Adenomyosis possible after a hysterectomy?

Hi ladies,
I am hurting so bad. I had a hysterectomy one year ago. Now I have severe pelvic pain in the exact same spot. It's the same pain that made me go to the doctor in the first place and turned out to be adenomyosis. This pain is why I had surgery...and it's back. Sometimes it hurts so bad I almost cry. It's hard to walk sometimes.

I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday, but I just wanted to ask the experienced ladies. Have you ever heard of this? Can adenomyosis come back, even without a uterus? That would be really weird because my ovaries pretty much gave out.

I'm so sick of it.

Hi freemesoon! I'm so sorry to hear you are in so much pain. I have Adenomyosis (just recently diagnosed) and there are so many questions I still need to ask. From the information I have gathered from our other Hyster Sisters, and internet searches, it appears that Adenomyosis is actually a cousin to Endometriosis. I am not sure whether Adenomyosis can spread to surrounding organs/structures as Endometriosis does. I hope your doctor can shed some light on this. If I find out any definite answers from my physician, I'll be sure to let you know. I hope you find an answer. Sorry I couldn't be of any help. I'm sure someone with a lot more knowledge will post a response :-)

Adenomyosis is the penetration and growth of endometrial tissue from the uterine lining into the uterine muscle, so no, you can not have adeno if you do not have a uterus.

However, you might have endometriosis which is there are endometrial implants outside the uterus typically in the abdominal and pelvic regions.

You can find more information here: http://www.althysterectomy.org/adenomyosis.htm. We also have several Endo/Adeno Resources you might want to read through for more information.

Have you talked to your doctor about the pain you are experiencing? If there is endo present, any estrogen in your HRT could be feeding the endo causing it to grow and spread.

Additionally, you could be having problems with adhesions or scar tissue. Another possibilty is that your ovaries have kicked back in and you have a cyst.

Do talk to your doctor and keep us posted! in there!

The only thing I have heard of was also having adeno in the cervix which is as my doctor described it an extension of the uterus. It was a risk I took in having my hyst and keeping my cervix. It can be removed if need be. I think like the ladies said possibly hormonal stuff. Maybe you need hormones or maybe you need tweaking if you are on them. If you are swelling you may need complementary hormones like progesterone which tends to reduce swelling. Get into the doc though as pain is something they need to look at. There are too many possibilities.
Good luck,
Tara

Thanks everyone. You know what I realized? Maybe it's scar tissue. I have had some pain, though not this severe, in this spot ever since my hyst., usually just if I overdid it. My doctor told me before that it could be scar tissue. He warned me about this when I wasn't able to take it easy after my surgery.

Now it's constant. I really hope that I just need some rest. I'm guessing that it is scar tissue, though.

I used to be very physically active and now I'm just feeble! It really stinks!

I hope the pain goes away soon.

Thanks for all your input, everyone.

I have been having pelvic pain lately too. I was treated last week for a UTI but my symptoms are still there. I was supposed to go to the doctor today but we had a snow storm. I'm in a lot of discomfort right now and it's constant, in the area of the bladder but also in my lower back and it just feels like the whole pelvis. I thought about scar tissue possibility too. Just when I thought I had my hormones in a fairly manageable state, though certainly far from balanced, now I have this pain. I feel like I've become a whiner and people on here don't even take me seriously anymore, but it's one thing after another, and I'm so sad right now I want to cry.

This should be the happiest time of my life. We just got our adoption application approved and are ready to proceed. I'm terrified of going to the doctor and having them find something terrible that might exclude me from adopting a child. Mentally, I feel good, but physically I feel terrible.

Hi Carol,
I just wanted to let you know that we adopted one year after my hysterectomy and I was still having pain (I still am in pain). There were times when my husband thought that we should not adopt because of my med issues...luckily I am stubborn. I was thankful our application was turned in before the hysterectomy so that I did not have to face the health questions. Now, I am facing surgery where my cervix used to be, to see if there is Endo implanted there causing pain, and my remaining ovary removed. Hang in there and adopt that baby. My daughter truly is a gift and is what helps me get through the tough days.

By the way, many many women who adopt have experienced "female" problems. I think adoption agencies are sensitive to these issues.
Ellen

I am wondering the same thing about this pelvic pain. It came on big time Monday and is just like the pain I had before my hyst for endo. I have a new Dr. and he switched my HRT around and I was wondering if it's a bladder infection or a side effect of the HRT (I am 2 months into this new HRT). I am leaning towards a side effect (but getting checked for a bladder infection today).....but am I getting too much estrogen or not enough?

I had my 2 week (actually was on the 3rd week) post-op yesterday. My path report showed adenomyosis throughout the uterus (which just confirmed his diagnosis). I kept my cervix and knew that this might be a problem in the future, but so far it's been fine. The tricky thing w/ pelvic pain is that it is very non-specific. I have a combination of pelvic congestion, interstitial cystitis and adenomyosis. Even though I don't have a uterus, I can have pelvic pain if I eat stuff that I'm not supposed to. I've had an embolization done, so my pelvic congestion isn't a big problem, but it would be if I did nothing about it prior to my hyst.
My doctor told me yesterday that muscular pain similar to adeno pain is very common and to not "freak out" if this happens. He said it is very easy to take care of and that I just need to let him know what's going on.
I know I'm a new hyst, but I hope that helps some!
-Lindsey
PS- Scar tissue and adhesions can also cause discomfort, but I think that's usually more of a pulling/pressure like sensation rather than pain.

Just an update.
First though, Caroline, I just wanted to say don't let this keep you from adopting. Congratulations on getting one step closer.

Well, I went to the doctor yesterday and he offered me vicodin and ordered a CAT scan immediately. He said to schedule an appt with him the day after the scan. I'm doing the scan today.

This makes me nervous because this is the guy who only gave me ibuprofen after surgery. He didn't hesitate. He just ordered a CAT scan. What is he looking for? I am a very anxoius person. The suspense is driving me crazy.

I know it's not a bladder thing. Or digestion problems.

The pain I'm having is in my pelvis. I had a c-section in 1999 and if you basicly followed that scar toward my left leg, the pain is in one spot near my hip joint. It's deep inside. It feels as if I am being burned constantly. Moving makes it worse. It is the same pain that told my doctor that I had adenomyosis.

What freaks me out is that it's the same pain, but now it has reached the same debilitating level that drove me to a hysterectomy. I am a trooper. I'm not a wimp. But I can't drive because I have epilepsy. And I'm a single parent of two. So I have to haul groceries fro three in all this pain on foot. (I live in a small town.) I have to do most of my errands on foot. It just knocks me out, to the point where my housework and stuff suffers because I have to spend the rest of the day lying down to recover.

Well, I just want to get this CAT scan over with and find out what's going on.

Wish me luck.