Hi Does anyone else suffer with horrible shoulder pain in their right shoulder?? Anytime my endo is bad i get this pain in right shoulder?

[pemberton24]

I get terrible pain that I just can't get rid of, seems to come from right underneath my right shoulder - its only ever the right and in exactly the same place each time! It only seems to come on when I'm on my period or when my endo is just playing up. Is it a normal symptom? I can't seem to find anything about it online and not sure if its an endo thing or perhaps a muscle thing, maybe I hold myself strangely when I'm pain??? Just strange its always in exactly the same small spot!

[Impatient]

It is the location where referred pain is felt. Endo that grows on the diaphragm for example causes the pain from there to be felt in the under shoulder blade zone. Usually the right shoulder too.

Same with pain from trapped gas after you have had a lap op, the gas rises up the diaphragm and gets trapped there but you feel the pain in the shoulders.

It is very rare indeed, compared to the usual locations of endo, but an MRI scan should pick up endo on the diaphragm. You can then either supress the endo by hormones like BC pills, or you may want to have it surgically removed.

A rarer still but actually more hazardous form of endo is when endo is found in the lung area itself. This can lead to collapsed lung with a period and because the pain of that endo is also felt in the shoulders too, with or without lung collapse, this is definitely something needing checking on. The terms to look up in the search box on the green bar are

catamenial pneumothorax (lung endo )

Shoulder pain

Diaphragm endo

There have been a number of previous discussions about these forms of what is termed thoracic endo.

Speak to your GP about the symptoms and ask for a referal to an endo centre

bsge.org.uk/ec-BSGE-accredi...

where they will scan you for signs of both diaphragm and lung endo.

The fact that this is happening each period and is in the same spot - would indicate that it is probably an endo thing.

One option you can try for yourself is stopping your periods and then see if the shoulder pain stops happening while your periods are stopped. e.g. take the bc pill back to back for 3 months.

Or if you think it may be muscular, and perhaps the awkward stand you take if you insert a tampon for example- can be tested by switching to just using sanitary towels for one period. It can be that you do contort your body in a strange way to insert a tampon and that might aggravate a shoulder muscle. Or switch to inserting with the other hand instead. Not as straightforward as it may sound though.

I broke my wrist in my 20s (slipped on an icy pavement) and had to use my left hand for tampons and my god it was not easy at all to figure that one out. so towels is probably the better one to try LOL.

at any rate do not leave it unchecked out. There are things you can be doing to diagnose and hopefully solve the problem. Best of luck.

[Hidden in reply to Impatient]

Welcome back Impatient! X

[xAmyx]

Hi,

I have exactly the same thing!! I always thought i was going mad, i knew i had Endo in shoulder too.

And only right shoulder pain i had this every month. I am now Pregnant so don't get the pain! x

[LittleJo30]

Hi, I have this too, it is so painful, and nothing stops the pain, its like some sort of electric shock pain. Also in the same shoulder and in my ribcage.

[janaenaebonita]

I have that too. It is a horrible pain. At times I could not even lay down, I had to try and sleep sitting up. What has helped me is eating gluten free and using coconut oil in food as much as possible. On toast, or I cook with it or in a smoothie. I still feel the pain at times but it's not nearly as bad. And im thinking if I cleaned up my diet a little more it may just get rid of the pain. I feel your pain. This is rare.

[janaenaebonita]

It is called diaphragmatic endometriosis. The pain is referred to the shoulder. Most women have it on the right side. It si sometimes found on the left or both side. The only way to surgically remove it is with an open surgey not lap