What are the biggest signs of endometriosis?… by jsrbassi

January 31, 2008 · Filed Under danazol

A nurse I know says that by my symptoms that's what it seems like. I have sharp pelvic pain during sex, urination and bowel movements and my periods are very irregular. But I don't have much money to go see a OB/GYN, is this a serious disease? It's getting worse, should I try to find a way to see a doctor?

Best Answer:

Endometriosis is a gynaecological condition in which deposits of endometrial cells (lining of the uterus) develop in places outside of the uterus. It is a common condition, affecting up to 20-25% of women of reproductive age. Endometriosis is most commonly found on or in the ovaries and on the peritoneum (internal lining of the abdomen), particularly on the uterosacral ligaments and behind the uterus. It can also occur on the bladder or intestines, particularly the rectum. Endometriosis can cause inflammation and scarring which may lead to adhesions between organs and result in pain or infertility.

Endometriosis can cause a wide range of symptoms including pain and infertility. Some women with endometriosis experience no symptoms at all. The most common symptom of endometriosis is lower abdominal/pelvic pain. This may be experienced with periods or at other times of the menstrual cycle. Pain may also be experienced during intercourse, when passing urine or when opening the bowels. Infertility, heavy or irregular periods and bleeding from the bowel may also be associated with endometriosis.

Unfortunately many women suffer the symptoms of endometriosis for many years before it is diagnosed. Endometriosis can only be diagnosed by viewing it on the pelvic organs and peritoneum where it appears as red, black or white spots with or without scarring or as “chocolate” cysts within the ovaries. Most commonly endometriosis is diagnosed by laparoscopy (keyhole surgery). Sometimes it is found incidentally when a woman has surgery for another reason e.g. at appendicectomy.

Endometriosis can be treated with medications or with surgery (or a combination). The medications used are mainly hormones that act by suppressing the menstrual cycle and inhibiting the growth of the deposits of endometriosis. These hormones include the combined oral contraceptive pill, progesterones, GNRH analogues and danazol. They have all been shown to provide affective pain relief during therapy but there is a high rate of recurrence of symptoms when the medication is ceased. Medical treatment will not improve fertility.

Surgery for endometriosis is usually done via the laparoscope (keyhole surgery). The options for minor cases of endometriosis include laser or diathermy (burning) to destroy the lesions or complete excision of the lesions. When the endometriosis is more extensive, complete excision of the lesions is usually recommended as the lesions are too large or deep to be treated by burning alone. When all the endometriosis lesions are completely excised this has shown to result in a 70-90% success rate for complete or partial relief from pelvic pain symptoms.

I would recommend that you do try to see an OB/Gyn to see what they think could be causing your pain. Like mentioned above, the only way to find out for sure though is to have the laparoscopy done to definitely diagnose whether or not you do have endo.

Good luck
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