endo ladies

ladyluxe

sorry if this is a stupid question, but how did you know or suspect you had endo? none of my docs have ever mentioned or suggested it, but I was reading the long list of symptoms and i do have a few of them. i know i'm probably grasping at straws, but it's been percolating in the back of my mind for quite some time. thanks.

KoCoLoCo

They saw irregularities on my initial HSG that suggested endo, I had a few of the symptoms, but nothing major.  It was confirmed w/ a lap (after a few failed IVF cycles).

kthappy76

They could possibly see something when you are cycling/testing, but a lap is the only way to know for sure.  These used to be a normal part of the IF dx process, but IVF has replaced it as the go to strategy to deal w/endo. 

The symptoms are a good indication, but from what I've read you can have bad endo and no symptoms or minor endo w/bad symptoms.  Crazy...

lyse2143

KoCoLoCo:

They saw irregularities on my initial HSG that suggested endo, I had a few of the symptoms, but nothing major.  It was confirmed w/ a lap (after a few failed IVF cycles).

What abnormalities did they see during your HSG?

mlmtgg

I have no symptoms at all but am having a lap done on Friday both b/c my IF has lasted so long now with no answer and my mom has severe endo history - so RE wants to rule it out.

wimberlyapril

i went an saw my regular ob/ gyn and told him i have painful periods, intercouse is terrible and  i  have sharp pains sometimes when i go to the bathroom.  he mentioned i may have it so then i started fertility treatments and when they did my laproscropy i had Stage 4 endo which is severe.  it was everywhere and some places he couldn't remove because it was too dangersous to do so.  he mentioned the only way to stop the growth of endo was to get pregnant so that is why i'm on the baby train because it was very painful for me.  he said in about 4 or 5 years depending on how many babies i have i will possibly have to have another laproscropy.  every women is different but i can tell you the surgery was great and i have minimum pain now.  good luck to you! 

sweetky_06

My OB/GYN never suspected anything. When I went to the RE and he discovered I had a retroverted uterus, he immediately suspected endo b/c in his experience, more than 1/2 of women with a retroverted or retroflexed uterus also have endo. My only other symptom was a lot of spotting before my period.

He recommended an HSG or a lap. I choose to go straight for the lap and I'm glad I did.  

sligarhill

At our very first appointment with the RE he asked 'if I ever had cramps that were bad enough they kept me from going to school when I was a teenager" looked at my year long calendar of my cycle history and said "I am 90% sure you have Endo". I was in shock, never thought it was a big deal that I had to take 4 Advil several times a day to deal with "cramps".

He said that in almost every person that has "bad cramps" and a "short cycle" (mine varies from 23 to 28 days, but there are more that are on the 23 end), he finds Endo. The only way to know for sure is with the Lap.

I didn't like the idea of going into surgery without knowing for sure if there was really something wrong with me, so the RE did a clomid challange test, HSG, u/s and bloodwork. All the tests help confirm that something was "off" and we moved forward with Lap, the endo was all over the place.

piccolina09

During IUI number 2, the GYN noticed kissing ovaries, (ovaries very close together). He said if it didnt work that he would suggest a lap, the lap confirmed severe endo. My ovaries are stuck together by scar tissue, I do ovulate, but when I do my eggs fall into my abdominal cavity, they do not make it to my tubes.

Other symptoms I had were heavy and very painful AF.

After finding such severe endo, he sent me to an RE for IVF.

ladyluxe

thanks everyone for the answers!...i am meeting with my RE next month to discuss next steps and i am going to ask him about it. my hsg came back normal, but I definitely have other symptoms.

hollymichael

sligarhill:

He said that in almost every person that has "bad cramps" and a "short cycle" (mine varies from 23 to 28 days, but there are more that are on the 23 end), he finds Endo. The only way to know for sure is with the Lap.

Interesting as this is me EXACTLY. I have never had a lap as we chose to go straight to IVF, but I bet if I had one, they would find endo.