Normal symptoms or endo? Plz help guys.

[LaRockera]

Hi everyone. I've just turned 30 and have been trying to conceive for nine months now with no luck. I know there are ladies here that have been trying for far longer and have been through so much, so please forgive me. I know you understand how month by month you become discouraged and start feeding on your paranoia. All I need is, well, an opinion.

As it happened, I recently read about endo, and from that point onwards it got me into over-observing mode. I'll be undergoing fertility tests once I enter cycle 10 so will be asking my doc for a laparoscopy anyway, but until then perhaps you could tell me whether I'm right to be a bit paranoid or I just need to shut up and wait patiently. Here's what put me in suspicion-mode:

-The first day of my cycle can, sometimes, be very painful. It goes away with normal paracetamol, and won't generally stop me from whatever I'm doing. It also lasts for a few hours.

-I have a tinge of brown spotting just before my first day of full blood.

-Throughout the whole of my two week wait, I often experience mild cramping (sometimes it's just gas, I know ), and twinges in my pelvis. None of it is too sharp or lasts for more than a few seconds. Approaching my AF, I get a couple of sharper twinges on my pelvis, but that happens every time and it feels like nerve reaction.

-Sometimes I feel numbness at the top of my hips. Not pain, just numbness.

Now, as far as I know endo doesn't run in my family. Also, I'm nailed in front of my computer 24/7 and this may have a lot to do with my hips feeling 'numb' (it's never painful. And I may not notice if I don't pay attention). I'm also a lazy arse and don't really exercise.

Finally, I don't seem to suffer from constipation, urination or sex are never really painful (unless doggie style when cevix is low ), and AF lasts for five days (with an extra two days of spotting), and apart from the first day, it's not really heavy.

What do you think? If I sound utterly ridiculous and annoying, please do forgive me. When I started my ttc journey I was very relaxed and laid back. Month after month, it becomes harder to keep my spirits up and hope. My husband did an SA and it came back normal, so I can't help but think the problem's with me. I always get a positive OPK, have a clear thermal shift and a luteal phase of at least 14 days, and my cm seems fertile enough. So I'm trying to figure out why we're not conceiving. I know it can take a while sometimes, but a lot of things go through your head until you find out, don't they?

Thank you.

 

[LaRockera]

Guys? Anybody? x

 

[fifi-folle]

You'd get more responses if this were posted in the main Ltttc board (another endo thread was posted in secondary IF by mistake and never moved).
It's hard to say based on your symptoms if it's endo, there's a chance it's mild or early endometriosis but they really don't like to do a laparoscopy unless they are fairly certain of what they are going to find. 9 months isn't that long for ttc, they say even women without any issues can take up to a year. I know it's hard to keep trying (18months for us with 4 early m/cs, but we've finally got a sticky bean!)
Definitely mention endo specifically to your doc as they often don't think of it. My symptoms started out really low level and intermittent so it took 8 years for a diagnosis. Hopefully you'll get your BFP without having to go through any invasive tests!

 

[LaRockera]

Thank you, fifi. If it wasn't for the mild sciatica this cycle I wouldn't really think about it, because my mother always had brown spotting before her AF and horrible first days too, and she also had biopsy and was found clear. I also found out that bloating and gas blush are very common during the 2 week wait, so it's just those sparse, mild twinges on my legs that worry me a bit.

I did have a reflex session a week ago and remember my back was in impossible pain for the first time after I got off the bed (perhaps the lady pressed me the wrong way?), and I haven't been exercising a lot the last few weeks so hoping this may be it.

But will mention it to my doc anyway.

Congrats on your pregnancy! May it all go brilliant, hon!

 

[fifi-folle]

It's still worth mentioning but your doc will probably brush it off. Have you had your hormones tested just to make sure you are ovulating ok? Or have you used OPKs yet? Or you could chart your BBT. I did all these things!!!!

 

[LaRockera]

I've been charting and temping for the last three months. Everything seems to be normal at that level. I get positive OPKs, fertile cm, a clear thermal shift and a luteal phase that lasts for 14 days more or less. My doctor said he'd be surprised if my progesterone tests didn't come back okay, and that even in that case, he'd send me back to repeat them. I get normal AF cycles, not too heavy not too light, that last about 5 days plus another two of lspotting.

I can always feel ovulation (or at least I think I can) but it's not painful. Just a twinge here and there that gives me an idea of what's happening. I also get ovulation spotting sometimes. This time I've seen it for a couple of days, but I usually see it only once. I've seen spotting perhaps three or four times during those nine months of trying?

My husband had an SA in September and it came back normal. Some of the prices were on the lower side of the reference values, but the SA has been seen by two specialists and both said his sperm is fertile. He'll be doing another one soon, but he went voluntarily on Wellman's and Maca so I don't think it'd come back any worse.

I know that it can take some time, but as time passes and nothing happens, I can't help worrying. Regarding the sciatica thing, I've felt a cramp or two on my upper thigh once or twice during the last three or four months? Very sparse. It's just that this cycle, from 7dpo, it seems to be happening a bit more and spreading down my leg too (I'm 9dpo at the moment). Perhaps I was paying too much attention? Don't know. I had reflexology session a week ago and when I got off the bed my back was killing me, so this may be from the reflex, or the fact that I haven't moved from my darn desk for days. I had it in both legs but more on the left. Other than that, the usual twinges and gassy cramps of my 2 week wait.

I've read that symptoms aren't always severe, or even there with endo. I got referred for bloods by my doc anyway, so I guess I'm soon to find out what the is going on. I know there may be nothing, and it's just time and luck. But I can't help being worried of that dreadful what if.

 

[fifi-folle]

Symptomless endo is MUCH less likely to cause fertility problems! Mine is pretty agressive and widespread but I still manage to conceive quite well. It's a nightmare when you are trying for month, you become so aware of your body it's awful! The cycle we conceived I was starting to look at fostering/adoption and applying for jobs (had been signed off for 2 years due to constant endo pain, it's still there but I decided it wasn't going to ruin my life any more!!!)

 

[LaRockera]

So I called my Greek gyno (I live in the UK) and bombarded him with questions. He said that all those symptoms (the ones I describe above) are quite natural to occur during the luteal phase. He was very confident and reassuring. And I believed him, because he also advised pro a laparoscopy anyway. He said it's painless and is a great way to give us an idea of what's going on in there.

So if my UK doc refuses to refer me for lap, I'll go have one in Greece during spring.

I was also talking to someone today who knows a lot about low back pains and physical exercise. He said that my sciatica can very well be a result of my lack of exercise, and he talks from physical experience. He said if I sit too many hours in front of my desk without any exercise at all it's almost certain I'll get back problems, and that's where sciatica stems from. I also asked my husband who's also stuck in front of his pc all day, and confirmed he gets sciatica, and when he gets it, it's on his left leg most of the time.

So all this kind of put my mind at ease, at least for the time being. But I've decided I'm going for the laparoscopy anyway.

Thanks for all your support here. xxx