Endometriosis and IBS
#343452 - 03/19/09 10:30 AM
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Hello there-
I am a life-long IBS-A mostly D sufferer and a new follower of this site. In the last year or so, my IBS has gotten significantly worse. I have been to many doctors and even to the Mayo clinic. The doctors seem to think I also have endometriosis that is contributing to my pain and symptoms, for two reasons. One - after I had my children I was put on Depo Provera for birth control, never got a period, and never felt better in terms of my IBS. But I had to go back on the pill for other reasons and that is when my IBS started to flare up really bad. Two - my periods are getting significantly more and more painful and disabling and always accompanied with diarrhea.
I had a laparoscopy last week and the doctor said they didn't see any endometriosis, but she thinks it could still be there, its just microscopic. They also took my appendix out. I've been put on continuous birth control pills so I only get my period four times a year. She said next week she may put me on Lupron injections which basically put you in a medical menopause.
I am hesitant to move forward with the Lupron injections as it seems to be such a drastic step for my body (I'm only 31 and unsure about whether I'll have more children). Especially since its not for sure that the endometriosis is even there. There's no question I have IBS, but its hard to gauge whether my symptoms now are just a exasperation of that or something else. For sure, its never been like this or so much pain.
If anyone has dealt with a similar circumstance, I'd love to hear from you.
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I had endometriosis and had a complete hysterectomy when I was 36. When I was having my worst endo symptoms my doc did put me into a medical menopause for a couple of months. He wanted to see if my symptoms improved during that time. They did and I opted for the hysterectomy. At this point though I was finished having children so that was not an issue for me.
If you are unsure about having more children it can be a difficult decision to make. Personally, I had gotten to the point where I was feeling so bad that I made the decision to have a hysterectomy.
I wish you luck. I know it isn't easy to figure out what you should do.
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Janey
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Janey-
Thanks so much for your post. I'm just curious, did your endo make your IBS a lot worse?
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I can't remember if the endo made my IBS worse because it was 16 years ago. I think in the years after surgery my IBS has been worse, I am "D". I don't know if that has to do with the surgery or life circumstances. I have had IBS since I was in my 20's.
I do know that even though my IBS may have been a little worse I have never regretted having a hysterectomy because I was feeling so bad from the endo. I remember my doctor asking me if I wanted to have more children because he told me that being pregnant would help with the endo. Something to check into if you want more children. Things may have change since then though.
Once I found this site changed my diet, and started taking daily fiber I have been able to control my IBS and have become stable.
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Janey
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Hey - I too have been having increasingly worse menstrual cramps and diarrhea with my periods. I was put on birth control to try and stop the painful periods, but I could still feel cramps coming though during the week my period was supposed to be happening. Then, a week after my doctor switched me to a lower dosage of the pill [thanks to IBS-D I'm really tiny and the dosage was too high, made me emotional, depressed and dizzy] I was rushed to the ER with horrible abdominal pains. They initially thought it was a ruptured ovarian cyst, but couldn't find evidence of one on an ultra sound. So I had to see both a GI specialist and an Ob-gyn to figure out what it was. The ob-gyn said I might have endometriosis or there could be something else wrong. He moved me to a different birth control and in less than a month, if I feel the cramps again, then most likely I have it. I'm seeing the GI specialist soon, but if I end up with endometriosis I'll let you know. They said they will have to do a minor surgery if so - and then they'd put me on the intensive birth control you mentioned. But since I take so much advil to the point where I'm very close to killing my liver, its worth it.
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IBS-D, Trying to make it through college
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