Is this normal after a Lap to remove endo?

[sara75]

Hello, I'm new to this forum so hope I'm posting in the right place! Hope everyone's having a nice Bank Holiday! Please can someone help cos I'm really worried? I'll try to make it short!.......

When doctors advise the first 1 or 2 periods after Lap could be more painful? Do they literally mean JUST the period? Or does it refer to whichever part of the cycle is worst for you individually like ovulation or just before a period etc?

What I mean is, the most painful time for me, was just as the period was ending, so days 6-11 (if first day of period is day 1). Is that irrelevant though - do they still just mean the period only could be more painful regardless of when the worst time for you in the month was?

I hope I make sense! It's just I'm very worried - I had Lap 4wks ago where they diagnosed and removed mild endo from the cul de sac and the ligament going from that area to near the tailbone, so apart from the pelvic pain and all the other lovley symptoms, I had very bad rectal, tailbone and lower back pain. For the last 3wks, I've been 99% pain free! .......... But, now I'm just finishing my period and can feel mild rectal pain coming back when therer was none, and this IS when my symptoms would start to get worse!!!

Hope someone can answer my question, and sorry again for the essay! Thanks to anyone who might reply. Sara xx

[Sally34]

I've been wondering a similar thing. I had my lap 7 weeks ago and My period was fine but I still get pain after exercise or drinking alcohol. Maybe it just takes a while for things to settle down? I'm confused over the whole thing and hoping it won't last forever as I dont know what else can be done as a lap is the best treatment. I hope your next period is pain free! X

[jen1982]

Hi to you both, just wanted to say it is pretty normal to get that kind of pain around your period or ovulation, or both so soon after a lap. It can take up to 6 months for everything to settle after that kind of surgery. Don't give up hope yet that it hasn't gone. It is more than likely just the healing pain you are feeling. Fingers crossed, I hope it gradually gets easier. It might not seem it, but it is still early days xx

[sara75]

Hiya Sally, I would've thought with still healing the exercise may just be taxing it a bit, and I know alcohol thins the blood so maybe it has other effects like on the blood vessels etc causing more pain? Theres probably some technical reason for it but i know how you feel cos it is a worry when you still get pain after the Lap.

Hi Jen, it's reassuring to hear that having a normal period but getting more pain only AFTER the period is quite normal - I'm just paranoid cos thats what i was like before the Lap. I'm probably more sensitive or something hormonally just when the period ends so thats when I'm feeling any pain. Just have to wait and see - thanks again for your replies. x

[Impatient in reply to sara75]

Got to agree there on the exercise front 7 weeks is probably a lot too soon and your pain could be because you are undoing or straining the surgeons work inside you. It can take a lot longer for your insides to heal up strong enough to withstand 'exercise' above basic pottering around. 10 weeks is the usual advice before commencing gentle extra exercises above normal activity. If it causes pain then stop and recover and then try again later. There is no point giving yourself unnecessary setbacks, it will only delay the healing journey.

[stevieflp]

The thing with alcohols is - your liver is the organ that has to clear toxins from the body. Excess estrogen included. It is now becoming a belief amongst forward thinking doctors that estrogen dominance could be a substantial contributor to endo and many other conditions. When you drink alcohol, you liver then has to deal with detoxing that and so is less able to cope with detoxing estrogen.

We have much more estrogen in our bodies in modern times than in the past because of plastics in packaging and in containers etc and also because of parabens, sulphites and pthlates in every day pharmaceuticals and from food sources, so it does not just come from the ovaries. This is why the endo diet can be helpful because it helps your liver to have less estrogen to deal with. Same with using more 'natural' pharmaceuticals without the nasties. It could well be that after a session of alcohol you retain more estrogen because of the other toxins being eliminated which increases the estrogen and thus the pain.

This is just my rogue thoughts from all that I have read - and it does seem unlikely that just one or two glasses of wine would cause enough havoc to increase pain immediately - but it does seem that having a clear liver function can help in getting rid of excess estrogen which in turn lessens the chance of endo or any other condition related to estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance does not necessarily mean high estrogen but it can be high compared to progesterone which is the balancing hormone. So you can be estrogen dominant even in the peri-menopause stage, in fact more likely so. Just some food for thought.

Recommended read is Dr Michael Lam "Estrogen Dominance". Recommends cutting out sugar, alcohol and caffeine in addition to cutting down on the parabens, pthlates and sulphites where possible.