Endo and Mental health

[Jajo1987]

Hello all,

Just wondering if anyone diagnosed or suffering with Endo has a similar problem with thier Mental health around the time of a cycle ? Aswell as the physical pain side it feels like Just before I am due it feels like my mind goes into overdrive I think all the horrid things about myself that (I’m not good enough ect ugly ,fat) .It seems to creep up on me and attack for the entire cycle like there’s no stopping it and I know it’s coming . Then when the cycle is over my mind re-settles and I’m confident to fight again it locks me away in my room for the entire time any advice or tips on how to break this chain or is this something I can’t control with stage 3 endo ? Having suffered with Endo for years I feel like my mind is now suffering more than the physical pain I am used to the physical pain. Any tips or advice would be great thank you ,

[Havregroet]

Hello, I just posted with a similar question as you, right after your post I really suffer too from the affect of endometriosis on my mental health, also with a lot of defeating thoughts and feelings of not being worthy. I don’t bleed anymore, so I don’t really know where my cycle is at, but I experience these mental and emotional affects basically all the time. I was really wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences. I find being in nature helps, soothe the mind, reminding me of what else is out there. Also focusing on breathing and grounding, since these thoughts and emotions can get a hold if given enough attention, they have with me, and I now need to focus on opening up and realising these thoughts don’t represent the truth, neither do the feelings. Trying to not identify myself with them, and letting go. It’s an ongoing practice, I wish for everyone in the same situation to know that we are not alone in this ❤️ looking forward to see if there are any more replies

[SavageGold]

Hello. I've read this and it strikes a chord. I get suicidal as my cycle hits 10 weeks. I'm on Depo so my cycle isn't monthly. I think my mental health is slipping for 2 reasons. The fear I'm going to end up dependant from this illness. And genuinely my oestrogen levels rise and I think it mucks up blood sugar and all the other endocrinology. I keep believing its mind over matter and that in a few weeks once my new injection is administered and my progesterone comes up I'll be back to fighting fit. I'm so vulnerable when my endo symptoms come back full belt and it terrifies me. I've had so many kind responses on here from people. I find cold water therapy helps in the lochs and rivers. And hiding under a big heavy blanket on days when I'm pretty much house bound helps. Lots of wine and chocolate and beef burgers helps too. And a big plate of salty home made steak cut chips. I am defo a comfort eater when I can but this illness wrecks my ability to eat and keep in food.

[Jajo1987 in reply to SavageGold]

Thank you for the reply and advice sounds exactly like the things I like to do ! although I wouldn’t of thought of the cold water therapy going to have to try that one for sure ! I couldn’t really say much about depo as I haven’t had any experience with it although i think it may be the 3 month injection which is a similar medication to the syranel albeit in a different form I am interested to know if the injections are useful because I’ve heard mixed reviews with them with some people saying it has improved symptoms and others it makes worse . 😃

[SavageGold in reply to Jajo1987]

I'd love to know what other comforts you have tried too. Cold water therapy is great. Get yourself onto a local Facebook page for wild swimming and somebody can meet up with you and guide you in. It's like getting a hug from the water when it goes round your neck. I don't know what syranyl is? Could you tell me please?

Depo provera you're right, is a 12 week injection. Alot of complaints are due to spotting at irregular times, lack of sex drive, hot flushes I think? And MASSIVE weight gain. Thats why I was originally put on it. The endo had taken me from 10stone to under 7stone in a couple of months. So the injection helped me gain control of my weight.

I get my injections at 10 weeks as I metabolise it quicker than average.

It's not recommended for long term use as it's meant to thin your bones but the microgynon pill didn't work for me, and I realised none of the pills would as my digestion forces them out before absorption.

The other injection I was on Seyenna Press I bled straight through it at college. I cannot describe the horror...

So I'm back on Depo. It works for me. The progesterone hit makes me super human until it wears off about 8 weeks. I can't really word it much better. I'm happy, confident, I get restless legs and hot flushes but I take a multi vitamin when it gets bad.

Erm... I 'dried up' down below for years (which I didn't notice! It was quite nice not having to buy new knickers every few weeks because of the bleaching affect of the female juices) until one of the nurses started messing with my Depo intervals and the bodily fluids came back with a stench and pain. I had everybody in the medical profession insisting I had an STI. but it all cleared up when I moved practices and got my Depo back to 10 week intervals. Sorry if that TMI.

So in my experience, the Depo is great. It doesn't work for everyone, and once its in your system youre stuck with it for the whole haul. However, thats what the consensus is on all pills :you have to give it 3 months. but I prefer this over the next option of stopping my hormones altogether.

Anything else I missed about the Depo you're wondering about?

[Jajo1987 in reply to SavageGold]

that’s amazing thanks I wasn’t sure about it but could be something I could look into , and syranel is a nasal spray where it stops your periods all together and in turn then all the other symptoms slowly disappear , although I’m saying that what works for one doesn’t always work for the next but I found this definitely helped me until I stayed on it for too long and started having negative effects as it reduces bone density etc so I found a lot of pain in my neck after prolonged use ! I went onto Holland and Barrett to see if there was anything other than the medications I could use to ease pains and bloating I found açai berry juice really good and chamomile tea seemed to calm me down a lot I’ve just started omega 3 fish oil tablets and all this is something that I wouldn’t normally go for but I thought worth a try my main comforts I find is not stopping myself when I feel better with treats and things like chocolate , wine ect even though none of that is recommend because of the irritants it can cause the flare ups it keeps you sane ! So I just have a break from the gym and doing things when I’m in the thick of it and just try to just roll and go with it (easier said than done because I find that always keeps the mental health at bay) but unfortunately endo is so restricting that isn’t an option for me on really bad days my only option seems to be to just stop and spend time at home. Do you use any pain relief medication ? I take ibroprofen way too much of and I’ve been warned the amount I take could end up with having a stomach ulcer but I’d be passing out if I didn’t take them!

[SavageGold in reply to Jajo1987]

I wish I'd been offered the nasal spray when I was at school. That sounds like a really manageable and reversible option! Thank you. I'll ask my nurse on Wednesday about it. They might have a leaflet. I know what you mean about wine and chocolate keeping you sane 😄

Holland and barrat do a cbd oil balm. I forgot about that. It really works. I remembered to put it on my back on Wednesday and forgot to put it on my shoulder. My back was totally fine the next day. My shoulder was sore until Friday. It was a swimming related pain but the back pain was torture due to my retroflexed uterus.

I want to try fish oils, but I'd rather eat fish than take a capsules. My dad used to make me take fish oil on a spoon as a child. Its not that bad. But I'd prefer it in my diet. How long you been on it? Notice any difference? Reduced inflammation?

Pain killers😱😭 I'm not allowed ibuprofen as the Dr said they've done something to my kidneys. It was a really long time ago. I don't remember if it showed on a blood test or something. I'm also not allowed any other non steroidal anti inflammatories, especially naproxen. I didn't realise it was giving me gastrointestinal bleeding the first couple times. Then one day my body went mental. I was bleeding down stairs from everywhere and coughing up blood. We live and learn🤮 I used to have to take days off work because I was coughing up blood. I should have twigged earlier.

I can only take co codomol for it. I'm probably very lucky in that it doesn't give me migraines like other people. It takes them away. And my main worst symptom that keeps me house bound is the runs which it 'plugs' up😁 and I can walk. My poor boss witnessed an episode fully kicking in one morning at work. I was crippled on one of the beds at work, and I had to double up and over doze (I'm not proud of that). Within 15 minutes I was off the bed and into work mode. I used to take tramadol before I got clinically diagnosed and I had no options medically.

I wish we could implant electric shock machines into men's and doctors bodies and go hell for leather giving them electric shocks a few weeks every now and then and see how long it took them once they had some empathy to take us seriously. I'd also like to give them constant food poisoning to let them know what endo feels like on our digestion 😇