What age does endometriosis most commonly occur/start at?

[confused54]

Hiya! (For context, I’m 19 and healthy weight and have no serious health conditions).

My period this month has thrown me off a bit! So I was hoping to see if this or something similar has happened to anyone else… Usually the only pain I get are mild cramps for a day or two and then I’m fine; but one day this month the cramps were much much more painful than I have ever experienced. I have a tendency to faint quite a bit (I think I may be slightly anaemic, but that’s another question doctors couldn’t seem to answer lol) and at one point I had to stay sat down cos standing up caused me to feel very faint, I also felt a little sick, but that went away rather quickly — as did the pain — once I took a ibuprofen.

Furthermore a week or so before my period I also had an odd twingey feeling in my lower back, sort of right at the base of the spine (behind the dimples lots of people have). At the time I put it down to my horrible uni bed (lol), but now it’s around 3 days after the end of my period and the pain is back; it’s been on and off for the last two weeks so not constant and not a high level pain — it very much just a low level muscle sorta ache but it has had the tendency to move around my hips area slightly for short periods of time. At first I did think it may be a UTI as I have had a couple in the past (a very bad one last Xmas, with the only symptom being kidney/back pain that led to a bad fever and vomiting — hence why I’m anxious to figure this out) and my dad has had issues with his kidneys (so I’m blaming genetics, as literally all I drink is water — I’m practically teetotal ahah); but the pain is no where near the same area/ strength and there are no other symptoms — so I ruled that out. I have since looked up period related back pain (as well as neck pain I got for a few hours) and found that different levels of hormones can cause aches before and after your period; the only thing that unsettled me was that I couldn’t seem to find anyone else who has had a similar experience.

The main question of this is: is it possible I am starting to develop/ have endometriosis? I will keep track over the next few months to see if this is a pattern or just a one off odd ball; but I would be very grateful to hear if anyone has had this sort of thing happen to them, as usually my period is not a bother to me at all and this has made me worry lol!

Many thanks!! Xoxo

[May246]

Hiya, I’m really sorry to hear your going through this atm! I hope things start getting better for you soon. I had a similar situation, I’m 19 and healthy too. My periods were never a big issue, I had the average pains but assumed everyone had the same level of pain but then I started having extremely bad pains every day for a whole year in my stomach and back and underneath my ribs (doctors tried saying I had IBS, gluten intolerance etc) and ultrasound was all fine and it was a massive mystery.

I then went to see a private consultant when my doctor had suggested it could be endometriosis and after months of appt’s etc with the consultant I was diagnosed with endometriosis but this was only February 2021 (so I was 18). The pains had been going on for maybe longer than a year. But I started my period when I was 13 and these pains didn’t start until I was 16/17 so I was very confused too. So it would be possible that you may have it x I hope this helps xxx

[Linley]

Endo can make itself known from any age mine hit me at 30 even though my mum bless her suspected I may have had it earlier. We are all different and the Endo can give each person tailored symptoms. With me it was very heavy periods that used to catch me out, sex was painful, and I had a heavy feeling in my right side as if something was sitting on my right ovary.Suggest you write a diary of symptoms each month then if you are worried see your GP. Sending 🤗and hope you feel better soon🤞