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Pain and periods

Hi, I am 18 years old, I started my period at the age of 10 and it has always been regular, practically to the exact day. 14 months ago I became really sick, and the doctor I saw thought it was some virus. Most things never cleared up. Currently, for about the past 5 months I have been having the reoccurring pain on the left side of my lower abdomen, what I think of as where my ovary would be. It is a squeezing pain that can be very bad. It causes me to curl up, but it only last about a minute. I started birth control in June 08 because I was having about 60 days between my periods and it was very painful. Now I just got finished with my period that lasted 28 days. My normal discharges have started looking like they tinged with blood, sometimes it looks like there are clots in it. The other problems I have been having I'm just not sure if they are related. They are:
Pains in my legs (Hips are the worst) (Then ankles)
Pins and needles feelings in my legs and hands.
Overall weakness
Bad Fatigue
Diarrhea (Chronic)
Random Chest pains
Back pains, (typically low, but sometimes work they're way up)
Easy bruising (im thinking possibly a side effect of a medication- Sulfasalazine-Ive been on it for 2 going on 3 months)
Nausea that comes and goes.

I have an appointment with my gynocologist soon, but I never seem to get anywhere with her. Do you have any advice on other things I should bring up, or ideas on what could possibly be causing all this. Im HLA b-27 positive, and have a positive ANA although, nothing really ever seems to pull everything together. I see many doctors, and have tried many different medications but thus far nothing has been diagnosed (there are just ideas floating around). Any advice, thoughts, or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
3 Responses
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242604 tn?1328121225
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Dear Megger,

Thank you for your thoughtful question and detailed information.
I did a Google search of HLA b 27 and abdominal pain and came up with a few interesting sites.

There several individual reports of inflammatory bowel disease and HLA b27 including appendicitis,  and ulcerative colitis

While it may be that you have just developed significant dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps). This can start up around your age when the hypothalamic -pituitary- ovarian feedback loop has matured.  The treatment is suppression with the birthcontrol pill and nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

It could be that you have endometriosis.If the pill does not help, sometimes going to a laparoscopy to document this diagnosis is reasonable - specially since you have significant symptoms.

However, it may be unrelated to your gyn system.  You should ask your primary care about the possibility of evaluation by colonoscopy to look for inflammatory bowel disease.

Finally, I would suggest keeping a symptom diary so you can document your pain in relation to menstrual cycle, and diet.

best wishes
Helpful - 1
242604 tn?1328121225
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Please let us know what is found on your ultrasound
best wishes
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you for the advice! I went in to my gynecologist today, and she said that my left ovary is much larger than my right. I am schedueled for a pelvic ultrasound on Monday.
Helpful - 0

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