Symptoms
- Pelvic pain
- Painful periods
- Painful sex
- Heavy periods
- Hip pain
- Leg pain
- Nausea
- Pain radiating from bladder or bowel
- Persistent bloating
- Anus/vaginal shooting pain
- Difficulty/pain with passing stools
I just want to elaborate before I move on to another subject. The pains you get with endometriosis is not like any other normal period cramp. It feels like a hot rod being pushed through your hips from front to back, near where your ovaries would be. You get cramping and sharp "stitch-type" pains really low down on the pubic bone. Depending on where the endo has radiated to, you can get pain in the upper abdomen and in the chest too. You can have no symptoms at all or just a few but still have endo. It's better to be safe than sorry and get it treated before it gets worse. Endo CANNOT be cured by any means. Even hysterectomy can't cure endo as it can grow on other organs aside from the womb as I mentioned above.
Treatments
Pain Medication
Doctors can offer a range of different medications to help with the pain. These can be from the average ibuprofen or paracetamol to stronger pain killers like codeine (I wouldn't suggest as it aggravates symptoms really bad). I personally am on Gabapentin and although it doesn't work for about 2 hours from taking it, when it works it works well. The pain doesn't go away fully but it helps me get through the day. The only side effect I experience is dizziness, disorientation and drowsiness. I almost feel like I am drunk and I do act a little more confident that normal but I only take these meds when I'm at home so I'm not vulnerable. You would have to speak to your GP about what would be best for you. They will start you on basic and then build you up to whatever you may need.
Hormone Therapy
I know what you're thinking, that's for menopausal women but that is a common misconception. Many therapies used for women going through early menopause helps endo girls and menopause inducing therapy can also help. Contraceptives are the main choice for many women with endo. I have had a few different treatments but none so far have given me the full result I want. The different things you can have are:
- Combined pill
- Combined patch
- Mirena (coil)
- GnRH
- Progesterone only pill
Surgery
There are a few surgeries that can be done but they mainly consider the age of the patient before going ahead with the surgeries. There are 3 main surgeries and a few on the side that are performed rarely. If you'd like to know about these then let me know. The main 3 are:
Laparoscopy
This involves a little inch to two inch cut below the navel (belly button) and above the pubic bone. One whole is used to pump gas into your tummy to help them move around better inside and the second hole is used for the camera. I any instruments are used for example if they need to take the endo away, they usually make another incision possibly two either side of the navel. This surgery does have to consider age because it does involve an internal probe whilst under general (full) anaesthetic. The recovery time can vary depending on the person and how much was done. I only had an investigation and was bed-ridden for almost a week. The worst part, pain-wise, was definitely my shoulders and the best thing to do? Drink flat Coke, the normal kind is fine just buy some a few days before surgery and leave them without caps on for a few hours or shake and open the bottle repeatedly until all the fizz goes. Trust me, its a god send and it still works for gas now.
Laparotomy
This surgery is more invasive and most commonly used for when endo has stuck organs together. You have a long cut down the middle of your tummy or across the bikini line/pubic bone and it is obviously a longer recovery time. I haven't got much info on this at the moment but will amend it at a later date when I have completed my research.
Hysterectomy
This is only for women who are over 45 generally, people who have extensive endo that has no other option and for those of us sick of the pain and just need a rest. This can be done by keyhole surgery similar to the laparoscopy or by a larger cut to the pubic bone. This takes out all reproductive organs including ovaries if you so wish. This is a very big thing to have done as its not reversible and you can't have children after, so please don't go onto it lightly. If you need to, I can talk to you about it and offer advice and support to you all.
That's about it for now and anything else you can think of or I think of I'll add.
Thanks for reading and I hope I helped a bit. Again, don't hesitate to contact me on my e-mail address with any questions, comments, concerns e.t.c.
Leya :) xo
