MRI to diagnose endo?

[bex89]

After being seen at the gyne a year ago and having a clear ultrasound the month after Inwas sent back to my gp with no explination. He started to talk about Endo but was going to put me on tablets for ibs time being and put me on the mini pill to reduce symptoms. This has worked in the sense that i no longer have too much issues other than pain once a month. Which i can cope with but i feel the issue is just being covered up and not actually dealt with. Lately i have felt a stabbing pain low down in my pelvis that is getting stronger month on month so i pushed to be seen again. I finally was seen yesterday where the snr dr wasnt interested in listening to me or explaining anything. She said that she wanted to do an MRI. fine happy enough with that but wouldnt explain why or what they were looking for, what the MRI is. She was more concerned on getting me to agree to a decapeptyl injection? Which again she didnt explain but from what i understand the

side effects can be worse than the symptoms. Especially having spent 2 years trying to get off anti depressants i didnt want to be sent back on them due to an injection that may or may not help. By the time i left i was upset with the attitude from her that i just wanted out. I dont know if I have done the best thing. I woulddrather the MRI than the lap if it can show whats wrong. I dont particularly want an op at all if i can help it. Thank you to anyone who can shed light on any of this! Xxx

[Endo_girl22]

Hi Bex,

During an excruciating few months of being in and out of hospital, referred off to many different specialists and having numerous tests, not ONE of them showed my endo. I had 2 MRI scans, a CT scan of my whole abdominal/pelvic area, 2 pelvic ultrasounds AND a transvaginal ultrasound! It was only due to my extreme pain and symptom that from the first consult with my specialst gynae that he straight away booked the laparoscopy to look for and treat the Endo which was found spread across 3 different areas.

So having an MRI can be a good diagnostic scan BUT is not always going to show anything just like in my case.

Even after my surgery I am still experiencing pain and symptoms which they tell me is nerve related and there is "nothing more they can do". So I agree sometimes it feels like they are just putting a blanket over the situation but it is not right. Get to the bottom of it love and if your not satisfied then change doctors

[Brownlow]

Hi Bex,

Trytobestrong is correct. MRI will only reveal cysts, fibroids, nodules of endo or thick adhesions. It will not show all endo. If anything shows up, at least you have saved yourself going through a diagnostic lap and the information from the MRI will be useful for mapping treatment surgery. However, if nothing shows up the next step would be a lap. Just because nothing shows on the MRI doesn't mean it isn't there.

Decapeptyl is a GnRH agonist and will make you go into sudden menopause. It can only be taken for 6 months in a lifetime. These two facts will give you an indication of just how powerful these drugs are....and dangerous. Your doctor is a disgrace for not explaining these drugs to you, their action and their side effects which can be permanent. Did she give you a reason for wanting you to take Decapeptyl? She is possibly using it diagnostically and wanting to see if your symptoms abate or not. Not worth the risk in my book. These drugs will not make the endo go away. After 6 months it will return. Also, I do not think it is wise to go on Decapeptyl if you have suffered depression in the past.

I know it's hard to think of questions on the spot but next time you go to your GP ask why? to pretty much everything that she says...even the answers she gives!