Do I have endo? Please help!!

[bronziewool]

Since I started my period when I was twelve, I have been having the worse cramps ever to the point where I am on the floor crying, feeling nauseous, back pain, pain down the leg (s), frequent bowel movements but sometimes diarrhea and throwing up. I am twenty seven now and I still get all of these symptoms and then some, including horrible PMS symptoms, a few times I've had jabbing type pain around ovulation, was checked out by my GYN to see if I had cysts and she found nothing. I realize that the menstrual pain I suffer with can't be normal, as I also have a worsening of my gastritis and IBS symptoms during period time. When I am having the horrible cramps it seems to quickly rise up to my belly button/intestines and I hear all kind of gurgling noises going on in my stomach as if my stomach problems are very much involved in the period pain---very weird!. I still get the vomiting sometimes but not every month, still get nauseous, pain down my left leg from buttocks to foot, not as much back pain as in my teens but still there, however terrible throbbing in the groin along with the painful cramps as well as extreme water retention. I also get night sweats and hot flashes during and before my periods. I started getting the hot flashes in my late teens, thats' too young for possible menopause. I have tried pain meds that don't really work, 600mg of Ibuprofen seems to rid me of only half the pain at times and I've tried birth control pills three times that only gave me side effects and did not lessen the pain much as a matter of fact one brand gave me more cramping prior to my period and another brand just messed up my cycle completely. I have had exams done and an ultrasound done that didn't show any abnormalities, however i am at wits end and am considering a lapo to see if I have endo, but I don't seem to have many of the other symptoms some endo patients have like the painful bowel movements, the crapping/burning pelvic pain, the pain during urination...but I really don't know what else to do at this point. Judging by what I've said, do you think I have endo?

[sara]

Blood work and urine screens can't identify endo. Even US and CT Scan's are inconclusive. You have to have a laporoscopy for definitive diagnosis. Your symptoms sound exactly like endo. though. I would say get the scope done. You will feel better knowing either way.