Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Don't worry about the questions! Endo can only be found outside the uterus. Endometriosis is when the lining of the uterus actually implants itself in other areas of the pelvis. It is then driven by the same hormones that control your monthly cycle, so it swells and bleeds and does all sorts of other stuff it shouldn't do anywhere other than the inside of your uterus. My doctor found endo on my bladder, but I strongly suspect he may have missed some on my bowel.

The only way it can be diagnosed officially is via a lap - it cannot be seen on an ultrasound. However, I have heard of doctors treating for endo without a lap if there's a strong history of symptoms. Medical treatment is hormonal - either birth control pills (usually continuously) or something called Lupron. Both can temporarily halt endo - b/c by tricking your body into thinking it's pregnant, Lupron by tricking your body into thinking it's in menopause. Neither is a permanent option. Even surgery is not permanent - the endo almost always grows back.

There are dietary things and supplements you can try to reduce symptoms. Google the name Dian Shepperson Mills and you'll find lots of good info. Heat helps me quite a bit as well. I ordered a special heating pad called the endo-femm that covers my entire pelvis, and I use it daily.

It's good to have a reason why my periods have always sucked, but endo is a tough diagnosis. There's not much that can be done for it, short of repeated surgery. And the symptoms are so similar to IBS that it's almost impossible at times to tell one from the other! So how do you treat it?

Keep us posted! When is your D&C scheduled for?

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IBS-C

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