Severe Pain / Afraid

Hello Dr. del Junco.

I’m 24 years old and have had severe pain durring my periods for as long as I can remember.

3 years ago I had my first visit to the gyn. I told her about the pain and she told me it was all in my head, and that it was quite normal.

My symptoms are horrid pain, for 2 – 4 days which disables me. It even hurts just to sit. Horrible pain durring urination when on my period, and even worse pain with a bowel movement or even passing gas. I also get diareah, headaches and lower back pain.

My periods are very heavy and clotted, lasting about 4 days, stoping for one and then continuing for about 1 – 2 days.

The pain has been getting worse and worse with each period, and it has gotten to the point now where I have pain throughout the entire month.

I reciently found out from my mother that both she and my grandmother have endo. I know that puts me at high risk.

I have been reading about endo on the internet, and have read that many women do not get properly diagnosed for years. I don’t know if I do have endo, but I can not stand this any longer! I can’t wait for years to find out what is going on.

I have scheduled an apointment with my GP next week. I was hoping if I go to him, he could refer me to a specialist and hopefully we can find out what’s going on a lot quicker.

After my last GYN told me it was “all in my head”, I am afraid that they won’t believe me. I don’t know how to tell them just how bad this is.

If you can offer any advice, It would be aprecieated.

thank you,
Mercy

Dear Mercy-
We get emails like yours quite frequently…the pain you are experiencing is NOT all in your head. You probably have endometriosis and possible adenomyosis, which is uterine endometriosis. Please read our website section on this disease. Either way..you need treatment asap.
If your doctor will not listen to you…find another one. I would recommend a laparoscopy to diagnose the condition definitively, and the sooner the better.
Dr. DJ

I know exactly how Mercy feels I am 23 years old and have suffered with painful heavy periods, large clots, flooding, always having to spend at least 2 days in bed and bleeding for 7 days, since the age of 11. I underwent a Laparoscopy in December afer fnally finding a doctor who didnt tell me I was being stupid, but nothing was found from doing this. In January I went back to the hospitl and the gyn told me nothing to be found basically all in my head and just carry on as normal! I was not happy with this answer and was referred by my GP for a scan which also came back negative. In May I went back to hospital and saw another gyn after making a complaint and was told that I probably had adenomyosis but the only way it could be diagnosed is by giving me a hysterectomy and therefore the only form of medication they have given me is to take the contraceptive pill for 6 months constantly and then have a 1 week break proceeding to take the pill for another 6 months. This is fine but when my 6 months is up my period will be horrendous. But still I have no exact confirmation that this is what I have, I am glad I have found somebody who has the same problem as me.

Dear Sara-
Your symptoms are classic for adenomyosis….traditional gynecological treatment is often palliative, like birth control pills, and D&Cs, with patients eventually having a hysterectomy.Waiting 6months to a year only allows the disease to spread.
We do not recommend that avenue…we have been very successful at treating the disease with a laser debulking procedure. The healthy part of the uterus is saved to give the woman normal hormone regulation and normal sexual functioning.
I would recommend doing more research as a hysterectomy is an irreversible and final procedure.