Related Problems

Along with adenomyosis comes:

• Anemia
• Hair Loss
• Lower Back Ache
• Pain in the legs
• Feeling of abdominal fullness-similar the last trimester of pregnancy
• Heavy, prolonged menstrual bleeding that lasts from 7-14 days, in some cases even longer
• Sevre uterine cramping during menstruation
• Passing of blood clots both small and large
• Sudden, sharp cramping even when not bleeding
• Feeling full after eating only a small amount due to the uterus being enlarged and pressing on the stomach
• Enlarged uterus
• Pain and/or lack of sensation during sexual intercourse
• Sudden pain upon sitting down
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Frequent urination
• Nausea
• Extreme Fatigue
• Changes in weight-loss due to not being able to eat a full meal, gain due to edema
• Edema
• Insomnia due to pain and needing to constantly get up and urinate and/or clean yourself
• Miscarriage
• Inability to Conceive

You can only imagine how these things interfere with your life on a daily basis, on an hour by hour basis. I never leave home without a change of clothes. No matter what form of protection I use, up to 3 kinds at once (menstrual cup, super plus tampon, & overnight pad) there have been many times that suddenly, with one sharp cramp, all that was full and overflowing and m clothes literally soaked--to my knees. 

I am tired all the time. My daughter cooks supper and my grand daughter cleans the kitchen up. Sweeping the floor wears me out. I dearly love hanging my laundry out, even in the winter, but can not carry the baskets to and from the line. 

I have migraines that put me out of commission. I have had these for a long time, probably as long as the adenomyosis has been developing, but not like what I have now. Now there is sensitivity to light, nausea, inability to move my head, and no noise is tolerated.

Edema, or retention of excess fluid is something I have had since high school. Adenomyosis only makes it worse. I take 50mg. of HCTZ for this and have for quit some time now. Several years ago when the dose had to be doubled, and I was having heavy menstrual bleeding no one even thought to connect the worsening of one condition to the development of the other. It was, "Well, your edema is worsening because you are working standing on your feet more now. Your bleeding is worse because you are working on a concrete floor." 

Hair loss--my hair started thinning about 1998. I talked to the doctor about it. He ran his hands through my hair and said, "Seems thick enough to me." Again, nobody even cared to try and put the symptoms together. His notes sound as if he thought I was vain and bordering on some personality disorder.

Lower back pain--This one has been fun. At first I am told its because I have had children. (at some point all my symptoms have been blamed on the fact that I have children). I do have spondylosis. That was mis- diagnosed repeatedly as a "pulled back muscle" at least 6 times. Finally a nurse practioner said no, there is something else wrong here. She sent me for an MRI that showed three bone spurs, bulging discs and spondylyosis of the lumbar region of my spine. I would say that is the major cause of pain there for me.

Pain in my legs--There are times my hips, thighs and even to the soles of my feet are in pain or completely numb. Before the aforementioned MRI, that again was blamed on child bearing--up to ten years after my last child was born. I will also say that at least some of this is due to the other conditions found during the MRI.

Constipation is a constant companion. This only makes the cramping and the rectocele worse. Again, doctor's have never put it together. Just told me to take a smaller dose of iron or slow release iron oh, yea, take a stool softener every day too. It does not always help.

Change in Weight-This was the one that made people start getting on the ball. I lost weight. Can't tell you how much. Between the stress of caring for a sister-in-law with late stage Alzheimer's, a husband dying of liver failure, and keeping my job and the yet un-diagnosed adenomyosis, I went from a size 18 to a size 10 in about eight weeks. Part of it was not actual weight loss, but my uterus was enlarged to the point of being the same size as a 4 month pregnancy, and that went down, but people got on the ball. Thought I might have cancer. Thank goodness I did not. Maybe it would have been better-could have have the hysterectomy and repairs done. See in Tennessee, if a woman has cancer she gets TennCare for 45 days.


Ladies, do not take a plain out stupid answer like, "Well, that happens when you get older." or "You stand on your feet too much." or "You stand on concrete." or "That's what happens when you have children."

Men, do not let your women take these stupid answers.

Insist your doctor do more tests. Put the symptoms down on paper with times and dates. Take pictures of those blood clots with a ruler beside them. Keep a log of every pad, tampon, menstrual cup, etc. you use on a daily basis with how full it is. Show these to your doctor and scream if you must, "This is NOT normal!!"

Print out this chart and use it-take it to your doctor and let them put a COPY in your file, keep the original.