Left side pelvic pain for over a year!

[Kcorrao]

Anyone else had constant left side pelvic pain near ovaries that radiates to my left hip? I have had many scans and tests all came back clear! Haven't had any tests lately because I've basically given up! Doesn't interfere with my eating or bowel movements, (I know, TMI).... I am 47 and having irregular periods....could premenopausal do this? At a loss here....it's making me antisocial and I work retail.......

[Salemsammy]

I get it on the right side .

[Kcorrao in reply to Salemsammy]

I'm trying some pelvic exercises.....can't hurt!

[Konagirl60]

Have you had any pelvic surgeries? When was that?

Have you had a baby? When? What do you use for birth control?

What kind of work or exercising have you done in your life? Any repetitive stress movements done on a regular basis?

Did you have a fall in the last two years?

Can you describe your pain please. Is it throbbing, achy, hot and burning, tingling, feels like electrocution, ripping, etc.?

[Kcorrao in reply to Konagirl60]

Never had a baby, no pelvic surgeries. I work fashion retail for the last 25 years, probably wrong shoes and standing on my feet all day 5 days a week for 25 years lol.... I am 47 and premenopausal.... I get bloating, irregular periods since the last couple of years....pms symptoms. I recently had a lumpectomy for a spot of breast cancer about 4 weeks ago, the stress of it all triggered a period that lasted 3 weeks..... had a really painful ovulation. I am supposed to start my period again according to my period tracker. I have all the pms symptoms. Last year, I got a ct scan, 2 pelvic ultrasounds, a colonoscopy and was checked out by a urologist. During the pelvic ultrasound, they found 3 small fibroids in my uterus. Nothing on the ovaries....was dx with IBS.....just wish this ache would let me go!!

[Kcorrao in reply to Kcorrao]

It’s more of an ache and it goes around to my lower left back. I’ve also been to a chiropractor and he said my SI joint was sprained....

[Konagirl60]

Why would you be diagnosed with IBS? Are you having chronic diarrhea? Are you constantly bloated? ( PMS bloating is usually pre- period by a few days and goes away once the flow is gone). Are you constipated? Do you strain to have a bowel movement?

Have you been checked for endometriosis? Maybe you need a laparoscopy to find out. Heavy bleeding like you describe may mean retrograde menstrual blood is flowing backwards out of your tube(s) and causing endometriosis elsewhere in your pelvis and body. There have been reports of endometriall tissue traveling as far as the lungs! Perhaps they could do a D&C at the same time? Has that been offered to you? MRI’s and CT-scans do not see everything.

Are you becoming anxious about the pain? Has it affected your ability to sleep and get proper rest? Can you walk and exercise easily? A year is a long time to be with that ache.

Have you tried an Epsom salt bath with 3-4 cups of salt in the bath water? It contains magnesium sulphate and this calms our muscles. We guard our bodies and tense muscles with chronic pain. Thanks for answering.

[Kcorrao]

I have not been checked for endometriosis, my doctor suggested a laparoscopy.... I have not considered that yet. The last period I had that was long was more of just prolonged spotting... not full on flow. I did go to the gyno because I was concerned about the spotting. They did a pelvic exam and the spotting was caused a condition call anovulation brought on by high stress levels. Like I mentioned before, I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer and had to have surgery.... and as you can imagine, I was quite stressed;). I have been sleeping well, I don’t have pain while sleeping thank god! I am slightly consipated, not bad though. They dx me with IBS-C.... they gave me some stool softener, like I said had a colonoscopy last year which came up clean. A d and c has not been offered to me at all. The gyno keeps an eye on those fibroids but no change for the last 5 years....

[Endoshan]

I agree with Konagirl60, could be endometriosis. I have shooting pains that travel to my hip and down my leg. I was diagnosed with endometriosis and many of your symptoms sound familiar, I would be open to finding out, better safe than sorry. Good luck!

[Kcorrao]

Yes I am thinking it might be Endo...I cannot take BC because since being dx with breast cancer, I have to take a hormone blocker.... so not quite sure what’s to be done if in fact it is Endo...

[Endoshan in reply to Kcorrao]

Kcorrao, first I am so sorry you are going through this, especially after battling with breast cancer. On a positive note, if this is endometriosis, it first takes a strong woman to get through day to day ,so I already know you are just that!

With that said I hope the below helps.

BC is only one line of defense and is usually only used to keep things at bay after a “clean out”. BC is not usually helpful in severe cases like myself. Actually, the fact that you are on a hormone blocker it may be already helping if you have endo. It slows down the production of estrogen and this is exactly what an endo patient needs.

There are many different options for this, some more severe than others. One being Lupron. (It temporarily shuts down the production of estrogen and other hormones) This is something that I have chosen to do. ( not that I am suggesting that for you) I plan on writing about this topic on here, as it was a blessing and curse all in one when it came to this disease.

Usually, the first step is laparoscopic surgery and if they find endo they would remove what they can. This can relieve you from a lot of pain,bloating etc. especially,if you have a large endometrioma. This is a cyst like mass of endometrial tissue that grows in the ovaries.

Laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive surgery. It may be something worth discussing with your OBGYN. My last piece of advice, if you do decide to do it, I would have your OBGYN refer you to an endo specialist. Most OBGYN’s can do the lapo surgery, however if it is endo, you want an expert that can do as much clean out while they are in there as possible.(there are many reasons for this) Endo can attach to other organs and even though it is a minimally invasive surgery, it is still surgery that needs and calls for an expert driver. (I learned this the hard way)

[Kcorrao in reply to Endoshan]

Thank you so much for your reply;). I have an appointment with my gyno at the end of the month, I will discuss this with him. We have discussed a laposcopy before, I just never chose to do it. I think I’ll wait for a while since I just had my lumpectomy. I will start to take the hormone blocker in July, so hopefully with a little luck, this will help my pain!! That would be a blessing. Thank you again