Questions / Help / Anyone had similar?

[jcb12]

I’m 23 and I’ve had issues with my periods and pain since they first started when I was 12. The past few years they have been unbearably painful and especially so in the past 2 years.

I have pain after and during sex and spotting after sometimes but thankfully my boyfriend is quite understanding about it all.

Ive started noticing recently I get bloated quite often and I often suffer from vomiting and diarrhea, visited my GP as it’s happening 3/4 days a week a couple of times a day and they’re doing a blood test to rule out thyroid and the chance of being diabetic (both run in my family and I was tested about a year ago for both but nothing showed). I’ve also done pregnancy tests and they were negative.

I had my implant changed in April and thankfully I’ve not had a period since then however, I still get what I would say are period pains just not quite as intense or long lasting. They typically wake me in the night and last for a couple of hours for a couple of days then subside for a few days and come back but the past week I’ve been lightly spotting and had more of a constant dull pain which is much easier soothed with a hot water bottle/painkillers or bath.

I take paracetamol and ibuprofen to help with the pain as I can’t take anything with codine in and have tried morphine in the past which helped massively.

I’m currently on a waiting list to have a lap done but my fear is that they won’t actually find anything and tell me there’s nothing they can do. Has anyone had anything similar happen to them? Or found that it was something else? Desperate to get some answers and get things sorted.

Sorry for the essay and thank you for taking the time and reading it all. x

[Abbs7664]

I honestly feel like you've just written down my story, it's just so similar! I'm waiting to see a specialist, and I'm also really worried they don't find a reason for my pain.

Sorry I've nothing too helpful to add, just wanted to say that you are not alone! I really hope that you do get some answers soon x

[jcb12 in reply to Abbs7664]

Don’t be silly it’s fine, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one in the same situation as awful as it is. I’m hoping I’ll have a lap date for the end of August as was told the wait was up to 12 weeks, so I’ve allowed a few more weeks just in case.

Hope you get some answers soon too!! x

[cn6054]

I have a very similar story to yours however, I am 5 years in. I had symptoms like yours and the same worries when I had my Lap done. Unfortunately, my Lap was unable to show signs of Endometriosis, however, I was still on my birth control when I had it, and the specialist I was supposed to have got replaced last minute. The one thing I would say is often people are not diagnosed the first time they have the surgery done - theres an average of 7 years before diagnosis.

Hopefully they will be able to give you the answers you need and if diagnosed, they normally treat during the surgery. If not, don't give up! Many people I have spoken to said that it took more than 1 lap to diagnose and often at your age they diagnose as suspected endometriosis which allowed my GP to prescribe other medication.

I hope you get the answers you want and the best tip I can give you was given to me by a nurse after my surgery - stock up on peppermint tea for after the surgery, it helps with the gas build-up and bloating.

[jcb12 in reply to cn6054]

thank you for reading and replying!

sorry that you’ve had a tough time with it all too. i will keep fighting and hopefully get some answers! and thank you, will make sure I have some ready when the day finally comes! x