GP refuses to help- reoccurring ovary pain

[heyheyhelen]

Hi guys I'm new here so let me know if I've broken any etiquette.

After ridiculously painful periods (vomiting and fainting from the pain) from the onset of menstruation and chronic abdominal pain from the age of 16 I was told my gynaecologists (one of many gynaes I saw at that time) at 19 that I either had endo or was very likely to develop it (his was after a laparoscopy a year prior to that didn't show any abnormalities) and she told me to take the pill continuously (no periods) until I wanted to conceive. Four years on I'm 24 and still having chronic pain with flare ups every couple of months but am functional due to the pill.

But my most recent flare-ups have me worried. In March I was in intense pain for days which was concentrated in my right ovary (I have never had pain so concentrated, it is usually just general), passed a load of blood clots and went into some kind of shock where my lips and nails would turn blue and I was unable to keep warm- I'd be freezing even after a shower. I managed to get an appointment to see my GP after this passed and was sent for an ultrasound on my ovaries which returned nothing.

I went for a follow up appointment in May with another GP in my local practice (my regular one didn't have any appointments available for the next month) who flat out said that a) there was no medical reason for someone to be on the pill continuously and in doing so I was ruining my health; b) she wouldn't refer me to a specialist for the changing pain as she had no medical cause to with the ultrasound coming up normal; and c) my pain is probably due to anxiety and if I would just go off the pill and let myself menstruate normally I would be fine.

Naturally I cried my way home (I was recovering from a nasty kidney infection so on a lot of painkillers).

A month on from seeing the GP and the pain is back, concentrated in the same place, I'm losing blood clots and am really bloated and hormonal (my lips are a normal colour so far). In addition, when I press the area I can feel a something not right (its lumpy and weird, I haven't tried touching it again because it is extremely painful to touch.

Is this a situation where I should get an emergency GP appointment? I'm so hormonal that the idea of going and being berated again makes me almost cry.

Any advice

[miss_wendy]

You poor dear this is serious and yet the Docs aren't taking it seriously at all. I feel you as I too am having trouble with Doctors. Have you tried looking on Nancy Nooks Endometriosis files (FB) to find a good Specialist, someone who will actually listen to you?

[SallyBowles]

You poor thing. I personally would insist on seeing a different GP to discuss this. The comments were unprofessional and inaccurate. You cannot see endometriosis on an ultrasound unless there is an endometrial (chocolate) cyst - that is a medical fact. The only way to diagnose endo is via a laparoscopy in this instance. You deserve to be referred to a gynae again, preferably one with endo specialism, as you symptoms have worryingly changed.

However, if it were me I would give serious thought to coming off the pill, as the symptoms of your lips and nails going blue sound like circulatory problems to me which believe me you don't want on top of endo. Get another appointment quickly with the doctor you trust, it's worth holding out to get a good outcome.