horrible pain

i dont know what to do i have been having pain eversince i was 9 and now im 18. ive been on birth control they dont work and pain killers does work. i have a pain spacialist and he said that my pain was because of family problems and i tried to tell him no it isnt but he insisted to take me off of them ( it was only tramadol). i told my drs that im tired of missing school and work because of it. i dont know what it is one minute im curled up into a ball crying then the pain goes away and something pops (you can see it outside of my skin) i told my drs i want surgery (after all its just one ovary i want taken out)  but they wont because im 18. please i need help im tired of being in pain all the time please help!!!

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
If you were my patient, I would talk to you about Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  If you can see something "popping" on the outside of your belly, it is almost certainly a gas bubble.
I would also perform a laparoscopy for you, because endometriosis is more common than we used to think in your age group.  Laser therapy is one option.  Depot Lupron might be another.  The pain specialist is wise to counsel you about family issues.  He/she is also wise to take you off of narcotics, because this type of medication does not help "female pain".  Anti-inflammatory medications such as Aleve are much better for that. Narcotics actually make IBS  WORSE, so definitely not a good option for someone with your symptoms.
Finally, sorry to say so, but a hysterectomy is not likely to solve your pain problems, even if it was a smart choice.  It isn't a smart choice anyway, because down the road, you may  be really happy to have a baby.  A lot can change in 10 - 20 years.

Hope this helps!
Dr B