Does this sound like endo?

[SirBoobAlot]

I have already got a diagnosis of PCOS. But everyone is insistent that shouldn't cause pain. I'm in a lot of it.

• Pain between my legs, ranging from a dull throbbing to stabbing.
• Stabbing and burning pains in my abdomen. Right ovary area feels the worst currently.
• Absolute agony after an orgasm. Sorry for TMI. DP and I haven't managed to have sex for rather a while now as my pain has got worse. I first went to the GP all these after I was actually sobbing with pain after we DTD one time.
• Shooting pains down from my abdomen to my hips, sometimes spreading down the top of my leg.
• IBS-type symptoms, always a lot worse around a period. Which are utterly unpredictable.

I had a lapraposcopy in April, where a large cyst was found on my left ovary. It ruptured during surgery, and there were a few complications, so I must admit I am wondering if they "explored" entirely. I am booked for another lapraoscopy after going back to the gyne, as the pain hasn't improved since before surgery.

Does this sound like endo? And if not, what does it sound like?

Sounds like it could well be endo to me. The pain after sex is typical. I get the ibs symptoms with mine, and also feel like I've got cystitis (I have a patch of it growing on my bladder). Have you tried mefenamic acid? Doesnt help me (only codeine does) but a lot of women find it helps.

Now that you mention it I've been self treated for cystitis more frequently than normal - I didn't realise that could be related. Seems to sometimes just come for a day or so and then disappear again but had a bad week of it a little while ago.

Can I get that over the counter?

SirBoobALot

The five separate symptoms you quoted can all be indicative of endometriosis being present (I winced in recognition at your 1st, 2nd and 4th noted symptom). Deep pain during sex is also highly suggestive of endo being present. Endo can often be mistaken for IBS, it can get onto the intestines as well.

I would also suggest you now keep a daily pain and symptom diary noting all pain from a level of 1-10 if you do not already do so.

What may have happened re the last lap you had was that the surgeon probably became out of his depth pretty sharpish so finished the operation as quickly as possible.

Were you also told the outcome of such surgery a week or so post op, that should have happened as a matter of course.

I would suggest you now seek a second opinion; if this is endometriosis you need a skilled consultant gynae with both an interest in endo as well as up to date knowledge of this disease. I cannot stress enough the importance of finding both a skilled and competant cons gynaecologist to deal with this.

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

Endo can also involve the bladder as well as rectal and pouch of douglas areas.

Mefenamic acid is prescription only, but your gp could do it while you wait for a gynae appt. Push for a referral to a specialist as its notoriously hard to get a diagnosis and decent treatment for endo.

I agree re; the op. I was given a debrief the day after (had to stay in over night because of complications) and told it had been a grapefruit size dermatoid cyst, that it had ruptured, that my left tube had been twisted very tightly, and that I came very close to loosing the ovary. Understandably, I don't think they investigated fully.

The gyne has scheduled me for another lap., but I must admit my faith in them finding anything is small.

The pain seems to be getting worse, if anything.

Just looked at the website, Meerkat, I can tick all of those symptoms. And the questionnaire mentions vomiting during periods too, I have to take anti-sickness tablets or I can't keep anything down.