I'd appreciate some advice about dd who's 14

[LittleNoona]

I'm a bit worried about dd.

She has tummy troubles - this might be long but I want to get everything in.

For the last couple of months she has been complaining of feeling bloated from just under the sternum all the way down to the pubic bone. She feels nauseous on and off and has bouts of constipation. She also complains of what I assume to be heartburn - an acidly feeling. We mentioned it when at the Dr's for something else, the dr felt her tummy and said she couldn't feel anything untoward.

She has had periods since she was 11 and they have always been pretty heavy and pretty painful, accompanied by nausea. Her last period was awful pain wise. She was as white as a sheet and shaking. I called the Gp but no appointments so had a telephone consultation, she was prescribed co-dydramol and an anti emetic. She has mefenamic acid but this wasn't helping. She also has a small patch of hair at the junction of her throat and neck.

She often complains of dizziness too.

I have fibroids and polycistic ovaries, but bloods are ok so I don't have full pcos. I do however have excess hair on my upper lip, chin and throat and abdomen.

At the moment it's just over a week since her last period finished and she's still complaining of pain in the womb and ovary area - left and right.

Does anyone have any idea what might be going on? Could all these seemingly seperate problems be linked? Would it be unreasonable to go back to the Gp and request further investigations? If so, what?

Thanks so much for taking the time to read.

Period pain in young women can be severe. Have you considered putting her on the pill as this can ease problems?

Hi Hidden, thanks for reading. I'm not happy to put dd on the pill. She's so young and it seems awful to pump her full or hormones

Your poor DD. No not unreasonable at all to go back!

Has the dr referred her for scans to see if there are cysts on her ovaries etc? Might be worth getting your DD to note a symptom diary every day to list anything and how much pain she is in- it gives the Dr a good account of how each day can be for her and not just fob you off with her being 'only' 14. Hope you get some answers.

I agree with Pandsbear, take her back to the GP as this is something that's ongoing and doesn't appear to be easing. Also, as mentioned, start making a daily note of symptons, level of pain, if needs to be off school or if any pain relief does/doesn't help. It's hard to tell if it's two different problems. If you get nowhere with the GP, ask if they'd be willing to give you an emergency appointment when she's at her worst, as this may help locate where it's most uncomfortable in her tummy. Hope you sort something out soon for her.

Thanks so much for your advice

Managed to get dd an appointment at the Drs today. I couldn't take her due to work so my mum took her for me.

She saw a new Dr who was really good according to both mum and dd, she took the time to listen, to cover each point raised by dd and examined her tummy.

She thinks dd could have IBS. She said the symptoms fit and would tie in with some stress and anxiety she has dealt with in the past year or so.

She is doing a full blood screen to rule out anything more serious and has booked dd in with her again next week to discuss the results. She prescribed buscopan and peppermint capsules the ease the symptoms in the meantime.

With the period problems, she said that periods can be painful, heavy and irregular for the first 4 or 5 years but will investigate further once the IBS is confirmed.

My first thoughts are coeliac disease. The bloating, constipation and heartburn would fit with that.

There some info here on symptoms.

I thought coeliac too. Often missed or misdiagnosed as something else.

Start a food diary. The capsules may contain gluten so check.

Did they consider endermetriosis? My periods were never heavy or painful when I first started.

Glad you managed to get her seen. Sometimes it's a question of trial and error doing different tests and trying different treatments, but this doctor does sound like she is on the ball, trying to focus on one problem and the cause before looking into the other. Hope the doctor can get to the bottom of it all soon.

Hi LittleNoona,

re your comments:-
"She has had periods since she was 11 and they have always been pretty heavy and pretty painful, accompanied by nausea. Her last period was awful pain wise"

That is in itself very telling and she is not too young to have endometriosis. That is a common cause of severe period pains. Any symptom infact that is cyclical in nature and gets worse up to and including menses should be checked out properly by a gynae to see if endometriosis is present.

This is also worrying:-
"She thinks dd could have IBS. She said the symptoms fit and would tie in with some stress and anxiety she has dealt with in the past year or so.

She is doing a full blood screen to rule out anything more serious and has booked dd in with her again next week to discuss the results. She prescribed buscopan and peppermint capsules the ease the symptoms in the meantime.

With the period problems, she said that periods can be painful, heavy and irregular for the first 4 or 5 years but will investigate further once the IBS is confirmed".

And what if it is not IBS?. She has had these problems since onset of menses. Stress also does not cause such problems to arise, physical problems do.

My guess is that this person has not even considered endometriosis as a possibility; also IBS does not cause heavy and or painful periods to arise!. Again the symptoms here are only being treated, they are not really searching deeply for the actual CAUSE. Many GPs are ignorance when it comes to endo, do not readily think of it as a possibility (many GPs think it is uncommon, it is not and is actually the second most common gynae problem seen in women after fibroids) and its very much underdiagnosed.

I would also have to tell you that endometriosis if it is there is not picked up on any blood test. Also she is being prescribed the standard stuff given to women who are diagnosed with endometriosis.

No, no and no again - periods do not have to be as painful for the first 3-5 years although mine were just like your DDs - and I was diagnosed with endometriosis at the grand old age of 31!.

You will need to be persistent in order to get answers!!!.

It is all too easy to be fobbed off and your DD I feel as well as you are being fobbed off here.

I would insist to the GP now that she is referred to a gynaecologist. She is NOT too young to possibly have endometriosis.

I realise now that my case of endo started at 14 on onset of menses. I have suffered for years and have had fertility treatment including surgery to remove the endo deposits. Endo is usually only diagnosed via a laparoscopy (keyhole surgery).

As for yourself I would think your bloodwork is actually not right either due to the degree of hirsuitism; it is a fine line between PCO and its full blown syndrome.

Mefenemic acid is often prescribed but it has no real effect on endometriosis either. Again its only treating the symptoms, you need to find the actual cause. Was not at all surprised she has been given that either.

Endo too can get onto the intestines and cause stomach pains as well.
It can certainly go into the pouch of douglas, bladder area, rectal area, the entire surface of the uterine cavity and onto the ovaries as well.

I would certainly keep a daily pain and symptom diary in the meantime with particular reference to what happens up to and including menses. Any symptom that is cyclical in nature and gets worse like this should be checked out medically by a gynae to see if endo is the cause.

Am so sorry for you and your DD; "mild" (hah) endometriosis disease fits all the symptoms that you write of re your DD.

I would go back to the GP and politely insist that you are referred to a gynae. Its another way forward for you both.

I am so sorry to go on like this but I suffered with painful periods, stomach pains and rectal pains all due to endometriosis for many years in complete ignorance from parents, GPs and others. For that reason I would not wish your DD and by turn yourself to go through what I did.

Also if she were to ask her friends what their periods are like, the majority would state that theirs are not as severe or heavy as your DDs are. Endo can also cause heavy bleeding to arise so she may well be anaemic as well.

Please get this properly looked at by a specialist.

absolutely what attilla said.

I can only echo what Attila said.

DD2 is 16 & has suffered for 3 yrs since starting her periods, and only now have we got a diagnosis of endo. She ended up having her appendix out for nothing last Nov.

She has also got a large cyst on her L ovary and due to the pain has had to drop out of 6th form.

If your DD wants to speak to mine feel free to PM me (she is sitting next to me as I type) not saying it is endo but sounds very similar.

Good luck.

Wow - Attilla, thank you so much for all that info

I'm going to print this off and take it to the Gp with me next week and hopefully get something sorted. It's helpful for me too - once dd is sorted I will go back about this pcos thing. I actually had to go and have a full chin wax today

And MissMarples - thank you dd would love to chat to your dd. will pm you

I get bloating around ovulation and have had this for as long as I remember (although didn't connect till I was ttc). That would fit with the week after period. No idea about the endo stuff tho...