Endo, Loss of periods, hoping to conceive

[stephy86]

Hi everyone I'm new on here. So interesting reading through everyone's posts and questions I could literally be on here all day. I have recently been diagnosed with stage 4 endo after years of seeking help for irregular periods, extreme abdomen distention, constipation/insomnia for about a week every month, and everyday light brown discharge (Sorry TMI) and chronic back pain. After my partner and I trying for 2 years with no luck (of that I didn't have a period for 8 months (so no wonder) then with medication - Provera to bring on a period - which did its job the first month then my body got into its own rhythm and I took Clomid every month to bring on ovulation) still no luck. Finally we have an answer!!! booked in for surgery next month but have had no period again for 4 months - so stressing about fertility after. Could be the stress. I'm a 31 year old healthy, fit with normal body weight. Hoping after surgery we fall pregnancy naturally and don't need IVF. I've been suggested to take Provera again for 10 days on and then give it a break to bring on a bleed...has anyone had any luck with this when their periods stopped. Love to hear from anyone who has a similar story Thankfully my ovarian reserve is high so lots of wee eggs just cant get out because of the endo

[klh386]

Hi Stephy, it looks like you posted a while ago, but I just found your post as someone searching for solutions to very similar issues. I'm also stage 4 endo with recurring endometriomas and have had extremely irregular periods my whole life. Having to move to IVF. Wondering how you're getting on? Hopefully you've had a success these last six months! x kristen

[klh386 in reply to klh386]

Oh and I took provera too and also am frustrated with lots of great eggs and a hard time using them! Ugh.

[stephy86 in reply to klh386]

Hi Kristen, Thanks for your reply. I thankfully had my first natural period in 4 years in July, which I was both happy and sad about. Happy that my body was finally working and sad that pregnancy hadn't taken place. Im yet to have one since. The main thing I can pin point it to, other than my body re setting after surgery was I quit the gym a month before and took up yoga, walking and am doing weekly acupuncture. Still keeping up this 'slow' lifestyle but no period yet and the specialist doesn't think I ovulated last month either. I know have two options wait for IVF which is looking like early next year or hope for another period and have Lipidol done. Bloods all came back great other than still nil progesterone so that's a bit worrying. For the last 2 weeks off and on I have had brown watery discharge as well so not sure whether by body is trying to have a period or what is going on. So frustrating when you are doing everything right. Its a game of patience this endo/fertility Im trying to cut back to only having 2 coffees a week as well and most of the time im gluten free with dairy a few times a week. Im sick of giving up everything Did Provera help you? Whats your plan of attack?

[klh386]

It's a slow and emotionally painful process isn't it? The progesterone worked for me to induce a bleed, but that one tiny bleed caused my endometriomas to come back (2mm each!) and 50mg of clomid didn't work. My doctor recommended I do IVF straight away as to avoid having the endo grow further and destroy my ovaries. So here we are. In a sense I think my body wasn't having periods for a reason (to control the endo) and my messing with it made it worse. Hoping not to have another one. Hence IVF, plus I'm tired of waiting. Even waiting for a coordination appointment is putting me on edge! We're going private because we don't have time to wait for the NHS.

As for the brown discharge, for me, I think that was the endo trying to come out, not from ovulation.

I've also largely given up food that's "bad" too, the difficult ones being dairy, wine, sugar and coffee, however not gluten, I still eat high quality carbs. I actually can manage the new lifestyle and like the way it makes me feel. How is clomid working for you? xx

[stephy86]

its hard to know whether the brown discharge is a 'period'. Fair enough, I think we would have gone to IVF earlier if we could but my partner is away a lot with work. Yes I eat lots of carbs now, but wine/sugar have gone, bar the off sugary treat in the weekend. I've found getting rid of gluten has really helped with bowel motions (I was more prone to constipation) and bloating and really notice my energy levels drop if I do eat it. I did 5 rounds of Provera and Clomid pre lap and hates them. They did bring on a period but hard to know if I ovulated. I'll have to do something for progesterone if IVF comes around sooner than natural conception...are your AMH, progesterone and other markers all okay?

I know the feeling about just waiting, its awful and its all you think about...words start going around in your head like this time next year ill be pregnant, that work function ill be pregnant etc 🙁