Help with your pain

Endometriosis is much more than just brown/black spots in the pelvis that can be seen at a laparoscopy. There are many different problems that women with endometriosis suffer.

Some women will have painful periods, but be otherwise completely well. Others have a more complicated picture that can include:
- an irritable bowel (IBS)
- sharp, stabbing or burning pains
- an irritable bladder
- painful intercourse
- bad headaches or migraines
- fatigue and exhaustion
- pain moving around or sitting for a long time
- trouble sleeping

Not surprisingly, women with these problems feel worn down and miserable.

Because these problems cover several different areas of medicine, women often feel lost 'between the cracks' of healthcare. Each health practitioner they see cares for a small part of the whole picture, with variable success.

Surgery is helpful for some aspects of the pain, but can leave many women disappointed.

I hope that you will find this blog useful for your pain. Each week there will be a new topic covered, and your comments are welcome.

REMEMBER OUR FACEBOOK SITE 'PELVIC PAIN NEWS' FOR ALL THE LATEST IN PELVIC PAIN INFORMATION

With best wishes,

Dr Susan Evans, Gynecologist and Laparoscopic surgeon

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Headaches at period time

Sheila is a 30 year old woman who came to see me with bad headaches at the beginning of her period. They had always been a problem and made her periods even more difficult to cope with.

Lots of women with endometriosis have headaches at period time. Sometimes it is obvious that these are a type of migraine headache, but other times they just seem to be bad headaches. There are two types of period headaches:
1. One type due to a rise in prostaglandin chemicals at period time
2. Another type due to a fall in estrogen hormone at period time

Before deciding on how best to help her headaches, I asked if medications like ibuprofen or naprosyn helped the headache. They did. This means that her headaches were due to a rise in prostaglandins, rather than a fall in estrogen. The best treatments for this type of headaches are either:
1. Regular ibuprofen/naprosyn started 1-2 days before the headache and continued for a few days, or,
2. A mirena IUCD in the uterus.

Sheila had a mirena iucd inserted in the uterus, because she also had painful periods and hoped that this treatment might help more than one problem. I inserted the Mirena under anaesthetic, because it can be painful to have one inserted in women who have not had children, and especially in women with a painful pelvis. Sheila had some irregular bleeding and some crampy pains for the first few months, but 3 months later, she had no headaches at period time and only very light pain free bleeding at period time.

There are different treatments for women who don't find that ibuprofen or naprosyn help their period headaches, and for women who get headaches at other times too.
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6 comments:

  1. helpwithpainApril 29, 2010 at 5:36 AM

    Dear Dacula Chiropractic,

    Thanks for your comments. Physical therapies, exercise and movement are such an important part of headache management and wellbeing. I am sure you make a big difference to your patients.

    Best wishes,

    Susan

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMay 12, 2010 at 2:12 PM

    w

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMay 13, 2010 at 10:11 AM

    yp thanks alot this helped alot because when i have period pains i used to get really bad headaches and i was really confused and didnt no what to do
    this helped alot and gave me lots of info
    thanks very much
    xxxxx :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. chicagoJuly 27, 2010 at 11:38 AM

    Migraine is a disease that causes much pain and why doctors prescribe synthetic drugs to relieve pain as Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2013 at 12:24 AM

    What other treatments are available if ibuprofen, codeine, paracetamol doesn't work for headaches. I had a mirena inserted but had to have it removed because of side effects. Have since had an ablation done which also has not worked. I'm having cycles every two to three weeks accompanied by headaches. I'm 52.

    ReplyDelete
  6. albina N muroOctober 5, 2013 at 4:54 AM

    Helps relieve migraines and tension headaches via hot/cold gel packs; Starts working ... Put an end to headache pain naturally and without medication. http://www.learnaboutmigraineheadaches.com

    ReplyDelete

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