Has anybody had pelvic inflammatory disease that can tell me what the pain feels like? About a year ago I had a strange pain that almost felt like "prickly" pain in my ovary areas and my stomach was bloated. I didn't have any discharge that I can remember. I didn't go to the doctor at the time (stupid, I know) because I didn't have health insurance and I didn't really think that much of it anyway. Now that I have learned more about pelvic inflammatory disease I am terrified that I had it and now I am infertile! (I'm not trying to conceive or anything yet). Recently I had an ultrasound to check for a cyst and they told me everything was normal. Is this a good sign that there was no damage if it was pid? Does anyone know the odds of being infertile if you have had pid? I am so scared that when I try to have a baby this will come back to haunt me.
I also wanted to add that it was not really horrible pain, just uncomfortable. And when I sneezed it kind of felt like my organs moved or something and the pain lasted about two weeks. I had just tested negative for chlamydia and gonorrhea and had only one partner. Thank you for any input!
If you felt this pain last year how often is it? It may just be period pain, and if you have heavy period when your not on the pill maybe you could ask to be checked for endometriosis, or you may just have heavy periods!
If you have tested neg & have had a ultrasound s to find the problem and come up with nothing, maybe have another chat with your doctor, its no point leaving it a year and spend the whole time worrying!
Heres some info I found:
PID occurs when bacteria move upward from a woman's vagina or cervix (opening to the uterus) into her reproductive organs. Many different organisms can cause PID, but many cases are associated with gonorrhea and chlamydia, two very common bacterial STDs. A prior episode of PID increases the risk of another episode because the reproductive organs may be damaged during the initial bout of infection.
Sexually active women in their childbearing years are most at risk, and those under age 25 are more likely to develop PID than those older than 25. This is because the cervix of teenage girls and young women is not fully matured, increasing their susceptibilty to the STDs that are linked to PID.
The more sex partners a woman has, the greater her risk of developing PID. Also, a woman whose partner has more than one sex partner is at greater risk of developing PID, because of the potential for more exposure to infectious agents.
Women who douche may have a higher risk of developing PID compared with women who do not douche. Research has shown that douching changes the vaginal flora (organisms that live in the vagina) in harmful ways, and can force bacteria into the upper reproductive organs from the vagina.
Women who have an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted may have a slightly increased risk of PID near the time of insertion compared with women using other contraceptives or no contraceptive at all. However, this risk is greatly reduced if a woman is tested and, if necessary, treated for STDs before an IUD is inserted.
SYMPTOMS
Even if you have PID, you might not have symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they could be severe. The most common symptom of PID is pain in your lower abdomen. Other symptoms that you may or may not have include
Fever
Vaginal discharge that may have an odor
Painful intercourse
Painful urination
Irregular menstrual bleeding
Pain in the upper right abdomen (rare)
Sometimes PID occurs suddenly with extreme pain and fever, especially if it is caused by gonorrhea.
DIAGNOSIS
PID can be difficult for a health care provider to diagnose because symptoms can be subtle and mild and are like those of some other diseases. If you think you might have PID, you should get medical care promptly because early treatment can limit long-term complications such as infertility.
If you have symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, your health care provider will perform a physical exam, including a pelvic (internal) exam, to find out the nature and location of the pain. Your health care provider also will check for
Abnormal vaginal or cervical discharge
Masses near your ovaries and tubes
Tenderness or pain of your abdomen, cervix, uterus, and ovaries
You should get laboratory tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, urinary tract infection, and if appropriate, pregnancy. Your health care provider also might test you for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection and syphilis.
If necessary, your health care provider may do other tests such as an ultrasound (sonogram), endometrial (uterine) biopsy, or laparoscopy to distinguish between PID and other serious problems that can mimic PID. Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure in which a tube is inserted through a small incision near your navel. This allows your health care provider to view the internal abdominal and pelvic organs and to take specimens to examine in the laboratory.
If you felt this pain last year how often is it? It may just be period pain, and if you have heavy period when your not on the pill maybe you could ask to be checked for endometriosis, or you may just have heavy periods!
If you have tested neg & have had a ultrasounds to find the problem and come up with nothing, maybe have another chat with your doctor, its no point leaving it a year and spend the whole time worrying!
Heres some info I found:
PID occurs when bacteria move upward from a woman's vagina or cervix (opening to the uterus) into her reproductive organs. Many different organisms can cause PID, but many cases are associated with gonorrhea and chlamydia, two very common bacterial STDs. A prior episode of PID increases the risk of another episode because the reproductive organs may be damaged during the initial bout of infection.
Sexually active women in their childbearing years are most at risk, and those under age 25 are more likely to develop PID than those older than 25. This is because the cervix of teenage girls and young women is not fully matured, increasing their susceptibilty to the STDs that are linked to PID.
The more sex partners a woman has, the greater her risk of developing PID. Also, a woman whose partner has more than one sex partner is at greater risk of developing PID, because of the potential for more exposure to infectious agents.
Women who douche may have a higher risk of developing PID compared with women who do not douche. Research has shown that douching changes the vaginal flora (organisms that live in the vagina) in harmful ways, and can force bacteria into the upper reproductive organs from the vagina.
Women who have an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted may have a slightly increased risk of PID near the time of insertion compared with women using other contraceptives or no contraceptive at all. However, this risk is greatly reduced if a woman is tested and, if necessary, treated for STDs before an IUD is inserted.
SYMPTOMS
Even if you have PID, you might not have symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they could be severe. The most common symptom of PID is pain in your lower abdomen. Other symptoms that you may or may not have include
Fever
Vaginal discharge that may have an odor
Painful intercourse
Painful urination
Irregular menstrual bleeding
Pain in the upper right abdomen (rare)
Sometimes PID occurs suddenly with extreme pain and fever, especially if it is caused by gonorrhea.
DIAGNOSIS
PID can be difficult for a health care provider to diagnose because symptoms can be subtle and mild and are like those of some other diseases. If you think you might have PID, you should get medical care promptly because early treatment can limit long-term complications such as infertility.
If you have symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, your health care provider will perform a physical exam, including a pelvic (internal) exam, to find out the nature and location of the pain. Your health care provider also will check for
Abnormal vaginal or cervical discharge
Masses near your ovaries and tubes
Tenderness or pain of your abdomen, cervix, uterus, and ovaries
You should get laboratory tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, urinary tract infection, and if appropriate, pregnancy. Your health care provider also might test you for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection and syphilis.
If necessary, your health care provider may do other tests such as an ultrasound (sonogram), endometrial (uterine) biopsy, or laparoscopy to distinguish between PID and other serious problems that can mimic PID. Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure in which a tube is inserted through a small incision near your navel. This allows your health care provider to view the internal abdominal and pelvic organs and to take specimens to examine in the laboratory.
