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Support for endometriosis sufferers
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| Viewing Page 1 of 1 (Total Posts: 6) |
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Suffering
 Feb 27, 08 - 8:56 PM |
Endo symptoms postpartum...plus CT scan showing endo markers?
Hi! I just found this site tonight. I just had a baby 8 weeks ago and have been having some issues since one week postpartum. A little history...I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) 10 years ago. Have dealt with infertility, but I do have three miracle children. Periods were always long and heavy...usually 7 - 8 days, often bleeding out of even super plus tampons and large pads (sorry for TMI!) Periods used to be sporadic, but became consistent within the past few years. I do get horrendous cramping with my periods and with ovulation. I have always suspected endo along with the PCOS, but I never asked my dr. about it. Anyway, fast forward to my new "situation." I had my third baby 8 weeks ago, and starting about one week postpartum I began to have severe lower abdominal pain. Sometimes the pain is like I'm about to start my period (I'm exclusively breastfeeding, so it's not likely to happen yet); sometimes it's a burning pain in the lower abdomen. I also get a lot of rectal pressure and a lot of pelvic heaviness, as if I have weights in my lower abdomen. Also, the pain will sometimes radiate to my thighs (front and back), and I also get a lot of lower back pain. I also get a lot of vaginal burning, but I don't have an infection. I also have a lot of what feels like bladder pain. If I'm not having severe pain, I generally have a mild ache in my lower abdomen all the time. My dr. has run all sorts of tests and found nothing "serious." There were a lot of cysts on my ovaries, which I already knew about. However, he also said he saw endometriosis on the CT scan. I know a lap. is the only way to truly diagnose this, so it seemed odd to me that he would mention it based on a CT scan. My questions are: Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone here? Can endo really be spotted or suspected from a CT scan? Can endo symptoms reactivate this early postpartum? Thank you for any input. I'm really frustrated with what is going on and just wish I had some answers. |
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Robin H
Feb 27th, 2008 - 9:20 PM |
Re: Endo symptoms postpartum...plus CT scan showing endo markers?
Hi and Welcome to the forum! Congratulations on your new baby! What a blessing. I cannot answer your question about post-partum and endo because I have never been pregnant. What I do know is that if your hormones are returning to normal after the pregnancy, it could be possible that is causing a problem for you. I have heard of women who suffered with endo pain all through their pregnancy. I didn't have quite that same symtoms you describe, but they don't surprise me at all. There are other women who can relate to those smptoms. If endo can be detected on CT, it is news to me. I just saw 2 doctors earlier this month and confirmed that no scans, x-rays, etc. (including the high-tech PET Scan) show endo. Even adhesions are not seen on scans. I'd ask for clarification and specifics as to what the doctor suspects is endo and why. I sure understand your frustration. I imagine it's a bit difficult to manage your pain because you are breastfeeding. I'll be praying for you and your situation, Robin H P.S. If you don't mind sharing what your doctor says about the CT Scan, I am interested in knowing. |
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Amber
Feb 29th, 2008 - 6:55 PM |
Re: Endo symptoms postpartum...plus CT scan showing endo markers?
My old doc told me that anything that we knew about my uterus, ovaries, etc. before baby was basically null and void after baby. She described it like a contaminated crime scene . . . I always loved the way she put pictures to her diagnoses . . .if I could remember more of them I'd share them. Anyway, I thought it really applied here because I had a pretty similar prob after my first baby, and I wanted to blame it on things that she had found before the baby, and she said it just wouldn't work that way . . .and long story short . . . it was the endo . . . of course, we had to treat a bladder infection, uti, yeast infection, suspected uteran infection . . .etc. . . all of which were problems, but not the source of the pain . . .and then she did the lap and found the endo. Wow - that was a really long way to answer your questions . . . Your symptoms sound almost exactly like mine (you actually described symptoms more like mine than anyone I've ever talked to) . . . I have never heard of endo being diagnosed, spotted, or suspected from a CT scan . . .(wouldn't it be nice if it was that easy?) From my experience endo symptoms can definitely reactivate this early postpartum. . .since you are breast feeding I would think that your estrogen would be pretty low, which should slow down the endo, but I have no experience with that specifically (because of other medical probs I had to take meds that lowered my prolactin postpartum which in turn raised my estrogen) . . . I hope this information is more helpful than discouraging . . .I pray that you will be able to get a diagnosis soon and the treatment that you need to help you feel better. Amber |
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Suffering
Feb 29th, 2008 - 8:59 PM |
Re: Endo symptoms postpartum...plus CT scan showing endo markers?
Thank you so much for your responses. I will hopefully be talking to my dr. soon to get some answers. The whole CT scan thing just makes no sense to me at all. However, if I find out I do have endo, it would make a ton of other things make sense to me. It's funny, but I didn't know long heavy periods weren't the norm until recently! I was talking to some friends and found out I was odd for having periods like I did/do. My baby just turned 9 weeks today and I'm still having some spotting. I wonder if endo can cause you to bleed longer postpartum as well (??) I think I bled until 7 weeks pp, but have spotted off and on since then. Anyway, sorry for babbling! I'm really glad I found this site. Thank you for the input! -Andrea |
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Suffering
Feb 29th, 2008 - 9:04 PM |
Re: Endo symptoms postpartum...plus CT scan showing endo markers?
Also...I just thought of two other questions (and perhaps should be posting an entirely new thread, but I'll try here first!) Anyway, I almost had a c-section with this baby. If I had had a c-section, would they have seen the endo when they opened me up? Also, I had a liver biopsy done a few years ago during gallbladder surgery. The biopsy was due to scar tissue being on my liver. I'm curious if endo can cause endometrial tissue to spread to the liver...can it go that far, or is it usually just confined to the lower pelvic region? Thank you again! |
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Amber
Mar 4th, 2008 - 7:39 PM |
Re: Endo symptoms postpartum...plus CT scan showing endo markers?
I can't say for certain that they would see the endo with a c-section. I have never heard of it. It sure seems that depending on the location of the endo, that they should be able to see it then. About the liver . . . I do know that endo can spread anywhere in the body. There are people with it in their lungs, and on their lungs. It can be above the diaphram and below. Of course, the lower pelvic regions are the most common site for it . . . but I definitely think it could be found on your liver. Sorry I'm not more knowledgeable about this. |
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