Post by sherri on Sept 29, 2006 9:01:21 GMT -5
Hello,
I'm so glad to have found this forum. Here's my story and some questions.--sorry for the length. I had always had kind of crampy periods but nothing too disruptive until a few years ago, when they got heavier and crampier and I started passing large clots. Then last summer, I started having 2-3 days of excruciating abdominal pain with my periods, starting always on the 3rd day, that left me unable to really move or function. My gynecologist ordered an ultrasound that showed nothing and put me on a progestin birth control pill (a pill with estrogen had given me high blood pressure in the past). She mentioned endo as a possibility, but never suggested trying to confirm it--her feeling was that I was "just having bad cramps" and the pill would help, so I didn't really think I had endo. The pill stopped the period pain, but I started having some pain with bowel movements and slight changes in bowel habits that I chalked up to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which I knew I had, and increased stress in my life. Then in June of this year, I took myself off the pill, because my periods had normalized, I do not like being on hormones and was starting to get panic attacks again (have had them for many years on and off, along with generalized anxiety). The period pain did not return, but the bowel symptoms continued and worsened and I started getting dizzy at times and feeling very tired and had lost some weight; but I have been going through a very stressful time (changes in relationship, home and job) in the past 6 months so I thought maybe it was all stress and anxiety. Then about 3 weeks ago, during my period, I started getting dull, intermittent pain in my right groin, near my lymph glands, and in and around my right hip and buttocks (and some on the left, too) that continued when my period ended. By now I was extremely worried about these varied, sometimes vague, mysterious symptoms. A trip to my regular doctor turned up normal blood work, which led him to dismiss my symptoms as anxiety and send me off with an anti-depressant prescription I did not want. I was furious, as I know my body and that all of this is not normal. I made appts. with my gynecologist and a gastroenterlogist. This week my gynecologist took an ultrasound which revealed a 7 cm cyst on my right ovary which she believes is an endometrioma. She immediately prescribed the pill again, but I don't want to take it--I am partial to altenative, natural therapies. I have an appt. to see an endo specialist next week (recommended on this site in New York City, where I live) for a consultation and to schedule a lap.
I am wondering if anyone else has experienced buttock/hip/groin pain with endo/an endometrioma. I am also concerned about having another period (in a week or so) before starting any treatment--should I be concerned about the cyst rupturing? Also, has anyone experienced sweats from the low-grade fever and/or weight loss, from extreme anxiety over everything and/or hormone changes? After reading a lot of information on-line, I am now worried that I have ovarian cancer (I know the lap will tell me) or maybe lymphoma on top of the endo. I will certainly continue to pursue medical care, but wanted to see if anyone else has experienced these symptoms with their endo. Thank you so much!
I'm so glad to have found this forum. Here's my story and some questions.--sorry for the length. I had always had kind of crampy periods but nothing too disruptive until a few years ago, when they got heavier and crampier and I started passing large clots. Then last summer, I started having 2-3 days of excruciating abdominal pain with my periods, starting always on the 3rd day, that left me unable to really move or function. My gynecologist ordered an ultrasound that showed nothing and put me on a progestin birth control pill (a pill with estrogen had given me high blood pressure in the past). She mentioned endo as a possibility, but never suggested trying to confirm it--her feeling was that I was "just having bad cramps" and the pill would help, so I didn't really think I had endo. The pill stopped the period pain, but I started having some pain with bowel movements and slight changes in bowel habits that I chalked up to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which I knew I had, and increased stress in my life. Then in June of this year, I took myself off the pill, because my periods had normalized, I do not like being on hormones and was starting to get panic attacks again (have had them for many years on and off, along with generalized anxiety). The period pain did not return, but the bowel symptoms continued and worsened and I started getting dizzy at times and feeling very tired and had lost some weight; but I have been going through a very stressful time (changes in relationship, home and job) in the past 6 months so I thought maybe it was all stress and anxiety. Then about 3 weeks ago, during my period, I started getting dull, intermittent pain in my right groin, near my lymph glands, and in and around my right hip and buttocks (and some on the left, too) that continued when my period ended. By now I was extremely worried about these varied, sometimes vague, mysterious symptoms. A trip to my regular doctor turned up normal blood work, which led him to dismiss my symptoms as anxiety and send me off with an anti-depressant prescription I did not want. I was furious, as I know my body and that all of this is not normal. I made appts. with my gynecologist and a gastroenterlogist. This week my gynecologist took an ultrasound which revealed a 7 cm cyst on my right ovary which she believes is an endometrioma. She immediately prescribed the pill again, but I don't want to take it--I am partial to altenative, natural therapies. I have an appt. to see an endo specialist next week (recommended on this site in New York City, where I live) for a consultation and to schedule a lap.
I am wondering if anyone else has experienced buttock/hip/groin pain with endo/an endometrioma. I am also concerned about having another period (in a week or so) before starting any treatment--should I be concerned about the cyst rupturing? Also, has anyone experienced sweats from the low-grade fever and/or weight loss, from extreme anxiety over everything and/or hormone changes? After reading a lot of information on-line, I am now worried that I have ovarian cancer (I know the lap will tell me) or maybe lymphoma on top of the endo. I will certainly continue to pursue medical care, but wanted to see if anyone else has experienced these symptoms with their endo. Thank you so much!