The biggest struggle with all of this going on has been my age. For four years I have been struggling with the awful pain and continuing to go to work and was told recently by a consultant to 'get a grip and get on with it'. This was after she refused to look at my records and and listen to me because she was having 'a busy morning'.
She was not the first to refuse to listen and say 'there could not possibly be anything wrong with you because of you're age'
I was just wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences as myself?
Written by
EzioSammie
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Sorry to hear you are not being listened to. Was this doc a GP?
Tell us your symptoms and history etc. but bear in mind we are not doctors and can't diagnose!
Just so you know, age makes no difference when it comes to endo. The charity Endometriosis UK provides this forum and their youth ambassador Alice had endo aged 12. Read her story here. endometriosis-uk.org/alices... There is also plenty of helpful info on the endo uk website and a support number too. x
Judging by my own experience and that reported by many younger forum members age is a huge issue with GPs extremely reluctant to listen or accept that we know we are not having normal acceptable periods.
My mother took me at age 13 - she knew too that my periods were not as hers were, or indeed what my sister experienced. And I was fobbed off (that was over 30 years ago) and I went back at least every year with something to do with my periods or the pains of that, besides actually have several other medical issues, all of them were given priority - no one wanted to address the periods, i was repeatedly told it was normal etc.
Till I got in to my early 40s and finally had the very good fortune of seeing a lady doc who told me right away she thought it was endo, and basically events took over a cyst burst and i ended up with major surgery on the endo.
I can make allowances for the fact there was no internet back then etc, and very little awareness generally of endo, but to see it still happening time and again with young ladies coming on the forum in their teens having been outright dismissed by their GPs when their symptoms are screaming ENDO, really makes me furious.
On the polls page of this forum - click on browse all, and there was a recent poll asking how old you were when you 1st had the signs of endo- just look how many basicaly had endo signs since they started their periods.
infact age has no bearing on endo, you can be born with it and it becomes active with your 1st period, or you can develop it later in life.
and with 3 girls in every class or 30 girls in school either going to get it or already have it, you'd think that GPs would by now realise just how widespread the problem is.
There are probably thousands of women of all ages who have endo and struggle with it but are still undiagnosed and being fobbed off in the UK.
with the average time still being 7 years to finally persuade a gp to refer to a consultant who in turn arranges a laparoscopy to diagnose, this means that most ladies will have their endo diagnosed in their 20's even if they have been suffering since early teens, but many more will be waiting even longer.
To everyone regardless of age, who cannot get taken seriously - please switch GP, and keep moving till you find someone to take your issues seriously.
OR - if you can save up the money - go for a private consultation - costs around £300 to see a surgeon who works for both NHS and private. you can speak to the as a private patient and then get switched to NHS for the more costly things like scans and surgery.
It isn't an affordable option for everyone by any means - but for anyone exasperated by the failures of the local GP surgery, it is certainly one way to get to see a gynaecologist who specialises in endo and ask them for their opinion.
Waiting lists for diagnostic lap ops are still a long wait - far too long, but at least you would then be on the right trac to finding out what is causing your symptoms.
HI.I started with pain at 17, my go just kept telling me it was nothing and I just needed to lose weight...I was diagnosed at 27 by that time it was all over my bowel & bladder...it just makes me so angry
Same here. I have had symptoms from day one of my periods starting at 12. It took a begrudging lap at 28 to get diagnosed, which the consultant only did because my periods stopped for 18months. I was riddled ( bladder, bowel fused, uterus, rectum) . I feel this is medic negligence to have been ignored for almost half my life!
Hi the exact same thing happened to me for years. Knowing something was wrong I had been filling back and forth to the doctors and was diagnosed with Polycystic ovaries when I was 16 however I was suffering extreme pain and back pain etc I went back and forth to the doctors who just seemed to fob me off because I was young I was refered to a gynecologist who basically said it was all in my head .After that I went private where I was told it was unlikely to be endometriosis ad I was too young. Even though i told them about my family history as my mother had it they still wouldn't listen. I went back to the doctors and told them that I should be referred again . Eventually a new gynecologist took me seriously even though he mentioned age he booked me in for a laparoscopy. I had my laparoscopy 3 months ago at the age of 21 and I was diagnosed with Endometriosis. It was growing in 3 places.
Endometriosis can occur in a woman any age . Don't give up. Follow your instincts no one knows your body better than you .
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