Could this be Endo?

[Hayleyb86]

Hello,

This is my 1st time posting so bare with me. This started around March/April time I think but I haven’t yet been to the doctor as I suffer bad health anxiety and I’m petrified of doctors/hospitals!

I’m 32, my periods have always been regular, every 28-30 days. I’ve always had a little pain with them but nothing major, they’ve always lasted around 4-5 days and not light but not overly heavy either. Just normal I guess!

For the past few months the period pain is really bad, I have to take pain killers and lay on the couch with a hot water bottle. Radiates down my legs and my back. They’ve also become a little odd. I’ll spot like brown blood for the 1st day (like the end of my period) then bleed heavy for 1-2 days then the next couple of days are really light until it ends. I’ve had pelvic pain a few days before my period too, pain when urinating on my period and loose bowels too.

I had a smear a couple of months ago and that was all clear.

My symptoms match up to endo but just after some advice really.

Thanks in advance x

[luthien]

Hey, welcome

Don't worry too much about your doctors / hospital etc, just keep posting on here and we'll help you through them.

Firstly it sounds like it could be endometriosis, or even if it's not, you want to see a doctor and get yourself checked. So it's worth noting down your symptoms, use a month a page type thing, marking periods, how you're feeling (general mood), any symptoms, even the flow of periods, pain, where and intensity (use your own scale to rate it), what the pain feels like, when, what and how much medication you take, whether any activities cause pain, what days you get loose bowels and when the pain urinating is. These will all help.

You'll need to see your gp first, take along your notes and have an idea of what you'd like to have done; they'll often suggest the pill as hormones can sometimes calm symptoms down. Research into what you'd like to do; laparoscopy is the only formal diagnosis for endometriosis, so if you want to know then that's what you'll need to push for, it'll need a referral to a hospital or clinic, but we'll help you with that.

Unfortunately this requires us poor women to push for what we want, we know our bodies and like you we know what doesn't feel right.

I found taking my hubby to my appointments extremely helpful, knowing there's someone with me to listen and say their side helps also he has come on this journey with me as it affects us both. So if there's anyone you can take that would be brilliant.

The stuff on endometriosis-uk.org/ is really helpful, have a look at the information tab - guides, getting diagnosed, treatment etc. There's also a document under publications (in information) on Consultations. Have a look around

xx

[Jujuhawk]

Hi. Your experience sounds like mine. I was 38/40 when my periods altered: had brown spotting, loose stools whilst on period, ovulation pain, 2-3 days pain whilst on period. I ignored it until I couldn’t and the pain got unbearable. If I could go back in time I would have requested a gynaecologist referral to have a laparoscopy. By the time I had mine I was all stuck together with endo and inoperable. I then researched and changed my diet which controlled the pain. It was like a miracle! Firstly cut out all dairy! I have just had a 13 cm ovarian cyst removed and I think if I had been investigated earlier maybe that wouldn’t have had chance to grow. I know it’s scary having the procedure but it’s such a common one and my advice would be find a recommendation for an endo specialist. Get a relationship with them and then it won’t feel as scary. I live in Wales but when over to England to have both of mine. Xx