Do you think I could have endometriosis?

[WANBMUM]

hi ladies

We have been TTC for almost a year now and NTNP for almost 2. the last few months I have been getting quite bad lower back pain around my af time and it is slowly getting worse, where I am sort of getting shooting pains and the pain wakes me at night. Once my af comes it is gone again. Of course I was 'googling' my symptoms and it said it could be the start of endo, that is why it is slowly getting worse.

I seem to be ov as per my temps, so maybe im being drastic here but does anybody else get this?

I think after Xmas I will be taking a trip to the nurse anyway,although I am putting it off as i'm sure she will just tell me to lose a few lbs.

any advise would be awesome,

thanks

 

[iwanta8a8y]

Hi hun, I have endo - I was diagnosed in August with it, the only real way to be sure is to have a lap done. You will need to see your doc and get one booked in if you think you have it, share your concerns with him/her and she what they have to say. FX you will be ok x

 

[WANBMUM]

Thanks pet for your reply - Yes I will just have to go Doc to rule it out I suppose, I think i need to stay away from Google - ha

 

[suzie7]

Try not to worry or stress over it. I'm not sure what the stats are but endo is not all that common and even if you have it, there are different stages of it. Go see your doctor or a fertility specialist. They'll take your hormone levels to confirm you're ovulating, give you an ultrasound to see what's going on, give you an HSG to make sure your fallopian tubes are open and test your husbands sperm. From those tests, they should be able to indicate what the issue is. Don't stress! It will happen.

 

[petitpas]

Hi,
I have endo and as mentioned before the only way to confirm this is by having an operation called a laparoscopy. Normally your doctor would want to rule out other problems with less invasive tests such as ultrasound, blood tests etc.
Speak to your gyno about your problems and take it from there.

PS: Even though I've had three laps to treat my endo, it's never been thought to be bad enough to compromise my fertility (yet).

 

[amazing26]

Hi Sweetie, I have severe endo and have been diagnosed with it for 6 years now and it is very painful. Immediately after being diagnosed and having it burned away I conceived my first child. Of course since then it has come back but I have concieved 2 more children since and TTC#4 on my fourth cycle and believe it or not this is the longest it has ever taken. So don't let it discourage you. I've actually noticed ovulation even better since I've had it because ovaries get extremely painful. Good luck and I wish you the best...I'm sure everything will be fine.

 

[WANBMUM]

Thank you so much ladies, you are all so supportive. That is so good to know. Whatever happens we will get through it, we will try or do anything for our little one, I justneed to inherit some darn patience,

thanks everyone

 

[Dancingkaty1]

hi there....i too get very bad low back pain, usually from a few days after i ov right up til af arrives...it gradually gets worse til af arrives too I also spot for up to 3 /4 days b4 af arrives, have painful sex sometimes & had thick black discharge this mth b4 af arrived!! also sometimes when i do a poo i get sooo bad pains in my belly! I spoke to my doc about my concerns a few eeks ago & she suggessted i speak to my fs about having a laparoscopy done as she thought it may be endo. So i moved my appointment with my fs forward & spoke to her. She said all the results ive had done ( bloods, ultasounds, cervix deying test, hycosy etc) havent shown anything so not to worry...i asked if scans always shows endometriosis & she relpied saying not always but im sure your fine! I was so angry & she just parmed me off with more clomid!!...im ovulating by myself anyway so i do not think that is the prob!! I immediately phoned my private health center around the corner from me & am booked in monday to see a specialist who deals with endometriosis & performs laporascopys. Its £140 just to speak with him but im hoping he can give me advice & if he suggessts i do have it & needs a lap then i will demand a lap from my fs on the nhs.....privately with the specialist it is £3000!!! my friend had a lap done last xmas, she said she went into hosp ( a&e) with very bad tummy pains, they did ultasounds couldnt find anything so they performed the lap there & then!! they found cysts on 1 of her ovaries, no endo. Im debating to do this if my fs still doesnt refer me after i have demanded one!! Not only is it worrying me that if i do have it it could be the cause of me not conceiving over the past 17 mths but the pain is starting to really get me down!! ive constantly got a hot water bottle stuck to my lower back....& hate the fact i do not always enjoy sex with my dh anymore as it can get really painful

 

[WANBMUM]

Katy I have similar other symptoms to you also, I spot for 2-3 days, sometimes hurts when goin to the loo and I often have loose bowels also. Thankfully I haven't had pain when dtd but it is the back pain that mainly got me curious as it is definately gettig worse. I think I have quite heavy af's also( don't know what to compare to)
Let me know how you get on. I think I will push for the test, if I can afford it!!I do not want to be fobbed off.
Best of luck with everything x

 

[petitpas]

DancingKaty,
I also had pain during sex for years and this has been somewhat corrected during my laparoscopies. I was lucky because initially I saw a private gyno who immediately scheduled me for a lap. My third lap, which I had in September, was on the nhs.
Unfortunately, there is no scan currently available that can detect endometriosis. The ONLY way to diagnose it is through a laparoscopy. It looks like you've already been through a number of tests so if they all came back negative, then endo should certainly still be on the table and it would be worth asking for a referral.
If it helps, my GP finally listened and gave me my first referral, when I almost broke down crying explaining how the pain was killing my sex life. Tears are definitely worth a try

 

[fifi-folle]

I'll tell you my story in the hope it gives you some clues.

I have had ovarian cysts at least twice a year since 2001, been hospitalised several times, had innumerable ultrasounds (I always joke that I WILL be there for a pregnancy scan one day). The doctors just fobbed me off saying they were functional cysts and every woman gets them. No one asked about my period pain. The pain has been increasing over the past few years to the point where CD1/2 I would be doubled over in pain. Eventually last year I put my foot down and insisted someone help me. I ended up going private (thankfully DH moved jobs to one where I am covered by his healthcare) as it would have been 3 months til I was seen on NHS.

The consultant I saw instantly mentioned endo, especially as I have a family history of it (aunt and cousin). Realised that the spotting after sex, the pain on moving my bowels, reduced immune system when AF due, passing large clots (TMI alert *** you know the sort that don't absorb into your sanitary towel). It has now got to the point where I am in constant pain. I get pains down my leg (pain is right sided mainly), across my back, stabbing pain in ovary, itching/burning pain.

I have had two laparoscopies, both have removed the endo, I have tried temporary menopause injections, progesterone tablets, none have worked. It has to be said that I have severe endo (ovaries, womb, bladder, behind the womb, pelvic wall all covered in endo, right ovary stuck to pelvis with scar tissue, I always have at least one cyst on my ovary)

If you are concerned about endo you need to make it clear, it takes on average 8 years to get diagnosed with it in the UK and it's prevalence is around 5/10% of women have it. Often it is when you stop taking the Pill to ttc that the symptoms become apparent. However most women with endo can conceive without a problem. Speak to your doctor and ideally get a referral to a gynae. One benefit of having endo for me is that we are not having to wait the 18 months before getting referred to fertility team as my gynae said she would see me as soon as possible due to my endo (as they know what is causing fertility problems.

Sorry for such a long post, and please don't be scared by it. Feel free to ask me any questions.