ask: Should I have laparascopic surgery to treat my Endometriosis?
I was diagnosed with Endometriosis last winter and the pain has been getting worse since then. (I'm 30 years old and I had a child in 2006 by C-section). It started with painful periods and then I began to have pain during sex. I got pregnant last spring (my second pregnancy, I have a 4 year old daughter) and miscarried at 8 weeks. I saw a gynecologist who recommended going on birth control, depo provera or depo lupron to help with the pain. I started depo provera (which I'd previously used as birth control about 8 years ago with no problems) in August and it helped with the pain for a little while. I got my second shot in November and by early December the pain was back and much worse. My family doctor then started giving me the shots every four weeks. The pain was less intense for a while but I still had to take Ibuprofen quite frequently and I gained approx. 10lbs and had more terrible side effects from the depo. I've continued to get the 150mg/mL shots every 4 weeks (if I wait longer than 4 weeks my pain is unbearable) but at this point I feel that my endometriosis has gotten much worse and I'm in pain for a good portion of each day (especially after meals). I haven't been able to drink any alcohol since Christmas as it makes my pain unbearable and I am sick for an entire day just from consuming 2 drinks. Sex is very painful and I'm in horrible pain for at least half a day afterwards.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Add a Comment5 Comments
Dear Anon
Thank you so much for your post and I am so sorry you are in this kind of pain, it sounds horrendous just reading about it so no doubt it must be terrible to live with.
I am also very sorry about your miscarriage. I hope you had a lot of support to help you through that.
It does not sound like hormonal treatments are working for you. So let's talk a little bit about what surgery can do for endometriosis.
Laprascopic surgery can really help some women with your condition. Gas will be used to bloat you up (you will probably be under general anesthesia but that's not always the case) and your scarring will literally be cut off or zapped away using lasers. Due to all the gas, your tummy may be bloated for a few weeks but it will go down and you may need to rest for a week to 10 days. If you do have a scar, it'll be tiny.
You can read more about all your options here - you can read all about your condition, the treatment options as well as short videos, articles and stories from women just like you : http://www.empowher.com/condition/endometriosis
Anon, unfortunately we cannot advise you to take any kind of particular treatment. That is up to you and your doctors (especially you) as there are risks to anything. However, if you are in this much pain, then you need to examine all options. Make sure your doctor explains all the risks and also all the benefits of every treatment option.
Will you let us know what you decide?
May 29, 2010 - 7:24amThis Comment
Thanks for your response, I'll update once I see my doctor (which I'm hoping will be soon...)
May 30, 2010 - 5:05pmAnon,
I also had severe endometriosis (though not quite as bad as yours) and actually had two laparoscopies two years apart to deal with it. I can say without a doubt that it was the best thing for me. The difference before and after was remarkable. When there is that much endometrial tissue in places where it shouldn't be, and then it is taken out, the change in your life is unbelievable.
And just being able to stop taking so much ibuprofen is good for us, too. Will your doctor not give you something more to deal with the pain?
I completely agree with your finding a gynecologist to ask about the possibilities here. How long will it be before you find out if they'll accept your referral and see you?
June 1, 2010 - 8:44amI finally got in to see a gynecologist and I'm scheduled for a laparoscopy in two months. I've since tried a couple of different pain meds that have helped me get through work each day. I just hope the surgery helps me so I can stop taking the Depo and the pain meds so frequently...
June 26, 2010 - 4:57pmAnon,
I'm so glad you finally got an appointment with a gynecologist. And I'm glad you have a laparoscopy scheduled. I hope very much that it gives you some serious symptom relief. I still remember my first period after my laparoscopic surgery and my amazement at just how different it was. I was about 33-34 at the time. My endometriosis did recur and I had to have another laparoscopy about two years later. But it's something I would definitely do again, it helped so very much.
I hope you'll come back then and let us know how it goes. Are there any questions you have, anything we can help you with in the meantime? Don't hesitate to ask!
June 29, 2010 - 8:47am