Struggling with diagnosis - possibly endometriosis or...?

[Pretzel0]

I have had abdominal/pelvic pain on the left side where my ovary is located for about 3 and 1/2 months now and the doctors have done numerous ultrasounds, urine tests  to check for infections, swabs, a ct-scan and just about everything you can think of to diagnose me with something causing my abdominal/pelvic pain. It started in early April 2007 when I was diagnosed with a 4.6cm hemorrhagic cyst that was bleeding into itself which ended up rupturing in the first week of June 2007. I thought the pain was from the cyst and so did my doctor and we thought that the pain would go away but it stayed. My doc recently had another ct-scan and ultrasound done which came back normal and has referred me to a physio therapist as he thought I may have strained a muscle in my back (I have had lower back pain - only left side since early April too). The physio said that I did strain a muscle in the back and have given me light exercises to do. I couldn't do some of the exercises as I had too much pain on my left side (ovary area). I went to the physio again last Tuesday and told him that it was too painful to do some of these exercises and he felt around the area on my left side where I have the pain and after I nearly jumped through the roof from pain as he pushed and rubbed, he says that it looks like I have strained my groin muscle. I would be happy if this was my diagnoses, except my normal doctor is going to refer me to a gyno and I'm seeing the gyno in early August because my doctor thinks I might have endometriosis. (I have also had really painful periods and pain with intercourse and bleeding between periods and very irregular periods and that while on the pill). My doctor and another doctor at the practice that I go to say that I have a lot of the symptoms pointing towards endometriosis. I had a brown discharge on Wednesday and went to see my doctor on Thursday (12 Jul) and he did a pelvic examination and swabs as he thinks I might have an infection. I have to see my doctor again on Monday (16 Jul) to find out the results. I had another follow up appointment with the physio yesterday (13 Jul) and am in more pain today than I were earlier in the week, he pushed down on my "grown muscle" I supposedly strained and I cried that much it hurt. I will be telling my doctor about it on Monday (16 Jul). My question now is. Could this groin muscle pain be confused with the endometriosis or the other way around? And does a person have symptoms like painful intercourse, painful periods, irregular periods when it's only a strained groin muscle? Would, if these symptoms you get with endometriosis also be felt with a strained groin muscle?

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

' Major symptom of endometriosis is severe recurring pain. The amount of pain a woman feels is not necessarily related to the extent or stage of endometriosis.

Symptoms of endometriosis can include (but are not limited to):

- dysmenorrhea - Painful, sometimes disabling menstrual cramps; pain may get worse over time (progressive pain)
- Chronic pelvic pain - typically accompanied by lower back pain and/or abdominal pain, painful sex , painful bowel movements
- Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea
- dysuria - Urinary urgency, frequency, and sometimes painful voiding
- Infertility and subfertility. Endometriosis may lead to fallopian tube obstruction.

Some women may also suffer mood swings and fatigue.

In addition, women who are diagnosed with endometriosis may have gastrointestinal symptoms that may mimic irritable bowel syndrome.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endometriosis

The only way to confirm and diagnose endometriosis is by laparoscopy or other types of surgery. The diagnosis is based on the characteristic appearance of the disease, if necessary corroborated by a biopsy. Laparoscopy also allows for surgical treatment of endometriosis.

Generally, endometriosis-directed drug therapy is utilized after a confirmed surgical diagnosis of endometriosis.

Lupron depo shot is also a gonadotropin and is used to lower the hormone levels in the woman's body to prevent any growth of endometriosis. The lupron shot is given in 2 different doses a once a month for 3 month shot with the dosage of (11.25mg) or a once a month for 6 month shot with the dosage of (3.75mg).

This puts the body into a "medicated menopause", resulting in side effects such as mild to severe hot flashes or a drop in bone density (which usually recovers after treatment). The therapy is less invasive than surgical approaches.

Let us know if you need any other information and do review with your OBG.

Regards.