Endometriosis Pain

[Myriam314]

Hello ladies, I'm curious as to how much endometriosis pain differs from person to person. I'm aware that endometriosis can occur in different places,. What is your endometriosis pain like? Mild, severe, sharp, or more like cramps?

[Myriam314]

I'll start with myself, I have not been diagnosed with endometriosis yet, so I don't know for sure that it is what's causing my discomfort, however I think it is a possibility. I get sharp pain switching from my right to left pelvic area, a few days before my period and also the same pain around ovulation time. As soon as my period starts the pain goes away.

[loglegmomma in reply to Myriam314]

Do you have cysts?  Or leg pain?

[Myriam314 in reply to loglegmomma]

I don't have any cysts, but I do get some weird leg pressure when the pain starts right before my period.

[Sara_0 in reply to Myriam314]

Sorry to hear about your pain. I have the same pain that goes away when I get my period, so doctors aren't sure it is endo, can't tell without a lap. It has gotten worse over the past year. Were you able to figure out if it is indeed endo, or something else?

[zeezeeba]

hmmmmm depends which pains lol. before my lap in feb.. id say severe back pain, ovary pains were very sharp depending on my activities during the day, i couldnt run without feeling them although i did have a 6cm cyst on my left. groin was moderate but at times painful. pain during sex was severe to the point id try and avoid!lol. 

now.. about 6wks post.. my back is moderate. i do get sore legs and feet so cant stand long, nor can i sit long because my back. i have been feeling my ovaries i think 4wks post lap..lastnight i dont think i slept much as i kept waking up to sharp pains on my right side possibly ovary or excission area. the cyst on my left was only partially removed so possibly why i feel my left a lot. my pains now i can handle.. havent popped pills..yet.  lol

[Myriam314 in reply to zeezeeba]

Good to know the lap ended up helping a bit. I've heard some cases where the lap made the pain worse, especially when it's not done by an endo specialist

[zeezeeba in reply to Myriam314]

everyone is different. lap is not a cure unfortunately. i got mine done through public system but my gyno is a specislist who does thr ones is private hospitals so im lucky with that.  he did tell me having a lap can cause other problems .. ie if they accidentally snip something that got in the way during the surgery. so you kinda gotta decide wether its worth it. in my case.. i definitely took the chance lol. trying to conceive asap now incase my cyst grows back or endo. 

[Myriam314 in reply to zeezeeba]

That is something to keep in mind, I'm still in the process of deciding whether I should get a lap or not. I'm also trying to conceive, and I know how stressful that can be. I hope it all works out for you soon, sending baby dust your way 💕💕

[Kerrykeg]

I was diagnosed with mild endo with chronic pain August 2015, meaning that although I don't have an extreme amount of endo (or didn't at the time) I suffer with pain practically everyday due to it. It can vary, some days it's a dull ache around my pelvis that you can get on with, others it is crippling almost like a punch to the stomach where you are unable to do much with your day. My endo also affects my lower back which adds to my discomfort and sex is also very painful and we have to be strategic with what we do. But I try to avoid pain killers and just live with gentle exercise and a hot water bottle.

[Myriam314 in reply to Kerrykeg]

i hope this isn't too personal of a question. Have you find that the strategy you use to have sex allows you to enjoy it, or does it just make it less painful?

[Kerrykeg in reply to Myriam314]

We find we have to do alot of foreplay (sorry if tmi!) and then it can be abit hit and miss trying out positions to see what I can deal with that day. So it is more about not being in pain and then without the pain I can start to enjoy it. Try a pillow under your bottom, was recommended to me over this forum and it works a treat takes pressure off my back too.

[sanchia46]

I get the occasional back ache. The main issues for me are stomach cramps about a day in two before my period, which increases in pain for the first two days or so of my period where I am generally bed ridden and quite uncomfortable 

[Meggy30]

I have always suffered with painful periods, not heavy just painful. I remember being 15 and rocking back and for with the pain. At that point my mam took me to the doctors who put me on the pill. They continued being painful but was controlled with pain relief. I came off the pill 3 years ago to try to concieve. Over that time they have been hellish painful with cramping in my stomach, pain in left ovary and pain to legs and back. The symptoms increased over this time period. I had a lap in September where it was found I had stage 3/4 endo. The pain is so bad it makes me gag and sweat and want to curl up in a ball and the only thing that helps it is a boiling hot bath and pain relief tablets. I hate endo!

[Myriam314 in reply to Meggy30]

Have you finally been able to conceive, I'm trying to conceive too and I keep wondering if this journey will ever end

[Meggy30 in reply to Myriam314]

I havnt as yet but I am awaiting surgery to hopeful help. Once this has been done in hoping that I will be able to conceive naturally of not its ivf. Fingers crossed for us all x

[Emmalou80]

Hi. My pain is classed medically as chronic (I think this is because nothing gets rid of it to be honest). It's probably three in four weeks in pain. My pain starts right pelvis across to the left pelvis and then it can then go into my lower back (but only if I don't take any medication before it goes to my back). Pre pain blockers it would start as a short sharp pain that grew in severity and was like a contraction all the way across. When the pain blockers were working I wouldn't realise I was in pain until i felt a stabbing pain in the left side. Now it's just a constant pain all across the pelvis into my back. Thank god for codeine or I don't think I could function as a human 

[Myriam314 in reply to Emmalou80]

Wo, that's really intense. You are so strong to be able to even get out of bed with that type of pain

[Emmalou80 in reply to Myriam314]

I live on pain killers and my employers are really understanding. The pain blockers help when they work. They are injections that block the nerve and they should restart the nerve eventually but so far they haven't worked for me so I'm on prostrap now on a one every four weeks for six month dose. I'm really not strong honestly. I hate it. I have a very active cute bundle of seven year old boy.... I need to keep going for him. The last three weeks have been very intense and I have missed work off and on for a few days. We all just find a way of dealing with this life changing condition. XXXX 

[Myriam314]

Yes, originally I thought it was just ovulation pain but after a few months of increasing symptoms I'm starting to think it's something deeper.

[BlueFlowers]

I always has painful painful periods and that was always dismissed as one of those things that as a woman I must put up with. When 'endo symptoms' started it was a dull but deep pain to the left, under my kidneys (although I thought it was about kidneys). Few months later it felt is if something was tearing my hips from within - that's ovaries playing up - I think that's when the size of cysts was changing (that was confirmed by USG).

Since the lap there is no pain on the left of my pelvis but the right side gives me a lot of grief. There are also cramps in my tummy which are no longer limited to periods.

Sex is a challenge but like Kerrykeg said, extended foreplay helps.

Oh, and back pain - since 'endo symptoms' started it comes and goes, no linger limited to periods.