[*the*lucky*one*]

I had a similar thing happen with my cycle, turned out I had a cyst on my ovary that was causing it. I've since had an ultrasound which showed endometriosis of the uterine lining and the pain apparently is bleeding in the muscle walls. Worth an ultrasound to check what's happening.

[giggleandhoot]

yep did the pill -worst thing ever!!! didn't help for me and made me put on weight - one of the reasons i was at the dr as i couldn't loose weight as well. It is suppose to work, but if you read the fine print - it increases cysts! so i lasted a month and a half and i went crazy on it lol - not good for me!

[CharliMarley]

Fibroids will cause heavy bleeding, so you need checking out with an ultrasound.

[Excentrique]

Ultrasound came back clear. The gyny thinks I have endometreosis. I am going to try the pill and if that doesn't help I will have to have keyhole surgery.

[giggleandhoot]

Oh i hope the pill works for you! it did kind of work for me in that i had severe pain and from always 5 days to really only one day..but 5 days worth of pain and it evened AF out a little but still falling asleep/almost passing out a few days before AF arrived..it was supposed to help with iron or something but didn't really do that - but it did my head in and i got depression and all weird on it lol, was so happy to get off it. I'm off for a second opinion if mine doesn't get better - had the worst advice/medication from this one Hope you don't need surgery. So they can't see that on an ultrasound?? wonder if i should ask a new dr next time?

[HillmanMinx]

The gyny thinks I have endometreosis.

I was thinking this. I remember my cycle changing like you describe. And the pain you describe. Best thing I did (after 10 years of suffering, a few trials of drugs and surgeries) was

1) get an laperoscopy and get any obvious endo lasered.
2) simultaneously get my uterus scraped.
3) get a mirena device inserted during the above procedures
4) get a script for voltaren 50mg (just a higher dose than over the counter) and take 100 mg as first dose on the first day of any period pain, and 50 mg every (whatever the box says) hours until it was completely gone (usually within a few days).

What I have described above is a cut-to-the-chase management plan for pain and inflammation caused by endometriosis. It keeps it at bay. The uterine scrape was critical because it meant the level of endometrial lining and subsequent power over my body was substantially reduced. Less endometrial tissue hanging around = less powerful inflammatory (and bleeding) process when my bodies hormones triggered the monthly cue...

And putting the mirena device in to a clean uterus minimised breakthrough bleeding and allowed the hormone in it to take over from my own wayward hormones.

The anti inflammatories were only needed regularly (ie monthly) for a few months after the procedure, and tapered off as my body adjusted to the mirena device. Now I don't even have any in the house!

I was terrified of the mirena because I had had the depo provera shot years earlier (only once) and it made me incredibly sick, made my period insanely heavy, and made me pass a giant uterine cyst that I thought was a small (half a maternity pad size) baby...complete with contractions, dialation of my cervix and PAIN (my only vaginal 'birth' lol)!

The reason I think I had such an adverse reaction to the depo shot is probably because I had endometriosis. As the same hormone in the Depo shot is in Mirina - I was scared sh*tless and it was a last resort treatment.

My excellent GYN said that the level of hormone released by the mirena is miniscule compared to the depo shot. He also said as it is released in-situ, it works where it is most needed. It still travels round the body, but it is able to be highly effective because its in the uterus.

I 100% believe I would have had a bad outcome had I not had the uterus scrape at the time of insertion. And the laperoscopy to laser the little bits of visible endo (basically removing as much of the endometrial tissue as possible, then adding the mirena hormone to prevent the remaining bits from being flared up each month.

Anyway. Long post. But I have had a painful gyn life, and this is my gold standard experience and gave me my life back. x

This post has been edited by HillmanMinx: 21/04/2012, 09:33 PM