URGH! Still?! 1st Laprascopy...still getting brown discharge?!

[Red1981]

Hi Ladies,

I had my first ever laparoscopic surgery to remove endometriosis just under 2 weeks ago, I knew already I had small endometriomas, one on each ovary after they showed up during a scan. During the surgery my consultant told me these were removed, as well as a lot of endo found significantly at the back of uterus and spots on bladder. I had the surgery the day before ovulation was due, and spotted slightly after the surgery as I also had my tubes checked at the same time (which were thankfully clear!).

Before I had the surgery I spotted brown gunk before pretty much every period for at least 4-5 days before the full red flow would start, I always thought this was due to the cysts.

Have any of you ladies experienced this? It's like brown stringy sludgy gunk! I thought (perhaps naively) that after the surgery this brown discharge would stop, but clearly not!!

Any feedback, thoughts greatly appreciated this is so frustrating, I thought the surgery would fix things.

Is there anything else I'm missing that can cause brown spotting?

[Hidden]

Hi Red - I've experienced something similar to you, although mine used to be mid-cycle (I think when I was ovulating and the endometrioma I had on my right ovary would react to all the hormones). Once the cyst and endo patches were removed it took a while (perhaps 4-6 weeks) for me to notice a difference and for things to get back to 'normal'. My consultant recommended giving it at least 3 months for things to 'level out' (as he put it) because although you might look and feel okay on the outside, things are still healing on the inside. And don't forget - just because laparoscopic surgery is often day surgery, it's still a pretty major operation! They're anything but gentle when they're in there and often times they have to move other organs about to get at the places they need to be, all of which will have an effect on your body's workings.

You mention you're only just under 2 weeks post-op, so I would definitely give it another few weeks. If after that time you're still seeing no improvements or things appear to be getting worse, I would recommend going back to your consultant to see if there's anything s/he can suggest...

[Red1981 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply, it's so good to hear someone say "i had something similar to you" because honestly this brown gunk coming out of me every month just makes me feel horrible!!

I think you are right, i'm being very impatient!! What I cant understand though and maybe you can shed some light...when they remove the endometriosis its external to your uterus right, in my case on areas like the ovaries, bladder and behind my uterus (but wasn't actually inside it!) - where exactly is the brown discharge coming from? i'm guessing it comes from the ovaries as a result of hte endometromas on there and travels down the fallopian tubes into my uterus and then out every month..sorry but biology has never been my strong point at at school!!

xx

[Hidden in reply to Red1981]

The way it was explained to me (and I'm certainly no scientist!) is that the brown discharge we get is old blood. It's most commonly thought to come from the blood inside the endometrioma(s) which can behave in a very similar fashion to the endo that's present elsewhere (i.e. grows, thickens and bleeds over the course of your menstrual cycle.

One other belief is that some women might suffer from something called retrograde menstruation. With this condition, menstrual blood containing endometrial cells flows back through the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity instead of out of the body as it normally should. These displaced endometrial cells then stick to the pelvic walls and surfaces of pelvic organs (bladder, external surface of uterus etc) where they carry on growing, thickening and bleeding over the course of each cycle (resulting in the classic endometriosis).

Endo isn't strictly speaking an 'outside the uterus' condition (if by uterus you're including fallopian tubes and ovaries), but it is more likely to be found in and around the pelvic region. There are cases of women having growths in other areas including the lungs, ureter (the tubes leading from the kidneys to the bladder), kidneys and in extreme (and very, very, very, rare cases) the brain.

In my case I knew that my endometrioma had returned because not only was I getting the brown stuff at mid-cycle and the few days leading up to the start of my period, but my right side, butt cheek and thigh were hurting so much I actually begged my husband to chop my leg off with a saw. Thankfully he took no notice of me‼

:o)

[Bettyheslop]

Hi, I know how you feel, sick of the brown gunk. I have been having it every single day for 18 months!

I used to have it a few days before and follwing a period but now it's constant. It was this that led me to be diagnosed with endo and have laparoscopy in the first place. I have severe endo, my tubes are blocked, I had large endometrioas before lap, they have grown back since lap in October. I'm sorry I can't tell you exactly what causes it, I think I have adenomyosis too. The surgeon said the blood vessels inside my uterus are very enlarged and bleed easily. The brown is just old blood that is taking a while to get to the outside. I just never stop.

For many reasons I have decided on a hysterectomy which as a bonus will get rid of mine, hopefully you will find a less drastic option to stop yours! Have you tried mirena IUD?

Sorry I'm not much help but I can totally sympathise with you, it makes me feel gross all of the time.

I hope you manage to get it sorted xx

[zeezeeba]

the brown gunk! know if too well. i had lap feb 2016. cyst removed from left ovary and found endo on

luterosacaral ligaments. a week before every period id get the annoying brown gooey stuff.. and few days after the red stuff. almost 3 months after lap.. ive only had 2 cycles.. both really east going no major cramps. first lots of gunk.. 2nd not so much. i think my insides are hopefully finally settling. im hoping no gunk in my next cycle. i do think its from the cyst i had..maybe even the endo cells travelling. id never had the brown goo til before gaeny told me all my pain was due to cyst.

hope yours settles soon. just remember.. your insides and body is still healing even if you may feel fine.

[Clareen]

I am in a similar situation had lap 4 weeks ago to remove cyst, they also removed adhesions and endometriosis. I didn't know it was that bad. I had the brown gunk every day for approx a year before surgery. It stopped for about 2 weeks after lap, now it's back as bad as ever. It's really getting me down because I think the surgery didn't work. Any advice would be great.