Is it possible to discover endometriosis at age 49?

[feelinggeriatric]

Just that really? Or is this just menopause ? Have always had hellish periods. Was rushed to A&e at 19 due to period pain! Went on pill until dc. Pain back after that but managed with mixture of transexamic acid and also found taking up running significantly helped.

Have stopped running due to injury. Didn't have a period for months then one where the pain was so bad I was struggling not to faint (stars in vision!!) . That has never happened before. Pain came on after 7 weeks of painless but very very heavy bleeding.

Have ongoing ovarian pain. Had scan in summer nothing was found. In last period pain was all in that area but also actually mainly excruciating in my thigh!!

Have a referral but wondering if this could be endo? It seems so old to have this found though? Previously have had diagnosis of adenomyosis but at last scan the sonographer didn't agree .

No bowel or urinary issues which I understand are common with endo.

TIA

I was under gynae for 5 years for horrendous periods (they had been horrendous my whole life, I just had no clue I wasn’t supposed to just put up with them!), the pain would make me retch and the bleeding was horrendous. Scans diagnosed fibroids but, when I had my hysterectomy at 47, it turns out I also had endometriosis so I guess it’s possible.

I'm 49 and think I might have endo too. I do have bowel symptoms. Initially I suspected it was coeliac disease or a food intolerance, but I've begun noticing there's a bit of a pattern linked to my cycle.

I also have had very heavy periods over the last few years and now have anaemia. I find exercise helps a bit too. Sitting down for long periods makes it worse. I need to go back to the doc - coeliac test and stool test came back normal.

There is an online support organisation for endo so might be worth you looking at that? Sorry I don't have time to search and link but it's easily findable if you google.

I think they say the average age for diagnosis is 40 which means a lot of women are pretty old when they are diagnosed and many, never.
Endo is when the womb lining grows outside the womb in other areas- often the bladder and bowel- so pain in itself is not a sign, and the only way to really diagnosis is a lap/ camera to have a look or other investigations.

That's interesting how old the average diagnosis is. I've got a scan (again) soon except this is with a consultant I think so will see what they say. The anxiety over not knowing what it is is the worst part really .

www.endometriosis-uk.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2Y74zLWr8AIVJ4BQBh0CRAFXEAAYASAAEgK7_vD_BwE

This is the website @feelinggeriatric

@JinglingHellsBells great thank you

The anxiety over not knowing what it is is the worst part really.

Yes, I agree. It's constantly on your mind, isn’t it? I spend an unhealthy amount of time googling symptoms and possible causes. I was convinced mine was gluten intolerance or coeliac, but I just read an article that said in a study of hundreds of women diagnosed with endo, 75% of them (not necessarily just those of them with bowel involvement, I don't think), experienced a significant improvement in symptoms on a gluten-free diet. Something about gluten affecting hormones.

[quote feelinggeriatric]@JinglingHellsBells great thank you[/quote]
It confirms that a scan can't diagnose endo.

Yes . I was diagnosed with adenomyosis in my early 40, but recent sonographer didn't agree. So I guess this will be third opinion. Pain is one sided (and actually the chronic period pain has been on one side for the past ten years), so wonder if that is more endometriosis. Just weird as I also get an ache/pain when I exercise and had massive pains last time i tried.

@lazylinguist yes I read that. I would give up dairy and cut back on caffeine and gluten but not sure I could give up entirely !

Didn't sleep much last night for googling. Need to put phone away !!

@feelinggeriatric

Yes . I was diagnosed with adenomyosis in my early 40, but recent sonographer didn't agree. So I guess this will be third opinion. Pain is one sided (and actually the chronic period pain has been on one side for the past ten years), so wonder if that is more endometriosis. Just weird as I also get an ache/pain when I exercise and had massive pains last time i tried.

A lot depends on who does the scan and the type of equipment used. I have only ever had scans (ovarian cyst) by a consultant radiologist. Someone who is a sonographer is not necessarily qualified enough. Adenomyosis can be seen on scans as it's in the uterus only. Endo cannot be seen on scans as it can be anywhere in the pelvis.

My sister is 46 and has suffered with pelvic pain for years and years (was always told it’s IBS with no other investigations offered). The pain become worse and her gp sent her for a scan which showed a mass on one of her ovaries, she was told by the nurse at her follow up that they suspected ovarian cancer and was given an urgent op for removal. Turned out to be endometriosis which had grown on her ovary, both the mass and ovary had to be removed. It was such an awful worrying time for her and just goes to show that there isn’t enough support or advice or knowledge from gp’s out there for endometriosis sufferers, if she had been offered a laparoscopy years ago it would have saved her a lot of stress and pain.

Hi, I got diagnosed with endo and adenomyosis in my mid 40's. I had an MRI for suspected cancer and it showed up on that apparently.

I'd gone to the GP with nasty periods and pain, fatigue etc. A blood test showed raised cancer marker (thankfully a false alarm) so had the MRI to check things out.

I'd raised concerns years earlier but was dismissed. I always had heavy painful periods and I too ended up in a&e when I was a teenager. Used to throw up in school quite a bit too.

So yeah, took about 30 years to diagnose...