Can anyone relate to or have any advice on what im about to post....

[despforhelp]

I have had a scan that shows a 3 cm endometrial cyst and being referred to gynae. A previous scan showed a supposed 4cm simple cyst...bit confusing for me anyway! Also prior to that a few years before I was diagnosed with pcos, which has disappeared from the scans. For years I have had very painful periods, overwhelming fatigue which was put down to chronic fatigue, which i'm not so sure about now as feel it tallies up with other symptoms I experience, I have a very bloated tummy all of the time, it can be uncomfortable having sex and im just in discomfort pretty much all the time just in general. I can have sharp pains at times...suppose depends where I am in the cycle. I just feel unwell 3 if not 4 weeks of the month and even feel i'm sweating a lot even before this heat in the uk.!...not sure if this could be related to possible endo? Anyone else have similar experience? Thanks

[Cloudyrain]

Sounds very much like my endo symptoms (except I only had simple cysts and my PCOS stayed). As they have found a complex cyst I expect they will do a lap.

Top tip: Research endo before your next appointment.

Good luck x

[Impatient]

The complex cyst or endo cyst is one that is filled with blood and is usually a pretty darn good indicator that you do have endo to some degree, but having a lap op to remove the cysts will allow the surgeon to check how far the lesions of endo have spread around your tummy organ surfaces and hopefully he/she can remove some if not most of them. Even getting rid of an angry cyst can make you feel a whole lot better. Sadly having painful sex or smears is not usually resolved by this initial type of surgery.

If you are not planning on starting a family anytime in the immediate future, then I would recommend you ask the Doc to fit you with a mirena coil during your surgery. This is the most painfree way it can be put in, and when you are already someone who finds it painful down there having sex or smears then any opportunity to have the coil

put in pain free is fantastic and should be given serious consideration.

It does take a few months to build up goop around the implant, enoough goop and it stops your periods completely or at the most shoudl be no more than a bit of spotting each month. No more painful periods, pain killers, costs of tampons etc.

It can be really liberating to not have a monthly agony rulling and ruining your life.

You must give it tie to settle and get to work, it is not an instant solution to period issues but if it does work it can be fantastic to be free of periods while it lasts up to 5 years, but can be taken out if you do decide to start a family.

a simple cyst is a clear one, filled with clear liquid and is quite different in appearance on scans from a blood filled cyst.

Pcos cysts tend to be clear. endo cysts are blood filled, and the blood is old looses its red colour and turns brown, which is why they are also called chocolate cysts.

Both types can cause pain, both can burst which is excrutiatingly painful.

You will probably now be put on a waiting list for surgery in the next couple of months or so. It can be a longer wait, so speak to your GP about having suitable strong pain killers. over the counter ones might not be strong enough.

[despforhelp in reply to Impatient]

Thanks for the information! I suppose what I meant by being confused was that how could a simple cyst show on last scan although it was 8 months ago to now show as endometrial. I guess we are not doctors so won't know. I did ask my doctor and I felt she didn't give me a clear answer. It's interesting about the Mirena coil, I've heard a bit about it, but I will look into it more. I have been taking progesterone only pill gederel which was to see if it helped things, it may have regulated my periods but that's about it.