A second opinion? PID or HBC adjustments?

[cherylee7110.livejournal.com]

Just yesterday I posted here: http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/9526233.html

And an update...

I went in to have my doctor check out the pain. When I was getting undressed, I noticed that I had suddenly started bleeding! It was pretty badly too. It was period-like but it's not time for my period! It just ended!

I brought this up to her before she examined me. She pressed on my lower abdomen and it hurt like a bitch. It was more when she pressed in versus when she let go. The pain is more right under my belly button and about a palm sized area on my right lower abdomen. When she tried to use the speculum, I cried. She wasn't even able to lock it open because of the pain. She said there was quite a bit of bleeding so she stopped.

She constituted all of this pain and bleeding to my birth control! She said that I'm in pain because I'm having breakthrough bleeding. I've been on three type of birth control since last May and I have NEVER experienced this kind of pain OR ANY breakthrough bleeding/spotting. I'm on Trivora-28 and she says that my body is trying to adjust to the different hormone levels in each of my pills. I'm supposed to wait it out for two more pill packs and see if this keeps happening.

I'm not a doctor in any way but... this isn't my normal period pain. Maybe I'm just overreacting because I just recently had PID and I'm worried about my fertility. This pressure is constant. I can feel that something isn't right. It's not painful unless there is pressure applied to my lower stomach (ex: sitting down, standing up from sitting down, bending over, standing back up from bending over, pushing up against the counter when I'm doing dishes, pushing up against the windowsill while handing out food though the drive-thru... etc.). I'm not saying that I think my doctor is lying to me. I think she's wonderful but I'm just scared that she missed something.

Should I wait this out like she said or get a second opinion? I'm so stressed out and for the past month, I've been in some sort of reproductive-area pain. I just want to feel normal again!

I'm sad.

Comments

[binaryprecision.livejournal.com]

Get a second opinion....NOW!

[cherylee7110.livejournal.com]

Would you happen to know where I can go? Would Planned Parenthood be able to fix me? I have $.70 to my name and I'm having problems with my insurance. I don't know if I'm still covered or not.

[binaryprecision.livejournal.com]

I've never been to PP. :( Sorry. Might call your local PP office and see what their sliding-scale for fees is....

[loonylupinlover.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I've never heard of breakthrough bleeding actually causing pain. Possibly some period cramps, maybe... but the way people describe it sounds like it's just bleeding, nothing else. Birth control shouldn't cause vaginal or abdominal pain beyond cramps, and definitely not constant pressure! I would get a second opinion, just for your own ease of mind.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

I do experience pain when I have BTB. However, in my case:

1) The pain, while noticeable cramping, is less severe than is the pain of a full-on period.

2) I have adenomyosis, and while I've only experienced painful BTB while on HBC, I don't know how much is related directly to the adeno and how much to the HBC.

Since the OP is describing pretty intense pain that is unusual for her, I definitely agree with the suggestion of seeking a second professional opinion. :)

[nebulosity.livejournal.com]

I'm on HBC and have been having a lot of breakthrough bleeding, but no pain anywhere near what you described. Sometimes I'm *slightly* crampy, like when my period starts.

Please get a second opinion or see a different doctor. That amount of pain is something you want to have checked out.

*hugs* Good luck.

[sacredlyprofane.livejournal.com]

I had the same issues, and it was related to my birth control (I believe it was Marvelon at the time). I switched, and the problem went away.

[cherylee7110.livejournal.com]

How did you figure this out? Did you just wait the recommended three months or did you switch right away?

[sacredlyprofane.livejournal.com]

My doctor told me to switch. I used it for about 6 months, and had the symptoms the last 3 months I was on it. I didn't believe her a switch would help either, but I was really surprised when it did.

[happy-texas-mom.livejournal.com]

I can feel that something isn't right.

If there is one thing I've learned in life, it is to trust what your instincts or what your body is telling you, no matter what anyone says. It doesn't sound like normal breakthrough bleeding to me, but even more importantly, it doesn't feel right to you. I'd see if I could arrange to see someone else.

*hugs* Good luck...let us know how it goes.

[elettaria.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what theh medical answer is to your problem, but I do have some suggestions about tackling the doctor. Some of this you may be fully aware of, and I have no idea whether you are getting upset when at the doctor's or not, so please don't be offended!

1) I agree with the others about trusting your instincts and getting a second opinion. When you do,
2) Describe the pain as accurately and informatively as possible. Pain scales, where you rate the pain from 1 to 10, are helpful. They can be difficult to get used to, and if you're anything like me you go blank when asked to use them on the spot, so think about it in advance and see if there's anything you can compare the pain to. Avoid emotive language and metaphor. Saying "the pain is killing me!" isn't just uninformative, it may make the doctor think you're a drama queen, even though it's a commonly used expression. If you can, log the pain, when it occurs, how strong it is, any possible triggers, and what you used to treat it and how well it worked. Thinking things through in advance can also help prevent getting emotional when you're in the consulting room, and make sure that you ask the questions you want to ask.
3) Don't leave the consulting room (or put down the phone) until the doctor has not only given you some sort of explanation, but explained the explanation, so to speak. If she tells you it's your birth control, ask her why it would cause pain.
4) Read up in advance so that you know what to insist on (e.g. a pelvic exam), what to ask about, and might have more idea of what the doctor means if she brings up possible reasons.

Your doctor is either misunderstanding you (for example about the severity of the pain), misdiagnosing you, and/or not explaining herself properly. Hopefully it's the third option and you have nothing to worry about. I'd make your first move ringing the doctor you just saw and saying that you were confused by what she said last time, could she explain further?

[cherylee7110.livejournal.com]

You are wonderful!

She did, actually, explain how the birth control *could* be causing this discomfort. She explaind about how the different levels of hormones are affecting me and that I just might not be able to use a triphasic birth control.

It is very possible that I AM being a drama queen right now. It's just... I know that PID can cause infertility. I'm feeling pretty much the same way I felt when she first diagnosed me three weeks ago. The only difference is that I feel a lot more full/bloated/puffy, if you will, than the last time. I just want to know for suresuresuresure that no damage is being done to my reproductive organs. I wouldn't think anything of this if I had not recently had PID.

The pain, when pressure is applied, is very (if not identical, for me) to that of the feeling when scraping the cervix during a pap test. For me, it didn't cramp, it stung.

So... maybe I should just wait and see what happens?

[elettaria.livejournal.com]

I've had years of bad experiences with doctors and still find them really difficult to deal with, so I've had to develop some strategies!

I have no idea how severe the pain is and at what point urgent treatment is necessary (obviously past a certain point you should get to a hospital immediately, for instance, not that it sounds like it's near there), but at the least logging it would probably be a good idea. Apart from being taken aback by her last response, do you generally trust this doctor? We all know examples of doctors fobbing off patients who turned out to be seriously ill, though those cases are very much the minority. Did she say how long it should take for the pain to settle down, and do you think you got across the severity of the pain accurately?

[cherylee7110.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh! I love my doctor! She's great to me.

She said that I need to wait two more pill packs and see if, at around this time in my pack, my symptoms all come back. Then she said that she'll change my pill. That just seems sooo far away.

[absolved.livejournal.com]

Could I ask, what kind of pain your having/had with PID? Your story sounds much like mine, though my doctor has not mentioned PID. My pain is sharp....I picture a sharp thing imbedded in my lower right abdomen

[cherylee7110.livejournal.com]

When she first diganosed me it was during STD testing. I had severe cervical motion tenderness. I thought the bloating was just gas so I wasn't worried about it. We first thought it was chlymida or ghonorrhea. Luckliy, it wasn't either of them. And, also, the slide showed signs of infection.

It's also possible that you're experiencing appendex pain. She said this second round could also be that. I hear that some women experience pain around the overies when they are ovulating.

I would bring it up to your doctor and ask why he/she is ruling it out as a possibility. Just for reassurance and to know what to look for in advance.

I hope you don't have PID. It's really kinda depressing.