This is a weird question but found inform... - Endometriosis UK
This is a weird question but found information which may be a coincidence. Who's not had the BCG vaccination because natural immunity ?
Me - I have not had the BCG - lived overseas when a child and developed natural immunity due to frequent exposure to TB. So when i was tested at school (same with my sister) we tested positive and were told we did not need the BCG because we had natural immunity.
My sister doesn't have endo, but I do.
What's the info you found? i am intrigued.
Hi ya thank you for replying! Lasts week I stumbled on the information that Pelvic Inflammatory Disease PID is mainly due to TB. Then knowing I had a postitive Heaf test and previous gynaelogical infection I kinda think I have put 2&2 together. Maybe HEaf tests could be used for possible endo investigations or gynaelogical infections. Now does TB cause endo??? Omg so many questions! What do you think? I might be going crazy! Just incase I'm patenting the idea!!! Lol
Hi
I'm intrigued too. I also have natural immunity to TB and one Gynae has mentioned it before but didnt really go into much detail, although I know a common side effect in female TB sufferers is adhesions in pelvis and think the Gynae that mentioned it to me was thinking along those lines as I had very dense adhesions in my first lap and it could (potentially) be a link, so not so much cause/link to endo but more that I may be more susceptible to adhesions due to the TB immunity which may have made my situation worse.
Thank you for replying too, I am almostconvinced it has something to do with it. I just wanted to see if many people have the same history. I wasn't sexually active before I had gynae problems so it's not related to that. The infection I had was nasty it started age 12 and diagnosed at 15 which was also possible as it is slow growing. Wish I had a way of finding out now!
What have you found out? I've had all my jabs for tb and stuff and so have my family. I have endo but no one in my family have had it before. I've also had ovarian cysts which no one else had had. I didn't get periods unt I was about 15 and all my family were younger than me when they started I heard it often runs in families although I'm the only one with it ):
Thanks for that info princesssm. I was wondering if positive Heaf test could be used as a possible indicator of endometriosis so that there may be a way for earlier diagnosis. My natural curiosity makes me determined to get rid of this awful disease!
I vaguely remember having the heaf test at school and didn't need the injection although I'm sure I was given tb vaccine as a baby as I still have the scar on my arm may be wrong I will need to check..... Is this endo related ?
I was vaccinated for tb, all irish people are. I don't have any adhesions just lesions which is the point your trying to get at rite?
Just wanted to add that in.
Hi classiesbird yes was thinking maybe adhesions/cysts caused by TB I am more thinking about the test that used to be done before the actual BCG was given. It was called HEAF test. It was used to test if anyone had natural immunity (i.e already been exposed to TB) before the BCG was given. I had already been exposed as developed a reaction to the HEAF test and did not have to have the BCG I had not had specific chest problems previously. I later had a nasty gynecological infection. I have found information about latent TB which can take a long time to develop and can lay dormant until the immune system is weakened. This would explain some symptoms I am having. I was diagnosed with Endo in 2013. When on Provera. I get constant chest infections and apparently using steroid treatment is a way of finding out if there is latent TB present in the body. All this is to do with the immune system and I think would explain a lot of immune problems with Endo . Not sure if TB has anything to do with Endometriosis or not. but I will ask my Gynae if he thinks its possible or if he thinks I'm insane! Most doctors appear to think those with Endo are insane anyway so what have I got to loose lol!
I was brought up in Japan and our Heaf test was called tuberculin. I was negative so I had BCG. I have endo and a lot of adhesion. Is my case count for or against you?
Arh thanks shukudai, that kinda blows that theory out! I wonder if it can be endo leading to TB susceptibility then because of damage to the immune system. I might be completely wrong.
It's a good theory you've come up with and maybe there is something in it if our immune system is compromised wen we have a flare up.
I did go through a bad phase wit my asthma and wen I took steroids it made my asthma worse. It was very very odd. Looking back alot of d symptoms I had den, sore legs, exhaustion, where similar to what I have now my endo has decided to become a constant companion.
And I did look into tb at the time despite being vaccinated but didn't have all the typical symptoms.
Can I ask what hormones you take now? I get a bad chest when I take progestin and keep getting them after having a dose if antibiotics a couple of weeks and I'll get another chest infection.
I use nuvaring. Been on it over 5 years now. I did have bad asthma flare ups while on it and even ended up in a&e with an asthma attack but once I found the right asthma meds and exercise regime no more attacks.
Im hoping my asthma isnt gonna get bad again since my pain became chronic and ive not been able to exercise as much as I would like
Hi my names pete, ive had chronic fatigue for many years, I found out that head trauma can affect the pituitary gland and doesnt always show up immediately. I developed m.e/cfs a couple years after a head trauma. Looking up head trauma today i found an article about two women diagnosed with cfs that actually had hypopituitarism which is the pituitary gland not working, having looked up what else can cause this it says tb. I also had the heaf test and it came back i had natural immunity. Thats how ifound this comment stream.. it seems hhypopituitarism may cause endrymitriosis aswel
