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Original poster

is this normal or not?

26 replies

deathbyironing · 08/08/2010 20:02

Gynae question - Have very heavy periods, some more so than others. Often have huge clots. Bleed inbetween periods and after sex - which is painful. Have been to Dr for this and had smear - STDs and cervical cancer ruled out (relief!)

Had scan - no cysts on ovaries - so PCOS ruled out. (have excess hair and acne so PCOS was a possibility)

At the moment am on day 7 of period, very light bleeding yesterday and today but really bad cramps, hip and leg pain (top of legs)

Is there anything else this could be? Am fed up of taking pain killers for pain all the time.

Was made to feel by gynacologist that it wasn't really a big deal, am I just being a drama queen?

OP posts:
Original poster
deathbyironing · 08/08/2010 21:29

bump

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AllSheepareWhite · 08/08/2010 21:53

Have they tested your thyroid ?see here the GP can order simple blood tests and refer you to an endocrinologist if necessary. There are also other glands that produce hormones that can affect your menstrual cycle, an endocrinologist can do further tests if the standard thyroid hormone tests do not reveal anything. Have you been checked for fibroids? see here

purplepeony · 08/08/2010 21:57

Why don't they offer you endomerial ablation or a Mirena coil?

Vigilanteawarenessraiser · 08/08/2010 21:58

I'm afraid it sounds exactly like endometriosis - you have all the classic symptoms. Could be wrong, but it's quite a common condition, and with these symptoms, it's top of hte list and needs to be ruled out before you look at anything else. I'm annoyed on your behalf - but not surprised - that the gynaecologist didn't mention it as a possibility, but I'm afraid his/her attitude is typical.

The best thing to do is to work out who is the nearest gynaecologist to you who specialises in endometriosis, and push for a referral to that person. They should put you on the waiting list for a laparoscopy. It's unlikely to show up on a scan.

Try these links: a useful site
find a consultant through this site
uk charity that does local support groups

The second of these links has a call for participants in a BBC programme - they want people who think they have it but haven't been diagnosed yet. If you aren't scared of going on TV (I would be) it's one way of getting good treatment.

Hope this helps.

Vigilanteawarenessraiser · 08/08/2010 22:02

Forgot to say fibroids would also be a possibility.
If it is endometriosis, endometrial ablation is unlikely to make much difference as the problem is not just in the uterus.

Original poster
deathbyironing · 09/08/2010 05:19

Would fibroids have shown up on scan? - Have had both external and internal ones and both absolutely normal.

Gynacologist that I saw said something about me having pain at the wrong time of the month for it to be endo and it was dismissed. And it was suggested I had IBS Hmm (I do get some diorrhea (sp) around period time but surely thats due to hormones)

So I sort of gave up and just decided to deal with it. But am up now with tummy pain and am still hardly bleeding at all, usually with bad pain I expect heavy bleeding and bit clots - the pain pushing it out (tmi!) but it seems to be pain an awful lot of the time.

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Original poster
deathbyironing · 09/08/2010 05:20

Meant to say thanks for the replies

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Vigilanteawarenessraiser · 09/08/2010 11:17

aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhgggggggghhhhhh

Dear God.

There is no 'wrong time of month' for endo pain.

Don't know so much about fibroids, so I can't answer that one. But I do know that a lot of women with endo get a diagnosis of IBS at one time or other. And diarrhoea can be hormonal, or it can be caused by endo on the bowel. I do think it's worth pushing for it to be taken seriously - partly because your symptoms are unpleasant for you to put up with, and partly because you just never know - if it is endo, it can be quite mild and giving a lot of pain, but won't cause you any problems other than the symptoms, IYSWIM. Or it can be very severe, and cause you all sorts of unpleasant complications. You don't know until someone experienced has had a look inside.

Original poster
deathbyironing · 09/08/2010 17:20

Managed to get a Drs appointment for tomorrow morning. Although frankly I feel liuke pitching up at A&E now and crying in pain but I have done that previously when very sore and bleeding badly and they just gave me tabs and moved me to a different hospital as had no idea themselves really. And nothing was done except was made stable and given out patient appointment. Id rather lye around at home in pain then on a trolley wearing a paper gown! Fingers crossed Dr tomorrow is helpful, I didnt recognise the name so either a newbie or a locum.

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Vigilanteawarenessraiser · 09/08/2010 17:39

oh dear, I'm so sorry.
It sometimes helps if you read up on it - you might need to argue your case.

Or you can find your local support group, who might be able to tell you who is good locally, and which GPs are sympathetic and will refer you on to the right person.

Though that's not very helpful if you're in pain right now.
Let us know how it goes.

mummylin2495 · 09/08/2010 17:50

You have several of the symptoms that i used to have and mine was indeed fibroids.

mummylin2495 · 09/08/2010 18:23

Concerning the scan ,when i had to go for a scan i had to first drink 3 pints of water so that they could see properly so if you didnt have to do this maybe any fibroids would not of shown up.Hope you soon get it sorted out.

Original poster
deathbyironing · 09/08/2010 19:14

Thanks, I feel really Blush about going to the Dr am worried they will think "oh fuck its her back again!"

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DetectivePotato · 09/08/2010 19:22

I have endometriosis. Sounds like some of the symptoms but I wouldn't say "oh yes thats what you have"

Keep going to the docs until you get a satisfactory response. It isn't normal and I hate it when people get fobbed off because a doctor doesn't think it is that big a deal. See if you can get referred to a specialist who deals in endometroisis and other conditions like that. Many general gynae docs don't have a lot of experience in that field.

mummylin2495 · 09/08/2010 19:42

deathbyironing do not feel worried about going to your doc at all.Only you know how you are feeling and its their job to find out and treat you.And if you still dont get a satisfactory answer go back again !

Original poster
deathbyironing · 09/08/2010 22:26

Thanks for advice :) The pain this evening is making me less nervous - although sods law will dictate that tomorrow it will vanish!

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mummylin2495 · 09/08/2010 22:32

good luck tomorrow ,i hope you will get some answers.

mummylin2495 · 10/08/2010 12:46

I hope you have been given some answers today and something to relieve your pain

mummyrex · 10/08/2010 14:14

I don't know anyting about endometriosis BUT what I do know is that you have to learn not to give a flying fig about what 'they' think about you and fight for further referrals until you get either:

  1. a satisfactory answer as to what is wrong, OR
  2. a proper explanation as to what has been ruled out and why from someone who seems to care enough about you and your 'case' for you to trust what they are saying

I have just spent the best part of a year fighting for referrals for my DD and it is very tough to do when you are feeling guilty about pushing for more.

Original poster
deathbyironing · 10/08/2010 16:20

Thanks.

Well today was a waste of time :( Was in there for 1/2 an hour. The Dr was new to the practice - and I strongly suspect new to being a Dr too. She had to constantly look up her book and went out the room twice to ask for an opinion. (The person she asked an opinion from I never saw) Would obviously rather she do that than guess but it didn't fill me with confidence.

She examined my tummy. (ouch that bit hurt!)

She gave me tranexamic acid fo rnext time I have a period. And 2 leaflets about the pill and the coil. (From the info in the coil leaflet I shouldnt be allowed it as have unexplained bleeding Hmm)

Anyway about the unexplained bleeding - painful sex and bleeding after sex. She said because in 2008 I had a smear and was fine then its still ok and doesnt need investigating. The smear is to check for cancer - not endo or fibroids or anything else like that.

Just feel a bit deflated. Will see how the trx acid works but have had it before when really heavy bleeding.

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purplepeony · 10/08/2010 16:25

Was this a gynae you saw?
Go back and ask for referral to another gynae. Your GP could easily have given you tram acid- it's standard meds for heavy bleeding and cramping.

They should do a transvaginal scan where you don't need to drink pints of water first.

Fibroids can casue heavy bleeding but they are simply one cause. About 50% of women have fibroids- I have a small one which was found during an examination for something else- but we don't all have the problems you have.

Original poster
deathbyironing · 10/08/2010 18:44

It was a GP today. Have had scan before - I thought it was last year but in notes its 2008 which is correct, its just time has flown! I had the internal one and external one and nothing showed up. Only thing that was seen was ectopy on cervix (that was from examination obv not scan)

She seemed very keen for me to go on the pill - but last time when I was on the break bit then huge white 7cm "bits" came out with loads of blood and it was agony.

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mummylin2495 · 10/08/2010 20:25

Im sorry you didnt get any real answers today,is there another doctor in the practice you could ask to see ? My large fibroid was not diagnosed until i went for the scan,which was only a few days after i had been to my doctor after having ,clots ,irregular bleeding, awful pain in my lower stomach after sex, dragging pains at the top of my legs and a slight swelling in my groin.I had an internal at my docs who said it was either a cyst or a tumour.The scan saw it was this big fibroid,along with lots of little ones.I had hysterctomy within 3 weeks.I hope this is soon sorted out for you as its horrible being in pain and not knowing what is causing it.

AllSheepareWhite · 13/08/2010 23:40

Go to another more senior GP or to the hospital and book gynae appointment directly saying you want a second opinion, I refused to go on the pill until they investigated further as I had been hospitalised due to pain and vomiting during my period. Prescribing the pill is a money saving exercise and is not in your best interest without you knowing more about what is actually going on. Having said that they didn't find anything in my case on scans, x-ray or blood tests to indicate a problem and in the end getting pregnant sorted me out :o

purplepeony · 14/08/2010 09:06

All- a patient can't book a gynae appt themselves without a referral. You might be able to if you go privately and some drs will take self-referrals- mine does.

OP if you are near London or the SW I can recommend an excellent gynae.