Endometriosis

Hello, I am 27 and have had right sided Ovary pain for over a year now.  Ultrasound showed nothing.  My Dr thinks it is Endometriosis.  My mother had it as well (before her hysterectomy).  I still want one more baby :( What are my chances of concieving again if it is Endometriosis?  The most painful days are on CD 7 and 8 - just after my period.  But most of the month there is always a dull ache.  

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
If you successfully conceived before, your chances are pretty good.  Endometriosis definitely can affect fertility, but you are not even sure that's what it is.  If you were my patient, I would give you three options:
1) try to conceive and see how it goes
2) take some medication to suppress endometriosis to see if it helps--either Lupron or simply oral contraceptives
3) laparoscopy/laser surgery.

Any of these would be the correct answer, it just depends on which sounds best to you!

Good luck!
Dr B

[MissmyAngel]

I have been in major pain for years, and finally got in to a specialist after switching doctors because my old doc wasn't listening to me. Well I had a laprascopy done and it turns out I was right-although I only ended up having scarring deep in my tubes that would have done more damage to remove than anything and the specialist told me to just keep trying, as there was still enough room for the eggs to get through.
They also put this blue dye inside you when you go for the operation that helps clean the lining out, (oh did it ever) and I got pregnant 3 weeks after my operation.Unfortunately I lost the baby and am busy TTC again.
The only way to find out for sure what is going on, is to have a laprascopy. If they didn't see anything on the ultrasound, then chances are it's probobly not advanced enough if thats what you do have.
The best thing you could do to help with your fertility is to be eating as healthy as possible. There is a diet specifically for endo that helps with the immune system. In most cases (as it was with mine) when the endo is not too far advanced, the key is keeping the immune system as strong as possible.