Negative gynae laparoscopy. eWhat now?

[TheOrchardKeeper]

Had a lap yesterday and have another thread floating around about the problems pre op. The problems all seem gynae related and yet they told me they found nothing. Yet leading up to the surgery I've been in on/off pain that involves sex, cramps, ability to walk, about like periods and lots of very low down abdomen pain plus occasional back and thigh pain.

Don't know what to do as they want me to now see a surgeon who specializes in bowels but Im not convinced it's bowel related as i have no symptoms but I will try that route.

I just don't know what to do. Been having on/off pain for a year now and it's increased so much in intensity lately that my quality of life is rubbish and Im desperate.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Been given some mediation for IBS to rule it out...

I know it's not life threatening but if one more person tells me 'it's just pain' I will shoot them and then myself

*medication

Oh no!. IBS medication indeed, well that really takes the cake. What was your response to that?. Honestly some GPs are truly ignorant when it comes to such issues and fail patients accordingly.

I would make a further appointment with a GP within the practice and demand politely that you are referred to the person of your choice, this is not acceptable at all. If this practice remain unhelpful change GP practice.

I said I'll give it two weeks but if nothing changes I'll come back and demand to be referred which he said ok to. He said it would be too drastic to refer straight away but I said it can't be more drastic than a lap

Thanks for the advice Attilla. It looks like im making a fuss over nothing to them but im really not. I doubt this medication will magically stop my next period hurting like hell. Funny that...

I'd be very surprised if this medication made any difference at all.

No you are not making a fuss over nothing.

Do keep us posted as to developments.

I know. I highly doubt I randomly developed IBS in my mid twenties that made my periods bad and that isn't affected by any obvious food group

TbhI'll just give it a week and if it's no better I'll have to go back as it's just not that manageable

BTW what is the general aftercare for the wounds? I've been cleaning and re-dressing daily but don't dare leave them undressed just yet (they'd catch on everything plus the site is still very very sore and the padding helps. Plus I had a horrendous experience with an infected episiotomy that I do not wish to repeat ).

The hospital literally said 'you're fine, off you trot'. I don't actually have a discharge letter my fault as I was too out of it to remember and I don't know if I have a follow up appointment...not that I want to go back ever

Hullo
Not an answer to your recent questions but....
the pain could be due to adenomyosis - it's a bit like endometriosis see here but importantly is within the uterus so wouldn't be seen during laproscopy.

The pain you're having sounds similar to what I experienced. It turned out I had i) a large ovarian cyst and ii) adenomyosis abd iii) endometriosis including bowel/rectum adhesions. It had got to point where I thought I would be 'living' in agony for the rest of my life. Post op (and on HRT) I have been pain free for years.

The IBS medication (if it's buscopan) is some sort of muscle relaxant so may help a bit.

Don't give up - it's worth fighting for further investigation, hang on in there.

Oh ok. Thank you

Glad it worked for you. I don't actually know anything about possible problems from in utero. They seemed to think it's not even possible.

funnily enough my op sites are feeling much better but the pain low down is really bad this evening

How long can this possibly be dragged out for by them? Any guesses?

My cuts don't hurt much at all today but I now feel like im having a very heavy period, despite not bleeding, taking tramadol and taking the ibs stuff.

It's really quite painful.

(Know it's probably just from all the rummaging. It's still wildly uncomfortable though )

Is it normal to still be very sore after a week? Still slow-motion shuffle-walking & hunched a little if I have to go anywhere plus wearing trousers makes my teeth itch as it rubs the lower cut

They said a few days

But then they say a lot of things. I still don't know if I was meant to have a bath or not

Can you make an appointment with a nurse at your GP to get the wound site checked?

My wound was very sore, but it turned out that they had stitched in an extra bit of skin so it was pulling all the time. The nurse pulled the stitch out (as it was pretty much healed) and it felt soooo much better.

Ah ok I might do that then. The lower one is the most sore but mostly because it gets irritated more often by clothing or movement etc. Stitches feel ok but then im no expert.

Thanks.

Anyone know how long it takes for the 'period pain' feeling to go away? Been getting bad cramps from all the rummaging for the last few days.

So frustrating

Two close family members have tried to tell me it's stress induced ibs from an incident that happened 6 months ago, despite me having had a nice few months since and before the pain really ramped up.

That's really highly unlikely isn't it??

Stopped taking the pill 2 days ago and just started the most horrendous period

I bloody knew I would, despite everyone saying I should just take the pill-break and see what happens as there's 'no gynae cause' for the pain.

The cramps are awful. I feel like I'm in early labour.

My labour pains were never as bad as my endometriosis pains. Those seemingly had no start, middle or end; they were unpredictable in nature at the very least and often caught me unawares because they were so sudden.

Stress induced IBS my foot!. Tsk to these family members.

I would go back to the GP now (its nearly a week post op anyway by now) and insist on being referred to the person of your choice. Endometriosis cannot be left to the care of a bog standard gynae; a woman's best bet is to see such a person who actually has an interest in this particular disease.

Thanks. I honestly think contractions were easier as you get a break and the intensity is at least predictable. Plus everyone is helpful and you get gas and air

Yeah, even dp says doc knows best and as he put me on ibs medication it must likely be that and I've not given it a chance to work but I just don't care anymore. Without wanting to sound ott it's not the sort of pain you can just distract yourself from

Will make an appnt for Monday.

( I was starting to wonder if there might be something wrong within the actual womb but I think anything like that shows up on an ultrasound doesn't it? Poor ds. I've given him breakfast and chatted with him but Im firmly planted on the sofa and am trying very hard not to be a dragon)

I have had more internal ultrasound scans than I care to mention with various sonographers and no such scan picked up the vast amount of endometriosis in my uterine cavity.

I do know what you mean about the pain and how you can simply not distract yourself away from it; it took my breath away and caused me to lie down on the floor at work clutching my lower stomach and womb areas in agony. The unpredictable nature of it also was difficult to deal with.

I saw the photos of my endometriosis at my follow up appointment a week post op. I remember at the time thinking, "no wonder I have been in pain all these years!".

Do see the GP again and whilst there insist politely on being referred to the person of your choice.

IBS medication has and will do nothing for gynae related problems.

I had no idea how painful internal ultrasounds were compared to normal ones til this month! Fairly sure the fact im already very sore was why but still, bloody hell. They really get up in every possible corner

Sorry to hear you had it so bad. Sounds awful. I think if I do have it it's probably very early days or they'd have found it.

pain aside, it's mind numbingly boring. Have only been able to go for a walk twice this week. Serious Cabin Fever going on and one very bored toddler. At least someone is popping over this afternoon.

"Mild" forms of endometriosis can and does cause considerable pain. Its if and when the disease is chronic that pain can subside.