Aa
will a hysterectomy be the answer?
Hello there, I am a 39 year old female, have one child delivered vaginal when i was 21 with minor problems back then. 3 misscarriages and have had the essure permanent birth control done over a year ago. I always had painful, strong periods with clots. Had diagnostic D&C's done with hysteroscopy, 2 of the 3 D&C's they removed fibroids as well.Do have one bigger fibroid left in the top wall of the uterus.I also have ovarian cysts, sometimes the size of an egg according to the last ultrasound done in Germany. Had a Laparoscopy done when I was 18 and they found out my uterus was tilted. Some old scaring tissue from my appendectomy as well. My problem is for the last year, basically since my Essure procedure, I have extreme painful pain starting about 2 weeks prior of getting my period. Feels like pre labor or misscarriage pain. Constantly constipated, pain goes all the way in my lower back and legs. I am taking strong pain killers and a heating pad to relieve the pain somewhat. My periods have become lighter and lots of brownish color instead of bright red. Bright red maybe one day of my period, the rest is brownish color and my period lasts about 7 days. I do have an upcoming ObGYn appointment at the end of this month to see what could be causing this. I would like to find out if any of you out there have simular problems and if a hysterectomy would solve that extreme pain. I do have to say that i have no more thyroid and i am taking Synthoid meds, if this is relevant to this issue? I am just tired of having to go through this every month and it seems like it is getting worse each month with the pain. Thanks for reading and responding.
I have studied and heard other posters claim many negative issues with Leupron too. that being said..it works for many womenor it would not be on market. Most neg issues involve depression and alot of crying issues, Worst case you try it and stop( with Drs help NEVER discontinue a med wo drs help- , sometimes must be weaned off)
Im glad your doing more tests,,if drs is uncertain with ultra sound please ask him about a dignostic laproscopy..it will for certain give a diagnosis..sounds like good Dr.
Your right this would likely be a temp. fix..its possible fibroid w/o hormones could shrink or dissapear...endo will still be there.
If you smoke w family history 100% avoid bc pills.If not a smoker..explain all family history and Id kinda still like to see you not go that route,,,bc does increase leg clot risks.
at 40 youd have to be on leupronoff and on for long time as normal hyster wont hit till 55ish.
Has he mentiontomy, during the laprosopic its a procedure to preserve uterus and remove fibroids. can be done via Robotic laproscopy too.
ovarian cysts are more difficult to treat ,,you need to insist on CA125 test this gives good indication of ovarian cancer or not,,,you know I am not trying scar you, Im just honest.
functional cysts no worries
corpus luteum are typically asymptomatic and tend to develop during ovulation..usually no worries also
hemorrhagic cysts are filled with blood they an burst very very painful and cause complications w blood in pelvis and would demand ovary removal
demoid cyst rare its the ones you hear of that grown human hair , teeth just odd, not threating..likley ovarian loss,
chocolate cyst". These are cysts that form when endometrial tissue the inside of the invades an ovary
polycystic cysts are many very small cysts. It doesnt sound at all like you have this kinda
If I had to guess Id guess chocolate.
Keep advocating for self Andrea...dont give up..hysterectomy should be last
resort...you may well be facing it..if this hapens I will help you. Its not as horrid as everyone thinks...dependonds on method.DaVinci is best....we will cross that bridge if we get there I got tons of good pre and post op advice to help.
Cherie
Im glad your doing more tests,,if drs is uncertain with ultra sound please ask him about a dignostic laproscopy..it will for certain give a diagnosis..sounds like good Dr.
Your right this would likely be a temp. fix..its possible fibroid w/o hormones could shrink or dissapear...endo will still be there.
If you smoke w family history 100% avoid bc pills.If not a smoker..explain all family history and Id kinda still like to see you not go that route,,,bc does increase leg clot risks.
at 40 youd have to be on leupronoff and on for long time as normal hyster wont hit till 55ish.
Has he mentiontomy, during the laprosopic its a procedure to preserve uterus and remove fibroids. can be done via Robotic laproscopy too.
ovarian cysts are more difficult to treat ,,you need to insist on CA125 test this gives good indication of ovarian cancer or not,,,you know I am not trying scar you, Im just honest.
functional cysts no worries
corpus luteum are typically asymptomatic and tend to develop during ovulation..usually no worries also
hemorrhagic cysts are filled with blood they an burst very very painful and cause complications w blood in pelvis and would demand ovary removal
demoid cyst rare its the ones you hear of that grown human hair , teeth just odd, not threating..likley ovarian loss,
chocolate cyst". These are cysts that form when endometrial tissue the inside of the invades an ovary
polycystic cysts are many very small cysts. It doesnt sound at all like you have this kinda
If I had to guess Id guess chocolate.
Keep advocating for self Andrea...dont give up..hysterectomy should be last
resort...you may well be facing it..if this hapens I will help you. Its not as horrid as everyone thinks...dependonds on method.DaVinci is best....we will cross that bridge if we get there I got tons of good pre and post op advice to help.
Cherie
Hello Cherie762,
short update....went to the Obgyn last Monday and now i am scheduled for a pelvic ultrasound this coming up week. Since I live in the US now and not in Germany anymore, he would like to see for himself first before he would do further treatments. He did say though that he would like to do a laparascopy and he gave me a pamphlet about the Lupron depot shot to put me in temporary early menopause, which should take away the pain he said. He knows i have endometriosis and cysts and fibroids but he is not to convinced about hysterectomy. He would like to "see for himself" first with sonogram and laparascopy and then go from there. But to me it sounded like its either the Lupron shot once a month for 6 month or back on birth control pills to control my pains. I have read alot of negative responses about the Lupron and all the side effects totally scare me, plus it would only be a temporarily treatment. And i do not want to be put back on Birth control pills because of me being almost 40 and "fixed" already and I have a family history of stroke, blood clots etc.. So i guess i will have to wait and see until i have the sonogram done and then schedule the laparascopy. Sometimes I just wish that "guys Docs" understand what we woman have to go through and when we say we don't want this (Lupron, birth control pill)..that they opt for the next best thing.
lol.. Thanks for reading this and have a great day.
Andrea
short update....went to the Obgyn last Monday and now i am scheduled for a pelvic ultrasound this coming up week. Since I live in the US now and not in Germany anymore, he would like to see for himself first before he would do further treatments. He did say though that he would like to do a laparascopy and he gave me a pamphlet about the Lupron depot shot to put me in temporary early menopause, which should take away the pain he said. He knows i have endometriosis and cysts and fibroids but he is not to convinced about hysterectomy. He would like to "see for himself" first with sonogram and laparascopy and then go from there. But to me it sounded like its either the Lupron shot once a month for 6 month or back on birth control pills to control my pains. I have read alot of negative responses about the Lupron and all the side effects totally scare me, plus it would only be a temporarily treatment. And i do not want to be put back on Birth control pills because of me being almost 40 and "fixed" already and I have a family history of stroke, blood clots etc.. So i guess i will have to wait and see until i have the sonogram done and then schedule the laparascopy. Sometimes I just wish that "guys Docs" understand what we woman have to go through and when we say we don't want this (Lupron, birth control pill)..that they opt for the next best thing.
lol.. Thanks for reading this and have a great day.
Andrea
Your welcome Andrea..sounds like youve done lots of homework and are educating self....I have a good friend on this forum who desperatley needs a hysterectomy for many reasons..she lives in Aussie because of being only 30 they will not give her one...
I dont know alot about your countrys rules, but youth seems to be a factor and it should be. if your uterus is so enlarged that its comprimising bowel flow,,you could becoe inpacted which can be very dangerous.
I have been through it w the narcotic pain meds they really bind most women up,,,your already doing all the right things ask Dr advice on stool softner....here in the states they just order one for us post op as well as pain meds and possible antibotics.
I dont know alot about your countrys rules, but youth seems to be a factor and it should be. if your uterus is so enlarged that its comprimising bowel flow,,you could becoe inpacted which can be very dangerous.
I have been through it w the narcotic pain meds they really bind most women up,,,your already doing all the right things ask Dr advice on stool softner....here in the states they just order one for us post op as well as pain meds and possible antibotics.
Cherie, thank you for your advice. I will def. ask some questions this time when I see my Doc at the end of this month.
Last time I was seen was about 9month ago when I had the follow up done on the essure to make sure it was in place and that the tubes were closed. Before that, I had all the procedures done in Germany and the German Docs always told me I was too young for a hysterectomy.Even though on my mothers side they all had fibroids and had hysterectomies at a young age.
They always wanted to put me on birth control pills which i rejected all the time. I took them from age 15 to age 30 with a short break in between to have my child. I also had the Mirena IUD for 5 years. That was the only time (while being on Mirena IUD) that my periods where somewhat light and almost no pain BUT i did get alot of ovarian cysts during that IUD timeframe. That was also the reason i opted for the Essure after hearing lots of good things about it from my doc here and from some friends.
But after my Thyroid removal and parathyroid removal, I just don't want to be on hormones like Birth Control Pills anymore. It is already hard enough to keep me at the right level/dose of Synthroid ( i am taking 125mg and my doc is keeping me in a slight hyperstage so I don't have too many hypo symptoms which i had at taking 100mg) Let alone another hormone like the birth control pill, lol..
As for the heat pad/ice pad during the painful time, I did try out both but the ice pack mad it worse with cramping. I am freezing all the time anyways and putting on some ice made me cramp worse. So i tried the heating pad and that seemed to relax it some.
The German ObGyn told me that my uterus was enlarged and tilted and that this could be a cause putting pressure on my intestine, in that case making it harder to go to the bathroom. I do drink lots of water, eat lots of veggies, basicly a high fiber, lower carb and lower fat diet. At one point in my life i was very heavy and obese and I did lose all that within 1 year and kept it off ever since. So I am very cautious of what I can eat to keep the weight off, lol. But the pain killer makes sense to me with causing constipation. Good point,thank you for mentioning it!
I guess now its up to the talk to the Doc and maybe he will run some tests and we can go from there.
If he does opt for surgery, I will be happy to listen to your pre op and after op advice, thanks for offering it to me! I will keep you updated on my situation.
Thanks again for replying to my post and thanks for caring.
Andrea
Last time I was seen was about 9month ago when I had the follow up done on the essure to make sure it was in place and that the tubes were closed. Before that, I had all the procedures done in Germany and the German Docs always told me I was too young for a hysterectomy.Even though on my mothers side they all had fibroids and had hysterectomies at a young age.
They always wanted to put me on birth control pills which i rejected all the time. I took them from age 15 to age 30 with a short break in between to have my child. I also had the Mirena IUD for 5 years. That was the only time (while being on Mirena IUD) that my periods where somewhat light and almost no pain BUT i did get alot of ovarian cysts during that IUD timeframe. That was also the reason i opted for the Essure after hearing lots of good things about it from my doc here and from some friends.
But after my Thyroid removal and parathyroid removal, I just don't want to be on hormones like Birth Control Pills anymore. It is already hard enough to keep me at the right level/dose of Synthroid ( i am taking 125mg and my doc is keeping me in a slight hyperstage so I don't have too many hypo symptoms which i had at taking 100mg) Let alone another hormone like the birth control pill, lol..
As for the heat pad/ice pad during the painful time, I did try out both but the ice pack mad it worse with cramping. I am freezing all the time anyways and putting on some ice made me cramp worse. So i tried the heating pad and that seemed to relax it some.
The German ObGyn told me that my uterus was enlarged and tilted and that this could be a cause putting pressure on my intestine, in that case making it harder to go to the bathroom. I do drink lots of water, eat lots of veggies, basicly a high fiber, lower carb and lower fat diet. At one point in my life i was very heavy and obese and I did lose all that within 1 year and kept it off ever since. So I am very cautious of what I can eat to keep the weight off, lol. But the pain killer makes sense to me with causing constipation. Good point,thank you for mentioning it!
I guess now its up to the talk to the Doc and maybe he will run some tests and we can go from there.
If he does opt for surgery, I will be happy to listen to your pre op and after op advice, thanks for offering it to me! I will keep you updated on my situation.
Thanks again for replying to my post and thanks for caring.
Andrea
Hi,,I am very glad your going to gyn at the end of the month.
when you have time get a pen and paper and write down all your questions for your dr,
A few things stuck out from your note that I can help you with.
1. many many women have a tilted uterus,,should not be a problem,.UNLESS yours is enlarged and putting pressure on spine.
2. I believe I know why your constipated and how to help,,taking pain medications can and usually does cause constipation...Ask your pharmicist/chemist about a over the counter stool softner (no laxative too harsh) drink lots of water...increase fiber..phone your dr if doses listed on bottle dont help you...you may need more or a prescription stool softner. Do not take a higher than reccomended does without speaking to you doctor.
3. I think the old scar tissue from appendix is likely no issue.
4. Heat increases bleeding...sometimes menstrual pain or other female pain can be greater helped with a ice pack..on 15 min off 15 min.
it deffinatley sounds like the ensure is not for you, but that determination must be made between you and your dr.
alot of women with female troubles seem to have thyroid disorders also (I do) I tke synthroid also, and have had a hysterectomy...everything is connected...in this case especially as thyroid and ovaries are both part of endrocrine system.(hormones)
I cant say if a hysterectomy will be the answer for you,,It is a very difficult surgery, and recovery,,however sounds like you have been through plenty of pain...speak to you dr ask all questions especially what other options do I have besides hyster.
If you do opt for a hysterectomy..get back with me..I have a lot of pre and post op advice.
Good luck.
let me know how it goes
Cherie
when you have time get a pen and paper and write down all your questions for your dr,
A few things stuck out from your note that I can help you with.
1. many many women have a tilted uterus,,should not be a problem,.UNLESS yours is enlarged and putting pressure on spine.
2. I believe I know why your constipated and how to help,,taking pain medications can and usually does cause constipation...Ask your pharmicist/chemist about a over the counter stool softner (no laxative too harsh) drink lots of water...increase fiber..phone your dr if doses listed on bottle dont help you...you may need more or a prescription stool softner. Do not take a higher than reccomended does without speaking to you doctor.
3. I think the old scar tissue from appendix is likely no issue.
4. Heat increases bleeding...sometimes menstrual pain or other female pain can be greater helped with a ice pack..on 15 min off 15 min.
it deffinatley sounds like the ensure is not for you, but that determination must be made between you and your dr.
alot of women with female troubles seem to have thyroid disorders also (I do) I tke synthroid also, and have had a hysterectomy...everything is connected...in this case especially as thyroid and ovaries are both part of endrocrine system.(hormones)
I cant say if a hysterectomy will be the answer for you,,It is a very difficult surgery, and recovery,,however sounds like you have been through plenty of pain...speak to you dr ask all questions especially what other options do I have besides hyster.
If you do opt for a hysterectomy..get back with me..I have a lot of pre and post op advice.
Good luck.
let me know how it goes
Cherie
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