Peri menopause

[Billy2009]

I was diagnosed with Endometriosis it my late 20's. I am now 48 years old and Peri menopause or that is at least what the Doctor thinks. I just wondered what people's symptoms are and is their endometriosis worse? My endometriosis seems worse. I also have other symptoms Breast tenderness, periods are really slowing down, Back Pain. Sore skin down my left hand side hip, Anxiety and mood swings. Anybody else going through this?

[Moon_maiden]

Hi

Pretty similar, I’d likely had Endo for a very long time, bad periods etc. In 2019 I started to get much worse daily pain kept getting gaslit by Drs until I went to private Gynae and diagnosed Endo, adhesions and enlarged uterus. I was 51 when diagnosed. Since had five ops, hysterectomy, Endo, adhesions, gallbladder and appendix.

I’m beginning to think that if we’ve ignored it it gets worse with peri menopause/menopause hormones couldn’t cope 😣🤦‍♀️ But just a potential theory, no one will probably ever know or do anything about it.

I hope you start to feel better soon 🙂

[Peenie123]

yea I had Endo diagnosed finally in my late twenties after years of chronic periods . It was removed but the awful periods continued- I tried everything in terms of medical options but I could not tolerate progesterone . I tried Prostap which relieved /stopped periods for 6 months , attempted endometrial ablation failed and finally hysterectomy which has left me with a wealth of other problems. Periods had started to get unbearable, heavy and every 19 days abd there was not much awareness 10 years ago of Peri at all. In hindsight I’d been suffering this stage for quite a few years. Tell your GP to get educated in Peri- menopause! Ask for HRT now! Xxx

[Sunset-lady in reply to Peenie123]

But if you have endo you're more likely to be estrogen dominant anyway and if you take estrogen you may end up with fibroids or adenomyosis on top of endo (all of which are estrogen led). It's so hard. I love estrogen for my mental health and we need some as we get older but us endo ladies have to really manage it carefully. It's not the wonder drug for us as it is for our friends. I did try lowering mine significantly and I'm only on 1 pump now which works for me and 200 utrogestan. You feel as if you are choosing between your mental and physical health. When I went to half a pump I was miserable. I'm on zoladex too so I need to protect my bones. Good luck xxx

[Tipps]

Same, I was diagnosed at 22 late 90s and had two laps to remove adhesions and half an ovary. In 2017 I was put on the mini pill to suppress my symptoms as my back/pelvis pain was awful, have had a few consultations and last time they said more exploratory/ removal surgery was an option but talked me out of it as the MRI didn't show any large areas (think it's affecting my bowel and back so harder to see.) But further surgery can worsen scar tissue already present from previous laps so if managable, best to try to treat it with medication. I was moved onto Norgeston last Nocember as Noriday was causing constant bleeding. Now that seems to be causing other symptoms, bleeding, breast pain, mood swings, pelvic and back pain has worsened again. Almost 50 I'm thinking is this peri menopausal or the pill or endo flaring up . Worried HRT will worsen symptoms? I've also been offered the coil but not sure if that'll be better or worse than the pill. Tempted to stop everything and see how my symptoms are affected.

[BloomingMarvellous]

My Endo and Adenomyosis was finally diagnosed because of the onslaught of horrendous symptoms that was my experience of the previous part of my life unleashed without breaks . It was hell on earth complete with suicidal depression. Don’t be gaslit either that it will improve post menopause- it might not.

Don’t ignore it. Try the Balance App and the research booklets and info on it - they even have work on Endo etc. To help yourself and understand the chaos of hormones aggravates the problem try Heal Endo book and insta page of the same title by Kate Edmond’s. Resources for care of Endo and the like during this period is in short supply in my experience and don’t get treated as a unison but separately if they get attended at all which can make for a tough time.

[QT76]

I was diagnosed with Endo when a cyst burst when I was 20. Had constant pains, fatigue, bloating from about 15 years old. Not a lot of info about back then so lived on mefanamic acid and co codamol till I was 38. Got pregnant but had a bad miscarriage and needed surgery. Went on to have 2 kids, then on the mini pill with no periods, symptoms for nearly 4 years, but last two years it’s been off and on with bleeding etc.

my endo is nowhere like what I had before kids, but still get some bleeding, breasts are sore (never had that before) bloating, mood swings, tired, emotional, stress etc but just had to start blood pressure meds so Dr will look at HRT once I’ve been on these meds for a few weeks.

I know it doesn’t work for everyone but most the ladies I know who are on HRT have said it’s working really well.

I hope you feel better soon xx

[Nadine2 in reply to QT76]

My experience is very similar to yours and we are about the same age. I am on combined pill back to back which helps my symptoms but have perimenopause symptoms. Dismissed by more than one doctor and told to stick to the pill rather than hrt. Would be interested in knowing what move over from pill to hrt is like as at some point will need to do it! Does hrt help with Endo symptoms?

[Sunset-lady in reply to Nadine2]

No, the estrogen in HRT is what made my endo flare. You need to be careful with estrogen if you have endo x

[Nadine2 in reply to Sunset-lady]

Thanks, exact reason I have not tried it and do not want to until I find a doctor that understands menopause and endometriosis! Has anyone found a doctor or nurse that has this expertise?

[Sunset-lady in reply to Nadine2]

You will need a private menopause clinician. The GPs are not well informed when it comes to endometriosis. I have been given dreadful advice by some. Get a DUTCH test to start with xx

[Sunset-lady]

My endo definitely flared with peri menopause. This is how I was finally diagnosed as they tried to do a hysterectomy but found stage 4 endo so abandoned it. Since then (I'm 51) I've been on zoladex as I have fibroids too which bleed excessively. I don't have pain or sickness now compared to my teens and twenties and I don't drink alcohol and I eat mainly Paleo which helps massively. I would need a bowel resection which they don't want to do and I don't want a stoma bag so I follow an inflammatory diet, exercise as much as I can, prioritise sleep and take supplements. Hopefully menopause will help too if it ever arrives xxx

[BumbleE17]

Hi Billy2009 , firstly, thanks for raising this question - I've been meaning to for so long! And secondly, I hear you... I am 48 years old (49 next month) and I am definitely feeling peri-menopause on top of endo (and potentially adeno, too).

I am taking a low-dose combined contraceptive pill (Mercilon) to manage my endo symptoms, but for the last year or so (or possibly a bit longer), I've definitely been having peri-menopause symptoms, too, even though I was told by my local doctor's surgery that I shouldn't be having peri-menopause symptoms as I'm on the pill. At the time I believed them, but now I know this not to be true as I'm getting lots of symptoms - including trouble sleeping, increased anxiety and 'red mist' (getting angry over ridiculous things like my computer being slow at work!), brain fog/forgetfulness, weight gain and fatigue.

I wouldn't say my endometriosis is worse. I feel like I manage it quite well on the pill I'm on (I tend to take a break every 3 pill packets or so, to give my body a break), although I have been getting quite a lot of break-through bleeding over the last 6 months to a year. I feel like I'm constantly on and off bleeding - it's really annoying.

I've been meaning to start researching HRT and what my options are with endo, but I haven't got very far yet. I'm also really scared to try something new when the pill works well for me. But I've been told by my doctor that I can't take the combined pill beyond the age of 50.

I've tried the mirena coil in the past but it didn't agree with me and I had awful side effects. I want to move onto HRT to help with the peri-menopause symptoms, but I'm nervous of causing my endo symptoms to flare up (especially as I'm not under the care of a specialist endo centre at the moment).

Hoping to hear some advice on this thread - and I'm also happy to share any experience I have if/when I move onto HRT. I'm just currently in research mode at the moment.

Nadine2 , it seems like we're at a similar stage, so I'd be interested to hear about what you decide to do, too

Emma

[Nadine2 in reply to BumbleE17]

Very similar experience to a lot of you so thanks Billy 2009 for starting conversation, I have not been brave enough to do so. Bumble E17, I was told same by doctor that basically the pill works like HRT so should not be getting perimenopause symptom, but I have the same as a friend who has been confirmed as having perimenopause and has started HRT. I feel the doctor did not know what to advise so avoided it! But I need to stop the pill soon and am scared.

[BumbleE17 in reply to Nadine2]

I feel the same as you! I'd be interested to know what you decide to do about HRT. I won't be making a decision in the imminent future as I'll keep on taking the pill for now, but I will report back if/when I try anything new. (I want to try HRT, I just don't have the energy and focus to do all the research right now as I've got other things going on in my life I'm dealing with at the moment. But I will have to at some point.)

It's interesting to read the other posts on this thread - especially about the Dutch test. I've never heard about that before.

[Sunset-lady]

I would get a Dutch test to see how estrogen works in your body. From this you can probably see how well HRT will work for you. I've read a lot and the best HRT particularly for endometriosis sufferers is a small amount of estrogen (usually gel) and natural progesterone like Utrogestan. I wouldn't touch progestin (synthetic progesterone) so I wouldn't have the coil. Everyone is different but fibroids, adenomyosis and endometriosis all go together so if you have one then you may develop the others (this is my consultant not me who said this). We have to find the right balance between estrogen and natural progesterone. Good luck x

[Billy2009 in reply to Sunset-lady]

Thank you for your reply. What is a Dutch test and who does this. I have not been under my consultation for many years now. I have the Mirina coil, which I have had for nearly 15 years now and not had any problems with.

[Sunset-lady]

Hi a DUTCH test is a private hormone test which you can order or go through a menopause specialist or sometimes an acupuncturist. It will give you a lot of information about how your body metabolises estrogen and the pathways it takes. If the coil suits you and you've had no problems then that's good as it's synthetic progestin which many women with endometriosis cannot tolerate. I'm presuming you've had 2 or 3 in the last 15 years as they run out of the hormones they are giving you. I think the coil lasts around 5 years.

The one thing I've learned through all of this is that everyone is different, and you need to find what works for you. Xxx

[Nadine2]

yes I have same question, never heard of Dutch test.