Night time pain

[JuniperRuby]

Does anyone get awoken in the night by the most intense lower abdominal pain? Happens a few nights in a row then nothing for months.

[Aurora20]

Hi yes I do! I just put them down to a bad flare up or that the endo is growing 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Harriet_health]

Yes I have experienced this many times. I once read an article that said at night you notice pains much more than in the day as you’re more quiet and aware of your body.

I sometimes get this pain in the middle of the month around ovulation or a week after my period when my follicles are developing. Basically the specialist consultant told me it is just the normal cycles of my body I just feel them due to endometriosis and I really wish I didn’t. Sometimes the worst thing is the not knowing what’s “normal” but with this disease it seems like everything is on the spectrum of “normal for endometriosis”.

I’d recommend speaking to an endometriosis specialist to help give you a better idea. Take care and I wish you all the best

[RES159]

Hi there, I'm so sorry to hear you're struggling with night pain. This kind of pain can be super scary at the best of times, but it often feels even more naff when you are woken up by it.

I get what you described on the third evening of my period when my stage four endometriosis has returned. Usually my periods are six days long, but with endo it means that every other month my period stops on the third day and that same evening I am awoken in the night with extreme burning agonising lower abdominal pain with a high temperature that won't break, aura lights and an immense feeling of dehydration. Ibuprofen, mefanamic acid or another anti-inflammatory pain killer usually helps takes the edge off but for longer-term mitigation yoga stretches and exercises along with a gluten and diary free diet all help to slow down the negative cell growth.

A top tip I find useful is, if you can journal your pain occurrences and identify some kind of pattern for when the pain is most likely to occur, it definitely can help to prepare a self-care pack to place next to your bed on an evening so if you awake in pain you are fully supported to combat the symptoms with minimal distress. For me, this includes painkillers, a pint of water to stay hydrated as this will help reduce the inflammation, a snack-bar so you're not taking painkillers on an empty stomach, a hot water bottle (or hand-warmer that you can activate when needed) and a mobile phone to ensure you can call for help if the situation escalates.

If the pain persists and is unmanageable with pain killers, I would definitely recommend speaking with a specialist about treatment options that work for you and maybe look at tackling the root cause of your pain as there may be additional factors contributing to what you are experiencing.

I really hope this helps give you confidence that you're not alone with this one, and that you find some answers soon and can manage the pain for a happier night's sleep x