Endometriosis

What is endometriosis and how is it treated?

Endometriosis
Endometriosis affects many women worldwide. Tissue that is similar to the uterus' lining is found in other parts of the body when it should only be found in the uterus. The lesions of endometriosis are often found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes and on the side wall of the pelvis. Lesions are occasionally found in the rectal-vaginal septum and uterosacraral ligaments. Sometimes endometriosis is found in caesarean section scars, laparoscopy scars, bladder, appendix, rectum, intestines and on the colon. Although it is rare, endometriosis has been found inside of the vagina, inside of the bladder, on the skin, lungs, spines and brain. Endometriosis can cause scar tissue that can make a woman's internal anatomy distorted. In the later stages of the disease, a condition known as "frozen pelvis" can occur-which means that the internal organs are fused together.

Women that have endometriosis often complain of pelvic pain. Pain in the pelvic area is one of the most common symptoms and it usually is associated with her menstrual cycle. Sometimes the pain is so severe and intense that it affects their daily lives. During a painful period, some women have to miss school or work. Pain can be felt at any time of menstruation, ovulation, during sexual intercourse and even while urinating. Some women feel the pain in the pelvic region, in the bowel region or in their lower back. Women with endometriosis may also suffer from diarrhea, constipation, abdominal bloating, heavy bleeding and fatigue. One well-known complication from endometriosis is infertility. Although not all women who suffer from the complication are infertile, about 35% are.

Diagnosing endometriosis takes time and is often a challenge. There are no simple tests to diagnose the condition. Performing a laparascopy and taking biopsies of the tissue is the only sure way of diagnosing endometriosis. It is an expensive and invasive procedure that should only be done by a surgeon that is well-educated and experienced in diagnosing endometriosis. If you prefer not to have surgery to diagnose the condition, an experienced gynaecologist can recognize symptoms that are common with endometriosis. Other than a general history and physical, your doctor may perform ultrasounds, MRI scans and vaginal exams. None of these tests can 100% confirm or rule out endometriosis. Unfortunately, the only way of finding out for sure is to have an invasive surgery.

Unfortunately, the cause of endometriosis is not yet known and treatment that fully cures the disease is unavailable. There are certain risk factors that are associated with endometriosis and women who have never had children are more likely to experience the condition. A woman can be at an increased risk of developing endometriosis because of a medical problem that prevents the normal passage of menstrual flow. There is no set race or age that endometriosis affects the most. However, the condition does generally develop several years after the onset of menstruation first begins and symptoms generally diminish with menopause or pregnancy. Treatment is based on a woman's individual needs and the doctor will help her decide which plan to choose based on her age, symptoms and future fertility wishes.

Comments: Endometriosis

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raabstaci - 47 days ago.
Cutiepie82- I had a laparoscopy and it took me about 4days to heel all the way. I also just had an hsc thats the test where the inject die into you and I left work and came back right after.

Cutiepie82 - 48 days ago.
I'm having a laparascopy in 2 1/2 weeks, they are also looking in my uterus and putting a dye through my fallopian tube to see if there are blockages. Am nervous about it, also could anyone tell me how long does it take to recover? can i go back to work the day after? Not sure if i have endometriosis yet, that's what they are checking for, my grandmother has it and i have all the symptoms, have been with my husband for 3 years, never used protection, have been actively trying for about 10 cycles with no sucess. Was excited with TTC, but now i can't help but feel dissapointed

happymommytobe! - 50 days ago.
Llamakeeper- that was also the trick for me! i was told i had endo when i was only 18, I had laprascopy and hoped for the best. they told me the sooner i try the better. i had been with my boyfriend for 3 years by then adn we were leaving together but in no way were we ready for a family! so i stayed on continuous BC to stop my periods. we got married about 15 months ago and started trying in march and got pregnant in about 2 1/2 months. i hope the symptoms of endo dont come back to bad! i'm dreading it. when i came off BC i thought i was going to die. thank god we got pregnant quick or I probably would have gotten another surgery.

happymommytobe! - 50 days ago.
kchia80- don't stress! My doctor told me theat with having endo the tough part would be getting pregnant, and if i got past that i'd be fine. I did worry a little about eptopic pregnancy though. but everything turned out fine!

Llamakeeper - 92 days ago.
I was diagnosed with endometriosis almost 4 years ago. I have had 2 laparscopies to get rid of the endometrial tissue. It is the most painful thing I have ever had to experience. In addition to that, my gyno told me that my chances of getting pregnant were decreased due to the endo and that If I wanted a baby, I should start trying to have one as soon as possible. That wasn't possible at the time because John and I had just begun dating. Thankfully I was told about Natural Progesterone Cream. This has saved my endo from returning and allowed John and I to get pregnant really quickly. It acts like a BC to stop ovulation and then when we were ready to start a family, I began taking it after I ovulated. This lead to us getting pregnant right away and hopefully will keep the endo in complete remission. I am a NPC advocate now and I encourage all of you who have endometriosis to look in to it. You will have to get a prescription because the over the counter stuff isn't strong enough, but if you are struggling with endo, I would give it a try!

fallenangel32 - 95 days ago.
mountain - I hate them they are a pain in the rear!

mountainmama - 96 days ago.
you know i was thinking it might be a cyst....i should probably just make an appointment...sigh :(

fallenangel32 - 97 days ago.
mountainmama - I feel a tugging type feeling on my left side near my overy-- found out in april that it was attached to my wall and Intestines( my gyn fixed it) but now it is starting again. I would talk to your gyn about it... and get an ultra sound --do you have cyst?

mountainmama - 98 days ago.
hey ladies! i have endo, had my first baby over a year ago & am still nursing...well i got my period yesterday (like maybe my third one since) and had my usual nasty cramps, but i also had a new feeling on my left side/ovary/uterus...it was a strange spasm or something. so bizarre and i don't really know how to explain it, it wasn't gas (i know that lol) it was this strange twitching but it was definetely coming from the inside of my body....anyone else experience this?

fallenangel32 - 98 days ago.
I just came off seasonique last month my doctor put me on it for the endo ( i had horrible mood swings and memory loss etcI had my AF on aug 1 and my DPO 17 and I have been taken ovulation tests since the 5th and still nothing. any suggestions or comments? Im scared that I have not been ovulating period...

fallenangel32 - 98 days ago.
kchia80 I dont believe that is a sign of miscarriage, have you had your HGC guant done lately?

mtnwoman - 129 days ago.
Hi. I haven't been on here in a long time, but I have just been diagnosed with Endo. For me it seems to have happened a bit differently than all the other stories I'm reading. I had my first child 18 months ago and have had pain while having sex ever since. I thought it was birth pains since I'd never had it before and i figured it would go away. I was so wrong! i went to the doctor and they did a laparoscopy and cut out everything they could find. She told me that these next couple of months my fertility will go up and if we want to have another kid (which we have been trying for for 8 months now) that this is the time. Before having my son I had NO pain or signs that something was wrong. It was not until AFTER giving birth that the Endo surfaced. I am now just trying to learn as much as possible on the subject so if anyone has any input or advice feel free to share! Thanks!

kchia80 - 143 days ago.
Hi there, I wonder is someone can help I am 5 and half weeks pregnant but am petrified of miscarriage because of my endometriosis. I have had a few pains but today have bad diarrhea - does anyone know if this is a sign of ectopic or miscarriage? Don't want to fuss my doctor again unnecessarily, I only went yesterday!!

happy out - 182 days ago.
the only way to get a definate diagnosis for endo is a laporoscopy. if your doc isnt doing what you think is enough change doctor. i did when i wasnt satisfied with mine when i was 17 and within a month was diagnosed. im now 30 and had been trying for 4 years to conceive without success. i am now 12 weeks pregnant with identical twins and couldnt be happier. had one session of accupuncture in jan and conceived in march, maybe a coincidence but i dont think so.

grazka - 217 days ago.
I'm 32 (33in July) and have alws had painful cycles but everytime I go to OBGYN they tell me that many women have painful cycles and prescribeme a pain meds. Any tests you can advise me of I can 'make' them sent me for to make sure I don't have endo?Please, if you can help. I'm trying to conceive 10 mths and I' told I should wait a year before they will send me for any thests. Appreciate all your help!!!!

irishbaby1 - 225 days ago.
Queengirl79. I too have endometriosis and was told unlikely would have chrldren. I now have a one year old and am pregnant with my second. There is definitely hope for you :o) Sorry to hear you are in pain. Have the docs done a laparoscopy to remove the endo? One thing I will say and I don't know if its the same for all, but once I had my first child I no longer suffer the HORRENDOUS period pains that domianted my life, which is great. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions - good luck and lots of baby dust to you.

Queengirl79 - 225 days ago.
I was 16 when I wasdiagnosed with Endo, and I am now 29 years old. I have a severe case of Endo. I am in pain all the time, and struggle with this disease on a constant basis. I would like to have a child of my own, and fear the worst. Hearing all these stories helps me, and makes me a little more optimistic. Thank you. I have had no luck this far conceiving a child, but will continue trying. Thank you for allthe hints, and thoughts,

Sassypants - 244 days ago.
I am 27 and was diagnosed in Nov 2004 with Endo via laparoscopy. My husband and I tried for 2 years naturally then a fertility specialist did an insemination and 2 invitros and I still could not get pregnant. That took place over another year. I was pretty much sure I would not get pregnant, maybe a small possibility with invitro but never naturally. My husband and I have since divorced but I have been in a relationship for about 3 years now and knowing I could not get pregnant we hadn't been taking precautions for a long time. Well, my last period I missed but I assumed something was just going on with my endometriosis. I noticed my stomach was no longer completely flat, but I assumed I had been eating too much so planned to watch how I ate. We went out of town with his family and while changing I noticed my breasts were a little sore and I said something to him about it. He said they also look bigger lol. Well, the thought popped into my head maybe I am pregnant... but after so many years I pushed it aside. Each day after I kept thinking about it, my stomach hadn't gotten any smaller, and upon return home I found out I was 6 weeks pregnant (now 7 weeks). Mind you I have not had any treatment whatsoever for my endo other than the one laparoscopy from '04. I won't say its possible for everyone, all cases are different. So far for me it has been painful, I have had cramps everyday since my missed period. I have also been tired for what seems like atleast 18 hours of the day, I sleep constantly. But I will consider it worth it even if it lasts 9 months if I can carry it to term. I say don't give up, but also try not to stress, because maybe once you stop thinking about it it will happen on it's own.

gamama31791 - 256 days ago.
wow- after reading all these stories, it just goes to show that dr's don't know everything. Its nice to hear that your preg after being told you never could. Im proud of you ladies!!

kdevine33 - 256 days ago.
Hello to all!! I have endometriosis and was told I would NEVER have children, well i am 19weeks pregnant. My doctor wanted to give me a historectomy @ 30 but I still thought I was to young. Thank god I didnt. Still in shock & cant convince myself @ times that i am pregnant. So to all who are suffering from this there is promise out there just when you least expect it :)....

TristaC - 291 days ago.
Well i was told that I had endometriosis when i was 18 but have been in and out of the hospital with severe pains since i was 10. I have had 6 surgeries to try to stop the pain it seemed to stop with the last one i had 2 years ago but i was told that i would never be able to get pregnant. So when I took a pregnancy test and it was positive i was very surprised. I am about 6 weeks along now and i am getting the severe pains back but before they were in my right side and now they are down in the lower center of my belly. My doctor said that he couldn't tell me anything until 2 more weeks because i was to early in my pregnancy I was just wondering if anyone went through the same thing i am and if anyone could tell me anything to calm me down. Thanks!

yukstar - 325 days ago.
Thanks, PREGALICIOUS07 and congratulation for your 2nd pregnancy!! It seems like you had a pretty severe case of endo.... It makes me so happy to hear other people's success story after going through a lot of pain and stress.

PREGALICIOUS07 - 326 days ago.
hello i have endomitriosis and was told it was really bad i went through two laposcrapic surgerys and gave up hope of having children 3 months after my second surgery i was pregnant out of no where thankfully the horrible pain i was in almost dissapeared through pregnancy and after birth i really have very few signs of endomitriosis at all its amazing i do have a few small systs that are watched by my doctors so i assumed that if i wanted to have another child i would need another surgery before i even thought abot trying again well guess what it happened on its own i am so excited seriously i cannot describe the pain i was in before all this i mean i couldnt work go to school it was really bad the dr who did the first surgery told me that he has never seen such a horrible case and especially being i was soo young after years of mental and pysical stress i am almost pain free and have my second baby on the way dont give up there is hope

yukstar - 326 days ago.
Hi, ladies. Is it true that endo will slow down during pregnancy and after giving a birth? I am pregnant with my first baby after having the Laproscopy surgery and am hoping for 2nd child as soon as possible. I want to know experience of anyone with Endo who went through pregnancy(pregnancies).

luvmyAiden - 336 days ago.
Wow, good to see I'm not the only one who has conceived even with having endo! It seems like we all were told we may be infertile. Don't give up hope ladies, I am a Mom to a happy 8 month old boy! I had only 1 laproscopy surgery in 1998 and was waiting on a list to schedule my second one when I found out I was pregnant.