Understanding symptoms - Bowel?

[Scoutybob]

Hi all -

So I've been told I have endo and adeno but I seem to be managing to get the pain under control for a lot of the time through lifestyle and diet changes. Previously I'd been in pain throughout the month as well but at a lower level.

However, during my period now I'm getting more and more of these 'episodes' of the really really sharp, stabbing pain that's contraction like and I would say worse than my labour pains. I can't stand or sit with it, I become dizzy and faint and often end up being sick.

What I get confused about it the sporadic-ness of it. I still have continual severe pain but it's these unbearable episodes that come out of nowhere that get me. I can be cooking and absolutely fine and in 20 seconds I'm on the floor. In terms of hours, they can last anything from 20-30 minutes to a 2-3 hours probably. Then it can ease as fast as it started.

I'm just wondering if these potentially sounds like it could be something relating to the bowel. I've got kissing ovaries, endometriomas on ovaries, endo affecting fallopian tubes and diffuse and focal adenomyosis. They think endo is on the utero-sacral ligament but didn't explore bowel.

I've had an MRI this week so should know more from that, but for anyone who has endo affecting the bowel, does this sound like your experience?

Thanks.

[Moonglo]

Hello there! Your symptoms really resonated with me - I think they’re flare ups.

For years, I suffered from these exact flare ups - sudden, excruciating pain like a hot knife (either lower belly or lower back), couldn’t sit/stand/lie down, dizziness, wanting to vomit.

The lesser flare ups would occur in my lower back and I’d practically have to crawl to bed (or the first aid room at work) and it would wipe me out for the rest of the day. This happened at least once a month, during my period.

The stronger ones (which happened twice to me, 20 years apart) were so painful I would want to vomit and pass out. Both times I ended up in hospital having an emergency laparoscopy - both times my endometriomas had burst.

In my case, I had large endometriomas, adhesions all over my abdomen and Pouch of Douglas - no bowel issues as far as I’m aware.

Before your scan, it would be useful to track your symptoms to see if there is a pattern to the seemingly random flare ups. You say they’re during your period - when? At the beginning, middle or end? How many flare ups during each period? Also, what you’ve been eating, drinking etc. as this can also trigger them.