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hysterectomy for IBS?

From: Angela (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sat, 28 Mar 1998 11:03:20 -0600 (CST)


I'm glad I finally got around to checking out this site. It's excellent. I'm hoping someone here can help me with a medical puzzle. I'll try to keep it short: I'm 45 years old and have a long history of bad menstrual cramps and various lower abdominal pains. I also have a lot of difficulty with bloating, gas, diarrhea, and (increasingly lately) constipation; invariably I have diarrhea on the first day of my period, which in combination with the uterine pains is sometimes almost debilitating.

Five years ago these symptoms were getting out of hand. I had a GI workup (including colonoscopy) and was diagnosed with irritable bowel. I also had at least a 16-week uterus from fibroids. I had an open myomectomy at that time. No endometriosis was noted. I experienced significant lessening of bowel symptoms for a couple of years.

Now my uterus is back to about 9 weeks size and my gynecologist is convinced (because of increasing nodularity he feels on rectal exam, and pain I experience with examination, among other things) that I'm loaded with endo. I've had 2 ultrasounds in the past year; the first showed a fluid cyst on the left ovary, the second showed fluid cysts on both, which were judged to be endometriomas, most likely. I have pain with intercourse and my bowel symptoms are pretty bad again.

My gynecologist advocates hysterectomy at this point. But my most troublesome symptoms are gastrointestinal. When I mention IBS to him he says, "Yes, but why do you think you have IBS?" (The gastroenterologist, on the other hand, thought I was just that type, after I told him I used to get the runs when I was upset as a kid.)

I hate to remove all those organs, which I believe do still have a purpose even though I've had no children and obviously won't be having any, just to try to get rid of IBS when there seems to be a good chance the IBS will persist anyway. For what it's worth, my hormones were tested a few months ago by a gynecologist I saw for a second opinion , and he reported I had "the hormones of a 22-year-old"; my period is slightly erratic but still comes monthly. CA-125 test was negative. That doctor thought maybe a therapeutic laparoscopy should be tried.

I know this wasn't very short--thank you if you're still with me!! All comments, opinions, similar experiences appreciated.

Angela




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