left pelvic pain, no releif - Pain Management Message Board

kebba · 05-19-2005, 08:21 AM

Hi,

I am a 42 year old woman who had as total hyst (everything except my cervix) about 2 years ago. I had had 3 laproscopies prior to that (for pelvic pain on my left side). The first one found a benign tumor, second one found lots of endromet. and the last one found an enlarged uteris. The hyst helped the pelvic pain, but now it is back.

I went to my primary doc about a month ago wondering why I was having pelvic pain on my left side again. Blood work, x-rays and urine showed nothing. I was sent home to suffer. (and I did). I went last week to my gyn who sent me for a catscan. It came back normal except for a few spots that they think wouldn't cause the pain. She said that she may have to go in to check things out and to think about that option.

I told her that advil, motrin, and the other otc meds weren't helping the pain even remotely, and I need something stronger for the interim, and her words were "I do not do narcotics". "Sorry". Basically....just suffer.

I am hurting, getting so depressed about the whole thing, and don't know what to do from here! Please help!

BrittleBones · 05-19-2005, 05:35 PM

Hi Keeba! Welcome to the board. I think there are several women on here that have pain issues that come from pelvic issues/endometrial conditions. When I was much younger I had severe endometriosis as well as fibroid tumors. I was very, very lucky to have a child at 20, despite the endo. The two years that followed were some of the most painful I'd ever experienced and I went through about 4 major surgeries as the docs removed a tube here, an ovary there, etc. etc. I finally ended up with a complete hysterectomy including removal of my ovaries. I remember having immediate pain relief after the surgery. But within a few months my pain came back, not nearly as strongly as before the hysterectomy, but still pretty bad. It was determined that the scar tissue that was left in my pelvic cavity along with places of edometrial tissue that had migrated into my belly and onto my intestines were the cause of the renewed pain. It took a good ob/gyn to go back in with exploratory surgery and find and cauterize (sp?) the endometrial spots that they had missed, resect my intestines which were badly damaged from the edometrial tissue being plastered to various parts of the lower bowel, and remove scar tissue. I have been pain free since then (1988) From the age of 14 until the age of 28 I was on narcotics every single month...I was completely addicted to them and it took awhile to wean myself (with my docs help) off of them. If I were you, I would get a second opinion from a doctor who has all the latest info on pain management for women with a history of endometriosis. Do you live near a large (or small) teaching hospital, university hospital? They are great sources of cutting edge medicine. Perhaps a new gyn will refer you to a pain management specialist if they really can't find a "fixable" problem that would explain all your pain. Sorry to be so long in this post, it's just that I know how miserable my life was when I still had my uterus....unless you've lived with pelvic disease month after month, it's hard to explain the pain to others. Please keep us informed...All the best, Kathy Mac