# Retroverted Uterus?



## passionflower (Feb 1, 2003)

Help. I went for a well woman exam and the doc says upon examination, "what is this"? Not exactly reassuring words to hear from you gyn, right? And, then she says, "is that your uterus? This may be the most retroverted uterus in history". She said it is sitting right on the colon. I have a history of endometriosis, and I read that that could be the cause. She said she would not be surprised if I have a fibroid tumor. I will not be surprised if this might not have a whole lot to do with all the troubles I have been dealing with for the past six years, and maybe it's just now gotten big enough to be noticeable. She's sending me out for a ultrasound next week, and then I'm to see her again. I'm rambling. But, does anyone have any thoughts on this?????


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## susaloh (Dec 28, 2002)

Hi, Cindy,I don't think I can be of any help BUT I'm currently suspecting a similar problem to cause some of my IBS and other issues. Though I probably don't have endometriosis (I've just had a thorough check-up and I don't have bleeding or period problems). But for quite a while I've been suspecting my uterus to be pushing on my colon at certain times of my cycle. As my IBS is currently getting better, slowly but steadily, the link becomes even more obvious. These days whenever I get bloating, discomfort and a pressure on my rectum I also have cervix pains and also a kind of 'muscle' pain (as opposed to crampy pain) in my very low abdomen/uterus and on the sides of it (I think it's lower than my ovaries). In some cycles a few days after ovulation it gets so bad I get rectal cramps, which hurt like hell, normally when I go to bed. I posted about it on another board and interestingly I got lots of replies and all of these women had some kind of tilted or retroverted uterus. So, I am wondering... Would you mind describing your symptoms rather in detail to me? And have you noticed any links with your cycle?ThanksSusaloh


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## passionflower (Feb 1, 2003)

Susaloh, I'll do my best to describe in detail my symptoms, but frankly I've been in pain for so long that it's hard to know what is what. Also, you may want to know my history: 1) Appendectomy at age 19. Complications included a staph infection. I've since read that infection after surgery can increase adhesions. 2) Endometriosis diagnosed around age 25. I'd been experiencing very painful menstrual cramps and severe pain at certain positions during sex. Adhesions found and lasered out, but did very little to aleve any of my painful symptoms. 3) Age 32--First diagnosed with IBS--no procedures.4) Age 34-- First colonoscopy. Incompleted. Barium X-Ray. Everything found normal. 5) Age 36--Second colonoscopy. Completed. They found some gastritis, and the doc said it took twice as long to complete due to a twisty (too long) colon. So, with so much it's hard to know what pain comes from what, but here goes: 1) Intermittent spasmodic pain in right upper quadrant. (It is not very painful)2) Constant spasmodic pain in upper left quadrant. (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). It is about the pain level of an intense headache.)3) Bloating4) Fatigue5) Pain during intercourse--especially in some points.6) Menstrual cramps. (These are sort of a burning, stretching sort of pain, pretty intense)7) Numbers 1 - 6 are all worse 1 week before period, with much improvement after onset. 8) Scanty menstrual flow--sometimes lasting only 1 or 2 days. Sometimes darkish brown/pasty. 9) Ocassional rectal spasms--Yes, they are knife-like, gasp for breath, cry out pains. But, they tend to be fleeting. They also tend to be cluster like.I may not have any for awhile, and then I'll have several within a fairly short time (hours or days).10) Very hard to pass gas. 11) Stools look compressed--as if everything is just compressed. 12) Sometimes hard to breathe due to the feeling of fullness/bloating. 13) Food intolerances. Loss of weight due to food intolerances. (Wheat and dairy particularly troublesome)14) Skin sensitivities (I can't even use baby oil). 15) Mood change/sleep deprivation. (Is it any wonder with all of the above?). That's about as much as I can tell you, but I'll keep you posted on what I learn when I get the Ultrasound. Good luck.


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2003)

Hi Cindy & Susaloh,Let me start by saying that if you think your gynecological problems may be causing your IBS, you could be in for another surprise. I thought the very same thing. Four years ago I had a hysterectomy. Guess what? The IBS got ten times worse !!When it comes to endometriosis, I had what is known as adenomyosis (endometriosis of the lining of the uterus) and it predisposed me to possibly bleeding to death without notice.My fibroids were so large and there were so many of them that my 22-week size uterus was completely unrecognizable. Aside from all of the above, I was horribly anemic to the point that when I would lie down, I would have heart palpitations. I lived on powerful prescription iron supplements.I had to endure an injection of a very powerful steroid called Lupron (a $1,400 injection) which literally "shrunk" my uterus enough to make my surgery safe. The mechanism by which Lupron works is to decrease estrogen levels to a point where I became menopausal almost overnight. Let me tell you... this is not fun stuff, ladies. Even then, my uterus was still huge...but my surgeon was able to perform a supracervical hysterectomy on me via a bikini line abdominal incision instead of having to cut me from sternum to pelvic bone.Before the surgery I bled so hard that I could soak two hospital size napkins and 3 super plus tampons in about 20 minutes. Please forgive me because this is gross, but I passed "clots" the size of Cinncinati... they neatly covered the entire palm of my hand.I also was in incredible pain from pressure of my uterus on a kidney ureter. I'd wake up at night and the pain would take my breath away... I literally could not move...I couldn't even cry.For help with these kinds of gynecological problems, I recommend the following book:"What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Perimenopause" by Dr. John R. Lee, the world's foremost authority on the use of transdermal natural progesterone for alleviating problems with fibroids and endometriosis.Had I known about and practiced the guidelines in Dr. Lee's publications a few years earlier, I might have spared myself the surgery which has more or less turned my life upsidedown in many ways.For the IBS symptoms, there is a variety of treatments available. Some address gut motility, & others address Serotonin in the brain. Relaxation therapies have a proven track record when it comes to significantly alleviating the symptoms of IBS. Both IBS and gynecological problems are very complicated, complex and require some self-research in order to arrive at a treatment plan that works best for each individual.For IBS, you could start with this site for some basic answers: http://www.med.unc.edu/wrkunits/2depts/med...idc/welcome.htm Good luck andHope this helps, Evie


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## passionflower (Feb 1, 2003)

Thanks, Evie, for your well-thought out reply. You speak from experience, and that is the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I'll see if I can find the book you mention. Obviously I don't want to do anything that will make the situation worse, or that is unnecessary. I am sorry that your symptoms worsened, but I truly appreciate your sharing your experience with us. You're too kind!!!


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2003)

I appreciate that, Cindy... it's just that when I can look back in retrospect and see where I went wrong, if there is anything that I can do to help someone else with similar issues... I want to do that. Just because I messed up doesn't mean that others can't benefit from my experiences.Everything that I've had to go through regarding these gynecological challenges has caused me enormous difficulty and pain, both physical and emotional. And ever since they removed my uterus, even though I had to have it done (and believe me, I put it off for years), I have felt as if something is missing... a part of me that I can never get back again. And once it's gone... it's gone.... and I have never felt the same since. One thing that it did to me that it may not do to some women (depending on their intimate experiences prior to the surgery)... is that it completely changed my sexuality. The uterine contractions are now missing.... and they were a very important part of sharing intimacy with my husband. We've made concessions and tried to work around it... but it will never again be the same. My husband has his own difficulties which we have also been able to work through. So for a couple of old farts, we still do pretty well together.....







If my experiences can spare someone else that same kind of pain... then I feel as if I have made a worthwhile contribution.The best defense against illness... is self-awareness and education along with a bit of detective work....







Relaxation therapies are also very helpful. Something else that I've used developed to combat the distress is to learn something new and become passionate about it... for me, that is modern dance. It's been a therapeutic lifesaver for me!I do wish both of you the very best and I hope sincerely that neither of you has to go through what I did.  Evie


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