bacterial vaginosis w/ endo anyone else?

since the birth of my 3rd child in 2008 I have had a world of problems. It all started with IUD Mirena. Tons and tons of drainage. Family practice doc said dont worry about it its probably fine. 1st ob I say said yes its bacterial after the gene test. Then two years of off and on again antibiotics( pills, creams, etc..). Nothing even came close to clearing it up. About a year after IuD Thats when the pain started. finally begged doc to take out the IUD. Then the bleeding didnt stop for weeks. After that doc said um not sure what to do about you do you want a hysterectomy? I decided it was time to go to another doc. After several tests and a laproscopy she found the endo. I am currently taking BCP with very little relief. AND i STILL HAVE THE BACTERIAL INFECTION! My endo is extremley painful now but not alot of lesions or anything. So im not so late stage or any thing. Is it wrong of me to think.... Just take it all out and be done with it? The drainage from the bacteria is annoying and smelly on top of the pain and bleeding of the endo.... very frustrated.... any advise ladies?

I am sorry you have been dealing with all of this over the last couple years! Doesn't sound like fun at all!

One thing you should know about endometriosis, the amount or stage in no way dictates the level of symptoms and pain. Women with minimal or stage I endometriosis can actually have more pain than someone with stage IV or aggressive endometriosis! It doesn't really make sense! My own GYN's theory is that older and more aggressive endometriosis may damage the nerves, eliminating their ability to send pain signals.

Another thing to consider is that a hysterectomy is not a cure for endometriosis. If you are diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis, I don't believe that is cured with a hysterectomy either as the discharge originates in the vagina. If the discharge you are experiencing is related to the uterus, removing the uterus could end that issue. If any pain you are experiencing is related to the uterus, that pain could be eliminated. Bleeding from the actual uterus would also stop. But any symptoms that are not from specifically form the uterus could continue post hysterectomy.

Also, when weighing your pros and cons, keep in mind that a hysterectomy is not a risk free surgery. Not all of us have a happily ever after surgery! There are number of side effects that should be considered as you could trade one set of problems for a new set!

To very briefly share my experience with you, I had a hysterectomy for stage IV endometriosis. We choose a hysterectomy as I had been bleeding almost every day for two years and we could not stop it. During my first lap, the endometriosis was found. It was extensive and involved the outside of my uterus.

Following my hysterectomy, I had numerous complications resulting in a lengthy hospital stay and a very long recovery. My health was negatively impacted for a very long time and all of it was difficult on not only me but my family and small children.

Additionally, my GYN was not able to remove all of the endometriosis, so I continued to have endo issues for many years post op. I finally traveled to an endo specialist for more surgery.

I would encourage you to learn all you can about endometriosis and the bacterial vaginosis you are dealing with. We have an extensive Resource Database where you should find a lot of information.

I don't know what you have up to this point, but some options I found for the bacterial vaginosis include the antibiotics Flagyl (either as an oral med or vaginal cream), Tinidazole, or Clindamycin.

Options for treating your endometriosis issues include surgical removal of the implants, Depo Provera (or other progestin/progesterone treatment), Lupron, Danazol, an aromatase inhibitor, and pain management. When it comes to endometriosis, you do want to find the most skilled and knowledgeable doctor you can. If you can't find an endometriosis specialist, check around to see if there is a physician in your area who treats chronic pelvic pain issues. Also, reproductive endocrinologist sometimes have extensive knowledge and skills when it comes to treating endometriosis. Some women with endo have had surgical success with a gynecological oncologist.

I wish you all the best for whatever you and your medical team determine is best for you! in there!

s

Thank you soooo much for all your info. As far as the antibiotics for the bv. I have tried them all several times and some of them were combined at times. none of them even made a difference. I tend to believe the problem is more in my uterus or cervix. Just a theory of course cause my doc at this point says lets hope it goes away on its own......it seems to be worse when ever it get a pap or vag exam.
I do understand the risks of the hysterectomy. I do have some systs on my ovaries and some puckering on my uterus, but that is all the signs of the endo as of dec. Keep in mind I have been on seasonique for the past few months with lots of break through bleeding. So hopfully that did not incourage new growth of the endo. I guess my thoughts were that if I had the hyst. now before I got more growth I had abetter chance of it all being gone in one surgery. Kind of the get it out BEFORE it gets bad approach. And I do realize there is still no garentee but it just seems more logical the be pro- active than re-active.
The more stories I read the more it seems that after years of misery it usually ends with hyst. anyway. why wait till there are pieces of it that are harder to remove........
Im very sorry to hear you are still suffering. If there was a way to go back and do things differently what would you do? Just curious.....
Thanks again

	Quote:
Originally Posted by johnmich If there was a way to go back and do things differently what would you do?

I would have had an endometriosis specialist do my hysterectomy.

For me, there were two big negatives for my hysterectomy. One, my GYN could not remove all of the endometriosis. He would not touch what was on my bowel walls as the risks for him were too high. Thus, that endo remained and created issues. An adhesion formed from there to the vaginal cuff further complicating the issues. And new endo grew and spread. So, I lived with pelvic pain and issues for about 7 years post hysterectomy before traveling to a specialist.

Why did I wait so long?

That is the second negative! I did not have a happily ever after, textbook hysterectomy. We thought all had gone well. But the morning I was to be released, I woke up with a huge bulge on the right side of my abdomen. Something had caused internal bleeding. From there, my recovery and health went downhill. It was unbelievable and to this day my GYN will tell you he has no idea what happened. I am responsible for a good many of his gray hairs!

So, it took quite a bit of pain and some new symptoms before any of us (me, my doctors, my family) were ready for me to go under the knife again! (I can share specific details if you are interested but it is a really long story! There are pieces and parts of it all over the site and in my Hostess Bio. But ask if you have questions!)

Thankfully, most women do not have the same experience as I did! But, there is no way to know in advance who's outcome will be positive and who's will be negative! Every woman I knew who had had a hysterectomy of any kind had done well. My grandmother's only issue was with trying to balance her hormones--and I kept my ovaries. My SIL who had her hysterectomy for endometriosis not only did well surgically, she did well endo wise, even using HRT for years. I just had to be unique!

Only you and your doctors can determine what is best for you! The key is to make an informed decision and be prepared just in case things don't go as planned!

So how are things now after the second surgery? Were they able to get it all?

And I am very concerned about the surgery in regards to my children. I have two older children(11&7) but I aslo have a two year old which of course is very active. I do have help from family and friends but if I do have complications that coudl be a problem.

Im still undecided at this point but still concidering the hyst.

Thanks again

	Quote:
Originally Posted by johnmich So how are things now after the second surgery? Were they able to get it all?

My endo special does believe he was able to get everything. And for the last two years, I have done well! So, we have really high hopes that the surgery was completely successful and a long term solution!

My boys were 3 and 5 at the time of my hysterectomy and the 5 yr old was in Kindergarten. It was a bit difficult for them because I ended up being in the hospital for 10 days. My mom had flown down to help out but she had to leave before I was even released from the hospital. My MIL had also been caring for my boys and took over care of me and the boys when I was released from the hospital. I don't know what we would have done without her as I required adult care 24/7 for several weeks. It was a juggle between my MIL and my DH who was missing a lot of work. I also had numerous doctor's appointments and tests because of the complications so we constantly had to make arrangements to get me to the doctor and to be sure the youngest was taken care of and the older was picked up from school.

Having family and friends on board to help is wonderful! Don't be afraid to ask for specific help and allow them to step in and do whatever they can--from taking care of the kids, cooking, cleaning bathrooms, to just sitting down and talking to you! And don't forget, pre-teens and teenagers can do a lot as far as helping with the kids, straightening your house, and keeping up with laundry!

I do wish you all the best for whatever you decide is best for you!