Adenomyosis….depression and extreme fatigue

I’m 37 years old and recently been diagnosed with Adenomyosis. It was discovered when I had surgery to remove a very large fibroid tumor which didn’t actually exist!

I’d like to get more information on Adenomyosis. I’m so depressed all the time, have lower back pain and extreme fatigue. My periods are very heavy with clotting and I’m unable to leave the house for days because of it. When I’m not having my period I’m just plain exhausted, sad, achy, and I feel like a complete loser! Are these symptoms normal? Is there anything I can do to help me deal with daily life? I want to be part of society again.
I’m not working now and I don’t think I could hold a job because of this!

Please help!

Dear dwilton-
Your symptoms are very consistent for adenomyosis…many women experience depression with this disease because they cannot make it through a day without pain and have difficulty dealing with very average daily living activities.
Unfortunately, you basically have only two treatment options…hysterectomy with traditional gynecologists or FAS with our program. We are the only program in the country offering a laser debulking procedure for this condition. We would remove the diseased part of the uterus and reconstruct the healthy viable muscle.
You would be unable to have children but would have your uterus for natural hormone regulation and normal sexual functioning.
I would not recommend delaying too much longer…the more you wait the more the disease will spread.

I’m 42 and just yesterday I was told that I have Adenomyosis or cancer. I’ve been dealing with heavy periods and pain for over 4yrs. But in the past 6 months its been awful. The pain is in the back,tummy and my left leg will go numb from the pain. But I was told that they couldn’t find my left ovary during the ultrasound. I’m to start progesterone to see if this will help. What is your opinion on just having a hysterectomy and getting it over with, to taking progesterone?

Dear Sharon-
Your symptoms are consistent for adenomyosis..which is a benign disease. We do not recommend hysterectomy for benign conditions….although you will experience pain relief after the surgery you may end up with all kinds of other post hysterectomy complications/side effects: hormone imbalance requiring HRT, depression, sexual dysfunction, early menopause and osteoporosis. You are far too young to spend the rest of our life with these irreversible problems.
You most definitely need to treat your adeno…it will continue to spread and get worse with every cycle. The progesterone therapy may help the symptoms but you need to treat the disease itself. You may have great difficulty finding a doctor to remove the adeno and spare our uterus…but this is what we recommend. Our program has been very successful at treating your condition for over 7 years now. I know we could help you.
Good Luck

I am 36 years old and recently diagnosed with adenomyosis. I am blessed to have one child and my husband and I want one more. I have heavy bleeding, lots of clots, and suffer from depression at times. I am still able to function, but have very short patience weeks before and during my period. I am devestated becuase I’ve been told that I may not be able to have another child. Is this my plight? Could you possibly “remove the adenomyosis using the laser technology (that you describe on your website), leaving the endometrial cavity but treating the remaining deep uterine muscle disease” AND I or a patient, STILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A BABY?. Please let me what type of odds I have. thanks.

Help, I am 32 years old with 4 children my lower pelvic pain started 10 years ago, 4 weeks after having my first child. I have seen doctors and gynacologists and had a laparoscopy 7 years ago. The pain stops during pregnancy and breastfeeding but returns soon after stopping feeding. The pain is unbearable. I have been on Depo injections for the past 18 months since the birth of my last child but this has made me put on 3 stone in weight. I am very depressed and stopped Depo injections in June 2002. To date I still haven’t had a period but the pain over the past 2 weeks has been unberable.The pain comes on during the day especially if I am the go all day. Sometimes I cannot move of the settee it is so bad. Sex is very painful. Could this be endrometriosis. I am due for a laparoscopy next month but am worried that they will not find anything and I cannot take the pain much more. Please help

Dear Wantababy-
Unfortunately, your chances of a viable pregnancy may be very low. Adenomyosis is a destructive disease that damages the uterine muscle and eventually prevents the organ from stretching and contracting during fetal growth…many women end up miscarrying in the second trimester. The longer you have this disease the less likely you will be able to have another child. We recommend patients try to get pregnant asap for the best outcome.
Our FAS procedure does effectively treat adenomyosis but it actually laser removes the diseased part of the uterus and renders the organ incapable of carrying a fetus. All patients are infertile after the procedure, but have their uterus for natural hormone regulation and normal sexual functioning.

Dear bevpope-
Your symptoms are classic for adenomyosis….there is no definitive way to diagnose this disease unless you have a uterine tissue biopsy. These are difficult to obtain during “closed procedures” like laparoscopy…you may get false negative results.
IF you do have adeno without endometriosis..your scope will probably be uneventful..except your physician may find an enlarged uterus.This is the most obvious sign for the disease. A true diagnosis cannot be obtained unless the entire uterus can be opened and examined on the inside..as with our FAS procedure. We are the only practice offering women treatment for this disease….if your doctor does suspect adenomyosis I am fairly certain he/she will recommend a hysterectomy.
Good Luck

HELP,I AM 38 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ADENOMYOSIS. I HAVE HEAVY BLEEDING AND LOWER BACK PAIN THAT GOES INTO MY LEG AND KNEES. I GET REALLY MOODY ABOUT 2 WEEKS BEFORE MY PERIOD STARTS.THIS MAKES ME FEEL DEPRESSED AND TIRED. MY DOCTOR HAS ME ON AYGESTIN FOR 3 MONTHS. WHAT WILL THIS DO? WILL IT HELP LONG TERM? DO I HAVE THE OPINION TO SAY HYSTERECTOMY OR AYGESTIN? I CAN’T TAKE THE PAIN TO MUCH LONGER PLEASE HELP

I’m confused! My Doctor thinks I have adenomyosis. The uterine biopsy came back clean. I’ve been researching as much as possible. I thought your web page said with the FAS you could take out the effected tissue and leave the uterus AND the ability to have babies but on this page you told someone that there is little chance of a sucussful birth. Your saying no matter what I do I cant have any more kids…I’m only 23!?

Dear Cyb-
There is no long term treatment for adenomyosis except surgery. This is a disease that requires surgical treatment. Traditional physicians will recommend hysterectomy…as the only form of treatment; we do not recommend this approach. Our FAS procedure uses a laser to remove the diseased part of the uterus while allowing the women to keep her healthy uterus. The uterus still functions normally for sexual response and hormone regulation, reducing the chances of early hormone replacement therapy.
Fertility is possible in very isolated situations, when the disease is localized…otherwise women are infertile post surgery.
The longer you delay treatment the more the disease will spread…early action is imperative with this disease for long term success.

Dear Confused-
Adenomyosis is found in two forms…localized and diffuse disease. Very few patients have the localized type, which presents like a solid tumor. These patients often have a chance of fertility.
The diffuse form of the disease spreads throughout the uterus damaging the muscle…the disease eventually prevents the uterus from being able to carry a fetus and miscarriages are very common in the first trimester, if a pregnancy is even reached.This type of the disease usually presents with an enlarged uterus, heavy bleeding with clots, and painful cycles.
Sadly, we are having more and more patients report adenomyosis at a very early age…it usually presents later in life in the late 30s to early 40s. Etiology is unknown at this time.
We are recommending women have our FAS procedure to, at the very least, save their uterus…this organ functions as a natural hormone producer and responds during sexual intercourse. Removing it can be devastating for many many women.

Hello Dr. Junco,
4 yrs. ago I was diagnosed with adenomyosis. My doctor was going to perform a hysterectomy on the 5th of October. I went into the hospital 5 o’clock that morning. The nurse prepped me and I was all ready for the surgery. While my I.V. was in my arm, I was waiting to speak to the anesthesiologist while my doctor went to the lab to check a blood test that had not been done a week pryor to my surgery. I was only 30 minutes from having myself wheeled into the operating room when my doctor came back in a rush and told me that I was pregnant. I was shocked and began to cry none stop all the way home. I didn’t want anymore children and I was tired of being in pain and bleeding alot. I didn’t abort my pregnancy but I nearly miscarried her twice. I carried her through all the pain and June 16th of 1999 I had her. But a year later I had my hysterectomy and I wish I had known about your program before hand and I wish I had known about the side affects of the surgery also. I have feeling outside the vaginal area but no feeling inside. I no longer have a sex drive, it has deminished. I”ve been telling all the women who have asked me how do I feel now that I’ve had it done and I tell them that I’m pain free but don’t get it done unless it is very very medically necessary. Get a second opinion. I listened to women who said that they have no problems at all including sexually. My doctor told me that it wouldn’t affect me sexually but he was WRONG. I found out too late that my mom suffers from the same thing. All women are not the same. I have 7 children ages 18 to 3 yrs. old and I’ll be 40 Jan. 17th and I’ve realized that I was too young to have had that procedure done. I wish I could find some kind of hormone or something that would just give me some kind of feeling back. If I could turn back the hands of time I would have kept my uterus and delt with the pain and bleeding the best way I could. I would rather have a thousand children and continue the suffering from the bleeding and pain than to go through what I’m going through now. This type of suffering I would not wish upon my worse enemy. I pray that my 3 daughters will never have to go through what I’m going through. I will see to it that they get the best care possible now that I know where your institute is located.

Dear Foundout-
Yours is a very sad story…we hear about many of them through our program. Thank you for sharing it with other women.
Dr. DJ

Hi,Your website has been informative. Thank you. I have one question. With a hysterecromy,,just uterus,,not cervix,is there always loss of normal sexual functioning?

Dear Jill-
Research indicates varying degrees of dysfunction in up to 75% of women following hysterectomy…you may fall into the smaller 25%..there is no way to know.