Newbie needing advice!

[Bambikins]

Hi! My names Amber and I'm 18 (yes baby over here) and 'I'm in pain' is my most common used sentence right now. For a bit of background, I've had weird periods since day one and had them quiet early on to. Pain came with my periods but I never realised that the amount of pain I was in wasn't normal. Heavy bleeding and irregular periods happened for years and kind of went ignored. When I was 16 and started to have sex, I noticed that I had a lot of pain and it was only getting worse. Again I thought this was normal.

Someone who has endo mentioned it to me and it just kinda made sense. I went down to my gp so I could have some tests. They've put me on all types of contraceptives (the pill, mirena coil, the pill AND mirena coil, and a different type of pill), but if anything (particularly the coil) just made things worse.

One of my tests done was an internal ultrasound and that's when things started to get really bad, that night I had to go to hospital I was in so much pain. They initially thought it was pelvic inflammatory disease and out me on so many antibiotics for that, before even seeing test results. Then when that was ruled out they started to look at endometriosis. I was in and out of hospital a few times until they started me on hormone injections to induce a temporary menopause. Is this normal? To have treatment before a laparoscopy was even mentioned?

They sent me home from hospital and things were fine for a whole three weeks! Then the hot flushes became so bad and I felt dizzy and sick 24/7. The other night I started bleeding so heavily I soaked through three sanitary towels in 40 minutes. I quite obviously got myself to hospital, and they ran some tests and were not sure. They pumped me up with oralmorph and sent me on my way.

The pain is awful! I cannot deal with it, I'm maxed out on all my pain killers every day. I'm in so much pain at the moment I'm considering going back to hospital, but I absolutely hate hospitals so it's a hard one. I know all they're going to do is give me pain killers and I'll have to wait around a&e for hours. But I don't see any other choice right now. I can hardly move the pain is so bad and I'm still no closer to knowing when my laparoscopy is going to be. My emergency gynaecology appointment isn't until late march and I don't know if I can wait till then.

So to sum up,

Is it normal to be given treatment before any laparoscopy is considered?

Does anybody have any idea why bleeding started on the menopause injections?

Should I venture back to hospital for pain relief?

Thankyou for reading and thanks in advance for any replies!

[Hidden]

I'm 17, yes sometimes due to our age they don't want to perform a laproscopy because of the disease reacurring, it takes a lot to convince your gyno to perform one sometimes. In my case it took almost an entire year where I had been kicked out of my high school for not attending, was completely bed ridden and was on a progesterone pill. Not to mention the waiting list can take quite a bit of time, mine was supposed to be this month or next.

Being put on a menopausal drug at our age is dangerous to our health, it can cause osteoporosis and numerous other side effects, if you have anyone in your family who has gone through menopause talk to them and their experience may be akin to what you would go through. My Nonna suffered from depression and severe hot flashes for 10 years after it started. Not to mention menopause normally happens over a period of time meanwhile a menopause drug will put you through it in a few days.

Irregular periods is also a sign of menopause so it might just be your body adjusting to the loss of hormones. Periods start when your estrogen and progesterone levels drop, menopause essentially makes them drop than stay down for good.

Have you experienced any bowel or bladder issues during your period? If you have I would tell you gyno, I didn't think they were related till I was told about them here. Diahrea during menstraution, constipation during ovulation, blood and proteins in urinr are a few symptoms. You might've also had clots with your flow. Do you experience bloating?

While I've been waiting for surgery I've started Pelvic Floor physiotherapy the thing is with endo we develop an unnaturally tensed pelvic floor which overtime can make our pain worse. If it's released it won't be as tensed, a physiotherapist will also teach you how to manage pain and ways to decrease it through a specific exercise regimen. Yes I know exercise sounds like it will make pain worse, and for the first part it will (I'm not gonna lie) but than it'll get better. Some physiotherapists also do deep tissue release which releases the fasia on organs if their stick together making it easier for them to move, you can also do this yourself with a roller ball (I'll send u a link through a message.

Try to play around with foods, eat more veggies and antiinflmatories such as ginger.

Baths with essential oils can help (I'all send you a link) hope this helps.

Know although your found there's plenty of other ladies going through the same thing or have gone and that your not alone in this.

[Bambikins in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou so much for your reply! It feels amazing to know I'm actually not alone and although I know someon with lots of knowledge about endo it's great to hear it from somebody around my age!

They've not as of yet used the age card for the laparoscopy but I will bare that in mind! They never told me about anything to do with the injections being bad for people our age plus the fact I questioned the doctor on any effects it may have on my mental health and they said none. I've struggled with mutiple mental health conditions for years and have noticed my depression to be worsening since the injections, but I thought I was just having a relapse and never put two and two together. I've also done my research and realised it was really bad they didn't offer me HRT. When I mentioned it to my doctor he said it probably wouldn't be necessary.

I've had mild bowel and bladder problems all my life. Constantly had the runs as a kid, plus loads of urine infections which got a lot worse when I started my period and increased at my time of the month. And blood clots are very normal for me when bleeding.

As for the physiotherapy, how did you get that? Would I need to talk to my gynae about it or can I just refer myself? And thankyou for the links, I will absolutely be checking those out!

I never thought about diet until you said, I've got some ginger tea in my cupboard, might give it a go!

Thankyou once again xxx

[Hidden in reply to Bambikins]

Just google Pelvic fooor physiotherpy and go on your own if your gynae didn't mention the side effects on the menopause drug they may not be for it, I know mine was against it and said I would be fine without it.

Is you've had the runs since you were a kid before menstruation I would really get your bowels checked out too since the endometriosis tissue activates at menstraution and won't bother you till then.

[Ohmygee]

Hi, im 16, diagnosed by laparoscopy at 14. Sadly, yes they are very stubborn on forcing the injections and use the excuse "if it puts you into a menopause and helps your pain, we know its endo" they've been giving me that line for 2 years and i refuse it. Yes it can help many women apparently but i have never come across anyone that says it helped. I was told that because its a forced menopause the symptoms are more intense so they would give me HRT with it. Did they really not offer that to you too? Because they really should. The symptoms are extreme and if you want to continue with the injections you have to ask for HRT, it may help a lot.

I can completely relate to the awful periods from the start. I too have had pills, coils and implants since i was 11. They did surgery because at 13 i stopped going to school completely, the pain, chronic fatigue syndrom, pelvic floor dysfunction, ibs, interstitial cystitis, chronic pelvic pain. Maybe try doing some research on any of these illnesses and see if you can relate? Definitely go back to the doctors to discuss pain relief, they cant deny you it seeing as they're already treating you with these injections x

[Bambikins in reply to Ohmygee]

Hello, thankyou so much for the reply!

It really sounds like you're going through the brunt of it too! Sending wishes and prayers that they help you out too.

I don't blame you for not wanting the injections, I can't wait for it to leave my body. I've done a bit of research and realised that it was so bad they didn't offer me HRT and you've also just confirmed that for me. I even queried my gynae about it and they said it probably wouldn't be necessary.

As for pain relief, I've just been put on tramadol and hoping that eases things.

I will also have a look at the different conditions, I think I have IBS and have done for years so I take buscopan for that.

Many thanks xxx

[Hidden in reply to Ohmygee]

I agree, I've Stoppard going to school b/c of the same things (-IBS) and am about to be put on injections but am refusing no matter what.

If your on them and they don't offer HRT remebee to eat calcium, the reason your not put on HRT is b/c sometimes their worried the endo will be 'fed' by it.

I'm on the mini pill and take 2 everyday because 1 didn't help pain relief and now I'm getting periods again

[Lizzielizzielizzie]

Oh my god you poor ladies. I don't have any advice but want to send you all a lot of sympathy. I've read on here and on the endometriosis U.K. site about centers of excellence for endo, hopefully you could be referred to one of them?