I hoped to get some advice from anyone who has confirmed abdominal/ bowel endometriosis or similar. I’m pending an appointment with a gynae for a diagnosis but I’ve been waiting almost a year!! at this point so thought I’d see if anyone experiences similar to me in the meantime because some months I feel like I’m going crazy 😀
For about the past 2 years I’ve experienced some symptoms with my period that I find unbearable.
The odd thing is that, almost all the pain I experience is my abdomen (mainly upper abdomen) and not so much in my pelvic area (honestly I find my uterus pain to be tolerable most months with paracetamol/ ibuprofen - sure the pain is there, but doesn’t feel extreme to me, if we were basing the pain level on my uterus I wouldn’t think I had endo);
I tend to get insane bloating; I get 2 sharp pains on both sides; sensation is comparable to a stitch from running but it lasts my entire period; and the main pain that I find unbearable is the intestines/ bowel region. It’s a very unusual pain/ sensation. They aren’t cramps; my whole region feels inflamed, like a burning, prickly, stinging sensation along with dull aches and pains. When I press down on my intestines, it’s very painful and radiates across the whole region. I’m just not sure if it’s a gastro flare up as a result of my hormones, but it’s a very specific and relatively new sensation; not one I would generally associate with having trapped gas or other intestinal issues (which I think feels more crampy)?
I went to the doctor last year (April 23) with this pain/ burning as it was so severe and lasted an around 4 days without relief from pain killers or buscopan. I was reluctant to go at first as it was during my period and suspected the doctor might dismiss me and tell me it was just period pain related, but given it was a real burning sensation, and higher than my pelvic region, I felt like it might have been non period related and I was a little spooked by the pain.
The doc examined me at the time and sent me to straight to a&e with a suspected apendicitis because when she pressed down, the pain felt so sharp and shot up my right side and around my abdominal region. A&E docs also suspected appendicitis and even sent me for surgery, only for the surgeon to then send me home.
Because I was sent to hospital, I ended up going through a series of tests ( transvaginal ultrasounds, MrI scan) and they found I have a suspected endometrioma on my left ovary, and a fibroid within my womb.
Since this (semi) diagnosis, everything has gone silent and I’m still pending an appointment, so I’m not fully sure if it’s endometriosis that I have.
From other experiences with endo, does this seem to be what’s going on? I can’t find a lot online about women experiencing more abdominal/ bowel pain than pelvic pain. Seems unusual that my period cramps are tolerable, but abdominal pains are what impacts me greatly. Any similar experiences would be welcomed 😀