Sleepiness with endometriosis..?

[Be-Fi]

Hi there I'm new here! 22 and have surgery scheduled to confirm a diagnosis of endometriosis.. I was just wondering if anyone else knows about the less commonly known side effects..?

My symptoms match up perfectly and are almost identical to the "overview symptoms" of this condition.. but I am also always tierd! Has anyone else experienced fatigue as a symptom or is it even known as one?

Also any advice for pain management at all would be great as right now my daily routine consists of popping pills and they're not that effective.

Thanks!

X

[Louiseboo77]

Hi. Sorry you are suffering so much so young. Yes I think the tiredness is from the excessive bleeding and the pain. Also I bet you don't sleep to well with the pain. I hope things feel better for you soon. Good luck with the op. Take care. Xx

[Clairey007 in reply to Louiseboo77]

Yup! Fatigue is a fairly major symptom (at least it is for me), though is, in my opinion, an under recognised one and many people don't understand the difference between tiredness and fatigue. I think it's because your body is constantly fighting, thus making you tired no matter how much sleep you get. Many people with a chronic long term condition will likely suffer with fatigue.

Its the thing I suffer most with, my pain levels are low to non-existent, but fatigue really does affect me a lot.

Sorry to hear you're suffering so much. In terms of pain, have you changed your diet in any way? Doing so can really help with that too, however it's very much a case of trial and error, what works for one may not work for another xxx

[Lofty1589]

I believe that chronic fatigue is very common with endo - I know for sure I have it 😴 Good luck with the surgery 💜

[Tinks2]

Hi, it's not surprising you feel fatigued, your body is doing a lot of extra work.

A more eastern diet might help with the pain. Cut out anything inflammatory - wheat, sugar, dairy are the main culprits i think. But make sure you are fuelling yourself appropriately/sufficiently too.

Good luck.

[Doggiedogmom1973]

Hi Be-Fi,

Absolutely 100% you've got fatigue. Pain is generally the main symptom doctors focus on. But fatigue comes in second, quite closely. The main cause of endometriosis-related fatigue is the body's effort to eliminate the diseased tissue. While the immune system attempts to combat endometriosis, cytokines, also known as inflammatory toxins are secreted by the tissue. What patients feel to be fatigue is the result of these internal chemicals. Many woman and their doctors lump fatigue together with pain, but the two are very different monsters. Fatigue is a constant state of being tired - not sleepy, but physically exhausted. The pain can accompany fatigue, or even be a primary cause of it, you don't necessarily hurt when you fell fatigue. Your body just says, "I'm done. I have no energy to do anything". - Tamer Secking, M.D.

Regarding pain, the best non medicated way to control pain is exercise, believe it or not! Even though it may hurt before, during and after, in the long run it helps. I've prooved this for a fact. Every day for 1 month I walked for 2 hours, and I had serious pain each evening, but by the next month my body felt sooooooooo much better, and the pain overall had died down!!!!!!

Also, a great buy for your endo understanding: "The Doctor Will See You Now" Book by Tamer Seckin, M.D. He's one of the best endo surgeons in the world. A must read.

All the best xoxoxo

[Doggiedogmom1973]

Further, diet is very important, as mentioned by Tinks2.

Could go to a naturopathy clinic and combine a paleo style diet with their supplements, to try build up your immune system to be so strong to fight the cause of the endo to begin with.

hope this might help.

[Koryu]

Some solid comments already. Yup, I get the fatigue too. I will tell you what I do for my pain at the moment and I say this because everyone is different. What works for me might not work so well for you. Oh boy, long one...I apologise now:

I first went to see a nutritionist. Diet tips, but also supplements to help support many of the side symptoms/immune system. Magnesium helps me with the fatigue, for example. I started with quite a few (yikes) and am now down to three tablets for background support each day. Vit D, a balanced multivit I take at half dose and an omega 3&6 I take a smaller dose off.

The Magnesium comes out when I notice the fatigue kick up closer to the period days these days and I take it through the cycle and then stop when I feel better. I used to take one every day for a while before. My nutritionist might argue, but I haven't seen her, so now 'tis up to me. This is me. Your gut can also make you tired and then you'd want other support etc. So many factors...

Diet: With the nutritionist, and I recommend seeing one to do it properly, I dropped first dairy and then gluten to see my reaction. Dropping dairy gave me much more energy, but didn't seem to help with my pain at the time, so I stuck to no dairy for less fatigue. I found out the hard way that I am intolerant to the protein in cow's milk after my surgery. Who knew protein was an issue anyway?

Back to topic. I went off gluten for two months. No pain reduction and when I had that again I was just fine, so seems that was a bullet dodged. Though I'd have loved the pain reduction others hummed about...ah well.

I have dropped eating meat apart from the occasional organic meal or tidbit. I still eat fish and lots of veg, eggs etc. That really made a difference in my pain after the surgery as I had a cyst come back swiftly and daily pain is no fun. Red meat in particular can cause inflammation it seems = endo loves inflammation = pain.

Some people do best of citrus fruit (oranges,..., grapefruit in particular), but I appear to be fine etc. so get advice. There are lots of things to have more/less off if you want to get into it, but find your balance and live life. There is a good book on the matter too, let me know how keen you are on this path, it can be hard work and I am German, my family is still grieving and hopes I will miraculously recover my senses every time I visit.

I also have a herbal tea and tincture for pain and to kick my body to create less endo (the last bit is experimental, how it affects the endo I can't tell). It certainly helps with the pain and also the anxiety (stress = inflammation = you get the idea). Herbs can also help with excessive bleeding etc. They are the pain meds of old and new (A lovely journal I read for research a few years back noted that 40% of current meds still rely on whole plants as we can't recreate the properties, for example). And no, 'tis not homeopathy I am into. That is a different kettle of fish.

Last but not least I use acupuncture and this one is a surprise, but for me it really works. Especially for the period pain when timed well.

And yes, I have a nice selection of pain meds too.

I hope surgery supports you and you find what works to make you feel better.

[Be-Fi]

Thank you to everyone who left a comment.. I will be sure to try many of the suggestions given for the pain. It's also nice to know that the fatigue I feel isn't just me!

Many thanks for all the effort put into your replies.

Thank you all!!xx