Is it normal to still be in chronic pain 3 months after laparoscopy?

[anneliese]

I had my first lap in September which diagnosed and "treated" my endometriosis. I had been going to my GP regarding my chronic menstrual pain since I was 11 (I'm now 21) it was only when I became sexually active at 17 when I realised that something was seriously wrong with me. Anyways it has been quite a significant time since my surgery and I'm now on my 4th period since the treatment. If it's possible my periods have become even more excruciating and heavy. I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else? Also my GP is far from understanding , she has offered me no support or advice, in fact she is desperate to get me back off of the sick ASAP. All of this is just adding to my stress levels as I had to leave my last job because of absence levels being too high : ( Please help !x

[abzisfabz]

I totally understand what you are saying, it has been three months since my laparoscopy and I am still in quite bad pain after my endo had been treated. I've just had my first period since (am tri-cycling the pill) and it was so heavy and excruciating (I luckily never had heavy periods before) and even though I've stopped bleeding finally I'm still in so so much pain.

So i totally understand because I feel the same! And I've missed so much college because of it. I haven't been back to my GP yet but I am hoping to soon cos am sick of feeling this way.

Is there anyone else you can talk to, maybe change GP's? I changed GP's and the one I have now is so helpful it might be worth trying that.

Sorry I can't be of much help, just thought I'd let you know you're not alone x

[anneliese in reply to abzisfabz]

Hi there, thank you for your comment!: ) it's nice to know I'm not alone in this!do you know I'm seriously considering changing my GP- I think she thinks I'm just being a bit fragile with all of this!

That's a real shame about your college- I totally had the same problems with missing loads of college when I was there , at the time though I didn't know i had endo : (.

I'm just so frustrated , I feel like I've been told by the surgeon that I have endo and then just been completely abandoned and left to get on with it myself : ( my GP hasn't even as much as discussed any hormal treatments ( I'm not on the pill , I used to be on the injection but I gained 4 stone and I have only recently managed to lose it!)

Anyways thanks for your comment : ) it's nice to have someone at the same stage as me x x

[abzisfabz]

That's okay don't worry, it's nice to have people that understand what we are going through I truly don't know what I'd do without this site

I definitely think it might be worth changing your GP, I'd had the same GP since I was born pretty much and everytime I went to him about my abdominal pains he just kept fobbing me off with painkillers, the only reason he referred me to a gynae in the end was because I'd had an ovarian cyst when I was 14 and he thought that's what it might be! But when I had the scan and they found nothing he just kept giving me painkillers so I eventually changed GP and she is so lovely I am so glad I swapped! So I definitely think it's worth giving it a try, the worst that can happen is they're also not understanding in which case you can try again hopefully you'll find someone who will take you seriously.

That's a shame about you with college too, and the fact you didn't know you had endo at least I know so I can let my tutor know what's going on and thankfully he's being so supportive and saying he knows I'll catch up so to just get some rest. But it's awful when you don't have an explanation for it so you can't explain it to anyone!

And I seriously get what you are saying about being told you have endo then being abandoned! I was told when I woke up from the anaesthetic that they found endo and they were gonna leave me in my GP's care, I expected to at least have a follow up appointment but nope! And even though my GP is lovely she can't really do much cos she's not a specialist so I totally understand the way you feel about feeling you have to go through it alone

I definitely think you should try a new GP and discuss hormone treatments, you shouldn't have to suffer in silence it's not fair, just because the disease can't be seen doesn't mean we aren't suffering!

Thanks for your comment back anyway, sorry this one is like an essay! It's just nice being able to talk about it with someone who truly understands xxx

[anneliese in reply to abzisfabz]

Dont be silly it wasn't like an essay : ) im just glad someone understands and is going through the same things because it's really easy to feel lonely and isolated especially when, like you said before, it's not visible to other people . It's also got so much to do with your emotions too- which is why it's so nice to have a message board like this!x x

[lisa-ann]

MY NAMES LISA I AM 24.

I went into surgery in feb to have a 6cm cyst removed, that is what doctors thought my pain was due to, my 30 minute surgery to remove the cyst turned in to 3 hours 30 minutes they found out i had Endometriosis and Adenomyosis also Endometriosison my bowl what they laserd off,

after surgery i bleed for 5 months and was i so much pain, in June they put me on Norethisterone to stop bleeding completely, since i have seen my surgeon he wants me on theses till January till i see him on the 28th.

he told me before i see him to come of these tablets to see what happens for a week then to go back on them after that week till i see him, i have done this i lasted 3 days i thought i was going to die it was so bad, he told if it was bad which it is i will be having surgery again in Feburary 2012

[anneliese in reply to lisa-ann]

Hello lisa!Oh you poor soul : ( did the pain stop while you were on the norethisterone?are you taking them again?x x

[lisa-ann]

hi anneliese pain did stop on norethisterone some times i have been on theses since june and have to stay on them till end of jan 2012.. only had a 1 week break what was unbearable with clotting couldent walk i only lasted 3 days went straight back on them.