horrendous one sided pain during period... what could it be?

[LissTheSeasonLouBeJollie]

it is not an EP, I know this because dh and I havent had sex thins month and I have no tube on the side affected. but for the last 6m or so my periods have been horrendously painful and erratic. for the last 18m they have been irregular, some months over a week late, others a week early. last month it was a week early, this month it was 4 days early. but the period pains are mainly one sided and enough to double me up, my skin is also much, much worse. as are my mood swings (I genuinely feel for dh) and I am exhausted. I also get terrible D&V.

WTF's going on? (ps, have cons appt in feb)

The endometriosis is by definition outside the womb, it is material like the lining of the womb which grows and bleeds cyclically but in the wrong places, commonly on the ovaries, but can be in bowel, on internal ligaments in the groin or anywhere in the body.

I wouldn't lose hope of conceiving, but do get yourself seen. The proper way to diagnose endo is with a diagnostic laparoscopy, where they look around your abdo with an endoscopic camera through a small incision.

My gynae consultant said I would have had this since I was a teen, am 42 now and conceived 4 dcs. Loads of people with dcs turn out to have undiagnosed endo because as women we are trained to think we have to put up with painful heavy periods.

Sorry, I meant to say it would not necessarily be seen on a hysteroscopy.

Ah thank you. Oddly endo is one of the few reproductive conditions that I know very little about. My ep was primarily removed by lap, but thanks to post op complications I had a laparotomy. My bladder was in the wrong place and the surgeon who operated stated that things were a bit of a mess, with adhesions everywhere etc. So that would definately make sense. I will bully persuade my cons to try a lap.

Well, have looked it up, and the symptoms tie in exactly. Now to convince my shit consultant!

Well, have looked it up, and the symptoms tie in exactly. Now to convince my shit consultant!

ask for a 2nd opinion, I'm fairly sure you are entitled to one under the NHS guidelines.

Is he your consultant for fertility issues or gynae issues?

Primarily fertility, but he is the pcts consultant gynae too.

well I'd demand ask for a 2nd opinion from a different gynae for the pain and lesions etc.

Tell your gp that you have all the symptoms of endo and it's never even been mentioned to you.

I know fertility things for you are dire. My friend had horrific heavy and painful (she regularly passed out with the pain) periods from her teens. After her 1st round of IVF failed a different consultant had her in to take a look around. She came around from a much long than intended op and he was really cross with her for not mentioning how much pain and bleeding she must have been having!

A few days later he rang and apologised and said he was horrified that all the previous drs had overlooked what she had said (it was all in her notes) and that things were a mess in there but he'd sorted a lot out. She had one last of round of NHS IVF due to her age and it thankfully worked. I really hope that she may now conceive naturally simply because her womb is in a much better state. In August they celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary and they'd been actively trying for a baby for at least 8 years.

What is shocking is that how much heavy and painful periods are dismissed!! That passing out due to the pain isn't seen as indicator that there is something really wrong.

I managed to get across how bad the pain was to the male consultant by saying 'worse than breaking my ankle and worse than labour' .They hear so many people talking about pain day in, day out that they are anaesthetised to it (pun intended) and you really need to get their attention.

I'm medically qualified, so you could tell your consultant that you've got a friend who's a doctor, who suggested it might be

Endometriosis obv

You really need to see a gynae cons with a specialist interest in endometriosis; it may well be that the gynae you are currently seeing is just not experinced enough to deal with these issues you have (given your bladder involvement as well, I note they told you it was in the wrong place).

Given my long and painful experience with endo (still ongoing though not as awful these days) I would ask any gynae surgeon now and outright how much experience and or success they have had in managing difficult cases and if they hesitate, find another gynae surgeon. At the very least Liss, seek a second opinion now.

Endometriosis requires careful management when it comes to surgery. I would think it now a given you will need more surgery and those adhesions will need to be dealt with surgically. Drug treatment on its own will not touch adhesions once they are formed.

A hysteroscopy would not detect endo deposits as they are very small.

www.endo.org.uk is a good UK website on endo.

thank you all so much. youve been so helpful. I will be very assertive with him in Feb, and ask the sonographer to double check for cysts etc. earlier, ds was sitting on my lap and when he got up I turned. and got a v sharp, almost twisting pain.

It sounds exactly like my symptoms turns out I had severe endo on one sideI have been on continuous cerazette for over a year now and am pain free (fingers crossed it lasts)

If you want to see someone quicker if you have the funds it may be worth paying for an initial private appointment with a consultant (around £100) who specialises in Endo, if they feel you need investigation they can refer you onto the NHS list.

I have a Mirena coil since my surgery, it's supposed to damp down the endo. So far, so good, I have not had the pain with my periods any more (fingers crossed). No side effects, so far either.

Glad you are feeling more confident about your appointment.

problem is, we are still ttc. so the pill/coil are out (tbh, I wouldnt try the coil anyway because of EP history) however, this is our last push. we always said that we would stop ttc when I was 35, so we have a year.

Sorry, I am tired hungover so should not have mentioned coil as you are TTC. I wasn't thinking..

Bedtime.

Oh god, don't worry. It looks like the best treatment isd to suppress the hormones, so cont3aception is something we will have to consider soon.

If you are trying to conceive and deal with the pain if it is an affordable it may be worth looking at acupuncture, it is non invasive and will do no harm

Thank you, definately worth a shot. Have been in agony again today, CD4 and isn't even that heavy.

Thank you, definately worth a shot. Have been in agony again today, CD4 and isn't even that heavy.

Is it worth going to A&E????

Agony is just so far from normal!

Tbh, I don't think they would do anything, taking my cocodomol and got hot water bottle on tummy.

Go through your gp and get your referral brought forward. Poor you.

Thanks, I will speak to the sister on scan duty on thurs and ask if its worth trying to get it bought forward, they are waiting for dh's tests, so I doubt they will. Pain is starting to subside, still v bloated though and icky bowels.

Liss just back from the GP myself, he has advised that we go forward with an investigation for diverticulitis as it an be affected by hormones and may be part of the problem bloating, vomiting and toilet issues and while it may not solve all of the problems it may help fix part of it or just prove it is not part of the problem.
Def speak to the sister on thurs as she is probably more aware sometimes then the Dr's of what would be best
Good luck on thur