Anyone decided not to have a laparoscopy and go straight ahead with treatment/pain relief?

[Kowloon]

I saw a specialist yesterday and after examination, he said he could feel some scar tissue which he thinks is almost definitely endometriosis. He recommended a lap but said that the decision is obviously mine. I suffer from pain during the first half of my cycle only. I really don't want to have an operation and would rather try hormone medication first? Has anyone one else chosen to do this or is it more commonplace to have a definitive diagnosis from a laparoscopy?

[Monikka29]

The only way to determine whether you have endometriosis is by laparoscopy - they'll be able to remove it then. If you just want pain relief and hormone therapy and you do have endometriosis then it will get worse. I've tried the pill (didn't work for me), the coil (worked for a year and got progressively worse), pill and coil together (had to stop as I felt I was bipolar) - I still got the coil but I'm sore every day (it used to be my periods that were bad and in last 3 years it got a lot worse) and I'm waiting for laparoscopy and I bloody hope it will sort the problem.

[sarahgregory]

Hiya, my general gyny THINKS I may have endo but due to previous bowel surgery he doesn't want to do a lap to diagnose as might be difficult with things inside my bowel not being in the right place. The only other surgical way is full laparotomy where he said he would take out everything. So for now I have decided to have hormone injections (Prostap) to see if that helps pain. I am on my 2nd monthly injection and after 3rd one will go back to gyny for another ultrasound scan and to see what to do next.