Gyno not helping, what do I do/should I worry?

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jenniewb
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:59 am
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by jenniewb on Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:57 am

Gyno not helping, what do I do/should I worry?

I've had gyno issues for a while now. Always changing I'll give you a brief history:

Painful periods when they do happen- as in taking several pills (prescribed) and still in agony, no sleep no food heavy cramps but average-heavy rather then very heavy flow. I used to spot between periods and especially after exercise.

I have in the past 18 months watched my periods fade to oblivion. Some months not appearing others were a lot less and the pain reduced somewhat. What once was 5-7 days became 1-2 days and have now stopped (well I got something close to a period- not even enough for a pantyliner! Lasted 1 afternoon). Prior to that the last period I had was in October.

What I have noticed is an increase in back pain and abdominal pain which never goes away. It began as a niggle about 2 years ago and has progressivly gotten much worse. It never actually ever got better. Hurts to sit up straight, walk with a striaght back and lie on a flat floor (as in yoga). It also feels 100 times worse if I have done any stretching of my lower back inclinging picking a few more things up off the floor then normal.
There is no more spotting (I don't think its spotting?) but the pain is so bad now I can't sleep, GP has given me Tramadol as Codeine wasn't helping. Now it could be this back/abdominal/hip pain has nothing to do with my periods (or lack of) but it does feel a bit like a period pain but kind of different as it also feels like a sort of 'itch' or something I need to stretch out- something just feels wrong or misaligned, there is though a very prominant abdominal pain that runs alongside and feels just like a period pain. The back pain feels like it radiates to the groin and hip areas. I have had an MRI of the lumber spine which showed up nothing, the doctor has decided by process of elimination that its muscular- but I don't know if she realises there is also abominal pain along with it.

I was supposed to be seeing a gynocologist and have seen too many to count (I'm always getting locums) I have had at least 3 appointments with this every changing issue. They have done two ultra sound scans and one where a camera had a look around, my left ovary could not be seen the right could but apparently this is normal? I was told there were no abnomalities. The last ultra scan I had I think was a year ago, (when I had the back pain) the camera thing was a year prior to that. (Prior infact to the back pain). I was told nothing was wrong from what they could see.

So I am supposed to go back to the gyno but the consultant (whom I've never actually seen) has swapped her days. There is no way on this Earth I can get to her different day appointments and as a result I am told I have to be rereferred. I have yet to hear back from anyone yet and its been months. My GP has asked the gyno for another new referral (again) and still I am waiting!

Mean time my back/abdominal pain is getting worse and I am becomming scared. I am worrying it could be anything from losing my fertility through to cysts and cancer- I am very afriad of whats going on because I am getting worse and no one appears to be very interested.

Is there anything you can say to reassure me that I am not about to die as a result of this pain being something very serious? Cervical Cancer as far as I know isn't in my family but other Cancers are, I've just lost a female memeber as a result of Cancer- they got there too late.
Is there any thing I can do to find out what it is? When I speak to anyone they just shrug their shoulders or say they need to run the very same tests they did the year prior, I am getting fed up with the lasse faire attitude and the countless stand ins...its a joke yet I have no idea how to get the help I need to get rid of the pain. I feel like 'm bashing my head against a brick wall whilst slowly going mad with anxiety!!

HELP!!

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Dr Heather Currie
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Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2012 11:28 am
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by Dr Heather Currie on Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:28 am

Re: Gyno not helping, what do I do/should I worry?

So sorry that you are having these problems. Scans are very good at picking up significant changes. You mentioned that one ovary looked normal and the other could not be seen--it's actually reassuring if one can't be seen, rather than worrying--ovaries can be quite small and to look at it another way, would be very easy to see if are affected by cyst or cancer.
I cannot explain the pain but it does sound as if you have had very relevant investigations, did the "camera" involve a laparoscopy--ie a look inside your abdomen under general anaesthetic? If so, then you have been thoroughly investigated. Sometimes we cannot identify the exact cause of pain, which can be very frustrating, but the important thing is that possible serious causes are ruled out.
If your periods have pretty much stopped, it is likely that your hormone levels are decreasing, which may not be the cause of the pain, but should also be investigated, depending on your age, and treatment considered.
I do hope that you get to see a senior gynaecologist and I hope that this forum has been of some help, if not the whole answer.
Dr Heather Currie
Associate Specialist Gynaecologist
Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... currie.php

jenniewb
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:59 am
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by jenniewb on Mon Mar 26, 2012 2:59 am

Re: Gyno not helping, what do I do/should I worry?

Thanks for your reply.

I was offered the Laperoscopy (sp!) but then the next doctor (another locum) suggested another scan as it had been 12 months since the last one, then my periods and the pain vanished and since then the doctor has swapped days, I have to go through the whole rigmarol of waiting lists again because I cannot get to them on the day they swapped to, so I'm guessing its not been fully investigated? Would it still be wise to do another scan with the periods now gone? The pain I have now feels like a different pain but does have a sort of period pain like feel (its predominantly lower back pain but at times does also feel like normal period pain as well) I'm thinking the operation you mentioned would be all about my abdomen rather then my back if it were affected and it worries me they'd miss the problem because the area wouldn't be covered by that sort of a scan.

I've had blood tests done, (liver profile, bone profile and something else I don't remember!) results due this week and am wondering if any of this would show up in a blood test? I know with things like Cancer they'd see a raised white blood cell count (something which I don't think was tested for) I've had hormone level tests in the past few months and have been told that they were fine which is odd because I had a very much reduced period for months before they actually stopped and the most recent hormone test was about a month after the very much reduced periods stopped.

Is there anything I can ask my doctor for or to do? I'd like my periods back because I worry about the implications of not having them as well as not liking them not being there when I just want my body to be normal! I also would want to know why they have stopped as I think the worry about them stopping is just as bad as the worry about having a diagnosis for something.

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