Hi everyone! This is my first post on this website! My name is Nare (Na-reh), I am 25 years old. I had my first period when I was 13 and have had pain ever since. For a long time I tried dealing with the pain naturally and with homeopathic stuff, but my body was basically like "yeah, that ain't gonna work." The 200mg of ibuprofen that worked for 14 year old me turned into 400mg, occasionally 600mg then just stopped working altogether. I'd take 400mg, use tons of homeopathic stuff, hot water bottle, laying in bed, no help whatsoever. Eventually the medicine would kick in but only for a short time.
Last February I went to my diet gyno appointment and she pretty much said "that's normal, some women just experience it, you have dysmenorrhea, take the pill or pain killers." I didn't want the pill so I was prescribed Naproxen. For the last year I've been taking Naproxen and it has been wonderful, but unfortunately. Not enough. I start having pain about 5 days before my period ever starts So I take the Naproxen 500mg twice a day at the first sign of pain. If I don't do this and instead wait to start my period, it's pretty much useless. Sometimes the cramps I get before starting my period are as bad as my menstrual cramps. The Naproxen however isn't enough either and I still find myself taking that twice a day PLUS extra strength Tylenol to take away that pain that is still enough to interrupt my day.
I have often missed school, work, events as a result of my lovely cramps. Throwing up, rocking back and forth, nausea are not uncommon. Last January was probably the worst it has been. I started menstruating but the pain wasn't horrible so I decided I wouldn't take painkillers and would use my homeopathic stuff. Wrong move. Soon after I was feeling horrible. Cramps continuing to get worse. I couldn't move. My dad was upstairs and I called him on the phone to come help me because I was so bad I couldn't tell for him up the stairs. Prior to this is always sort of hide my pain from him, or rather is deal with it because I assumed it was normal. I also called my mom and boyfriend from their work and school and had them come to me because I just didn't know what to do. I had my dad bring me painkillers, a bucket of hot water to put my feet in (which helps), a heating pad, and magnesium which all help. The pain got worse, I threw up several times and was on the verge of passing out. I thought I'd wake up in the hospital.m, but my dad gave me some water with honey which kept me going a bit. I was sweating and hot but also freezing, I was crying, throwing up, UGHHH it hurts to think about lol. My mom eventually helped and although it took a LONG while, I was better. This happened a month before that first gyno appointment.
Fast forward to today. I just got back from a general exam with a different Doctor who didn't just tell me off. I expressed my concerns with him and told him that is been researching a lot and that I have many symptoms of endo. He listened to my symptoms and agreed that they didn't sound normal. We did a vaginal ultrasound which showed that everything was fine. My ovaries are healthy, my uterus is in the prefereed position and all that jazz. However he told me (and this I knew already) that most women with endo don't have anything show up on ultrasounds. He told me (this I knew as well) that the only way to know for sure is to do a laparoscopy. He also told me that his recommended treatment would be for me to take birth control. I've never taken this or been a fan prior to today. I expressed that I was concerned about its affects on my fertility and he said that if anything it's good because it preserves my fertility. He also said (because I asked) that if I want to get pregnant, I can do so pretty much immediately after getting OFF the BC.
Basically, he didn't diagnose me with endo because we didn't do a laparoscopy, however here are my options:
Either take the BC pill (which helps both endo and primary dysmenorrhea if I happen to have just that and not endo) or I do a laparoscopy to be sure.
I am leaning towards the laparoscopy first becahse quite frankly, I want that certainty of knowing. Also if I have it, they'd remove it right there during the laparoscopy.
Maybe this is weird, but I HOPE I have endo because I just don't want this ridiculous pain I experience to be a result of nothing (or something science doesn't yet know).
What are your thoughts on doing the laparoscopy vs. going on BC right away? He gave me time to think about it and get back to him.
Sorry to be so long ladies! I look forward to hearing some opinions <3