Endometriosis - Could this be endometriosis?

Author

Could this be endometriosis?

seagull

2004-08-03, 10:46 pm

Hello,

I would lke to ask this group if the problems I've been having suggest
endometriosis. I had not considered this until last week. I had
assumed for years that I have PCOS- never diagnosed, but the symptoms
fit. However, I have a sister with endometriosis.

I have a gyno appointment Monday, and I've learned that it's very easy
for them to pass off your concerns or just address the symptoms and
not the cause if you don't know what to ask for/about.

I'm 35. I've always had painful and irregular periods. They were
especially painful in college. I remember driving between my parents'
house and school once, and having to pull over to the side of the road
for two hours and pant my way through the pain.

Over the years, my cycle has become increasingly erratic. Until last
month, I had been bleeding steadily for a year and half, but with no
pain. The doctor put me on NuvoRing, which caused twingy cramping and
irritability, but the bleeding stopped. However, the period that
occured after removing the ring has been horrendous.

First few days- normal cramps.
Monday, though, was the worst pain I've ever had. 3 Alleve did
nothing. A hot bath did nothing. I had nausea, hot flash-like
sweating followed by tooth-chattering chills, trembling, and
difficulty urinating - I couldn't seem to relax enough.

My husband called a friend of his who's a doctor. She wrote me a
perscription for Hydocodone and gave me a referral to an
endocrinologist. That appointment's Friday.

Since then I've had heavy clotting and flooding, and I'm still taking
the Hydrocodone at a half-dose. It's uncomfortable to sit much of the
time and I feel like I'm living in the bathroom. I've had long term
back pain (that's nothing new), constipation, and continued cramping
with pain that radiates down into my thighs.

I appreciate your taking the time to read my post and thank you for
any input you might have.

Sharon

Linda Scheimann

2004-08-03, 10:46 pm

"seagull" <sharon@spanishplus.net> wrote in message
news:8qmg6052ciaubh039vsvvpjc5iojdfos33@4ax.com...
> Hello,
>
> I would lke to ask this group if the problems I've been having suggest
> endometriosis. I had not considered this until last week. I had
> assumed for years that I have PCOS- never diagnosed, but the symptoms
> fit. However, I have a sister with endometriosis.
>
> I have a gyno appointment Monday, and I've learned that it's very easy
> for them to pass off your concerns or just address the symptoms and
> not the cause if you don't know what to ask for/about.
>
I had a hyst (complete) at 48 or so for this and know adhesions are a real
mess if too much surgery is attempted (my doctors philosophy was to go
for a complete cure), but depends on your level of tolerance for distress.
Endo for me was very painful, especially more toward menopause, and
and the bleeding, vaginally, started to occur 2 weeks or so each time, so
I went that route.

>
>
>
> I'm 35. I've always had painful and irregular periods. They were
> especially painful in college. I remember driving between my parents'
> house and school once, and having to pull over to the side of the road
> for two hours and pant my way through the pain.
>
> Over the years, my cycle has become increasingly erratic. Until last
> month, I had been bleeding steadily for a year and half, but with no
> pain. The doctor put me on NuvoRing, which caused twingy cramping and
> irritability, but the bleeding stopped. However, the period that
> occured after removing the ring has been horrendous.
>
> First few days- normal cramps.
> Monday, though, was the worst pain I've ever had. 3 Alleve did
> nothing. A hot bath did nothing. I had nausea, hot flash-like
> sweating followed by tooth-chattering chills, trembling, and
> difficulty urinating - I couldn't seem to relax enough.
>
> My husband called a friend of his who's a doctor. She wrote me a
> perscription for Hydocodone and gave me a referral to an
> endocrinologist. That appointment's Friday.
>
>
> Since then I've had heavy clotting and flooding, and I'm still taking
> the Hydrocodone at a half-dose. It's uncomfortable to sit much of the
> time and I feel like I'm living in the bathroom. I've had long term
> back pain (that's nothing new), constipation, and continued cramping
> with pain that radiates down into my thighs.

The pain management issue with hydrocodone makes me think you might
want to consider surgical intervention (I am certainly not a surgeon).
That's a
really heavy drug. Myself, I cadged some Robaxin (from my partner at that
time, split since for some time), and used LOTS of ibuprofen, but no other
painkillers. Sometimes the uterine contractions damn near dropped me to the
floor (hence the Robaxin but his script was A-OK) and at that time had laid
off alcohol so a really rough time of it. Needed milk of magnesia for
constipation
issues (not bowel endo, as it turned out, but rather strangulation upper
right
and lower left), (bow-tied, I'd imagine), and stopped that at Christmas
1998,
held on through 2000, only to have the upper bowel cause vomititus through
(worst night July 4-5, 2000) December, when after a bout of pertussis after
a flu shot (resolved), realized I had taken a cough suppressant, which led
to
a bout of peritonitus and then after surgery (OK so far), intubation for
white-out
lung pneumonititus.

Short work of this: Endo can be bloody serious.

Take care,

Linda

>
>
>
> I appreciate your taking the time to read my post and thank you for
> any input you might have.
>
> Sharon
>