A little hope thanks to doctor.

[lillyflower]

Hi all so my last post I was asking for help with the emotional side of endo, pain, fertility etc.thanks to all of you who encouraged me to see my doctor. Had to wait a week for appointment and didn't have much hope as last visit she was no help at all! Anyway I explained my pains were worse especially in legs since lap and as I was trying to explain I was finding it all hard to deal with I burst into tears! That said it all!! She calmly asked what is been told as hasn't got results yet and I said endo , lession and bloked tubes with hydrosalpinx. She said yes that's a lot to deal with... Endo is not life threatening but IS life changing! She sugested nortriptyline and explained its for chronic pain even though is classed as anti depressants on a higher dose. She said she wasn't saying she thought it was in my head, the pain is real but if the side effect of these tablets means I may feel better that would be good too. She was so kind and Realy listened even asked how my hubby felt about it all and as I have another 3 week's till my follow up appointment if I needed to see her again then I was to go back. I Realy thought she would think I was waisting her time but the reason I'm sharing this as if anyone else is struggling please ask your doctor for help as just talking to her actually helped me realise how I feel is very normal and as she said life changing so it is completely understandable that many of us need a little support. Now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they work! I forgot to ask but anyone know if I can still take codeine with them? I asked about paracetamol and ibru which is fine. Thanks x

[worth71]

So glad you had a positive visit. I take amitriptyline with co codamol, but I know they're slightly different, can you ring up the chemist to check, or even the doctors receptionist to get them to check. And am so with you on the life changing part of endo. Since my diagnosis it would seem now, everybody I know now knows someone who has had it or has it, and I get the 'oh ye so and so had that, but they dint get any pain' or 'they had a hyster and now they're all sorted' it seems being diagnosed with endo is still not enough for some people to give a little understanding 'cos it's not life threatening is it'

Anyway, hopefully you will see some difference with these pills xx

[Impatient]

Lifting the depression does massively help you cope with the other elements of endo and surgery recovery. No doubt about that.

I would always recommend anyone who is not coping and very tearful and at their wits end to get help with the brain as soon as poss. It gives your head a better chance to cope with everything else, by switching off the emotional feelings. Might sound daft, but having been there myself, not having the capacity to cry, to laugh, to worry, to get angry, to think suicidal thoughts and so on allows you to look at your situation in a much clearer and more practical way.

Depression brought on by surgery and chronic illness and infertility and chronic pain is real and not simply something that will go away quickly on its own. It is a biological change in the brain as your brain struggles to cope with emotions and with healing. It's a huge ask of most brains to be doing too much.

So shutting down the un-necessary aspects such as emotions is a really helpful aspect. It is not an immediate solution and it can take several weeks of drugs before you notice any real difference and there will be some side effects too, but my goodness it is so worth it, when you look back in the weeks and months ahead and realise how far you have come and how much better you feel and how bad yoou once were feeling about everything.

[crystal_willow]

I am so glad you had a good experience with your doctor. Sounds like you have a really good one. It's so vital to have a doctor you feel you can trust.

You can ask a pharmacist about drug interactions as well as a doctor so give that a try next time you go past one or when you go and pick up your prescription.

Good luck and all the best with the new meds xx

[blondie120]

Glad I'm not alone wiv the depression then I thought it was coz they took my tube an ovarie away like going into menopause coz I get angry @ people I've lost the joy I used to have an ability to smile even when I didn't feel like it an No sex drive @ all Zero !!! Could walk past a line up of hot naked fireman an not even turn to look .... My doc said take mild anti depressants but that they wud upset my stomach as I have reflux so no lift in sight 4 me but hope ur meds bring ur smile bk xx

[lillyflower]

Hi Blondie your definately not alone the more I read the more I've realised just how normal I am! My doctor initaly was rubbish and when I asked about different pain relief before op she just shrugged her shoulders and said just need to wait for lap! Now I have results I think she actually felt sorry for me as she suspected endo but nothing else. She was so understanding and for the first time I actually felt I'd been listened to and helped which actually made me feel better too. Your hormones probably are a bit up and down after removing ovarie but opefully that will settle. If you feel you need help go back to doctors as there are many different types of anti depressants so there may be one you could try. I've read at a low dose you shouldn't suffer too many side effects. I can't say yet as only started last night but no side effects yet! Just still lots of pain but they do say can take a couple of weeks to work. As for sex I have no interest at mo either I can't think of anything but the pain so I'm hoping once I get it under control ill get a bit of sex drive back! Fingers crossed!!

Worth I've been reading about mixing drugs with codeine and both yours and mine say if taken together can have a very drowsey effect so I'm just exepting pain tonight and hope to get a break to run over to pharmacy tomorrow and check. I need to be able to drive to work in morning! If your still tired and feeling drowsey or lightheadedness that could be why!

Thanks to you all for comments and hoping to report good things once they kick in. Feeling hopefully today! X

[worth71]

Lilly - That's handy to know, but I've actually managed to not have the codeine since I started the amitriptyline and just stick to mefanamic and paracetamol, so god only knows what state I'd be in if I take the codeine with them, I will ask doc though, my anti biotics say they can cause drowsiness too, and I forgot to ask if they were ok with the amitriptyline as it wasn't done as a visit it was just written out from test results, they're still not working and that's the second course :/. But yes I am very dizzy and light headed, and today I've blacked out a few times.

On a positive, I received a copy of the consultants letter to my gp, regarding to the follow up appointment I had with him a couple of weeks ago. It just stated the facts about my visit, but he mentioned that I was distressed due to the pelvic pain I was in, and he said that significant endo had been discovered all over my pelvis, and that my ovaries were stuck together, and womb stuck to bowel etc. none of this info was news to me of course, but it was just written in quite a compassionate way, and just made me feel better about everything, I don't even know why it did but it just did. So I'm hoping I will be brave when I see him in June and ask for some alternatives to the hyster, or at least to the ovaries going xx