I am 27. I suffered with serve period pain from my first period when I was 15, I was put on the pill, this worked for about 3-4 year, I still had pain but I could cope, I was not throwing up and fainting when I had my period. I was officially diagnosed with endo in 2002 and had a laparoscopy and the endo was removed. I then had an implanon implanted in my arm, the 1st one worked for about 2 years and three months and then the bad pain returned. My GP replaced the implanon and that worked for about six months and I then saw another gyno and had another lot of surgery in October 2005, she told me that there was only a copy of spots of endo and she lasered them off, but the pain, she told me was in my head. I also had a mirena IUCD placed in my uterus. In January my pain was getting bad again, I returned to my gyno who told me that the pain was in my head and maybe I should have a baby. I am not married and my boyfriend lives overseas. It was a great way to spend $150 and I will never see that gyno again. I would like children one day, but not any time soon. The past five months I have had a period every 28 days, I get pain 3-6 days before and I usually throw up and have pain for two days into my period also. I have researched Depo- provera but I have found so much negative side effects, but I don't feel I have a choice. I have taken the last two days off work as the pain is so bad. I was wondering if anyone has had any success with Depo-provera injections or if anyone has a good gyno who is going to try and help me not suggest I have a baby. As I am already dreading next month.
Welcome to BB Dabs
Don't know how much I can help you out, but thought I would post to say I can understand, and hopefully someone else will provide you with some more useful info.
I had horrible AF's as a teenager. Every month, I would be off school for a couple of days, and when I needed to go to the toilet, I would fall out of bed onto the floor and crawl to the loo. They were irregular, painful, full of clots, I had migraines, and when on the pill, I was vomiting as well.
My GP said he had put me on all the basic pills, so my last resort was the depo injection. I had tried the pill version, and it didn't work, so he warned me that for something like 1 or 2% of people, they get AF until the injection wears off. His other suggestion was for me to get pregnant and see if the pain was better after having a baby, as it sometimes does help. I was around 15 - 16 yrs old when he told me that!
I left his office with a prescription for painkillers, with him telling me not to visit too often for repeat prescriptions, in other words he was watching me to make sure I didn't become dependent upon them.
After a few years I went back and said i couldn't put up with the pain anymore, and I wanted to try the depo injection. He gave me a shot that was for 1 month instead of the 3 months, he said if I had no side effects from the 1 month injection, he would then give me the 3 month one. Well, I ended up with AF for the whole month. I went back to see him, and he wrote me out another script for my painkillers.
I did see a gyno when I was a teenager, who told me that I didn't exercise enough! I was a size 8 (and sometimes smaller) played squash, and walked everywhere! the gyno said that because I was having symptoms, and I had a family history, it didn't mean I had it, I was too young. But when I turned 25, I was to go back and see him, as he would operate on me to remove my endo!
I fell pregnant when I was 20. After my DD was born and AF returned, I was pain free, I only needed to take panadol a couple of times a year.
I know some women can manage their symptoms through diet changes, and some are on medication to stop AF from arriving so often.
Hopefully someone else will be able to suggest a gyno for you. I hope you find someone who will help you with the pain.
Goodluck, and don't forget to let us know how you go
Nic
thanks for taking the time to reply, i am glad that your pain went away. I just think i will scream if another doctor tells me to have a baby, as my boyfriend lives overseas and it is just not a option for us at the moment. So besides the depo only working for a month did you have any side affects? I have never been told to chance my diet, i know caffene makes my period pain worse, but it is hard to avoid when i never know when i will get a period. I eat healthy and do a lot of exercise so i can't see any dietary chances helping me. I think i am just going to have to try the injections, as i really don't want to have to have a third surgery. It would just be nice to find a doctor, preferably a female who is understandive and not dismmissive and helps me find a solution. As i am also concerned about my liver with the amount of pain killers i takes each month.
I have no idea what stupid doctor suggests having a baby. A doctor who I will never go back to!!! In some not all cases pregnancy can help clear up endo, but I have a friend who is 36 who has just had a hysterectomy after her three children to get rid of her endo, so it doesn't always work.
Dabs, sorry for not replying sooner, have only been able to type short one handed posts while feeding DS.
It was quite a few years ago that I had the depo injection, so can't quite remember what side effects I had sorry. I think having AF for a month, was my main one, which probably made me not remember any other side effects lol.
It's interesting that you mention caffeine making the pain worse. we were having a discussion about the same thing a few months ago on here somewhere? I'm the same, if I have a coffee or chocolate or coke, the pain is worse. After the 2nd day I can return to having them, but I find that it's those first 2 days that I crave all 3 of them the most!
I'd say you've got nothing to lose by trying the depo injection. Maybe see if they can give you 1 months dosage instead of the 3 months, initially, that way you might have an idea of any bad side effects.
I know there is a website for endo, from memory it is the ECCA. Yep I just googled for it, it's the Endometriosis Care Centre of Australia. Check them out (if you haven't already) I know they have a list of endo specialists on there, so that might help you out too.
I am 33 and have suffered endo since I was 18 years old. I've had major surgery to clean it up but the symptoms keep recurring. I too have been told to hurry up and have a baby. I believe that my insides are very damaged and have been told that I have a less than 5% chance of getting pregnant anyway.
Today I have elected to "go natural" and seek the help of a naturopath. Not only am I desperate to alleviate my endo symptoms but time is running out to start a family and I feel that the older I get the worse my reproductive system may get. I've been recommended Sharkey's Healing Centre which is situated in Queensland but you can access online. I have heard nothing but very positive outcomes from these people. I am happy to stay in contact with you and let you know how treatment goes so you can gauge if it is worth it for yourself to try.
xTB08
Dear TB08,
I am one of the Naturopaths at the Belly Belly centre in Melbourne.
It is great to hear you have opted to go down the natural therapy path - I am sure you will get great results.
Dabs, too after you have had the endometriosis removed do consider going to a really good naturopath in Sydney - as we have the best form of treatment available for treating endometriosis - with no side effects.
It is really sad that you have not been able to get any joy from going down the medical pathway.
Naturopathically, endometriosis is an oestrogen dominant condition. This may result from having an undwrfunctioning liver so that oestrogen cannot be broken down properly and builds up in the body or it may result from being exposed to too many oestrogen mimicking substances in the environement or it can be inherited or all three.
This excess oestrogen causes endometrial tissue to grow outside the uterine cavity causing pain and adhesions.
Our approach is to normailse the menstrual processand regulate the cycle, reduce pelvic pain, reduce oestrogen excess and improve clearance and redcue and prevent adhesions.
This involves dietary changes, taking herbal tablets or liquids and reducing stress if this is affecting things.
RESULTS ARE FANTASTIC so if any of you are in Melbourne and suffering from endometriosis do come down to the BellyBelly Centre in Canterbury.
Best wishes,
Jocelyn King
TBO8
Statistics are a dangerous things, I think some doctors use them too often.Please don?t think I am being insensitive I just have a friend who was faced with the same news and she has three beautiful children.
My friend was they told her she COULD NOT get pregnant due to her endo, her children are nearly 4, 2 1/2 and 9 months old. Yes she needed to have a laparoscopy between baby 2 and 3. She was 35 when her first baby was born and 38 when her last was born. I so hope TBO8 that you can fall pregnant and you do not get too stressed over it, I am sure it must be so very hard. I am 27 and do not plan on having children for at least 5 years, this may seem foolish but my boyfriend is South African and he will not be moving her for at least two years.
I am going to look at the Natural option after my surgery, At this stage I think I am going to have to re schedule my operation as my mum was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that has spread to her stomach on Monday last week, so my pain will just have to wait, as I do not want my mum to need to worry about my when she has chemo and cancer to deal with.
I hear where you're coming from- its awful!! But I must say that you really need to get off the conventional medical/surgery/synthetic drug train and hop on the natural medical train with a good Naturopath asap- please see my post titled 'PCOS and Endo CAN be Reversed!' under this section. It explains my journey to healing and completely eredicating this horrible condition. The artificial birth control hormones you are taking do a lot of harm to the body- particularly increasing your risk of reproductive cancers like breast cancer. Not to mention the damaging effect they have on fertility. Besides, drugs only address the external symptom, rather than actually addressing the cause of the problem. That is why it returns time and time again.
Don't delay it another day. Believe me- as hard as it is to imagine, I promise you that this condition can be completely reversed and eradicated for good- without the harmful surgery.
All the best!
running out of Solutions with my endo
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