Period not heavy??

[lisaj79]

Hi ladies,

I am due to have a lap and hysteroscopy with d&c in a couple of weeks. When I went to the GP 4 mths ago, my periods were heavy ish but I went because of the all month long period pains I was having with some sever pain around ovulation. However my last 2 weren't heavy and lasted only 4 days - in fact, there was no red blood, only old brown blood with stringy bits and tissue. Does that even sound like endo? I still have the pains as normal or not normal I guess - and I get really deep lower back pain some days worse than others.

Nobody has done a smear which I find odd and my trans vag US was clear except for a corpus luteum cyst.

The surgeon is also going to fit a mirena but I don't really understand why - will this solve all the problems and the ridiculous emotions I get?

Any insight is greatly appreciated x

[Arcadia-77]

Hi, it's possible that it is endo, and it's good that you are having a lap to investigate. Heavy bleeding isn't necessarily a symptom of endo, severe pain at ovulation definitely is though, as is pain throughout the month. Many of the consultants in the UK are overly keen on Mirena and can be really pushy with it, they do seem to consider it to be a fix-all treatment! But it really isn't. Hormones don't treat the disease in endo - only the symptoms for some women, but others get no relief at all. Mirena seems to be a 50 / 50 - love / hate thing, it can work incredibly well completely stop their periods and help their symptoms for some, others just don't get on with it at all, get worse cramps and more bleeding.

As the Progesterone is released locally with Mirena it is thought the hormones are less likely to give side effects, however some women do still find that the progesterone in it affects their mood. It's your decision if you want it or not, I would look into it yourself before you decide, it can take up to 6 months or more to "settle" but if you really don't get on with it, it can be easily removed too.

Are you under the care of an endo specialist or a general Gynae, will it be a diagnostic lap you are having, or do they plan on treating endo if they find it?

Are you up to date on your smears? Either way it's worth bringing it up with your GP.

Good luck for your lap, and I hope you get some answers.

[lisaj79 in reply to Arcadia-77]

thanks for replying and for the info. I am under a general gynae with a special interest in endo (whatever that means). I really don't recall a lot from my appointment because everything seemed to happen so fast but my hubby said they are doing a diagnostic and will treat if they find anything.

my next smear is due in November xxx

[Arcadia-77 in reply to lisaj79]

Hi, sorry just realised - I hadn't responded! As a whole general gynaes who "claim" to have a special interest in endo, aren't really "endo specialists", and are often unable to do excision which is the best form of surgery for removing endo effectively in the hope of long term / permanent relief.

I'm not trying to panic you - but I do think that it's better women know these things. I would try and find out beforehand if they find endo how they plan to treat it - whether they will be burning it which can be called ablation / diathermy, or whether they will do excision - cut it out. Ring them up and ask them, or email if you can - it's best if at all possible to avoid having your endo burnt. If they are unable to do excision, it "may" be better to ask for a diagnostic lap only, and make sure that they take lots of good close up photos of what they find. Then depending on where in the UK you are, ask to be referred to one of the true endo specialists on the NHS to have it treated properly, the rules vary across the regions but in England it's very straightforward.