I was diagnosed with endo 17 years ago. I've had lots of issues with it, including bowel adhesions, but over the last few years I've suffered with chronic indigestion. I ended up with gastritis and now take meds every day to prevent this. But, my stomach pain and acid reflux still gets worse the week before a period.
During tests for my stomach, an ultrasound picked up a polyp on my gall bladder. When I had my last lap I asked if the gynea could take a look and see if that, too, was endo. She couldn't get that far, but she managed to take a look at my liver which was of 'fibrotic' appearance in the crease of the liver.
I have a healthy diet and exercise regularly. I've since had my liver checked and it's functioning normally. I saw the photos and, to my non-medical eye, the stuff on my liver looked like the same stuff created by the endo that leads to adhesions.
Anyway, it would be interesting to know if anyone else with endo gets stomach pain and acid reflux before a period.
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ebby-1970
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Before a period you tummy loads up with bloat this pushes the gall bladder up against the liver etc, and squishes it and its gall stones out of shape a bit. Much less room than normal days.
If after a heavy meal the bile in the gall bladder gets trapped by the pebbles(stones) then the pressure builds up in the gall bladder as it keeps filling with bile destined for that meal you ate, but it can't escape as it usually does and that hurts just like reflux pain, it is felt right in the middle just under the breast bone above the stomach and is very easy to pass off as reflux...only it doesn't respond to ant-acids and the pain can be very intense after supper in the evenings sometimes through the night too.
It will only ease off when the bile has worked its way out passed the pebble blockage and released the pressure in the gall bladder allowing it to calm down.
There is a solution-- have the gall bladder taken out and never again will this be an issue. Endo or no endo.
It is not linked to endo, other than the two medical conditions hit ladies of the same age bracket. And both are VERY common indeed. Infact Gall bladder issues are even more prevelant in the population generally because of years of western high cholesterol diets than even endo is.
Gall bladder removal is the No.1 most common stomach surgery in men and women in the western world.
The ridiculous amount of pain we do get from them is totally unnecessary. We can survive without gall bladders just as we can survive without appendix too. They really are rather obsolete organs for adults.
If this pain you are calling acid reflux is worse in the week before you come on.. rather than when you are on.. then it isn't the endo that is the issue it is the pre-period bloating that is triggering of an attack of biliary colic.
There is a lengthy waiting list for these operations, but it is so well worth getting the gall bladder out if these pains are plagueing you each month for years as they did with me. Wretched things.
I had them for 8 years before the gallbladder was whipped out in a lap op. Not had a peep of pain from that region since, whereas before i would be up through the night every other night desperately trying to get my stomach to calm down. I must have tried every medicine available for what i thought was stomach acid. Lots of pain killers too...but i was barking up the wrong tree for many years and no wonder none of the stomach acid remedies were able to quell the pain.
I was rushed to hosp with severe pain and jaundice eventually when a stone got well and truely stuck. I definitely looked tangoed all over.
..your description does sound to me just like my experience with what was initially put down to suspected stomach ulcer then gastritis, reflux etc etc.
I went thorough all manner of proton pump inhibitor drugs, heavy courses of antibiotic for the 'suspected ulcer', and gallons of assorted ant-acid bottles too.
All it took to resolve all of that was to have me blasted gall bladder whipped out.
hope you get whatever it is resolved in the very near future..it sure ain't nice.
Thanks Impatient, it sounds like you had a difficult time with stomach pain, too, but I'm sure mine's not gallstones.
The Proton pump inhibitors did make a big difference to me eventually. In the beginning, they helped a bit with the pain until I ate anything. The only thing that really helped a lot with the pain was going for a run and I couldn't get enough calories in to balance the runs because eating was so painful. I was losing weight at an alarming rate. After a few months I decided to double the dose and, suddenly, they actually started working. After two weeks, when I went back to normal dose, they continued working. It's like they needed a bit of a kick-start.
The pills continue to really help keep the pain right down if I don't eat anything too fatty or acidic, but I still get the reflux before a period. This is nowhere near as painful as it was in the beginning, because my stomach acid isn't so acidic (thanks to the pills), it still tastes rather nasty when it comes up and my stomach gets uncomfortable and tender.
Back when it started, two and a half years ago, as well as a gastroscopy, I had an ultrasound, which confirmed no gallstones, but a polyp on the gallbladder. I thought this was strange as I have low cholesterol, eat healthily and keep fit. I'd read gall-bladder polyps are usually associated with high cholesterol. Anyway, that's why I asked the gynea to check that area and that's when she found the stuff on my liver.
I'd really like to be meds free. I thought if you had your gall-bladder removed you have to take medication for the rest of your life. Is that the case?
Our gallbladders are important actually! As they store and secrete bile aiding digestion and also they drain wastes from the liver to the Deodenum.
Gallstones are most commonly diet related.
Removing any organ from our bodies is a BIG deal and I think it is irresponsible for anyone to promote surgery as a quick fix. Also if you are healthy you should not have gall stones. So I think you should look to the root of the issue to resolve the entire problem. I would definitely advise you to go see a naturopathic nutritionist.
I had my gall bladder removed years ago but still suffer terribly with gas/bloat & indigestion before & during my period. Makes me feel awful & i live on mint tea & water.
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