Do I have endometriosis?

[trojans999]

I have repeatedly been diagnosed with IBS, and I have severe bowel problems. Constant painful gas, diarrhea, bloating etc. I recently developed severe rectal pain. It's very painful to have bowel movements. I also occasionally get severe stabbing pain in my rectum.

I had very intense, painful periods and I went on birth control at the age of 15. Since then, I haven't had problems. However, I can't go off of it without being in excruciating pain.

Sex is also very painful for me. My boyfriend cannot physically enter me anymore because it is so bad. In the past when we were able to have sex, deep penetration was very uncomfortable. This has been on and off since I was about 16.

Is there a strong chance that I have endometriosis? If not, what could it be?

[gothique]

I have had IBS since my teens and was diagnosed with endo back in 2007.

Endo is a nasty little disease that can wreak havoc in a woman's body. I had a 6cm endometrioma that destroyed my left ovary and the only symptoms I had was I was sick to my stomach and had some slight pain on both sides of my pelvis.

What you have does sound like classic endo but the bad news is it can only being diagnosed through surgery. Don't stress though because the surgery is laproscopic and they just make 3-4 small incisions in your stomach and use various instruments to look inside. Some women have horrible endo with no pain and others have horrible pain with very little endo. This is what makes the disease so frustrating, They actually have a Dummies book on endo which was very helpful for me.

Also please try to not drive yourself crazy and search too much on the internet because you will hear all kinds of horror stories that may not pertain to you. I believed that the Depo shot was made from the devil from the horror stories I read and resisted it from the start. In the end I went on it and have been on it for two years and have zero side effects.

I wish you luck in this fight and please keep us posted!

[taters90]

Hi trojans :)

I have mild IBS and endometriosis. Endometriosis can present itself IN the bowel. I suggest finding a specalist OBGYN in endometriosis. Women with endometriosis most commonly have more than 1 issue, IBS is in the list of those issues. One train of thought is that endometriosis is an auto immune disease, so are alot of the issues women can have alongside endometriosis. However if you've been diagnosed with IBS you would have had biopsies taken...but chances are it could be outside the bowel I also have endo on my bowel but not in it.

Goodluck on your quest!
x

[trojans999]

Thank you SO much!!
That was very helpful :)

[Jenn724]

You do have many of the symptoms of endometriosis.I can tell you a lil more about it. It occurs when tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows somewhere outside the uterus, usually on the surface of organs in the pelvis and abdominal areas. Some common places endometriosis areas (alson called lesions, nodules, or implants)are found are on or under the ovaries,behind the uterus,on the tissues that hold the uterus in place, on the bladder, and on the bowels. This condition is one of the leading causes of infertility for women. It is important to have this checked by your gyno asap. There are several treatments available, most of which focus on relieving the pain and preserving your fertility. Please do not suffer needlessly. This may have a lot to do with your IBS problems as well, if you have nodules growing on your bowels, they would cause very similar symptoms. But on the positive side, a lot of people think it causes cancer and it does not. Well good luck hun, please go see your gyno.