Re: Link between Endo and IBS?? to Maggie
From: andrea (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu Sep 27 17:44:35 2007
Maggie,
Don't be so hard on yourself. I don't think you have it wrong at all -
I think your doctor does! I think when someone has a "gut feeling" or
instinct about what is wrong with them, they are usually correct.
Just like I was right about suspecting that I had a hormone imbalance
all those years and doctors made me feel stupid and crazy for wanting to
get that checked, and I was right - major imbalance! If any of those
doctors would have listened to me, I could have had many less years of
suffering with all those yucko symptoms.
I hope going to a different doc will give you some answers, but I hope
you can still have your hormones checked soon as well.
Did you happen to see Jessie's hormone levels that she posted? She was
on Lupron just like you and estrogen add-back and she is way estrogen
dominant! Her estrogen was below normal, but all her other hormones were
nearly zero. Maybe yours are similar? I'm glad she posted that, because
it proves you can still get estrogen dominance while on Lupron.
My best friend's little girl (well, she's 13) had to be taken out of
school twice recently because she has had such painful periods. She is
going to take my advice and get her daughter's levels checked. I will
be very interested to see if she is estrogen dominant too. I always
wanted to know if I started off that way, or if the pill made me that
way. My friend's little girl also developed at a very young age (8)
like you and I did.
I have to take Fibercon a lot so I don't get constipated and my doc gave
me something new to try for colon spasms, it's called hyoscyamine. I
think it helps when I get those bowel cramps along with my period
cramps. I am on my period right now and this is a long one! 5th day and
still bleeding like crazy....I've been eating a lot of Ben N Jerry's
this week. :) I will be looking like a Chunky Monkey myself if I don't
lay off!
Hope you feel better soon,
--
Andrea
At Thu, 27 Sep 2007, mdustin wrote:
>
>I have almost always had bowel/digestive problems. Even as a child, I
>ended up in the hospital several times due to my parents thinking that
>my apendix would burst, which ended up (embarrassed to say) but really
>bad gas. It was a joke in my family, but nothing ever was really done
>about it.
>
>I was diagnosed with Endo in March 2007. And now my gyn doc thinks I
>have IBS, due to problems with passing my bowels. I almost always have
>diarrhea or I'm constipated. I never really knew how often a healthy
>person should have to have a bowel movement...daily? weekly? I really
>don't know what is normal.
>
>My gyn has referred me to a GI doctor that I will be going to at the end
>of October. In the meantime, my doctor doesn't think ANY of my pain is
>gyn related..that's what he told me. How can that be? All too often,
>when I do actually have a bowel movement, I bleed like I have my period.
>It varies in color from pink to red to brown. And generally lasts about
>a day or two. But nearly everytime I do, no matter if I am near my
>period or not...I bleed. Is that normal....and/or not gyn related? How
>can that be? Also, whether I'm due for a period or not, stress makes me
>bleed as well. I'll be out at the grocery store or whatnot with my
>daughter and half way through my trip, I feel it, by the time I get
>home, I have bled like crazy.
>
>I never had these problems untill my c-section with my daughter over
>three years ago. Before that time, I did have bad periods...cysts on my
>ovaries that would rupture with each period, and ended up putting me in
>the hospital. When I was young, the doctors at the hospital told me
>that with all of the ruptured cysts, they didn't think I would be able
>to have children. However, even with birth control pills and condoms, I
>became pregnant twice. (I have two beautiful children now)With my
>first, I had eight negative pregnancy tests and bled 'normally', for
>three months before I found out that I was three months pregnant. All
>of this cannot be normal.
>
>I guess I just really don't understand how my symptoms are not gyn
>related? I have vaginal pain, pelvic pain and pressure, bloating and
>bleeding....how is that not gyn related, but GI related?? Maybe I just
>really don't understand it...which is why I'm going to go to the GI
>doctor. Maybe I really do just have it wrong.....I don't know.
>
>At Wed, 26 Sep 2007, jillson wrote:
>>
>>I was diagnosed with IBS 10 years ago and diagnosed with endo in Feb 07.
>>I totally think they are related. I was having diarrhea like 3 times a
>>week and when I had my period it was everyday and so painful. Now I
>>haven't had as many issues with the IBS since feb. I have been on
>>Lupron so I haven't had a period. I just found out I have endo on my
>>rectum and I am having that excised Oct 9. So I think I always had endo
>>on my bowels and that was the problem not IBS. Good luck.
>>
>>jill
>>
>>At Wed, 26 Sep 2007, Lisa S. wrote:
>>>
>>>I was dianosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in college and have
>>>recently been diagnosed with Endometriosis. My recent dianosis has made
>>>me suspect that either my endometriosis has caused or worsened the IBS
>>>or I never had IBS to begin with and it has been endo all the time.
>>>After reading some of your submissions I have come to understand that
>>>Endo can cause many digestive problems...I am wondering to what extent
>>>this can happen? And if it can affect my bowels and is affecting
>>>them...should I be concerned and have this looked into further with my
>>>doctor?
>>>
>>>--
>>>Lisa S.
>>>
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