What the Jeff is going on with my uterus and what can I do about it?

[TheGherkin]

Long, tedious back story...
Hideous crippling period pain my entire life but periods quite light and fairly regular.
Over the last few years cycles have got shorter. Now 20 - 25 days and it pours out. Have to use pads to catch cup overflow for at least 4 days and then it just carries of normally for another 5 days.
So bleeding for 10 days out of every 3 weeks.
Started getting a bit of mid cycle bleeding now too.
I know when I ovulate as that hurts badly as well (not new, always has).
Tried different analgesia. Allergic to lots. Tens helps me to function.

It’s takrn to sort of low level niggly background cramps all the time. Even in between.

About 15 years ago I had a laparoscopy which didn’t find anything. I had an ectopic in 2001 with a laparotomy & tube removal.

Saw a gynaecologist consultant a few years back. Begged for a hysterectomy. Got persuaded to try a Mirena.

Bled for 8 months solid then the bastard fell out.

Mini pill sent me a bit unhinged.

GP never been overly interested. I went a few months back and she suggested chronic pelvic pain, prescribed amitriptylene (which I can’t take as I’m too dopy the next day) and suggested starflower oil (which I have taken with no effect).

Now. (God this is long. Sorry).

Last few cycles. Bled for 2 weeks. Few days off. Bled a bit more. Few days off. Ovulation. Then bleeding again for 2 more weeks. Heavy cup filling bleeding. Clots. Pain.

I’m a bit fed up with it all.
My bed sheets and underwear are all stained. My job means I don’t have access to a loo regularly so I’m carrying extra clothes and having to change in supermarket loos. I’m fed up with taking paracetamol virtually every day.
My smear test is due but I can’t judge when I won’t be bleeding and get a slot at the right time.

I have a GP appointment next month. How do I get them to listen? And refer me to someone else who will listen?

And what on earth might my options be? Ablation? Hysterectomy? Drugs?

Try cutting down on dairy
Have your Vit D levels been checked, also iodine / thyroid?

You should not have to put up with this, none of this is normal and this is impacting on your day to day life. I would stress all this to the GP.

I would not think that cutting down on dairy will make any difference whatsoever to your symptoms. You need a gynae referral as a matter of course.

If your GP remains unhelpful then re-register with another practice. Infact I would do this anyway given how unhelpful they have been to date. I would also keep a daily pain and symptom diary noting all this if you do not already do so as this would give the gynaecologist clues.

I thought of endometriosis when I read about your symptoms particularly when you mentioned the ongoing crippling pain. The lap you originally had should be performed again; it looks like any endo deposits were missed and it does not always present typically. You certainly need up to date test results but blood tests and internal ultrasound scans will not detect endometriosis if it is there.

Had thyroid a couple of years back. NAD.
Been vegan on and off over the years. No difference.
I am a touch peeved with it all. I have yet another gp appt next month

Print out the NICE or RCOG guidelines for menorrhagia & dysmenorrhea e.g HERE [[https://cks.nice.org.uk/menorrhagia#!scenario]]
Tick what's already been tried and put the date if you remember when you tried it.
Show it to your GP and explain it is affecting your working life.
Ask for repeat tests or scans for things, as Attila stated it seems like something has been missed to me.
If they start muttering things about starflower oil, ask to see another GP.
I do wonder if a man came to GP and said he was randomly ejaculating everywhere all the time, causing him pain, leaving him weak and dizzy and he was having to leave meetings to change and miss work to avoid embarrassment....would they say it was normal? Or just his age?