sound like endometriosis?

[LeeAnn]

Hi guys,

For those of you who have Endo, please read this and tell me what you think.

I hope I don't sound like a hypochodriac but for the last few months I've been keeping extremely detailed records of my symptoms, what drugs I'm taking, what I'm eating, etc.

For the first time, I actually see a possible connection.

I went off my birth control pills in March. I was taking yasmin continuously, not having periods more than twice a year b/c I thought they made my IC worse. (My DR said this was fine).

Then I stopped the pill and started having normal periods.

Since then I have noticed that for the last two cycles it is very clear that in the first half of my cycle, days 1-14 I am MISERABLE peeing average 35 times a day---and yes I am counting w/ a sheet of paper by the toilet, LOL. I am in constant pain. And actually I'm not in pain until after my period is finished---that's when the frequency shoots up to 35x/day.

During the second half of my cycle--- day 15-28----I feel much better after I ovulate. Sometimes I even go for a couple hours and forget that I have a bladder! I still have IC and have to take meds, etc, but I can occassionally have a good few hours in a row. My average frequency during the second half of my cycle is much better---only 18x/day.

So for the last two menstrual cycles I have noticed this definite pattern. I know that the first half of the cycle a woman is estrogen dominant while the egg is preparing to be released. The second half of the cycle a woman is progestin dominant in anticipation of possible pregnancy.

So this is my long-winded way of saying that the first half of my cycle is HELL (estrogen) and the second half of my cycle is better (progestin).

I also know that estrogen feeds endometriosis and that endo is treated w/ progestin.

Anyway..... ! ! ! My question is this: Does all this sound like I could have endometriosis based on what I've told you??? Could endo be making this IC pain worse????

B/C I feel like my IC is just way out of hand compared to other people on these message boards and nothing seems to be helping. I am following the diet strictly and I seem to have good days randomly and bad days randomly too! It seems like all this is so beyond my control!!!

I'm really not trying to act like I have it worse than anybody else b/c I know that's not true but I feel like most people here get to have more good days than bad days and that just has not happened for me no matter how hard I try. Or maybe everyone else is just more positive than me, I don't know. I just look forward to the day I can drop down to part-time just so I can use the bathroom when I need to. I'm tired of being in pain. I have vicodin on hand but rarely use it. Maybe I should allow myself to take it more freely.

I'm just trying to figure out if there's something wrong in addition to IC.

I would especially appreciate hearing from those of you who do have Endo. Do you think it sounds like your symptoms?

But I know that people w/ Endo usually have long, heavy, painful, irregular periods, etc. but I don't. I would say mine are normal. Sometimes they give me cramps like diarrhea cramps but that's normal, right? TMI, sorry!

[GriffsMommy]

LeeAnn, it's so hard to say. I have endo too and what I thought was my endo pain I realized after getting my IC diagnoised is mostly IC. I am on BCP so maybe this is why but I have never had really heavy periods. First day are two are kinda heavy for me but what other people would probably say is normal flow and then I lighten up a lot for the rest of the time. I used to feel that my pain would get better during my period but since the IC diagnois it flip flopped on me and I feel worse when I get my period so I take my BCP's all the time to stop it. I've heard that endo and IC can have a lot of the same symptoms so it's really hard to know for sure unless they go in there and take a look around.

I knew I had IC from having it found in my bladder years before. I went to my gyn thinking that my endo was driving me crazy and she said I might have IC too because that can cause a lot of pelvic pain and low and behold I did. Sorry I couldn't be too specific, must be the flare and the vicoden talking.

[LeeAnn]

thanks christine

Thanks Christine,
Well which pill do you take? I'm curious if it's a predominantly progestin pill or a pill that's balanced between estrogen and progestin. I wonder if the type of pill makes a difference in the pain level for people who have both IC and Endo. ??

[GriffsMommy]

I'm taking Triphasil, it's an old one and a generic. I have no idea what combo of hormones are in it to be honest. I've been on it since I started BCP's over 10 years ago.

[leelee88]

Leeann,
To me it sounds like there is a connection that is exactly the way I would do when I would have a period, The pain was unbearable it was so bad at times I would trow up<excuse the detail but its true...My GYN put me on continious birth control levlite it has helped so much with the endo pain, but I still feel pain around that time of monthe even though I do not have a period, But not nothing like it was..There is really no true way to say you have Endo unless you have the doctor o in and do exploratory surgery, but if the pain level goes way up around your period. I would say its a very good possibility..

Ronda