Hi Nchix,

I am pretty new to all of this myself. I can tell you what I have been feeling the past 3 months. Mine has felt like the worst cramps ever, in my lower pelvic are and lower back. I could not stand up straight it hurt so bad. I also have pain with intercourse. Sometimes get a stabbing pain around my right ovary which can bring me to my knees.
I just had surgery 1 week ago (Lap) and I go for my follow up tomorrow morning but the surgeon told my husband that she burnt off a small area of endo and burnt off some scar tissue on my intestines.

If you are having pain and think you may have endo you should push to have a lap, as this is the only way to diagnose it for sure. Maybe you need to find a new dr that will listen to you?

I wish you well and good luck!

~Jen~

THe pain can feel different depending on where the endo is. Sometimes it is sharp pinching pain...sometimes it's a dull throbbing pain. I have endo on my ureters and urethra so that is more pressure and needing to use the bathroom a LOT and not really painful.
I agree with mj....if you think you might have endo find a Dr that will do a Laparoscopy. DO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER! (if you have the symptoms) The Lap is the ONLY 100% way to diagnose. DOn't let them tell you that imaging (ultrasounds, mri's, etc) will tell you...it won't! And neither will taking Lupron or other hormonal drugs...
I just had my third Lap two weeks ago...she found nothing this time around. just scar tissue.
Good luck!! And don't give up until you have answers!

Pain for me, is in my ovaries, uterus and vagina...sharp stabbing, throbbing pulling and ripping feelings, pain radiates down my legs and accross my back. I am bed ridden for days at a time and can sometimes be unable to walk. It's worse on my period and with excessive exercise.

No you don 't have to wait to have children! I am 20 years old and was diagnosed this year (19 at the time). I have had the issues since I started my period at 9! I say change doctors! A lap is necessary to diagnose endo. But you most certainly do not have to wait like this!

Goodluck
xx

I have had two endometriosis surgeries in the past 2 years. The pain is concentrated in the lower pelvis and will often feel like a sharp pain (like shooting) or severe cramps (like period cramps, but worse).

Wow! I can relate to all of this. I didn't even consider the lower back pain I was having as a symptom. I was diagnosed with PCOS last year. After 10 years of hell. I was put on bc pills at 16 and no one ever did any testing to find out why I had crazy things going on. Weather I truly have PCOS or not I have lots of symptoms of both PCOS and endo. I get pinchy pains that come with bloating in my lower abdomen, lower pinching back pain, frequent urination, constipation, absent period(I once went a whole year without menstruating), leg cramps during period, pain during sex, bleeding during sex, frequent uti and yeast infections, fatigue... I go thru my cycle with cramps bloating and mood swings- but never actually get my period. And I am sure I missed something. I also read that endo can be associated with hypothyroid and rheumatoid arthritis. I have a nodule on my thyroid and it runs in my family. My mom has rheumatoid arthritis. I am seeing a new doctor in janurary. I hope they will test me and listen to my concerns. I am 25 and not ready for children but I really want to be able to get pregnant when the time comes.

Hello,
I am relatively new to this as well but I can tell you my experience as well as my Mother's. For the last 6-7 months it's been especially bad, I feel pain kinda where my ovaries are, sometimes all the way to my hip and central pelvic area. I experience pain with sex most of the time now. I also have chronic fatigue, horrible lower back pain (which is sometimes WORSE than the pelvic pain) and weird bowel things going on - something like IBS. I had a doctor tell me I have vulvadynia ... which, if you look up symptoms, kinda has nothing to do with anything... so you DO have to push for what you want. I am having my first lap in jan because I literally wouldn't leave the office until that doc got me one. She's just a locum physician so i'll see MY doctor next week but I might've had to wait much longer if I didn't stand up for myself. You have every right to have them go in and have a look so you can manage your pain! Endo pain is awful and you need prescription drugs, therapies or other natural ways of healing to help you. If not all three! It's a debilatating disease and the sooner they catch it the sooner you will be able to alter your lifestyle to feel better! Good luck and I hope this helps

My doctor was first convinced I had PCOS - but in the end it was not, but instead endomentriosis. I also have vulvodynia in addition to endometriosis. I had to have surgery for that as well. Endometriosis is certainly no fun - and it can affect so many things - back pain, pelvic pain, GI issues, night sweats, fatigue, etc. Have they tested your CA-125 levels? While it is not full-proof at all (ie, you can still have endometriosis even if these are not elevated), my CA-125 was elevated and my doc said it likely meant either endometriosis or ovarian cancer - but given my age it was almost certainly endometriosis. This gave me (and my doc) the confidence to go forward with a diagnostic lap given my other symptoms as well.

The more and more I read things about endo- the more I am realizing that all these feelings/sensations I have are not normal- Ive had this stuff going on so long I thought it was normal. After I eat, I get period cramps/ bloating. I wake up every morning bloated/crampy and pinching lower back pain. Right now my bloating and cramps are really bad. I was on BC for PCOS but when off because I lost insurance. I got my period normal for the first 2 months- then poooof! GONE!!!(as usual). Now I have a new insurance and have an appt with a new Doc in Jan- I honestly don't care anymore... I wont walk out without getting some answer/test... this is such bullshit- I cant go on like this anymore I have better things to deal with and get upset over in my life. UGHHH! thank you for the support I need this!!!

Some doctors mistakenly believe that the only thing endo does is interfere with getting pregnant. This is such bullshit! I have a freind who is a family doctor and when I tell her stuff about endo it blows here away. They were not taught this stuff in med school! Gynos learn about it, sometimes, in their residencies, but there are still so many who just don't get it. I had doctors tell me I was "to young" others tell me I was "too old!" Both at age 27. So, find a new doctor that understands this is a disease not just a fertility issue. Good luck!