Origin of Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women Can Be Elusive

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WOW! I am saddened after reading these posts by the lack of concern in the doctor's offices regarding female pain. Why is it that females are more likely to die of ignored heart attack pain while IN THE HOSPITAL than males, and that women almost have to be bleeding out their eyes ears and nose and every other orifice before doctor's will take their pain seriously. It sickens me and I'm so sorry it has taken some of you 10 years and more to become pain free and some even still aren't being heard. This is awful and we as women need to start speaking up about it. I think men, (and I'm thinking about the men in my family) just don't tolerate a doctor who treated them the way Weary Warrior's doctor treated her. I know the men in my family wouldn't have returned for a second appointment or taken drugs prescribed by a doctor who dismissed their pain, and they, no kidding, if a doctor had the audacity to say to them before surgery: "I really don't expect to find anything," they would got up off the table walked to the door, turned around and said: "Then I'm sure you won't. So I'll just let you 'not find anything' without my having to undergo surgery while you 'not find it." Now point me to my clothes?" See, men just don't take crap like that, and I think we women need to be the same way. We need to stop "believing the doctors" just because they're doctors, and stop returning a second time to a doctor knowing full well they didn't believe us the first time so why would they believe us the second time back? Men seem to understand this logic. We women tend to "not want to hurt the doctor's feelings, or doubt ourselves." Have you ever known a man to doubt himself? I think if we women told the doctor's who don't believe us..."thank you don't call me I"ll call you," and move on to someone else IMMEDIATELY rather than giving those doctors who ignore us a second chance, doctors might start taking us more seriously as they see their patient numbers dwindling. Next time a doctor doesn't believe you just get up and say: "Well, I can see you have no intention of taking my pain seriously, so I need to find another doctor who will. Nice wallpaper." and walk out. I will say where I live in Nebraska the doctors have been super fabulous and I've not heard of one from any other woman regarding this negligent situation. In fact, I find them a bit too thorough, and find that I'm the one usually saying "Gees, how many tests? Sorry I mentioned it! I'll take some more advil and see how it goes." Which doesn't fly with doctors here. So maybe you all need to move to Nebraska. Not so much a "treat 'em and street 'em" mentality here. ;)

Katie of NE 10:10AM May 21, 2012

I am 56 years old. I had a partial hysterectomy at the age of 30 after starting my period and never coming off of it. I was told that I had endometriosis. 10 years to the date, I went back in and had the ovaries removed...once again..endometriosis. 1 year later had a procedure performed to clip scar tissue through the belly button. almost 2 years ago the pain started. Not too bad at first, actually thought it might be my bladder. That was part of the symptoms with the second part of the hysterectomy and this feels just like it. Saw a urologist and nephrologist (mom had bladder and uterine cancer), but nothing was wrong. Surgeon will not go in and perform any type of surgery at this point which I understand..a little...He wants me to have a pain block and I want to know of anyone out there that has had one. I need to find out everything, because I have no health insurance and everything is out of pocket for me. I am absolutely miserable and can hardly take a step. I am sick of being sick and also tired of the pain
medication, but like others..cannot function without it. anyone have a solution? Have already seen a GYN and she is the one to referr me to the surgeon..no luck

liz ford of TN 11:41AM June 14, 2010

I have suffered with endo for over 20 years. I have had laparatomies, cystoscopies, exploratory surgeries, oopherectomy, three pregnancies, one c-section and now an abdominal hysterectomy. I am 40 years old. . I had suffered with "stomach aches" as a child as early as 7 and 8 years old. I always had a "poochy" lower belly even though I was athletic as young girl and teenager. My periods ruined me every month. Periods lasting 15 days, severe cramping, nausea, and generally feeling beat up. I was accepting how I was and pregnancy fixes it for awhile but it comes back two fold.
I finally couldn't take the clots and massive bleeding anymore. I still don't feel great-- I still get IBS like symptoms and still have pain in my abdomen especially around the belly button and toward the bikini scar. I know it will never go away never. I feel like an experiment. A toxic internal mess...
If toxins are to blame...
I am saddened for our future...
I am terrified about my children who will most probably have these terribly debilitating conditions too.
Mary's Mad In Michigan
I

Mary MIchael of MI 9:37PM June 03, 2010

i have been diag. with endometreosis since iwas 21 now34 sev.laperoscopies yes i have a hard time !! ihave not been able to conceive tried clomed fertility pill to try to get preg. no luck no Ins. coverage they never covered any tx but pap then have now pre-existed me b/c a nurse practictioner may note stated poss.@15yrs old.painful periods could be pelvic inflamatory overed no tx soon after surg. and 3-4 periods in pain back, hurts fromback overies and up to abdomin , after reading this article like today pain in neck and shoulder tight cant make sudden or full range motion I am having hard time $ happily married same patner for 19 yrs almost hard to have hyesterectomy $ and time wise ,considering options due to pain afraid it wont help ,what really is hard iam in the dental feild and have no Ins. what are $s on diff. tx vag. hyst. or lap hyst. feeling hopless and affraid to ask for pain med. dont want to be thought or in grouped with druggy anyone out there with sim. prob. or advice hormone theapy tried poss. mild stroke they also think i have Bellspalsy. seems like Dr. dont know much to tell me I would like to see more dr. tring to solve and educate more ....

april of DC 7:06PM May 24, 2010

Side pain and vomiting with difficult passing stool. I have had ultrasound and a colonosopy. Please help.

K. Johnson of WI 9:51PM May 08, 2010

I am a 33 year old women who has suffered with extreme upper right and lower right pain for about a year now. I have gone to several doctors and have a test after test performed with no results. I have o social life because I am constantly in pain. Can anyone help me

Tonya Nabers of LA 4:23PM April 29, 2010

Dr. Kanayama in Manhattan New York is an endo expert. He not only diagnosed me . He gave me my life back. Ladies look him up seriously he is the REAL DEAL

angela of NY 12:48AM April 29, 2010

I had a complete hysterectomy this past August. I had severe endometriosis and adhesions. I am still in alot of pain in the same region. I think I have taken almost every drug on the market for diff. causes. Lyrica was the last--BAD NEWS--talk about some fast weight gain!! HELP--what can I do to get rid of this pain and get back to having a normal life?

s davis of MS 5:10PM April 06, 2010

Persistance is an understatement! I had severe menstrual cramps and irritable bowel symptoms from high school. IBS was the official diagnosis. I never saw an ob-gyn. When ibuprofin came out, at least had something helped. Later, I was put on the pill, which helped.
Then at age 31 I got very ill, and was no longer able to take the pill. After extensive tests, my rheumatologist dianosed me with fibrositis (fibromyalgia was not widely recognized in 1987).
It was basically a result of an immune system breadown.
in 1990, I was struck by excruciating pelvic pain, diagnosed as a ruptured ovarian cyst. By this time, I had had active endometriosis for approx. 15 years. None of my physicians ever suggested or explored that possibility.
In 1997, at age 41, I began a time of suffering chronic and intractable pelvic pain, worsened IBS, and associated lower back pain and muscle spasms. I began to reseach my symptoms, and all signs were pointing to endometriosis. My ob-gyn, a woman, dismissed the severity of my pain. She put me on Lupron injections, which worsened my fibromyalgia. I was almost completely disabled at this point.
This whole time, my doctor insisted I did not have endo. I saw the other ob-gyn in the practice and insisted on a diagnostic lapascopy. The day before the surgery, in her office with my boyfriend, we both sat in disbelief while she said "I really don't expect to find anything."
She found a blood-filled cyst on my ovary, and removed it. Never have I felt such vindication! I continued to have severe pain. I went to the endocrinologists at George Washington University Hospital. I showed them photo taken during my surgery, and they immediately saw endo lesions. I realized that my former ob-gyn was incompetant.
The folks at GWU were a godsend. I was taken seriously and treated with respect. 2 additional surgeries were done. My doctor also did a pain mapping during surgery.
It took 5 years after the final surgery to heal and resolve the pain. After the hysterectomy my fibromyalgia got severely worse. I went on permanent long-term disability in 2000. 10 years later I have no more pelvic pain. I am so thankful.
Find someone with experience in treating endometriosis. Many ob-gyns attempt to treat this when they do not have the surgical experience. Using laser or burning can create more lesions. The only treatment is CUTTING out the tissue.
The amount of disability caused by the endometriosis over 25 years is substantial - affecting my work performance, my relationships, my social life, and my mental well-being. Recent research shows that
30% OF WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS AND OTHER IMMUNE SYSTEM DISORDERS DEVELOP FIBROMYALGIA. IT IS MORE THAN INFERTILITY OR BAD CRAMPS. IT IS AN AUTO-IMMUNE DISORDER, THE CONSEQUENCES OF WHICH CAN BE VERY SERIOUS TO A WOMAN'S OVERALL HEALTH & WELL-BEING.
DON'T JUST BE PERSISTANT! PREPARE YOUR ARMOR AND SUIT-UP. YOU ARE GOING INTO BATTLE!
THE WEARY WARRIOR

WEARY WARRIOR of SC 9:21PM March 15, 2010

THANK YOU FOR WRITING AN EXCELLENT OVERVIEW OF AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT & COMPLEX SUBJECT.
I would like to mention that in addition to a person's "perceived pain" involving pain syndromes, that with endo lesions you are basically bleeding directly into your abdomen, which causes inflammation and the production of prostaglandins and white blood cells. Your body is attempting to remove the blood, causing an immune system reaction and acute pain. I am saying that a pain syndrome can be present, but it is only a partial reason for the the extent and severity of endometriosis pain. I have had both.
I have had women who have children tell me that their endo pain was worse than childbirth, and lasts a whole lot longer! I think it would be much like appendicitus, which occurs in the same area of the abdominal and pelvic cavity. Constant severe pain can cause muscle spasms and pain referring to the lower back or down the leg like sciatica. It can and has put me into a fetal position screaming and crying in pain. Bowel movements were so painful that I would sit on the toilet and cry for two hours at a time. I seriously can't imagine what women used to do before modern technology developed treatment and surgery. I imagine that many would have committed suicide rather than suffer such hell.
My endo caused severe lower back pain, irritable bowel cramping & diarrhea, badder spasms and inability to urinate, and sciatica - like pain shooting down my legs. That's a lot of different kinds of pain. But all can be produced by endometriosis, and the ONLY way to diagnose endo is by surgically entering the pelvic are and looking at it. It cannot be seen on a sonogram or MRI, and can be invisible to the naked eye. Laparoscopy is indeed the gold standard, along with biopsy of tissue to determine if the cells are endometrial.
3 cheers for menopause! Surgical or not!

endo girl of VA 8:14PM March 15, 2010