Chronic pain and TTC

[girlwithacurl]

Hi, does anyone know, or have any experience of trying to concieve with chronic pain. I have been TTC since last Feb with no luck and have a really long cycle (38-39 days) I wondered if ovulation is delayed due to pain, but then I am temping and using OPK's so I think I do ovulate and am timing BD accordingly. Also had a MC in Sept. Oh I am probably just clutching at straws needing a reason. Anyone else in the same situation?

Have you always had the chronic pain? If so, presumably you have been to doctors/gynae about it? What have they diagnosed/said about it?

My chronic pain turned out to be endometriosis

Yes, had it for about 10 years, recieving treatment at hospital, and mentioned to them last time I went that I was TTC as they wanted to give me different drugs and I needed to know if they would be safe to take. They wern't so I am having a series of injections.

May I ask what injections you are having?. I ask this as some treatment options like zoladex and danazol to name but two can bring on menopausal type side effects.

I would think that endometriosis is playing a large part in your fertility problems.

The surest way of knowing whether you are ovulating or not is to have blood tests done. OPK's are temp charts can be misleading; also timing intercourse can more often than not turn out to be a bad idea. Ovulation is not an exact science and it can happen earlier, later or not at all in any given cycle.

Hi Attila I am having cortisone injections, so a steroid shot into my sternoclavicular joint due to arthritis in my clavicle.
Whay do you think it might be endometriosis?

Hi girlwithacurl I also have had arthritis (psoriatic) for the last 12 years and managed to concieve ds who is now 6. It was difficult being in the mood and being in pain don't go hand in hand but we still managed. At that time I was taking sulphasalazine and anti inflammatories. I continued to take the sulph throughout pg at a lower dose and swopped the anti inflams with paracetamol or co/codamol when it was really bad. My pain didn't go away during pg but the end goal made me cope. After ds was born I had 6 wks of feeling marvellous and pain free and then a huge flare up came with a bang and it was so bad I couldn't even pick up ds. Luckily my dh is fab and my health visitor was great and I began upping the painkillers/ anti inflams and sulph again (breastfeeding so couldn't take methotrexate) and eventually I got a bit better but it was still a tough time. Sadly now though I have been ttc no. 2 for 4 yrs with not much joy. Had 2 mc last year and endless tests say I may have antiphospolipid syndrome which could explain the mc but other tests have said that the secondary infertility is unexplained. I have been taking steroids for the last 4 yrs along with sulpha and co/cods while I ttc. Rheumatologist is waiting in the wings with the strong stuff.

I know this is not really giving you an answer to your question but thought it may give you a bit of hope. If you have any other qus feel free to ask.

xx

Thanks poppy my situation is nowhere near as bad as yours, so you have given me hope and inspiration. The injections really help so I don't need further medication so much, but you're right, sometimes it is hard being in the mood when you're in pain! I appreciate you sharing, and good luck with TTC #2, sorry to hear about your MC's I hope they find out what it is and that you can fix it. Not knowing is sometimes the hardest bit as you feel so helpless, somehow having a definite "thing" gives you something tangible to blame/fix/explore.