ENDO Messages for October, 2003: Re: Cauterizing endo and birth control pills as relief from symptoms?

Re: Cauterizing endo and birth control pills as relief from symptoms?

From: Amy (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu Oct 30 11:18:55 2003

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Wendee:

1. It is common for surgeons to cauterize any endo adhesions they see. I had several lasered off in my first lap. Because they did this, you may find your recovery will take a bit longer. I had a second lap a couple years ago where nothing was removed or cauterized (it was for diagnostic purposed only) and found that I recovered much quicker. This is not a cure for endo, because there is no cure for it, but it can help the symptoms and provide pain relief. How long varies with individuals. I know some women who had years of relief after cauterization, but personally for me, it only helped for about a year and a half.

2. I know it is common for endometrium or cysts to burst. Most of the time, according to my old Doc, cysts take care of themselves and burst on their own, but other times they don't and require surgery.

3. Birth control pills may help control your endo some. I have been on them for years because I always had hard periods. Of course, it only took about 7 years for them to finally diagnose endo! (note the sarcasm here!) Some types of pills have helped more than others, some gave me bad side effects like migraines. Right now I take Lo-Ovral, which is a combo of estrogen and progesterone.

4. I am taking my pills continuously right now, which means I take my pills with no breaks and don't have periods. My Doc recommended I "force" a period 3-4 times a year, so about every three months, I take a week's break from my pills and let my period happen. I am finding that after about three months my body almost tells me to have one. I start feeling pretty crappy and bloated, but after I force a period, I feel much better for ahwile. I am not sure if this effects fertility later on. I have never wanted any children, so it is not a concern for me. I know that when you take the pill and go off of them, it can sometimes take awhile to get pregnant as your body readjusts to life without birth control.

Hope this helps! Feel free to email me direct if you want.

Good luck and lots of hugs! Amy Meyer

t Wed, 29 Oct 2003, Wendee wrote: >
>I'm 27 and have had undiagnosed Endometriosis for about 5 years now. On
>the 18th of Oct the pain was so bad I would up in the ER where I was
>misdiagnosed with a ruptured ovarian cyst. I scheduled an appointment
>for the following monday with an OBGYN, and we decided a laparoscopy was
>needed for a definative diagnosis. The surgery was on the 28th, and I'm
>still awefully sore, but at least I now know the reason for all the pain
>of the past years. My follow-up appointment isn't until the 10th of
>Nov, and I've got about a ton and a half of questions.
>
>1: My doctor told me that I would be in more pain for a bit longer than
>normal because she cauterized two large spots of endometrium on my
>ovaries. Has anyone else had this procedure done? Is it a normal "cure"
>for those spots? Did your healing process seem to take longer than the
>estimated two to three days?
>
>2: The pain that landed me in the ER was probably, acording to my doc,
>endometrioma that burst. Anyone heard of this before or know anything
>about it?
>
>3: It's been recomended to me to start birth control pills, progesterone
>only if possible, to control the endometriosis. I hate birth control
>pills, and in the past tried four or five kinds before giving up on
>them. (In general, I really don't like the idea of putting a bunch of
>hormones into my body that aren't there through my own hormone producing
>glands.) Has anyone else out there found that the pill helps with endo
>symptoms? My doctor seems to think that either the pill or depo-prevara
>(sp?) would be the best route for me.
>
>4: With continuous birth control pill, do you have a period at all, or
>do you continue taking the pill without a break and so skip your
>periods? And does anyone know how this affects fertility and getting
>pregnant later on? (I still want to have children, just not quite yet.)
>
>Any thoughts or help from anyone is appreciated greatly.
>
>--
>Many Mahalos,
>Wendee.
>

Next message: Amy: "Re: Miserable & Desperate!"
Previous message: catie: "What's wrong with pain pills?"
In reply to: Wendee: "Cauterizing endo and birth control pills as relief from symptoms?"
Next in thread: linda: "Re: Cauterizing endo and birth control pills as relief from symptoms?"

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