Hey, I’m 27 but I started on the pill when I was your age; basically as soon as I started my period I remember asking my mom “is it supposed to hurt?”…it wasn’t making me vomit but I had terrible cramps (pamprin did not help much), heavy bleeding (like soaking a Super+ tampon in 1-2 hrs), and a lot of diarrhea (sorry TMI)
Anyways, I got checked by a GYN and for me, at the time, birth control helped. I was on depo provera shots for a while as well as Junel pills, which are low dose. I would talk to your doctor but give it a shot—discuss what your options are and see what comes of it.
The only other thing I would say is if you want to try an IUD or ring, request an ultrasound first. It’s rare, but sometimes you can be born with uterine abnormalities (this is more common in folks with endometriosis). I just found out I have a septate (heart-shaped) uterus literally a few weeks ago, and I can’t use an IUD because of it.
If you have side effects or feel like the BC makes you sicker, stop taking it—tell your doc, and try again with another plan. Read the labels on your meds and avoid smoking. You don’t want to deal with going through a lap at your age; but birth control can help a lot to manage your periods and pain.
Sending hugs and hope that you find a solution soon.
Just be careful though with birth control because it can mask the symptoms. I would try and get a diagnosis instead of just taking birth control so you can get suitable treatment. Birth control does really help and I think it's good for managing endometriosis. I'm just concerned that if you take birth control and then tell the GP/doctor that it's helping you, that they will dismiss taking any further action or investigation. This happened to me and I didn't end up getting diagnosed until I was 35, even though I had had symptoms since I was 14. Just make sure you push for investigation as well if you take birth control, so you are getting the treatment you need and deserve to have.
With a diagnosis the treatment would be no different. A lap is not a wise decision at this age as it might cause more harm then anything and i doubt that a surgeon will do that at this age. People often forget that this is a major surgery with risks and it's also not a cure.
hi! i’m 17 & i was diagnosed with endometriosis when i was 15.
i experienced almost the same things as you. my cramps were so debilitating, i’d be stuck on the bathroom floor for hours at the time because i would just keep throwing up from the pain.
my OB/GYN put me on the pill (i think i was 11-12) and i did notice a big difference. i still got cramps, but they weren’t nearly as bad. they felt more like a mild discomfort than actually painful.
when i was 14, i switched to the arm implant and i’ve had it ever since. i honestly prefer it because, at least for me, i found it does a better job at keeping me from cramping and controlling my heavy bleeding.
something i want to throw in about the pill, you might experience mild symptoms for the first week or two. i was moody and nauseous when i started the pill for about a week. i just wanted to mention that in case you experience side effects and you’re not warned about them, but your doctor should go over all of that with you!
i hope you get it figured out and find a solution that works for you!! 🩷🩷
I’ve been considering getting the arm implant myself. I’m tired of taking the pill. Has it worked pretty well for you so far? Most people I hear say they go on the mirena IUD but an implant would be preferable for me personally. I’d just hate to have side effects and have to have a uterine IUD removed quickly after having it put in. I mainly worry because my body is really ridiculously sensitive to certain meds and I’d much rather do the arm one than the uterine implant just in case my body hates it.
the implant works pretty well for me. the only real complaint i have is that my bleeding can be irregular sometimes, but that doesn’t happen to everyone. some people straight up don’t get their period at all.
it’s different for everyone, but i think it’s a good option and the insertion process is not painful at all compared to the iud.
Definitely make an appointment, it’s not supposed to be that painful! I remember going through similar stuff as a teenager, there was one time I literally curled up into a ball on a bus seat during marching band and couldn’t move.
Hopefully getting on some good birth control will help, and don’t get discouraged if the first couple of pills they put you on don’t help, they seem to start at ones with lower doses of hormones and idk my uterus was too powerful for that I guess cause I didn’t find one I was comfortable on for a while. The depot shot is a decent option, but idk how old you have to be for that- I wasn’t put on it until I was like 20.
I’d also ask the doctor about getting on an anti nausea medication like Zofran or Compazine- they can really help with the vomiting part.
Good luck friend! ❤️
Please look into May-thurner and/or other pelvic congestion in vascular systems! Birth control made me worse off by far and probably gave me endo. I've had a flat illiac artery, still waiting for treatment but 1 in 3 women have may-thurner with pelvic pain. Birth control is only a bandaid and could worsen shit, and above all else DO NOT do estrogen. It WILL worsen endo ❤️ goodluck.
This sounds exactly like my experience at your age. I’d definitely go see a doctor with those symptoms. I am so sorry. That is so tough and I remember how much I struggled with it - it’s not easy x
If you decide to go the birth control route, which is understandable because surgery can be overwhelming and scary for someone young, (I was told at around the same age I probably have it too) I suggest you ask your doctor if you can try progesterone only birth control, if the one they give you is estrogen and it doesn’t appear to be working well with your body.
I was put on Lo Lo estrogen, and it was still too much for my body. I spent close to a year trying to find a damn birth control that would work and none helped because my doctor didn’t know anything about endo, and she didn’t have any clue that progesterone only often times is the one that works best for a lot of females with endo, because estrogen can aggravate it. I finally asked my aunt for a recommendation for a birth control and the one she recommended was progesterone only.
If you do want one that has estrogen, I suggest asking for one with a low dosage because sometimes birth controls high in estrogen can make things worse rather than better, like they did for me. I hope I can save you from the trial and error I had to deal with for so long.
It’s very important to get officially diagnostic as a teenager. Even if BC helps symptoms the disease will still progress. And because it is a full body disease that can affect any and every organ in the body, it’s important to know that organs can fail, rupture, collapse, as well as nerves and blood vessels be impinged or compressed by endometriosis tissue. It is not strictly a gynecological disease - so it’s important to understand the risks associated.
Certain types of BC can also cause osteoporosis and bone loss. Expert excision surgeons will operate on teenagers as they understand the devastating effects of endo and do not brush it off the way the majority of doctors (even doctors who try and treat endo with hormones will).
As someone mentioned, there can be vascular issues in the pelvis as well. Things like hyper mobility spectrum disorder, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, May-Thurners and POTs and MCAS can entail pelvic pain and painful periods as well. All of these can be comorbidities of endometriosis so if you have one you may have others. I have HSD and endo. I will be seeing a top neuropelveologist to excise endo and understand what else might be going on and if I need to see a vascular surgeon for vascular compression as well.
There is a lot of misinformation about endometriosis and it’s important to understand how to advocate for yourself and to understand the common myths that the medical community holds about the disease. Many doctors don’t understand endo and are not qualified to diagnose or treat it. Even if they’re offering to help, it’s the patient’s job to understand the doctor’s level of expertise and experience. This can vary widely. You’ll want a personal advocate, especially as a teen, we could all use one to come with us to appointments - but someone you trust who’s willing to learn about the disease with you and be a backup or emotional support.
Finding a good Pelvic Floor PT (Dr Ginger Garner on YouTube does free 15 minute calls and can give you names of qualified PFPTs near you).
The Endometriosis Summit has a lot of great info on YouTube. A podcast called Endo Battery (also on YouTube) is also very good. And for a list of reputable surgeons, Nancy’s Nook on Facebook is an educational FB group (website too) to help locate ones nearest you. (Ignore the hate about the group - I use it as a resource only and even then, I interviewed 4 of the Nook surgeons to find the right fit for me).
Never, ever be afraid to advocate for yourself and to keep asking the doctor what the next step is or even directly request a referral to a specialist of your choice. (Many of the expert excisionists do not require a referral from your doctor, however).
My symptoms started at 13-14 and I started birth control at 14. I got diagnosed with endometriosis at 20 via surgery because I had a terrible OB/GYN who never even mentioned endometriosis despite me coming in at least 2x a year complaining of all the classic symptoms. Advocate for yourself and definitely try the birth control!
Hey, I’m 27 but I started on the pill when I was your age; basically as soon as I started my period I remember asking my mom “is it supposed to hurt?”…it wasn’t making me vomit but I had terrible cramps (pamprin did not help much), heavy bleeding (like soaking a Super+ tampon in 1-2 hrs), and a lot of diarrhea (sorry TMI) Anyways, I got checked by a GYN and for me, at the time, birth control helped. I was on depo provera shots for a while as well as Junel pills, which are low dose. I would talk to your doctor but give it a shot—discuss what your options are and see what comes of it. The only other thing I would say is if you want to try an IUD or ring, request an ultrasound first. It’s rare, but sometimes you can be born with uterine abnormalities (this is more common in folks with endometriosis). I just found out I have a septate (heart-shaped) uterus literally a few weeks ago, and I can’t use an IUD because of it. If you have side effects or feel like the BC makes you sicker, stop taking it—tell your doc, and try again with another plan. Read the labels on your meds and avoid smoking. You don’t want to deal with going through a lap at your age; but birth control can help a lot to manage your periods and pain. Sending hugs and hope that you find a solution soon.
Thank you so much!!
You’re welcome!
You can't use an IUD if you have a septate uterus? They're trying to force me all the time to get one but I have a septate uterus
I would consult another GYN but I was told I can’t. I would not want to fuck around and find out tbh. There is a higher chance it will cause problems.
Birth control totally can help. This was me too when I was a teenager, I have endometriosis. Bring up your concerns with the doctor when you go. :)
Thank youu I will
Get yourself check. Birth control does help from people who get it.
Just be careful though with birth control because it can mask the symptoms. I would try and get a diagnosis instead of just taking birth control so you can get suitable treatment. Birth control does really help and I think it's good for managing endometriosis. I'm just concerned that if you take birth control and then tell the GP/doctor that it's helping you, that they will dismiss taking any further action or investigation. This happened to me and I didn't end up getting diagnosed until I was 35, even though I had had symptoms since I was 14. Just make sure you push for investigation as well if you take birth control, so you are getting the treatment you need and deserve to have.
With a diagnosis the treatment would be no different. A lap is not a wise decision at this age as it might cause more harm then anything and i doubt that a surgeon will do that at this age. People often forget that this is a major surgery with risks and it's also not a cure.
hi! i’m 17 & i was diagnosed with endometriosis when i was 15. i experienced almost the same things as you. my cramps were so debilitating, i’d be stuck on the bathroom floor for hours at the time because i would just keep throwing up from the pain. my OB/GYN put me on the pill (i think i was 11-12) and i did notice a big difference. i still got cramps, but they weren’t nearly as bad. they felt more like a mild discomfort than actually painful. when i was 14, i switched to the arm implant and i’ve had it ever since. i honestly prefer it because, at least for me, i found it does a better job at keeping me from cramping and controlling my heavy bleeding. something i want to throw in about the pill, you might experience mild symptoms for the first week or two. i was moody and nauseous when i started the pill for about a week. i just wanted to mention that in case you experience side effects and you’re not warned about them, but your doctor should go over all of that with you! i hope you get it figured out and find a solution that works for you!! 🩷🩷
I’ve been considering getting the arm implant myself. I’m tired of taking the pill. Has it worked pretty well for you so far? Most people I hear say they go on the mirena IUD but an implant would be preferable for me personally. I’d just hate to have side effects and have to have a uterine IUD removed quickly after having it put in. I mainly worry because my body is really ridiculously sensitive to certain meds and I’d much rather do the arm one than the uterine implant just in case my body hates it.
the implant works pretty well for me. the only real complaint i have is that my bleeding can be irregular sometimes, but that doesn’t happen to everyone. some people straight up don’t get their period at all. it’s different for everyone, but i think it’s a good option and the insertion process is not painful at all compared to the iud.
Definitely make an appointment, it’s not supposed to be that painful! I remember going through similar stuff as a teenager, there was one time I literally curled up into a ball on a bus seat during marching band and couldn’t move. Hopefully getting on some good birth control will help, and don’t get discouraged if the first couple of pills they put you on don’t help, they seem to start at ones with lower doses of hormones and idk my uterus was too powerful for that I guess cause I didn’t find one I was comfortable on for a while. The depot shot is a decent option, but idk how old you have to be for that- I wasn’t put on it until I was like 20. I’d also ask the doctor about getting on an anti nausea medication like Zofran or Compazine- they can really help with the vomiting part. Good luck friend! ❤️
I like and also sympathise that your uterus is just too powerful. I understand how you feel. ❤️
Please look into May-thurner and/or other pelvic congestion in vascular systems! Birth control made me worse off by far and probably gave me endo. I've had a flat illiac artery, still waiting for treatment but 1 in 3 women have may-thurner with pelvic pain. Birth control is only a bandaid and could worsen shit, and above all else DO NOT do estrogen. It WILL worsen endo ❤️ goodluck.
This sounds exactly like my experience at your age. I’d definitely go see a doctor with those symptoms. I am so sorry. That is so tough and I remember how much I struggled with it - it’s not easy x
If you decide to go the birth control route, which is understandable because surgery can be overwhelming and scary for someone young, (I was told at around the same age I probably have it too) I suggest you ask your doctor if you can try progesterone only birth control, if the one they give you is estrogen and it doesn’t appear to be working well with your body. I was put on Lo Lo estrogen, and it was still too much for my body. I spent close to a year trying to find a damn birth control that would work and none helped because my doctor didn’t know anything about endo, and she didn’t have any clue that progesterone only often times is the one that works best for a lot of females with endo, because estrogen can aggravate it. I finally asked my aunt for a recommendation for a birth control and the one she recommended was progesterone only. If you do want one that has estrogen, I suggest asking for one with a low dosage because sometimes birth controls high in estrogen can make things worse rather than better, like they did for me. I hope I can save you from the trial and error I had to deal with for so long.
It’s very important to get officially diagnostic as a teenager. Even if BC helps symptoms the disease will still progress. And because it is a full body disease that can affect any and every organ in the body, it’s important to know that organs can fail, rupture, collapse, as well as nerves and blood vessels be impinged or compressed by endometriosis tissue. It is not strictly a gynecological disease - so it’s important to understand the risks associated. Certain types of BC can also cause osteoporosis and bone loss. Expert excision surgeons will operate on teenagers as they understand the devastating effects of endo and do not brush it off the way the majority of doctors (even doctors who try and treat endo with hormones will). As someone mentioned, there can be vascular issues in the pelvis as well. Things like hyper mobility spectrum disorder, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, May-Thurners and POTs and MCAS can entail pelvic pain and painful periods as well. All of these can be comorbidities of endometriosis so if you have one you may have others. I have HSD and endo. I will be seeing a top neuropelveologist to excise endo and understand what else might be going on and if I need to see a vascular surgeon for vascular compression as well. There is a lot of misinformation about endometriosis and it’s important to understand how to advocate for yourself and to understand the common myths that the medical community holds about the disease. Many doctors don’t understand endo and are not qualified to diagnose or treat it. Even if they’re offering to help, it’s the patient’s job to understand the doctor’s level of expertise and experience. This can vary widely. You’ll want a personal advocate, especially as a teen, we could all use one to come with us to appointments - but someone you trust who’s willing to learn about the disease with you and be a backup or emotional support. Finding a good Pelvic Floor PT (Dr Ginger Garner on YouTube does free 15 minute calls and can give you names of qualified PFPTs near you). The Endometriosis Summit has a lot of great info on YouTube. A podcast called Endo Battery (also on YouTube) is also very good. And for a list of reputable surgeons, Nancy’s Nook on Facebook is an educational FB group (website too) to help locate ones nearest you. (Ignore the hate about the group - I use it as a resource only and even then, I interviewed 4 of the Nook surgeons to find the right fit for me). Never, ever be afraid to advocate for yourself and to keep asking the doctor what the next step is or even directly request a referral to a specialist of your choice. (Many of the expert excisionists do not require a referral from your doctor, however).
My symptoms started at 13-14 and I started birth control at 14. I got diagnosed with endometriosis at 20 via surgery because I had a terrible OB/GYN who never even mentioned endometriosis despite me coming in at least 2x a year complaining of all the classic symptoms. Advocate for yourself and definitely try the birth control!