Endo Specialist specializes in the endocrine system, and if you look into the endocrine system, the ovaries are part of that system. I would just ask her for a referral. Is this a GP or GYN?
I mentioned PCOS because High Testostrone is a symptom of PCOS.
I hate it when insurance companies dictate who you can see. With my insurance I can go see any specialist without a referral, my boss got it that way because she hates having to have a referral too.
My doctor has never suggested an endocrinologist. She keeps insisting that the birth control pills that we already tried are the only thing that can be tried. I can't understand why she doesn't send me to an endocrinologist, because I have reason to suspect PCOS or Cushings. One of the visible signs I have is A LOT of hirsutism. That's just the visible or outward sign that people would see more of, if I weren't so vigilant about getting that hair off of my face. What can I do that would convince my doctor that a referral to an endocrinologist (for the sake of insurance coverage) is in my best interests? She is actually a really good doctor, too.
You mentioned a high testostrone level. Do you know why it is high? An endocrinologist just might be what you need. Maybe look into PCOS.
Hi, When in my 30's ( I think it was ) I began having what your describing. At 22 I had abdominal exploratory surgery , to find that I had an Adrenal Cyst in one Fallopian Tube. Periods started out with hard cramping and inability to easily pass BM's. It almost felt as if there was a blockage. From that it would move into heavy flow , passing large clots, then taper off after abt 6 days. Tho I don't know that it would be considerd Hemmoraghing ( sp ? ) it would sometimes be in my shoes. One Dr. told me he thought i had Endometreosis. I also retained a lot of fluid. Later on, in my 40's this continued except I gradually went into a prolonged period, lasting for 21 days, tho again not heavy flow after the first 5 days, just more like spotting that drug on and on. During that time I had several D&Cs. which ony slowed things down for a while. Eventually, I ended up with a complete hysterectomy at 46. It was not Cancer but at the point where cells were changing and there was the possibility of its going into that.
I was never given a real diagnosis as to a specific cause but " I think " that at the root
of it all, may have been an endocrine problem. I was also on meds for Low Thyroid since my late 20's. Gyns tried Birth control pills in hopes of regulating things.
In the last 8 years i have been diagnosed with IBS and again have this constipation problem, similar in feeling to that of years ago. Was up for 4 hrs last night with vy hard cramping and inability to pass BMs until the very last, fell as legs just collapsed on standing and feeling faint . I now wonder if, I could have had the IBM along with everything else tho at that time it was never mentioned and not something familiar to me.
I might add that my youngest daughter, while not experiencing everything I did, has PMS and borderline Low Thyroid & a Cyst so don't know if its a hereditary thing , at least in part.
The only thing I would suggest --- if whomever your seeing now cannot help you, go to a Gyn and if that doesn't help , see an Endocrinologist ----- might save you years of misery.
wishing you Good health,
PJ
PS: Always think considering going the natural way with herbs & vitamins etc. is worth a try.
I know what you're talking about through experience. Miserable.
Do you also experience miserable periods, like really bad cramps and those giant blood clots?
I used to have the unpredictability with everything in the gut, whether it was IBS or the menstruation myself.
Then, when I got to the point that I decided that I just had to stop eating all gluten, I got a pleasant and unexpected benefit. In just a few months, I no longer had severe cramps with my period. I had just a few cramps that didn't even last the whole first day. I've also noticed one reason was that I wasn't developing those giant blood clots either. Ahhh, clearly I was on the right track!
Yes, IBS is affected by your cycle and vice versa. It's well-documented.
My chiropractor's office has at least one accupuncturist working there. I haven't actually had a chance to consult with him, but we have talked when he wasn't busy with someone else. I told him my experience with my improved periods after eliminating all gluten from my diet. Oh, by the way, the misery is called dysmenorhea. Who would've thought that a food sensitivity would dramatically affect my cycle?