Depression part of your experience?

Hi folks, . I don't have a surgery scheduled yet, just for the record; my problems with my uterus and friends started early this year with constant abdominal pain.

I've got 2 fibroids (around 16mm and 28mm), have been having ovarian cysts come and go (follicular, not large, in the 26mm range), and have just had an 8mm endometrial polyp diagnosed. This was all with ultrasounds ordered by my GP; I have a referral to a GYN and my appointment is October 3rd (I got the date sometime in May).

Pain levels vary with my cycle, usually peaking with my period, though not always. I'm using extra strength acetaminophen and (when needed) Tylenol 3s for pain. (I can't use anti-inflammatories.)

After six months of this, I'm getting very tired, and I'm having some depression. I have chronic major depression anyway, but summer is usually a good time of year for me, so I'm thinking that the chronic pain is a contributing factor.

I know six months isn't a long time in the grand scheme of things, but it's what I've got. Have any of you also had any depression add to the mix for you?

Hi k_writer

I found that when I was dealing with gynecological pain, my depressions symptoms became more difficult to deal with. After dealing with the pain, it seemed that I simply had nothing left to deal with the other things in life.

Have you talked with the doctor who treats your depression about this? A couple months before my hysterectomy, I told my doctor about my upcoming surgery as well as the pain I was dealing with, just in case there was something I should be dong to help me continue to cope normally. She increased the dosage of my anti-depressant, and bumped it back down about six months after my surgery when I seemed to be through the most challenging part of the recovery.

Sometimes, though, it's just helpful to be able to understand that worsening symptoms can be related to what our bodies are going through. I hope things improve for you and that your doctor is able to help you get back to your usual self. I'm sending extra gentle hugs for you.

Thanks very much - I'm seeing my doctor next week about the depression, and I'm going to tell him I need help getting through this. It may be I need a med adjustment.

I understand what you mean when you said you had not much left over after dealing with the pain; that's pretty much what I feel like, too. It always hurts to some degree, and it goes up and down kind of like a sine wave with my cycle. The low pain points are tiring, though by comparison to the high pain points they aren't as bad. The high pain segments are sucky and leave me with not much, sometimes requiring me to stay home from work to deal with the pain.

Thanks very much for listening.