Endometriosis

I have experienced the symptoms of Endometriosis from the age of 11
and my second period. I am a member of a number of patient self help
groups including the international Endometriosis Association. In contrast
to the experts finding the early onset of Endometriosis to be rare it
appears to be more the norm in the patient associations. Perhaps our
learned friends are confusing late diagnosis with late onset because this
also is the norm according to the experience of many Endometriosis
association members. The delay between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis
is averaging about a decade. I myself had to wait 28 yrs for an accurate
diagnosis despite undergoing earlier infertility investigations and was
only dignosed following Laparotomy for recurring episodes of accute
abdomen caused by ovarian Endometrioma torsion.

Whatever the causes of Endometriosis the treatments currently
available give at best a temporary reprieve for the patient for the
duration of the course of treatment.

As fot the suggestion that the pain of Endometriosis can be treated
with the use of Neuropathic agents many of these have severe side effects
and many patients are unable to tolerate these drugs. I myself took Lyrica
for one week, the side effects were intolerable and it was completely
ineffective for the pain of Endometriosis.

I cant help feeling reading the input of Medics to this forum that
they completely underestimate the impact of Endometriosis on the patient
population and that they are more impacted by their own feelings of
impotence at their obvious failures in ameloriating patients suffering.
Dr's are resorting to the age old habit of blaming the patient when they
do no't duly respond to their treatment as they predict.

The sooner that Dr's realise that Endometriosis is often an ilness of
early onset and if they begin treatment early they may be able to
ameliorate much of the ongoing suffering of their patients the better the
outcome for us all.

Competing interests:
None declared