Am I recovering from Laparoscopy or is my... - Endometriosis UK

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Am I recovering from Laparoscopy or is my body rejecting the coil?

nashey profile image
8 Replies

I recently had a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy to diagnose whether I had endo, which came back positive. They removed it and in the process put in the coil to help with future periods. This was about 7 weeks ago.

In the first week or so after the operation I basically felt no pain down there, just a bit sore in the abdomen when I bent over. However, since week 2/3 post-op I have had sharp period like pains and my lower abdomen is really tender.

It's now not as severe but still noticeable as I am not back at work. I've been to A&E (womb not perforated so nothing else they could do), walk-in centre (thought it could be infection, its not), GP (asked for emergency ultrasound, 5 week waiting list lol) and sexual health clinic (won't take coil out as it was inserted during surgery).

Nobody really knows what's happening and instead are loading me up with painkillers. I'm waiting to get an earlier date to speak to my consultant, but wanted to know if anybody has had anything similar.

Is it normal pains for post-lap surgery, and for how long, or could it be my body rejecting the coil?

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nashey
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8 Replies
luthien profile image
luthien

I'm not sure about the coil pain or related to coil pain but lap can take up to two months to be out of pain and up to four to be 100% however it varies from person to person and if you feel something isn't right you're doing the right thing to get it checked. Some women on here have said their body just doesn't suit the coil.

Personally I don't like the idea of docs pushing for coil during surgery because surely if you have endo and they remove it the chance of it flaring up again are lessened as there's less endo tissue. So it would be best to let your body heal, work out what your cycles are like over a few months, what normal endo pain is for you then consider hormones if the pain / endo still needs to be managed.

nashey profile image
nashey in reply to luthien

Thanks. I'm juts a bit shocked that my consultant originally told me I would be fine after 2-3 weeks and after reading other peoples posts people say it can take 2 months. I'm resting now and hoping it will recover soon.

I was surprised as well when they mentioned the coil but as i can't take oral contraceptives I was open to the coil. Just trying to figure out if my body likes it or not!

Lulububs profile image
Lulububs

Well i can only go on the lap as in i felt good on the 1st week after lap thought id b back at work but then on the 5-6 day started to feel worse, after 2 weeks went to dr and i had a bladder infection so took antibiotics and started to feel better but it did take me about 4 weeks to feel alot better.

The coil, ive not had but both my best friends and mum had one the mirena, all three of them said it took them

A good 2 months for it to feel good,they had period cramps and spotting and this and that but all waited it out ( as all gps wont take it out for 3 months anyway coz they know it takes a while) but now years down line they swear by it so i would wait it out .. 7 weeks is not enough time . Ur body has had a traumatic time it has had a op and a mirena fitted it gona take time for u to heal plus u have been diag with endo so that will b healing.

I think ur looking at 2-3 months

nashey profile image
nashey in reply to Lulububs

Thanks! I've heard that the body can take a while for it to adjust to the coil so I'm hoping my pain is just that. I just didn't know what sort of pain a lap is meant to be, like if this is normal post-lap pain and i'm overreacting?

I keep forgetting how much surgery goes on during the lap! I just see the little incisions on my tummy so keep thinking i'm better! But thank you for your help :)

Lulububs profile image
Lulububs in reply to nashey

Yeh people go “oh ur b up and about in couple of days “and yes u will b but only pottering about not goin to work or gym or even out.

I was expecting to go back to work within 7-10 days and i didnt get back to work for 3 weeks due to infection and i came home half days first week, i just couldnt cope with it all, i wanted to sleep by midday!

My gp said “ just because the incisions are small they are rummaging about in ur belly all around u major organs and doin what needs to b done, it not a easy procedure” , lucky i have a gp thats had 3 herself, she said it took her 12 weeks to get over her last one before she had a hysterectomy so dont worry.

It takes everyone different amount of times to recoup.

Id say ur pain prob from

Lap still at mo, ur healing internally which take longer then externally. If in 8-12 weeks u still Got it id say the coil but they prob wont take it out as there say same most gp say 3 months.

My gynae kept wanting me to have one on my lap and i flat out refused as im allergic to alot of stuff and i told him i dont want it! Plus he kept saying it will take 3 months to take so i knew where it was going as in, if i didnt like it he would keep goin “ give it the 3 months”!!

As i said before though i know many people who absolutely love it my friend had coils over 11 years and said she wouldnt b without one. Never had a period in 11 years “ imagine that”!!!

Emma5397 profile image
Emma5397

I had my coil inserted during my laparoscopy aswell. For me it had my pain worse and I was still bleeding if not more because it was every few days, just as heavy as it was before. I had be coil taken out by a gp and started the pill again(I was on the pill before the coil) and my pain and symptom went back to how they were before the laparoscopy. If you want it out you should be able to get it out with your gp, shouldn’t matter about it being done cause it goes in and out the same way with it with surgery

A coil can take up to 9months to settle though, I gave mine 9/10months before I had enough of it! x

nashey profile image
nashey in reply to Emma5397

Oh glad to hear someone else has had something similar! Was your pain almost every day, like a cramps? I haven't stopped spotting since the operation which is getting frustrating.

Unfortunately I can't take the pill so I was looking forward to the coil working for me. I don't think I could last 9 months of this pain so hopefully it will settle down soon. I think they wouldn't take it out because it was put in for a 'medical' reason rather than a 'contraceptive' reason. Although I might try push for it out if it's still bad after 3 months.

Emma5397 profile image
Emma5397 in reply to nashey

Yeah cramps everyday and still was bleeding with it. I was given the coil for a treatment for endometriosis, mine wasn’t really for contraceptive but for for medical also. I’m on the pill because I’ll have 2/3 full periods, being on the pill makes it more controllable for me. So you should still be able to get it out, it’s your body and if you don’t want it in there then you don’t have to xx

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