Hi, I've never posted on one of these forums before, I'm just hoping to get a bit of advice.
When I first started my periods at 15 there were no issues whatsoever. However, when I hit the age of doing my GCSE exams, I started getting excruciating pain around my lower stomach, sides, lower back and down my legs, leaving me unable to walk for long periods of time. Then the pains would suddenly stop and I'd be able to just go back to what I was doing.. Since then, the pains have been getting more common and more severe. Now at 19, I'm also getting serious bouts of depression and anger, and it's taking it's toll on my family and my relationship. I will sit there crying for hours, try to harm myself and even get suicidal thoughts. I'll be rude, aggressive, to the point of completely trashing my room, and it's also ruining my university education because I just don't even want to get out of bed any more.
Over the past few years I've had countless doctors appointments and some referrals to specialists, all refusing to test me for endometriosis and just putting me on meds to hide the symptoms. After what I've read online, I'm worried because through the meds it still feels like the symptoms and depression are getting much worse, and I've heard that it can lead to other problems such as infertility.
I was hoping that someone who is getting the same problems or who has been diagnosed with endometriosis could just give me some advice on how to deal with things and how you went around being diagnosed. I'm fed up of feeling like there is nothing I can do.
You poor thing! Your symptoms do sound as though they could be due to endometriosis but unfortunately they could be due to other disorders as well. The only way to find out if you have endometriosis is to have a keyhole operation called a Laparoscopy. This is where you have a general anaesthetic and a small camera is put into your tummy to look at your pelvis.
To have this done you need to be referred to a gynaecologist. I'm afraid you will have to be a nuisance towards your GP and demand that you are referred. If they refuse you need to change your GP.
It's really important to find out what's going on and to discover the reason for your pain and symptoms.
Please make a pest of yourself and make the doctors listen to you. Maybe you could take your Mum or another person to the appointment for some support?
Unfortunately I'm no expert on your emotional welfare but again I would urge you to discuss this with your GP, if you are feeling really overwhelmed maybe you could contact MIND or the Samaritans.
Best wishes to you.
Barbara x