Severe Undiagnosed Abdominal Pain

[CASEY1990]

Hi I am a 20 year old female,
and for the past 4 months now I have been suffering from severe abdominal pain.
It started with an intermittant stabbing pain in my right underneath my hip bone
and the next day i had pain in my lower abdomen as well as the same stabbing.
(this was the day i finished my period).
I went to the hospital, they did an ultrasound and found a cyst on each ovary, one with bleeding into it.
I went to see my doctor 2 days later and he ordered another ultrasound.
the cysts were gone on this ultrasound.
The pain has gotten worse and is now a twisting/tearing pain in my lower abdomen on both sides,
stabbing pains in my sides and a constant severe lower back ache.
The pain seems to get worse each time i get my period?

I have had 4 ultraounds (one internal - which was about a month ago and revealed another cyst).
a CT scan, countless blood and urine tests, a stool sample test,
multiple xrays (upper GI with small bowel follow through and some other ones of my stomach).
I have had 2 internal exams (they found slightly abnormal cervical cells - but assured me this is common)
I am going for laparoscopic surgery in 2 days to look for endometriosis and cysts, scar tissue, etc although
my gyno told me he doesnt think its a gynecological issue.
No one can figure out whats wrong with me.

I dont know what to do, I am in so much pain that I can barely get out of bed some days, sometimes cant walk,
I lie in bed writhing around and crying, or i have to sleep all the time because it hurts so bad.
My doctor gave me come pain medication but it isnt helping anymore.
He also tried to tell me that I was just constipated but i know this isnt the issue as I have always gone the same and never had this problem,
I also changed my diet to more fruits/vegetables and more water and go everyday and still in constant pain.

I also feel depressed, and anxious alot. and im bitchy.

please help!

[Sun_shine28]

oh I almost forgot green veggies help. Look online for more information. Herbal teas can help to sometimes. Look for bedtime tea from lipton.Nice, warm and soothing. A question...when you have a blanket over your abdomen is it sensitive to touch? A diet high in fiber can help with the constipation and the bitchness is because you can't do anything. Been there done that. I got depression and really bad anxiety and hun from theother side of the tunnel you can get through all of it.
once they fix the underlying health issue. The rest can beworked through. I
've been on everything prolly at one time or another...Naproxen, morphine, demerol (this worked the best for me. When I got this $10 shot I could sleep for a few hours without interruption), vicodin....etc.
I can't remember them all but demerol was the best for me without so many side effects but everyones body chemistry is different and all of us react to different things. My pain went from the front part into the tailbone area. I felt like labor pains all thetime. Now I have very little pain at all. A sharp tinge now and again if I've been lifting something I shouldn't. You have to be careful.
Oh and after the surgery they mentioned a shot called I think it was called lupron so you might ask about that. I had to have seven shots. one a month and the drug company paid for it. It took a lot of work on the part of the doctor. The thing thats most important is to know you have options. Not always the best shinny ones but you have options.
:)

[Sun_shine28]

I'm not a nurse I wanna say that firstly. But I've been diagonsed with endometrosis for years. I'm as close to remission as anyone prolly ever has been from the disease. What you had to say sounds so familiar. But it's not the end of the world. You need to look for someone that studys this disease. Your doctor might not be an expert at this and the get the desired treatment level you need it's very important to be with the experts. I went to columbia, mo which was a student hospital at the time.
I had stage 4 going on stage 5 endometrosis when I was in my early 20s. It hurt so much by the time I got to the right people I wanted them to take my organs out. They didn't. They did a long and tedious surgery but I was out the whole time. They did a fantastic job. They had to cut some pain nerve in my spine and guess what? Now during a period I might have to take a tylenol but I rarely have periods anymore like twice a year and I have leave to stay home during that time. Now not everyone has it to this advanced level but you need to find a doctor that listens to you.
It's your body and you have every right to fire any doctor that is not listening to your needs. I learned thatthe hard way so I have to get that message out there.
We as women have little things that tell us where to be looking and whats wrong with our body. We need to listen more to that little voice and less to the voices that drowned it out.
Listen to your body. If you're having pain there is always a reason. Find someone that knows what they're looking for. If you lived in missouri I could tell you all thebest people to see here.
Good luck with the surgery and the lap thing is really the only way to tell for sure.
~S

[Bridget A. Hewitt, RN]

Hi and thanks for using the forum.

I think the laproscopic surgery is the way to go.  What you have described sounds a lot like endometriosis and the only way to truly diagnose it is via laproscopy.  Hopefully this will give you some answers.  If you are cleared by your OB/GYN and your laproscopy does not turn anything up, you might want to try seeing a gastroenterologist if you don't already have one.  Good luck with your upcoming surgery.

Bridget