Pain in groin and down legs during and after exercise.... Is it my Endo? Or a muscular problem? And how do I find out?

[Fletch]

Hi Ladies,

I've been exercising for just over 2 months now, in a bid to rid my gained prostap weight and get a bit 'fighting fit' so I can give up my injections and start a family.

To begin with, exercising was absolutely fine. The first 6 weeks were really positive, and I found if I had my endo pain; exercise actually helped! A good run or a workout made a lot of my pain go away so it seemed like a win/win situation.

But over the last 2 weeks I have had horrid shooting pains in my groin, going down my thighs. If i'm on the treadmill, every step is like a horrid stabbing pressure and when I stop it gets worse. Some days I literally have to claw myself off the treadmill (or home if Im out and about) and walking is horrendous for an hour or so afterwards. It's just come out of no-where though so Im really confused! If I sit down, it's fine? It goes away. But standing straight really aggravates it. Whatever 'it' is!

The problem is....

How do I know whether it is my endo pain, telling me it doesn't like me running.... or if I have actually sustained some kind of a groin injury? The pain feels different to my normal endo pains, but because it is in exactly the same site, I just don't know.

Has anyone else exercised and experienced this type of pain? Or has trouble running?

Thanks

[jalo69]

Hi before my first lap and confirmed diagnosis I had a similar experience. I remember having to run a short distance back to my work place to collect something of importance and out of the blue I had the most excruciating pain in my thigh and groin , a pain I'd not ever experienced before and caused me to limp. It did go but noticed it again when I did Race for Life and battled through with limping round the course. Exercise like this was the time it was aggravated. Eventually I had my op and an endometrioma cyst was found and removed with my left ovary. The pain was left sided. I haven't experienced that pain since. I hope this helps you, have you been told if your ovaries are affected by endo? Hugs J x

[Fletch in reply to jalo69]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, but my endometriosis is not connected to my ovaries no. Not unless it has progressed of-course. My last lap and excision was 2011. I'll get an app with my specialist I think. See if she can shed any light. It's eased off over the last few days though, but I have put loads of extra effort into stretching and warming up. I think that helps Thanks x

[bex2016]

Hi,

Yep I have similar pain on my right side...very painful in groin and a sciatic type pain in my bum cheek and down my leg.

I did go to a physio for a few sessions thinking it was muscular, apparently I was very stiff all around that area and did ease with massage. However, I believe it to be endo-related and the stiffness just came from me tensing up with the pain.

I had a lap in January, I had a large cyst on my right ovary, this was removed along with the ovary and fallopian tube.

The pain did subside a lot but I do still get it occasionally, it will come on suddenly and i'm left limping until it goes.

With so many different symptoms for endo, I've started to realise a lot of my 'little' ailments are all down to this horrible condition!

Hugs xx

[Fletch in reply to bex2016]

This is very true. I too believe that this is muscular thing... I have a personal trainer, and he thinks that I hold onto all the tension I get from having endo. I don't release it, and so it's causing me to self injure when I run. As if we don't have enough to worry about!

[shrek]

Hi,

Yes i've experienced this too, so badly in fact i had to pack up going to the gym and running. i've recently had a lap and discovered i was totally glued together with adhesions - don't know if you've had any previous surgeries that could be causing you the same problem??? Hope you get it sorted quickly and can get back to exercise - i can't wait to be able to get back to it again, just have to do it slowly!!!

All the best to you, hugs xx

[Fletch in reply to shrek]

Sorry to hear you had to give up the gym That's sad. Exercise can help our attitude of mind so much, so it is frustrating when we cant do the things that we want to do.

I have had a lap and excision back in 2011. It wasn't that effective so I went onto Prostap and have been on it ever since. This was where the weight just crept and crept and crept on... hence my need to exercise. It's slowly coming off, but this groin thing is forcing me to go at a slower pace, which frustrates me.

I hope you get back to exercising soon. We just need to listen to our bodies I guess and do what feels right, and never rush things. Slowly slowly catchy monkey.

Good luck

[mcnielal]

I am not a runner, but I am a server and get my exercise from walking my three dogs. I experienced horrible shooting pain as you described before my diagnosis. I would be quickly walking through the dining room and suddenly have to STOP moving. I would just stand there with hands against a table waiting for it to pass. It felt like electricity shoring down to my legs. Like the ladies above, turns out I had an endometrioma cyst on my right ovary and I had surgery to remove that as well as my ovary and Fallopian tube. I would suggest insisting on getting an ultrasound to check or cysts. Good luck!

[Fletch in reply to mcnielal]

Thnaks for this. I might get myself booked in for an ultrasound. I haven't had a lap since 2011 so things might have progressed I suppose. It's very frustrating!!!!

[ebby-1970]

Yes, I was getting excruciating pains 20 mins into aerobic exercise, mainly low abdominal area, but including pains in groin, hips and going down the legs. It's a little better after having some bowel adhesions sorted and some endo zapped, although an advanced adhesion was left untreated.

I too want to keep up with fitness as it really helps a lot of the symptoms. I've found that if I do a 20 minute slow warm up, keeping my heart rate relatively low (between 125 and 145) before I go into whatever aerobic exercise I'm doing, I can avoid getting the pains.

It is boring and it does mean putting more time aside for exercise, but it worked for me.

Let me know how you get on.

[Fletch in reply to ebby-1970]

I totally agree ebby... I too have been spending a lengthy amount of time stretching and warming up and it really helps. I have a PT, and he says I hold onto a lot of tension in that area which is obviously Endo linked.... and so we've been working together on releasing the tension so that my hips and pelvis are looser. Ive noticed an improvement just in a matter of days. Like you, it kicks in around the 20/30 minute mark, so I'll stop, stretch it out again and then continue.

God, we have so much to deal with don't we!? Nothing is ever straight forward when you have endometriosis.

Thanks for the reply

[purpleburple]

Hi I've also been experiencing these pains although I didn't get them when I was running I would later that day. Unfortunately over the last two weeks it's gradually got worse to the point where I started to run on Sunday and had to go back home due to shooting pain in lower back, bottom and down left leg

Can't believe we're all getting these pains! I had an x ray on my hip today as my doctor isn't sure what's going on and neither am I but I suspect it's endo or adhesions.

I'm feeling really down today as exercise helps me a lot and I've had to up the painkillers.

Really hope there's a way out of all this pain everyone x

[Fletch in reply to purpleburple]

Hi there,

I too have started a run and been forced to turn around and limp home. It's so frustrating isn't it?

Exercise can be so good for our attitude of mind, and we need the positivity to deal with all the other crap! So it's tough.

Stretching and warming up for about 30 minutes pre-workout has really helped though. Its time consuming, but I haven't been in such bad pain. Its been more of a niggle this week, whereas last week I was un-able to continue.

Im sorry you're feeling down. Maybe on days where we don't feel we can do cardio, we should do yoga or Pilates instead? Its equally as beneficial and perhaps wont hurt us as much

x