Is 43 late to be under investigation for Endo?

[Amb43]

I am now 43 and under investigation for Endo, although looking back I may have had symptoms from very young. Is 43 late for these symptoms to have come to a head?

I understand Endo is generally linked to infertility, I did take 3 years to conceive and had two miscarriages.

Wondering what is the average age of women here.

Thanks for reading.

Amb x

[Pands]

Hi Amb, I am 41 and was diagnosed with endo at 40. I took 4 years to conceive in my early 30s. When I saw the consultant he was amazed that I hadn't been investigated for endo as part of the infertility investigations - but I had no symptoms at that time (did have some when much younger). All my chronic pain and symptoms have mostly come in the last 5-7 years (so since I had my children).

[Amb43]

Thank you Pands, that's very interesting to me, due to a comment made by my Consultant at my first Gynae. appointment.

So sorry you endure chronic pain and symptoms and wish you peace and comfort.

Many thanks. x

[Pands in reply to Amb43]

Fortunately at the moment I doing quite well - had lap and excision surgery in Oct 11 followed by zoladex for 6 months and now things are much much better but I had several years where I was ill and in pain (of various sorts) nearly all month. I had never heard of endo until I was about 38 and even then I didn't think it could be me as I hadn't suffered for years and years. But once I got to see my gynae, he just went 'I think it is endometriosis' and he was absolutely right. The fertility thing just came up as an aside when he was talking about my medical history. Best wishes.

[limbiloo83]

Hey hun, I was diagnosed with endo when i was 18 im now 29. I lost my left tube when i was 25. unfortunately i had an ectopic and was told by the surgeon it was very badly damaged and i was lucky to have my 2 children with one working tube. I had a lap done in april and was told they took some biopsies of samples and when they looked under the microscope it wasnt endo??? Still havent got an answer as to what it is but they now say I more than likely have adenomyosis and I am scheduled for a total hysterectomy on the 31st of this month.

Like pands my pain and symptoms got worse after each pregnancy,I have had 4 pregnancies but only have 2 children. I have extremely heavy periods and sex is very painful, along with other symptoms.

Doctors at the beginning hummed and ahh'd before they finally investigated as I was told that endo normally happens to women in their 40's but over the last 11 yrs they now have come to the conclusions that the condition doesnt care what age you are. It maybe a case that over the years it has taken its toll on your body and the symptoms have become more apparent.

Hope this has helped, and I hope you get answers soon. Take care of yourself hun xxx

[Pands in reply to limbiloo83]

That's really interesting thanks- I did think that I was on the old side at 40 to be presenting with endo problems but from what you say it isn't. I have only had one pregnancy but all the symptoms came on after that and got worse with each year that went by...best wishes for your hysterectomy, hope it all goes well.

[Amb43]

Thanks ladies, this information is of great help to me, considering my first appointment with a Consultant resulted in not only being told my chronic (every day for 13 weeks now,) lower back period pain was impossible when I wasn't menstruating so it was an issue for Orthopaedics!! But she also told me that 43 was too old for Endo because I would have had years of problems, I obviously did, but wasn't aware at the time that they were symptoms.

I am seriously wondering if my Consultant was in fact an imposter!! She seemed to know or understand nothing and I have to wait until April to see her again!!

Thank you so much, take good care of yourselves. xx

[jayneeb3]

Hi there, I am 45 (did I say that out loud lol) and have had my right ovary out 30th Oct, endo was only discovered during my lap, although that explains the pain etc I had been experiencing for over a year. I was being treated for a cyst on my ovary, and it was being removed because it was causing pain. I had probs with periods roughly 10 years earlier and had a d & c, and they found nothing then. I firstly went to the docs with repeated, what I thought, were water infections, but there was no bacteria present when my urine was sent off, and was treated because of the lower back pain with antibiotics.

xxx