Do I have Endometriosis?

[_caitlyn_maree]

I'm new here. I am 16 years old and have been having extremely heavy periods since i started my period 3 years ago. i miss school because of them and have intense shooting and cramping pains in my pelvic area. i have been to the emergency room numerous times for them and they don't know whats going on. i faints a lot and get dizzy very easily. any ideas?

[ThaliaThalia]

The symptoms sound like endometriosis. The illness isn’t widely understood by medical professionals and they easily miss it and misdiagnose. Sufferers often have to spell it out for them. The first step is to speak to your GP and say you think you might have endometriosis and could they please refer you to an endometriosis specialist. It helps to keep a pain diary of symptoms and period dates to show to the consultant. There’s an app called Flo that I find useful which allows users to track period dates.

[luthien in reply to ThaliaThalia]

definitely keep a diary of pain, what sort of pain, a scale and where it, how you feel and when your periods are so you've got something to take to the doctors. I just print out a month a page type thing from google then use colour coded dots for different symptoms.

I use an app called natural cycles that lets you take notes too, but that's best if you're sexually active as it includes monitoring your cycles with basal body temp and ovulation tests, otherwise I guess any free app would work for taking notes (I haven't used free ones).

[princessk09]

Speak to your gp and they will probably give you contraceptive pills to start. I’m 19 and was 17 when I first started going doctors for the same problem. It’s a long and frustrating journey but they will probably try strong painkillers and the pill to help manage your symptoms.

I’m unlucky and they don’t help haha but I’m waiting for a surgery now.