Ovarian cysts and endometriosis pain. Can anyone help me with pain management?!
Question: Ovarian cysts and endometriosis pain. Can anyone help me with pain management.?
It really sucks that I have to even ask this. I know that there are ways to buy Vicodin online through pharmacies that do consultations and what not. I had surgery to remove an ovarian cyst in July. One month later I had cysts on both ovaries and developed endometriosis. My doctor put me on the pill but the cysts actually got larger. He sent me home with 20 Vicodin and told me that it should resolve itself. It hasn't. He refuses to remove my ovaries or do a full hysterectomy because I am only 27, even though I am done having children. I am in constant pain and I have had to go to the ER twice in the last four months for severe episodes. The last trip they told me that the cysts and endo remain unchanged and to follow up with my doctor. I called him in September and it took him two weeks to return my call. He said he had no excuse for taking so long to call me back. He told me that the worst should be over and that I should just tough it out. I couldn't even get appointments with him after my hospital visits. Now he does not return my calls at all and his nurse always tells me that he is on labor and delivery. This is military health care and I feel like I am just being brushed under the carpet. Because I live 5 miles from a military base, Tricare will not allow me to see a civilian doctor. I finally got fed up and requested a different doctor at the base. They cannot get me in to be seen until Dec. 3rd. This has greatly affected my quality of life. My husband is in Iraq, I have 2 small children, and I am in school full time. I have missed school and quality time with my children because of this pain. I just want to be able to control it until Dec. 3rd. I am allergic to aspirin, I cannot take Ultram because I take Effexor, and I cannot take Motrin because of my acid reflux. I've done my research and I don't have many options. I am so frustrated, can someone please help me!!!! I know you guys can get really mean on here with this stuff. Please don't answer if you are not educated on this subject and just want to tell me it is illegal and wrong. I know that it can be done because Hydrocodone is a schedule III controlled substance and schedule III, IV, and V can be sold legally, but it is made very difficult because of addicts. I am so deeply upset that the people who abuse these drugs make life so much harder for the people who need them. If you don't want drug users to see your answer please email me at julesk232@yahoo.com. Please no mean answers or replies from people who want to sell me street drugs. I'm sorry, but I don't know what else to do.Health Question & Answer
Answers:
I have Endometriosis too. And i don't take pain medication, but i have been trying treatments to decrease pain and to make the endo tissue die off. After trying birth control shots to decrease the amounts of estrogen which is suppose to decrease pain, didn't work. I'm now on Lupron Depot , which is a shot that stops your periods all together. See, endo pain feeds off estrogen, so the theory is if your periods are stopped then less estrogen for the endo to feed off. which in turn can kill off the endo tissue . I have been taking the Lupron shot for almost 6 months, it's a shot given every 3 months, usually only given for 6 months. You do have menopause symptoms like hot flashes from the shot. but, if they are too severe they will give you mediciation to control them. But, i haven't had too much trouble with the side effects. but, this shot has help me w/ my pain. This is my suggestion that you ask your new doctor in December to look in to. It's called GnRH-a therapy. try going to the website i sourced below (Webmd)Health Question & Answer
Hey--check your email. I have some ideas about the TRICARE end of your issues that I would like to share with you.
I do feel your pain. Health Question & Answer
I do feel your pain. Health Question & Answer
"Tough it out".? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your doctor sucks. If possible, find a different one. You might need to go to Planned Parenthood for a referral of some fashion. Endometriosis does not improve over time, so "toughing it out" is merely delaying treatment.
You could request to be put on a form of birth control, like Depo-Provera or Implanon, that delivers a constant flow of hormones, preventing ovulation. This in many cases has the side effect of stopping your menstrual flow. This should help both with the pain of the endometriosis (since you won't shed your lining any more) and with the ovarian cysts as well (since you won't be releasing eggs, you shouldn't be forming cysts). It's something to discuss with him.
I do feel that he is downplaying your symptoms. The only final cure for severe endometriosis as far as I'm aware of is generally a hysterectomy - both my mother and sister had them in their mid thirties, and I'm afraid I might be close to one myself (I'm 34). Even laser surgery to burn off the affected areas are only a temporary solution, as it may simply grow in another area.
He is under a legal obligation to treat both your illness and your pain, and if he is not, then he should be reported either to whoever his superiors are, or the Medical board. The above listed birth control methods are also available at Planned Parenthood, if your doctor continues to be uncooperative. I wish you the best of luck.Health Question & Answer
You could request to be put on a form of birth control, like Depo-Provera or Implanon, that delivers a constant flow of hormones, preventing ovulation. This in many cases has the side effect of stopping your menstrual flow. This should help both with the pain of the endometriosis (since you won't shed your lining any more) and with the ovarian cysts as well (since you won't be releasing eggs, you shouldn't be forming cysts). It's something to discuss with him.
I do feel that he is downplaying your symptoms. The only final cure for severe endometriosis as far as I'm aware of is generally a hysterectomy - both my mother and sister had them in their mid thirties, and I'm afraid I might be close to one myself (I'm 34). Even laser surgery to burn off the affected areas are only a temporary solution, as it may simply grow in another area.
He is under a legal obligation to treat both your illness and your pain, and if he is not, then he should be reported either to whoever his superiors are, or the Medical board. The above listed birth control methods are also available at Planned Parenthood, if your doctor continues to be uncooperative. I wish you the best of luck.Health Question & Answer
I would push the issue with your PCM or with your OBGYN when you get in to see him because when I was having problems with ovarian cysts they did not hesitate to give me pain meds.
Regarding your less than helpful doctor - have you filed a grievance with TriCare already.? If not, please do so... they need to know what is going on. See if they can help you switch doctors or see if your PCM can help you if you require a referral. As for getting an appointment, do you know anyone that works in medical.? I had one of the medics in my husband's unit call to get an appointment for me and instead of waiting 1+ months they got me in within a week... I guess they have secret ways of working the system. You can always try for cancellations also. Just remember, you are the civilian so you are always right ;)
As for where to get your meds, I can't help you there beause I don't know without going out of country or something shady. According to the DEA, the sale of these drugs online without a prescription from an actual doctor is in fact illegal =/
Health Question & Answer
Regarding your less than helpful doctor - have you filed a grievance with TriCare already.? If not, please do so... they need to know what is going on. See if they can help you switch doctors or see if your PCM can help you if you require a referral. As for getting an appointment, do you know anyone that works in medical.? I had one of the medics in my husband's unit call to get an appointment for me and instead of waiting 1+ months they got me in within a week... I guess they have secret ways of working the system. You can always try for cancellations also. Just remember, you are the civilian so you are always right ;)
As for where to get your meds, I can't help you there beause I don't know without going out of country or something shady. According to the DEA, the sale of these drugs online without a prescription from an actual doctor is in fact illegal =/
Health Question & Answer
Well my sister has severe endo and chronic lyme disease, and they should have you on some pain medication. My sister is 25 and has had 4 endo surgeries and has been trying to find effective pain management. She currently is on some very high level pain killers I can't say if they are helpful or not of course they have their set backs. My sister is on Oxycontin and percoset, she has also tried Lyrica.
As far as feeling swept under the rug, I know how you feel since Endo is a woman's disease, it often isn't taken seriously my sister has had to fight hardcore to get the doctors to take her seriously. There are specialist out there that can do some treatments and one of the reasons they probably don't want to take your ovaries out is because it will throw you into early menopause and cause premature aging so it can be very dangerous.
But until you've had an Endo surgery I wouldn't jump to getting your ovaries out right away, unless you've already had some endo surgeries. They can do some clean up and in milder cases it can actually help for quite a while.
As far as the cysts I can't really help but I can tell you they should have you on pain medication and they should do a surgery to figure out how much the endo has progressed.
sorry I hope this helps I know it's a little scattered.Health Question & Answer
As far as feeling swept under the rug, I know how you feel since Endo is a woman's disease, it often isn't taken seriously my sister has had to fight hardcore to get the doctors to take her seriously. There are specialist out there that can do some treatments and one of the reasons they probably don't want to take your ovaries out is because it will throw you into early menopause and cause premature aging so it can be very dangerous.
But until you've had an Endo surgery I wouldn't jump to getting your ovaries out right away, unless you've already had some endo surgeries. They can do some clean up and in milder cases it can actually help for quite a while.
As far as the cysts I can't really help but I can tell you they should have you on pain medication and they should do a surgery to figure out how much the endo has progressed.
sorry I hope this helps I know it's a little scattered.Health Question & Answer