Endometriosis treated - will I still have symptoms?

[IfeelFloopy]

Last year I had a laparoscopy to see if endometriosis was causing the pain I was experiencing during intercourse after a scan showed nothing. I was found to have some small spots of endometriosis on my left hand side and old, thick adhesions connecting my appendix to my bowel on my right hand side. After the surgery I was told that the endometriosis was treated. He also explained to me that even a small amount of it can cause severe pain and symptoms in some women, whereas in others it can be much worse and they don't feel a thing or have any symptoms.

I have always had painful periods and pms symptoms and I've read that endometriosis can only be treated and not actually cured. But I'm wondering...will physical and mental symptoms still be present due to my endometriosis even though I have had it treated?

Unfortunately it is possible, yes.

In some women one lap isn't enough - the endometriosis can grow back and further laps or hormone treatments are taken up.

If you're struggling at the moment I highly recommend going along to an endometriosis support group. EndoUK have links to all the local groups on their website.

www.endometriosis-uk.org/find-local-support-group

I had my laparoscopy when I was about 20 as the pain was crippling, about 5 years later it started getting worse and worse again. I've been pregnant 3 times which has helped and now have the coil to see if that will help.

Sorry it's not better news but I think a lot of the time it's just a 'for now' fix. It'll never completely cure it. Not having to deal with pain from it was bliss though

Thanks for replies. Thankfully the pain I have is manageable, my periods are not as painful as they used to be when I was a teenager (I'm not on any form of contraception and my boyfriend and I have just started TTC). I do however think my periods are more painful than they should be and I definitely suffer with pms.

I think I'm really just wondering if it's in my head though, or if they could be more painful due to endometriosis despite the treatment. Periods feel the same now as they did before. It was only a small amount found. In fact the adhesions around my appendix (due to a rumbling appendix aged 12) still remain as I was told I would need to have a bowel sergion to perform that operation if I wanted it.

Keep on at the doctors, I was fobbed off by them thinking if was ibs for 6 years before I got treatment, where the problem is has a massive amount to do with the pain.

Mine was near my ovaries so every time I ovulated I was crippled, my periods were a cake walk opposed to the 2 weeks before. I could manage it but I tend to push through things. Just get another appt and another referral, if you can be pain free it's the only way to get it sorted. Mine has come back in the same way but a few years with less pain was amazing

Sorry should have said where they find it no matter how small has a huge effect on how much pain you feel

Questions to ask your doctor

You may think that if you become ill you just go the doctor and they give you a drug to take away the illness

What if your Endometriosis is caused by things that you eat, or don't eat ?

Here are some questions to ask your doctors about Endometriosis

• What causes it ?
• How will looking at it and scraping it help me get better ?
• How can I stop it recurring ?
• Could my illness be caused by things that I eat, or don't eat ?
• What can I change about my diet and lifestyle to help my body repair itself ?

These are easy questions to ask, but very difficult for doctors to answer as they know very little about Nutrition.
It may be worth asking them to refer you to a Dietitian or a Nutritional Therapist, as they specialise in Nutrition.
If your doctor won't do this, try a search for BANT and interview 10 local Nutritional Therapists who have had success advising about Endometriosis before choosing which one to work with

Here are 3 well-proven natural ways to reduce the Inflammation that causes the pain of Endometriosis

*Increase your Vitamin D
*Increase your Omega-3
*Reduce your Omega-6

Here are some relevant references that may be useful to you:
Vitamin D Wiki
Optimise Omega-6/3 Ratio
How much Omega-3 ?
15 Omega-3 Foods
What to Do About Inflammation ?
Expert Omega-3

Some people have reported that eating specific foods like meat or dairy gives them an instant flare-up
Which foods make your Endometriosis worse and which help ?
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