Anyone else with endometriosis & C-PTSD? How do you cope? Advice would be really appreciated.

[msmaize]

Hello,

After over 10 years of painful menstrual cycles with irregular periods, intense mood swings and extreme fatigue, I have been (unofficially?) diagnosed with endometriosis after having an ultrasound showing a 'large complex' ovarian cyst. My mum had a hysterectomy last year in which they discovered she had endometriosis (in addition to extremely large fibroids which is why she had the hysterectomy in the first place) and as it is genetic, this diagnosis seems likely for me.

I have also been diagnosed with C-PTSD resulting from a traumatic childhood.

I read that the chances of having endometriosis and much more common if one has C-PTSD/ had a traumatic childhood, so I was wondering if anyone else has been in a similar position and what they have done to help the situation?

I feel exhausted, unmotivated and basically struggle with the simplest tasks and can't even get out of bed during the bad parts of my cycle. My body just feels so unreliable. I don't know how to move forward or what can help (if anything).

I have tried therapy but I feel worse after talking (I tried with several therapists and even with my favourite, I could only manage to do it for about 8 months before stopping) and my therapist agreed that therapy seems more harmful than helpful. I am currently on the mini-pill to try to regulate my cycle (not helping) after trying loads of combined pills that made me feel awful, and am on anti-depressants (Venlaflaxine) to try to help my mood. I exercise (run, pool swim, walk for 45mins+ at least 4x a week) and have good friends and a great, supportive boyfriend who I have been with for going on 5 years and live with. I am still on a medical leave of absence from work due to my endometriosis and C-PTSD but as the leave is unpaid, I will need to return soon for financial reasons.

Any advice would be really appreciated, I am at my wits end about how to move forward and am feeling pretty hopeless.

Many thanks,

Y

[Moon_maiden]

Have you had a blood test recently? If not, or maybe still depending on what was tested, ask for them to check hormone levels, thyroid, Vit D, B, iron, antinuclear (autoimmune) if you feel particularly stressed, cortisol. If your hormones are out of sync, you’ll feel off and could be why the therapy isn’t working and feeling crap. Don’t let anyone assume a condition and miss anything else. Have you written down all your symptoms. Endo does run in families, not sure if fibroids do or not.

There are benefits you can claim although paltry. 🙄

Not sure if this helps

[SparklePig]

I have c-PTSD and have recently been diagnosed with an endometrioma. My c-PTSD symptoms have been reasonably under control for a few years now. I have found that some of the symptoms from hormone treatments for the endometrioma (first norethisterone and now Zoladex) are causing some symptoms that echo certain elements of my c-PTSD. I am in regular therapy and trying to disentangle it all. I think that the interplay between the two conditions is the most challenging because I’m never sure which of my symptoms are mental and which are physical, and sometimes I feel like I am relapsing mentally when in fact I’m just suffering from crazy hormone imbalances.

I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you. Things that help me are making sure that I have support, exercise, and some structure to my day, but it sounds like you have all that already. Another thing that has helped is mentally acknowledging that I am a “spoonie”, and trying to accept that (something that my c-PTSD doesn’t always allow me to do - if you don’t know about “spoonies”, give “spoon theory/chronic health condition” a google).

What I can offer you is some solidarity. I am sorry you are struggling. In my experience, the things you are struggling with are very real and very complicated, no matter who tries to tell you otherwise. Be kind to yourself. I’ll try to do the same.

Xxx