AF lasts less than 2 days, pain in right side pelvic area, any ideas?

[totalmisfit]

Went to Dr a week ago because i'd been having unusual pain in my right hand side (felt like ovulation but happening more and more frequently through the month). Also, i've had a feeling of pressure in that area even when there's no pain and i'm waking up constantly in the night to go to the loo.

AF is also much shorter than i would consider normal - only 1 and a half days of proper bleeding and then barely visible spotting for about another day - i suspect this is one of the reasons we're having trouble ttc i.e not enough womb lining for a baby to 'take'. Quite worried about premature menopause as i'm only 27 and really keen to have another baby.

Had some blood tests and rang the surgery to get my results this morning, apparently everything is normal. I know this isn't true; AF used to be anything up to 8 days and really heavy for most of it. I know it can change after you have children but surely not this much? the Dr hasn't asked me to make another appointment as far as he's concerned there's nothing wrong.

i don't know if i should go back. i really think this should be investigated further but tbh i'm getting a bit fed up of having to fight so hard to be taken seriously. what do you think?

any advice welcome!

so no-one on MN has had this? or no-one gives a toss.

thanks very much all, i hope none of you are experiencing ill-health and that if you do you find lots of people willing to offer advice on this wonderful site.

Sorry no advice.

Do you get this pain every month now? How many periods have been really short?

My cycle has changed post children. After ds1 my cycle went down to 21 days. Now it is pretty much 28 days, but I bleed for 2 days and then have a day off and then a pathetic amount for about 4 days!

I hate going to gp, but I'd go back if it went on for more than 6 months especially if ttc.

Sorry I'm no help.

have u been checked out for endromitisis sorry not sure how to spell it have u got any other symtoms??

Hi Totalmisfit,

I have had a lot of pain in my right side since coming off the pill 12 months ago, sounds pretty similar to yours. Finally went to the docs just after christmas and was told I had a water infection and given anti-biotics. Been ok for the last couple of months but the pain has started up again in the last few weeks. Think I will have to go back to Docs but like you feel that it was not taken very seriously to begin with.

Sorry not much help but I think you should go back to Doctors.

Good luck

docs thought i had water infection and gave me anti too its only till i spoke to a friend and she told me her symtoms i went back to the doc and was told i had endro

Thanks all, sorry for my grumpy post earlier.

The 1.5 day periods thing has been going on for about 6 months. The pain has been gettting worse over the past 3 months or so.

I was saying this to dh last night and he said 'oh yeah because when we first got together you'd be 'off-limits' for at least a week but last july you came on just before my birthday and i was disappointed but then you were ok by the time the day arrived' so he's noticed it too, and that's going back at least 8 months.

havent been checked for endometriosis - what's the screening process involve? it might have been one of the things they looked for in the blood tests but my doctor is rubbish at explaining things. I asked him what i was being tested for and he just reeled off a list of things at a hundred miles an hour. Does the screening usually involve a scan/ seeing a gynacologist?

well all the doctor done was put me on tablets and hormone drugs to see if it helped which it hasnt so next step is lapos dunno how to spell it but when i first had it, it was really bad went to the docs i finally told her what it was docs are kinda crap at spotting endro so u probly need to google it so when u go in their u know what u want done and what options u have i know friend of mine had op to remove the tissue on her cervix and that whats causing the pain good luck let me know how u get on x

totalmisfit i used to have 5-6 day long heavy crampy periods and when we started ttc dc2 my periods went to 1-2 days of sometimes just spotting! i too was worried, went in for tests etc.

however, we did get pregnant, it took us a while and a lot of stress but worth it!

if you are worried about your lining, you could always go for a private transv scan to check your lining and your follicles too to make sure ou are ovulating. the birth company do it in london v reasonably priced. in fact that was the month we conceived (my lining was fine)

not sure about the pain, could be water infection?

all the best

went back to see GP today, to ask for referral,

do you know what he did... he shoved a questionnaire for depression at me and told me to fill it in! i shoved it right back and said 'I want to a referral to a gynacologist. I can't believe you think i am imagining all this...'

i mean how insulting is that? i'm absolutely fuming

But depression is some GP's stock diagnosis for all female health problems!

My periods went much like yours after teh birth of DD. They went from very heavy, lasting 6-8 days to quite light with pains like you describe. After DS my periods changed again.

Is there anotehr GP at the practice you could see?

Hi totalmisfit... sorry you're having probs with your gp. I'd think about finding another one...

in the meantime, have you thought of a more natural approach to tackling your fertility? I know that Agnus Castus can help regulate periods and lengthen a short luteal phase (some more info on this website) so perhaps there's something that might help your problem. Or perhaps acupuncture? I think any kind of pain should still be seen by a doctor, but perhaps you could approach your problems with ttc from another angle. Perhaps the pain and short periods are two different problems.

Did you have a hormone profile done? You need to have it done on days 1-5 of your period to get an acurate reading, in your case might have to be day 1. Even if your within range you could be in the peri which can affect things

thanks all,

thats just it, Cranberry, i'm not sure what i've even been tested for. When i asked him, he just reeled off a list of jargon words at top speed, i mean i'm a philosophy grad, not a medical student, i din't have a clue what he was on about. the bloods would have been taken on about day 4 of my cycle, tho. probably more through accident than by design.

Headfairy - yep, i'm writing to the surgery right now to see if i can switch to another GP at the practise. hadn't really thought about alternative therapies tbh, although it sounds like it might be worth investigating.

smudge - isn't it just? i'm still hopping mad about it and it's getting on for 10 hours ago now. The thing is, i had PND after dd was born so what i think he's done is taken a cursory look at my notes and decided that it's all in my head.

And throughout this, i haven't had a single internal examination or even a proper external examination of my pelvic area, let alone the things which would actually help to diagnose a problem (a scan for example).

Giving my tummy (literally about a foot away from the site of the pain) a quick prod isn't what i'd call a thorough investigation. All in all i think its a little premature for him to decide i'm imagining things, i think you'll agree.

i'm writing a letter of complaint to the surgery too. Why should i have to spend the next 3 months in pain because he's a twat?

totalmisfit
I have right hand side pain and when I was investigated for infertility (by laparoscopy), they discovered my right ovary had a large adhesion and so was 'stuck' to my stomach wall (or something like this - sorry, my knowledge of anatomy is a bit sketchy). I had other scarring too, possibly due to my emergency CS when DS was born, which accounts for my inability to conceive.

The short period sounds like its a hormone thing, and may not be connected to the pain you're having.

Has anyone mentioned the possiblity of an ovarian cyst? (especially as you're feeling pressure).

Good luck with getting a better GP.

totalmisfit - ask for a print out of your blood results, specifically the hormone one's. The labs state what the range is and from there you'll have a clearing picture of what's going on and demand a referal too.
I'm getting pretty clued up on reading my hormone results and I'm sure some other MN's have got an insight too.
Your GP can also request a pelvic scan for you......I can't believe how crap your Dr is!

Have you been checked for PCOS?
My periods reduced then stopped about 10 yrs ago.
Was finally diagnosed with PCOS and then fell pregnant naturally with DD (now 8).
I have the mirena coil now which does a good job of regulating my hormones.

How are you in general? Do you get acne, are your toes hairy? DO you tend to put on weight very easily?
Sounds like it is worth investigating, i would change GP though. You need a referral to get to the bottom of whatever this is.