endometreosis... do I have it?

I'm at my wits end
I'm 19... and even though I have many many symptoms of endometriosis the gynecologists I see say I'm too young to have it and are making me go through another six months of pain before even considering endometriosis as a possibility.
I'm fed up of people telling me it's in my head or that I have IBS blah blah blah...
Currently I'm taking the progesterone only pill as they thought I may have PMDD. The pain hasnt stopped, it did become less often but lately I've been getting very bad again. And being on that pill it's meant to stop my periods altogether and I still get them. It's jsut so frustrating. I feel like noone is listening to me... like theyre telling me how I'm feeling. I'm getting nowhere and it's ruining my life (my education particularly) and I'm very depressed and lonely because of not knowing what was wrong with me and being lonely for 3 years. If I had the money I'd go private and ask for a laproscopy (is that what you call it?)
THREE years of wasted life... three years of tests that say nothings wrong with me... I don't like the ideas of operations and the idea of a camera through my belly button makes me feel sick and panic, but I'd give anything for the pain to go away.
I will sue if I end up with endo after all theyve told me.

Sorry if I seem really angry. Does anyone have any advise for me? Does anyone know how much it may cost to have the test done privately? ... I'm in UK by the way

thanks, Molly

I would go to another doctor. So many times it takes several doctors to find an answer. Would it be possible for you to go to a new gynecologist? Look for a young gynecologist. A lot of times younger doctors are more willing to do more work to nail down a dx it seems. Talk to your friends and see if anyone can recommend a good doctor.

I always say if the first doc ain't helping, get a new one. They work for you. So fire them if they're not helping.

I don't know anything about getting that procedure done privately. I would really just get a new doctor if at all possible.

Keep us posted ok?

There is no such thing as too young for endo, except in the case of a pre-mestrual child! Looking back over my history, my GYN saw signs of endo as early as 15 for me. I sought out treatment for my problems at 23 and was told pretty much what you were. At 28 I went to a different GYN (the one referenced above). I had MANY problems and spent 3 years trying to conceive with GYN assistance. Long story short, my fertilit was adversly effected by the endo and at 32 I had a complete hystorectomy w/ovaries and tubes because of it. I urge you to find anothe GYN immediately. I agree with the above poster about finding a youngish one...under 45 is good I think; my GYN was 38 at the time I started seeing her. I would also add that a female might be more compassionate (which translates into more agressive treatment sometimes). As for the progesterone...if you are still having a period then it isn't doing what you need it to do. Stopping the periods is a major goal in endo treatment...estrogen "feeds" endo. There is a medication called lupron that is used for this purpose, but it is a major, heavy-duty med. This med causes temporary, chemical menopause and has worked very well for many endo sufferers. The side-effects were too much for me though. Getting a laparoscopy privately would be extremely expensive. You would have to pay the GYN's fee, and the anesthesiologists fee, and the hospital fee, and the hospital pharmacy's fee and the nursing care fee and whatever other fee the hospital can find to tack on...ie: a few thousand dollars. However, during a laparoscopy, if endo is found, the GYN will do "endo destruction" right then...endo often comes back and/or they are unable to get it all, but it is very effective in pain relief. Again, I urge you to find another GYN!

Opps...just realised you are in the UK...in that case I'm not sure what all the costs of a private procedure would be but assume they would be high.

find a new dr. get one that will do a laperoscopy(sp) that is the only way to tell for sure.

Are you in constant pain or only during your period??

Could it be possible that you have something else instead, like irritable bowel??

I am sorry that you are having to suffer through the pain without answers!! I too know what it is like to be tested & tested & tested & never find an answer!! I too suspected that I had endo & was sent for numerious test including ultrasounds, x-rays etc etc
Without success, I was told that there was nothing wrong with me.
I insisted that I knew my body & that something was wrong, but my compaints fell on deaf ears!!
I still to this day experience pain, but nothing compared to back then!!

You have to keep persisting, if your doctor will not help, go & see another and another until you find one that will be sympathic to you & listen to what you say!!! Your health is so important!!!

Flinty

thanks Raynaadi, serafimetal, bebop and flinty

I have an appointment to see my doc again soon and im going to talk to her about it... my next gynae appointment is not until july i think.
I'm going to discuss it with them... I'm just very annoyed that they have ruled it out because of my age, even though I have majority of symptoms when some people just have a handful... and been tested for everything under the sun and I don't have any of what they tested for.
If the doc doesn't do anything I'll try and go to a new gynecologist .

Flinty.. it is at its worst leading up to my period and first 2 or 3 days... and I do get same kinda pain between periods too, some days I can cope with the pain by taking pain killers and applying heat... other times all I can do is sit in a hot bath and want to scream because even the prescribed pain killers dont touch it. When I first started getting the pain it even made me sick. The pain I get is not connected with food... I kept a diary of what I ate and my pain with my doc for ages.

Thanks guys... I'll tell you how things go when I see my doc

Molly

Any girl menstruating can get it but treatment in teens can be a bit different because they're still developing and have other issues:

http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/sexua...metriosis.html

thanks perna
and thanks for mentioning about teens still developing and such... the reason that my gynecologist said she was reluctant for me to have a laparoscopy was that I was still young and that there was risks... I assumed that she just meant the small risks in anesthetics? She may have.
I'm going to discuss it in more detail with her though, I'm still not sure about having a laparoscopy, but the pains are still there and theyre so much more worse than when I first started having tests etc. I had an ultrasound and that showed nothing up, although they told me that it's not often that endo shows up on an ultrasound.

molly

Being 19 and having so much pain is very tough... I am 52... and when I was 19... I too had a great deal of pain... the one thing that I would say...easy probably for me to say because I am in the States.. but keep going to doctors... until you find an answer....

I also had larparoscopy.. when I was in my early 20's... and the dr's can see so many different conditions that do not show up on the other tests... that was many years ago for me... but one of the risks.. was perforation...

molly it sounds like you do have it and i am woundering if your doctor ever did the surgery on you i see this post was made it 2008 and no update and the doctor is wrong your not to young to have endo i have had it since my teens but did not get DX till 2009 with it .

push for the surgery you know what your body is feeling and dont give up hope i am here if you need to talk hang in there your not alone