Please, please please book for your smear.

Just wanted to share my own personal experience with you. I started bleeding irregularly at 16. Had an internal ultrasound and came back clear. Did a referral to gynaecologist who found a cervical ectopy who said it would explain the bleeding I have after sex but not the rest. She used silver nitrate to fix this and it only took a few minutes. She also changed my pill. I have been on many pills over the years and after the adjustment period (usually spotting on and off for two months) my body might have a small break from bleeding but then bleeding will continue and when it comes back it comes back with a vengeance. They have tried to fit the coil but for many reasons I cannot have it.

I was eventually referred to the colposcopy clinic when I was 21. This is because I was too young to have the smear and this is where they send you if you have an abnormal smear result anyway. They did biopsies and I was found to have CIN1 which is the first change of cells. They scheduled me to come back 12 months later and said if it hadn’t resolved or had gotten worse they would then laser it the cells off. 12 months later I had biopsies taken again and everything was normal, no CIN and HPV negative. Nobody really explained the HPV part to me apart from my GP telling me HPV was so common among women so I’m not sure if I had HPV the first time and then tested negative or just if I was just extremely unlucky and developed abnormal cells anyway.

You do need to have an up to date smear though for them to investigate further as they will just blame everything on this. I’ve had a total of five gynaecology referrals since I was 16 and it was only in May I was put on a wait list for a laparoscopy to rule out endometriosis. It takes the normal endometriosis patient 7 years to get a diagnosis so that is not unusual. I have had multiple ultrasounds since my first all which have shown nothing. I get other symptoms too including pelvic pain, bloating, gastro issues and more.

Please advocate for yourself. Book your smear, demand a gynaecology referral and if everything comes back normal demand a laparoscopy as it is really the only way to see what is going on.

Thank you. I am going to tell them to refer me today. I feel like getting past the GPS is the hardest part. they have started pushing the anxiety card onto me because I wasn't willing to try more and more hormones. I feel like it's the same circle with them. Bloods. Iron tablets. Suggest hormones. I explain they create a while other issue. They send me a link for therapy. But I get anxious due to how I feel. Having young kids and having to consider if I can enjoy days out or if I'll be well enough on the weekend to be a family is all I've done since February. I'll have a few good days. Then the symptoms are back.

It's holding me back massively. I don't know how I can consider working or anything at the moment again. Plus as I said above I can't enjoy a normal sex life. even if I feel well in myself if I have sex I'm likely to bleed.

We have to go through my gp app. So how does this sound?

I am writing to request a referral to gynocology. I've been unable to get right for over a year now but things have been quite up and down since February. I have tried the suggestions, combine pill, desogestral and transexamic acid. I was advised not to have the mini pill by Dr Udom. But a different Dr prescribed them to me in march and said they benefit most women. I unfortunately just bled everyday.

I have nausea several days a month.
I get ovulation pains and spotting mid cycle.
My left ovary area often feels mildly irritated.
I now get headaches every period since trying desogestral. I have not felt right since coming of that pill 5 months ago. My symptoms have gotten worse.

I paid through superdrug drs last year for a HPV test. It was clear and I can send over the results.

I've had a scan that didn't particularly show any issues.

Yesterday I was doing some stretches and I felt a pulling pain around my ovary area on the left. I began bleeding 20 minutes later. I'm not due on.

Please can you advise me on what needs to happen next. Thank you.

Or any suggestions how you would word it. Thanks.

Hi OP.

So sorry you’re going through this. A lot of your symptoms sound incredibly similar to mine.

Write them down like you have here and everything you have tried that has been recommended by a GP so whatever they suggest you can keep referring back to your list. Book in for your smear today. I’m not sure if all surgery’s are offering them but mine is.

Insist on a gynaecological referral. Don’t let them fob you off with COVID. A lot of appointments are happening via the telephone. I’ve spoken with a gynaecologist twice over lockdown. If they think they need you in they can arrange for a face to face cause they are happening. If they try and offer you hormones ect tell them you will take them once you’ve had a gynaecological input to rule out other possibilities. If you offer them therapy say okay but your anxiety is caused by the bleeding and you need that sorted so need the gynae referral too. You need to show them that this is a huge deal. The bleeding is essentially ruining your life. You cannot have sex, you cannot start a relationship, it’s prohibiting exercise. You’re anaemic most likely because of the bleeding and they have tried it their way and they cannot stop it. You need to get that referral which will most likely end in a laproscopy. Try not to worry too much for now. Just focus on booking your smear test today and then getting the gynaecological referral and taking it one step at a time. Once you have those done it’s a huge step forward and you can start building your case.

Did you say you’ve had a scan that showed nothing? Write that in too. Add that this is severely impacting your day to day life due to bleeding and pain

Sorry OP. I have been having gyn issues too so I felt your pain.

They only test for HPV now so that fact that is clear is good news. They would still examine you though.

Bleeding when you're not meant to be is always a worrying symptom, I would say it's possible a cyst ruptured.

As for referrals etc. It's a postcode lottery. My 2 week referrals will have taken 11 weeks and 8 weeks and that only happened as I wrote to the health board and MPs after bleeding for 65 days and ending up in A&E because I kept fainting.

I would say you need another scan ASAP to see why your bleeding, it's doesn't really matter that you had a Previous one as this is new bleeding.

Hope you get an appointment today OP.

I've called them. Grumpy and said no chance of referral until I've had swabs and smear next Tuesday. Then argued when I said I feel they have explored all options by saying they can still do things like the coil. I said I wasn't prepared to use mine re hormones until I've been examined properly by a professional in gynocology to rule out other medical issues. He said to read the link anyway. .
So I'll have the tests and see what happens with that I guess. Then surely they have to refer.

I had an ultrasound scan this year yes. Both ovaries are good and womb was healthy. One small fibroid that I've had years. They say it wouldn't cause issues.

Spotting is barely there now and has turned brown. Which indicates older blood now doesn't it. I am convinced something burst etc. They had no interest in seeing me today.