What to expect at gynae appointment

[manchestermummy]

I have a gynae appointment next week. I've been suffering with heavy, painful periods for as long as I can remember.

What should I expect at this first appointment? I've been sent a questionnaire to fill out beforehand that seems to want to know almost everything about me barring my shoe size.

I'm a bit worked up as I have a feeling I'll be told the same as the GP who reluctantly referred me in the first instance: it's one of those things and nothing can be done.

Anyone?

I'd expect an internal exam and probably an internal scan too

Lots of questions about your periods and also likely to ask if you have completed your family / contraception etc

Good luck!

Thank you!

Will they do the scan on the same day? I've had an external pelvic ultrasound recently. I need to get back to work as soon after the appointment as I can.

Hi. For my first gynae I saw a doctor who asked about the problems I was having with heavy bleeding. She suggested she thought it might be polyps or fibroids. She then got me on the examining bed thing felt about my tummy for obvious fibroids and then tried to biopsy me there and then with some long instrument. This was unsuccessful. My gp said afterwards this was because it's very hard to do. She then told me to go to radiography and book an internal pelvic ultrasound for some weeks later. The appointment probably lasted 20 minutes but I had to wait for the best part of an hour beforehand. After this I was good to go. I'm sure different health authorities will do things differently.

If they say that it's one of those things and nothing can be done that certainly shouldn't be their first answer. There are loads of possible causes and also treatments, although sometimes no obvious cause will be the final conclusion.

Good luck. I would say try not to worry but I was petrified before mine.

Thank you!

I've told work I have a hospital appointment and my manager hasn't asked to see my letter, which is good because I feel quite embarrassed tbh. They'll probably think I'm pregnant...

Google and then read the NICE guidelines on Heavy Menstrual Bleeding before your appointment. forewarned is forearmed as they say

Good tip, done!

Looks likely that I'll be fobbed off with the pill again. I've tried about six. They make me gain weight, make me depressed, give me horrific acne and do nothing for my periods. Ibuprofen/mefenamic acid makes me very unwell.

Feel like I may as well cancel the appointment

I hope they don't fob you off. I'd be wanting scan result and consideration of something like endometriosis. (Read up before you go) if the pill isn't working (and some people just can't do hormonal contraception) then maybe the mirena coil might help. Hope you get some joy.

No don't cancel the appointment.

You need to be heard; heavy and painful periods have a cause and you need to be properly evaluated by a consultant gynae. FWIW I think you have been badly let down to date. DO not be fobbed off any more.

The internal scan may not show anything but that does not mean to say there is nothing wrong. Endometriosis deposits are very small and do not always show up on such scans. I have endometriosis and it was only seen properly when a laparoscopic type (i.e. keyhole surgery) op was carried out (I have also had more internal ultrasounds than I care to mention and it was not spotted).

I had my first gynae appointment today for painful and heavy periods. I had a chat with the consultant about things and they then tried to look inside my womb by inserting a camera through my cervix - this was agony even with gas & air and the consultant eventually decided to stop as she couldn't get my cervix to open.

I've now been booked in for an internal scan as she suggested I could possibly have a polyp. I have also been given a prescription for Transanemic acid to take alongside the mefenamic acid I already take.

Will an internal scan show anything different to the normal type scan I had a couple of months ago? Or will the consultant want to "see for himself" as it were?

I honestly have no idea. I also had an external scan done a few weeks back, so maybe it will show something different as the consultant had the results of my previous scan in my notes but still wants this one done.

I suppose it's a different pair of eyes, isn't it.

Honesty, I'm so wound up about it it's untrue!

I should say thanks to Atilla at this point - you've been very supportive.

Internal scans show a general overview of the uterine cavity, fallopian and ovaries but I will again state that in my case these did not ever show up the extensive areas of endometriosis that was already there.

Gothic Rainbow - my small uterine polyp hung into the uterus and was congenital in nature; it was pumping out hormones that further disrupted ovulation. It did not in itself cause the heaviness of periods nor period pain (the endo they did find eventually was the root cause of all that). I would also think that in your case too, endometriosis is a distinct possibility.

I would also keep a daily pain and symptom diary if you do not already do this to show the consultant as well.

That's quite alright. I suffered in ignorance for many years and no-one took any real notice (there was no internet for instance when I started menses as a teen and I had severe pain from that time). I told off a GP once for daring to tell me that endometriosis was not common (infact its the second most common gynae problem seen in women after fibroids). I would not want any other woman to wait as long as I did to get answers and to be properly diagnosed.

I urge you to speak up and be persistent. You will need to be persistent in order to get answers.

Hello im 19 years old and suffering with irregular periods and im having abdominal pains and the gp have supposedly been investigating it for 7 months now i have had blood tests to check my thyroid,crones disease ,testosterone levels and i have recently been tested for pollysyctic ovary syndrome which to all the test came back normal i recently had a scan at the ultrasound scan and a transvagaginal one which the women said that nothing came up that i need to worry about i have suffered with 2 miscarriages and my doctors have not got the results or the report from the scan yet and going for my first appointment next month with a gynocologist and im very nervous this is my first one but i would like to know what to expect