Do I have Endometriosis at 22?

[Wanderlust96]

Hello. I am posting this in hope of some advice. From the age of 14 I have been diagnosed with IBS. More recently in the past year it has become severe to the point I have had to miss work from not being able to leave the toilet, having such severe pain that I have nearly pood myself and not being able to eat anything without it passing through me straight away.

However, the past few months my periods have also started to become unbareable. I remember having to come home from school from being in pain but I learnt to deal with it with the help from heat & pain killers. I have also always had heavy periods. I have been on the pill once but it just made me bleed constantly and caused my mood to be all over the place. More recently, the days leading up to my period I have started to get a few belly aches and also spouts of diorrhea. Then when I come on my period, I am always doubled over in pain, I have diorrhea for the first day and shooting pains in my bum. I have many clots and after 4 hours I have to change my tampon. At night, I have to wake after 4/5 hours to change my pad too. The second and third day I cannot use the bathroom as I have such sharp pains in my bottom. I also feel very fatigued and weak during my period.

I am currently under a consultant to see if I definitely have IBS and after a vaginal ultrasound and a sigmoidoscopy they have not found anything. Do those who suffer with endometriosis relate and think I should ask my doctor for a laparoscopy? Or does this just sound like IBS? Honestly any advice would be hugely appreciated! (Sorry for the gorey details!)

[Hidden]

Hi Wanderlust, sorry to hear of your painful plight, hopefully you can get some of the answers you are looking for. Based on the symptoms you have provided, I would recommend getting a diagnostic lap to rule out endo. You are talking about more than just bowel involvement, especially with your worsening periods. I was suspected to have IBS before my diagnostic lap, but none of the treatment they tried helped me. It doesn't matter if your scopes and ultrasounds come back clear, my pelvic/abdominal ultrasounds, urine samples, swabs, pelvic exams were all completely normal and I have stage 4 endo throughout my bowel and bladder (and I don't even get periods!) so you simply can't rule it out without a lap.

Please push for a diagnostic lap if your symptoms do not improve with your treatment for IBS. I suggest trying a Gluten, Dairy and Soy free diet in the meantime which I found is helping with my bowel symptoms until l have my endo removed. xx

[Wanderlust96 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for your reply! I didn’t know whether or not to push for a lap or to just let the doctors figure it out for themselves. I have had to miss work this time from the pain being so bad and leaving me exhausted. I have my appointment next week so I will speak to my consultant then. Thank you again and I hope your Endo removal goes as well as it can xx