Pain relief?: What does everyone take for... - Endometriosis UK

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Pain relief?

Dangermouse381 profile image
9 Replies

What does everyone take for pain relief? I have RV endo, endometrioma's & bad adhesions. After speaking to my consultant today and me mentioning i cannot take codiene or tramadol, she suggested reccomending my gp preacribing pain relief in supository form. Is this something i could do and go to work with? Apart from morphine which she really wouldn't reccomend, she didn't really have any other sugestions which suprised me as I've seen people have a wide array of pain relief.

It would only be for when my period arrives as the daily pain i can tolerate as ive just got used to it over the years. I am trying to limit sickness from work considering I'm already over the sickness trigger and being monitored. I'm due to have more time off soon for my op so not too sure where that will leave me 😨

Help!

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Dangermouse381
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carrie75 profile image
carrie75

Hello,

I hope you can get relief for this asap, I don't know if it can help but I was going on holiday last month with period due same day as flight. Worrying how I'd manage, I started taking ibuprofen then paracetamol alternating every 4 hours a couple of days before flight - it really seemed to help, these are possibly the mildest painkillers out there but think just getting a good level in my system beforehand maybe helped when my period did arrive. I think the ibuprofen especially can help to reduce inflammation in advance. I'm not sure if you might have tried mefemanic acid in the past too? I took it years ago and found it really helpful - I only stopped taking it when trying to get pregnant, but it can be really effective?

Sorry to ask too, how did you get your diagnosis of RV endo? I'm worrying I have this : years of excruciating periods and feeling rough resulted in stage 4 endo being diagnosed end of 2015. Had chocolate cysts, kissing ovaries, frozen pelvis, adenomyosis. Laparotomy performed where everything was fixed as best as possible. Two failed ivf cycles later and pain getting worse, especially around ovulation time, I got referred to bsge specialist. MRI in April found very extensive endo and blocked ureters - two stents now interested, saved kidney just in time. Bowel also stuck. Laparoscopy last week however showed no endo but lots of adhesions! So confused by it all. X X X

Dangermouse381 profile image
Dangermouse381 in reply tocarrie75

Thanks for the tip, i will certainly try this.

I've known I had endo for about 20yrs. Had wasted surgery with a general gynae surgeon in 2006 and nothing but adhesions found. Sent me a bit loopy around that time as i had had an ectopic and previously discovered my remaining tube was completely fused together. I was in so much pain also and to be told i had 'nothing but adhesions found, was devastating and made me feel mental.

Years rolled on and i just lived with the pain. I had the opportunity to do 1 cycle of ivf and we were blessed and I now have a my beautiful daughter.

Since her birth my pain has increased with every period. My partner informed me i was on his private healthcare at work. (And you tell me now??!!)

I did more research into my symptoms and they were very simular to RV endo, all apart from the constipation, which i never get (always the opposite)

I made sure who i was seeing this time specialised in endo esp RV endo and was able to look and treat endo in that area.

Within 2 wks of my 1st consultation (2wks away from 40!) a simple mri showed nodules in the pouch of douglas & chocolate cysts in my ovaries. I really don't think i would of ever got diagnosis via nhs.

A week on from that and my op is booked in for 26th aug.

If you have adhesions between your bowel and uterus, there is a high chance of endo in Pouch of douglas. it's a very tricky area to treat also, so a lot of the time, bowel surgeons need to be on hand. Do you know if they looked in this area on your lap? (And not just divided adhesions?).

When is your post op meeting for your lap? That is defo a question you have to ask them.

Bless you, i feel so releaved and like i wasn't going crazy all these years.

What symptoms do you have?

X

carrie75 profile image
carrie75 in reply toDangermouse381

My goodness, I'm so sorry to hear you have had such a rough time with this :-( I hope everything now gets sorted for you at your operation, it's such an awful, awful shame to have been suffering all this time. I'm so glad to hear though that you've been able to have your daughter!

I think I'm approx 20 years with symptoms too : heavy painful periods from the start. Followed by GI upsets, food intolerances, feeling faint a lot, depression, anxiety, was always run down and had virus after virus. Pain on having number 2, migraines soon became a regular thing. Docs were awful, it was only when we were starting ivf age 39 that the endo was found. This was under general gynaecology : after my op I tried to get referred to a Specialist but they refused. Thankfully partner also has private health care through work, this has honestly saved us - the realisation of how close we were to kidney damage/loss is frightening.

Thank you so much for your advice here : we have follow up next Monday so will be sure to ask these questions for definite.

I will be keeping everything crossed for you. Take care and wishing you all the very best X X X X

She might have been referring to diclofenac suppositories - I had these as part of my painkiller combination and they were fantastic. They work really quickly and each one lasts for 24 hours. They're an NSAID like ibuprofen. I was taking them with mefenamic acid and co-codamol and that gave me enough reduction in pain that I could cope. I couldn't use stronger opiates as I have 2 children and a husband who worked away a lot and I had to be able to drive. Mefenamic acid/ibuprofen/paracetamol alone were useless by the time my pain progressed.

Dangermouse381 profile image
Dangermouse381

Thank you. This sounds awful, but they don't leak out do the? 😂

Dangermouse381 profile image
Dangermouse381

That's the last thing i need at work!!

Allison45 profile image
Allison45

Hi I've just recently been given diclofenic suppositories . They are like a little bullet ! Easy to use and no they don't leak out . They look like a little soap . You supposed to keep still for a bit after using them . I would recommend them they are very long lasting not like over the counter which don't really touch my pain . Maybe better in terms of painkillers in Your stomach , long term ?

Klaudia profile image
Klaudia

Why are you having your periods? I would suggest going on the pill back to back or try a mirena coil.You should not be having your periods as it allows endo to get worse with every month passing. Of course do what you feel is best for you. I hope you can find a solution soon. All the best.

Dangermouse381 profile image
Dangermouse381 in reply toKlaudia

I remember they reccomended the coil or pill years ago but due to my infertility, (it sounds stupid) it almost felt like i was ruining all chance of a miracle happening. I knew it would never happen and if it did, would most likely be another ectopic but i was at my lowest point and my head really wasn't in the right place to consider any form of conttaception.

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