Endometriosis

[Lovemusic33]

I have had ongoing gyne issues for many years, been back and forth to gynaecology, had ablation and sterilisation 2 years ago but at no point have I been checked for endo. I have all the typical endo symptoms which have got worse over the years but no one will listen to me. I am now 41 and am again waiting to see gynaecologist. I am in a lot of pain and bleeding for 3 weeks each month, it’s effecting my mental health, relationships and my physical health. I have been given a high dose of naproxen to take until I get a hospital appointment but that could take some time. Today the pain is radiating down my leg and back as well as the usual tummy pain and stabbing pain in my bottom. Ovulation is painful, I just seem to be in constant pain.

Is there anything that has worked for anyone that I haven’t tried?

I have tried….
mini pill (made me bleed non stop for months)
combined pill (lots of breakthrough bleeding)
Ablation (helped slightly at reducing heavy periods)
sterilisation (seems to have made things worse)

I don’t feel I can carry on the way I am, it’s making me feel so down. I just want my periods to be normal or to stop altogether ☹️.

Hey, fellow endometriosis sister here!
I am 24. I have experienced all of your symptoms and much more from my very first period (aged 9). Doctors also gave me the same run around (oh some women are just unlucky and just get bad periods). I was finally diagnosed with PCOS and Endometriosis in 2020. I underwent surgery in 2022. I used to have extremely irregular periods (well before my surgery , it didn't stop because of surgery as it stopped by then), I never knew when they would come of how long it would last(sometimes was weeks or months). I do have a tip of how to approach doctors.. never ask them for anything , tell me. You have to be assertive. You can actually sue them for medical negligence after receiving your diagnosis. To help with period regularity try all forms of the pill. Sometimes depending on the person 1 pill might have too much testosterone or estrogen for you hence not helping with period issues. If you have tried all types of contraceptive methods, then just ask the gynaecology team to undergo a laparoscopic surgery. Sometimes endometriosis is not detected in scans and can only be done so via surgery. For pain , tell your GP you want 15mg/500mg of co-codamol to manage your pain, tell them you lead a low quality of life because of the trouble and crippling pain you experience. You must be firm when telling them what you want. Doctor's never ever want to resort to stronger painkillers first, women's health is a joke to them. I purchased a period cramping machine on Amazon for less than £30 (vibrates and provides heat) which is a good alternative to lugging around a hot water bottle. Probiotics are good as welll, you can find great ones on Amazon by searching 'women's health probiotics' or Holland and Barratt. Our pain is caused by inflammation, start drink fresh fruit smoothies than contain anti-inflammatory properties it's best to start from within. Many choose to become cannabis users to help with their pain too. My surgery has given me 0 results but has helped great for others it's all a gamble.