Endometriosis & Leg Pain/Sciatica

Woman soaking in a bathtub. All we see are her legs.
Photo by Elizaveta Dushechkina on Pexels.com

I have heard from several EndoWarriors that they suffer from leg pain; whether it be their hips, upper thighs, or radiating pain down their leg(s).  Today we delve a bit deeper into leg pain complaints and Endo.  Have upper leg pain? Lower back pain? Tailbone pain?  So do a lot of people…but so do a LOT of women with Endometriosis.  A 2011 study surveyed 94 people with Endometriosis.  Of them, 51% complained of leg pain.  Cysts may also be contributing to leg and lower back pain. And although you may have some of these symptoms and think you have sciatic Endometriosis…please be aware that it is considered incredibly rare. And it may just be that your symptoms are a result of pelvic floor muscles being too tight (pelvic floor therapy may help) OR that adhesions and/or Endometriosis has pulled your anatomy out of whack. But, please, do read on:

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Adenomyosis

The word Adenomyosis covered in little spots and lesions

April is Adenomyosis Awareness Month.  Ado-what-o?  A disease, similar to Endo; some say Ado is the cousin to Endometriosis.  And many people with Endo also suffer with Adenomyosis.  So, I figured I’d spread a bit of awareness of Ado during this month and learn something in the process.

A few folks who attended our Endo walk suffer also from Adeno.  And one who showed up to our last Endo support group meeting suffers from Ado (but not Endo).  It’s a term I’m beginning to hear a lot more about.  But, what is it?

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Bladder & Endometriosis

Diagram of the urinary system in humans

You’ve likely heard that Endometriosis can grow in all sorts of places inside the body.  Well, the bladder and urinary tract are no exception.  Endometriosis implants can grow on or inside the walls of the bladder or along the urethra.

Symptoms

Common symptoms patients may complain about with bladder Endo are frequently needing to pee, pain when the bladder is full, painful urination, and an urgent need to pee.  Some also suffer from blood in their urine when they’re on their cycles (may be hard to distinguish…given the natural course of what a period does…).  This urine-blood may not be perceptible to the naked eye and require a lab test.  And as usual, many EndoWarriors only have these symptoms during their periods; others have them 24/7. It should also be noted that many with bladder Endo don’t present any symptoms.

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Endometriosis & The Heart

Diagram of human heart

I’ve read bits and pieces here and there that Endometriosis can grow on your heart (or the lining of your heart).  And have heard from a friend that she may have it on her heart.  That’s scary business!

Which got my juices flowin’ to find the documented cases of Endometriosis on the heart, how it was excised (if at all), etc.  Here goes ( PS – there’s not a lot out there…)!

Endometriosis is usually found within the pelvic cavity, but has also been known to travel northward and latching onto the liver and diaphragm.  It has also been found on the membranes surrounding the lungs.  Even rarer, it has been found on the brain, in the lymph nodes, and on the eyes.  But today, we focus on the heart…which is also SO INCREDIBLY RARE. Please, I’ll preface it by saying this is so super duper rare.

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Cataracts? …

Cataract

So today I had my two-year eye exam.  You know: you go in ever two years to have your eyes checked and your eyeglass prescription updated.

About 8 years ago I learned that I have a benign cataract in my left eye, located just to the outside of my pupil.  My doctor back then told me it’s benign, it doesn’t grow, it just sits there a casts a shadow.  However, it’s not visible to me, and it will never affect my eye sight.  She surmised I was born with it : it may be due to my premature birth (I was 3 1/2 months early) and have likely had it my entire life.  Every two years since, I’d been told by the next doctor that I had a benign cataract on my left eye, and that it was just sitting there, doing nothing.

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Share Your Story : Courtney

A woman with brown hair wearing sunglasses

Courtney lives in Canada, and was diagnosed with Endometriosis a year ago, when she was 28 years old.  Now 29, Courtney makes beautiful jewelry and donates a portion of her sales to Canadian charities that deal with Endometriosis and other women’s health issues.

Courtney’s Journey:  I’m a pretty private person for the most part, and the thought of sharing my personal medical history on the internet was something that took a great deal of careful consideration on my part. But the more research I do, the more I find that the reluctance of women to share their stories is in part due to the fact that they have often spent years repeating their very personal medical details and symptoms to doctor after doctor, without getting the treatment they need. In many cases, these women are told that this is their “burden as a woman” or worse, not having their concerns taken seriously at all and told that – since the doctor can’t see anything wrong – it must be “in their head”. As personal as it is, I think it’s important for women who feel comfortable enough to do so, to share their story; if not online, at least to their family and friends, so that they may help raise awareness about this disease and help women get the care they deserve!

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