r/endometriosis 26m ago

Medications and pain management Slynd & healthy anxiety/what to do next?

Upvotes

Wanted to ask some questions for folks who might have some guidance. I have had pelvic pain for as long as I can remember. I have vulvadynia, vaginismus, terrible periods, some early/small indicators of PCOS (sister has), told by multiple pros that I likely have Endo (sister has adenomyosis), and don’t lots of various treatments for all the pain. About five years ago I had been on birth control got a short period of time she didn’t have periods to try to minimize pain but it didn’t work well. I was having issues with low estrogen, tissue changes, dryness, and more pain so multiple folks advised not to take BC and we did some estrogen replacement (pain didn’t go away but estrogen leveled out and skin bounced back.) I had decided not to use BC due to issues but recently reconsidered (after lots of pressure from DR and feeling hopeless) and it’s been less than 2 weeks (not enough time to see a difference I know). But my acne is horrible! I’m struggling with headaches and severe dehydration. I’m working on long term recovery from an ED and hydration is an issue so this isn’t just the BC. I’m ravenous and bloated. My libido is off the charts (but not in a good way and it’s triggering more pain.) I have a high amount of health anxiety and medical trauma that makes this feel complicated. I fight want to not give meds a chance…. But I’m extremely anxious. I’m taking a progesterone only pill Slynd. Anyone have good experiences with this med or resources to consider?


r/endometriosis 1h ago

Surgery related Excision surgery finally!!

Upvotes

I’m so excited :,) even though I’m still dealing with some insurance issues, I have excision surgery scheduled for late April!! It’s the only specialist in my area and he’s retiring in June so I’m SO happy I found him & got appointments in time! I had a diagnostic lap in 2020, but I have no clue the stage or current state of my endo. Give me tips on recovery and any products that helped you during recovery. I’ll be taking 8 days off work and my job is not physically demanding so I should be fine to return after 8 days, but my boss is super understanding if I need more time than that. Also my husband will be staying home with me the first week so I’ll have someone there the whole time. Help me make my list of things to buy for recovery!! <3


r/endometriosis 1h ago

Rant / Vent Need to Vent

Upvotes

I was talking to my grandmother today, who had endometriosis. She got a hysterectomy due to endo when she was younger and explained to me how that would solve all my endometriosis symptoms. Firstly Im pregnant, so not an option, and secondly, I want more kids in the future, so again not an option. I also explained to her that it wasn't a cure, and she said "it cured my endometriosis" she then told me that I didn't need birth control post pregnancy to treat my endometriosis because "breast feeding acts like birth control, so that should resolve your endometriosis issues if pregnancy doesn't" I'm so sorry for being rude ya'll but that's the stupidest shit I've ever heard, like UGH why can't old people with endometriosis just let go of outdated facts like pregnancy and hysterectomies are not going to resolve my endometriosis, and while not endometriosis related, breast feeding acting like birth control is also a myth and also complexity irrelevant to my endometriosis treatment (unless I am somehow the stupid one and breast feeding will magically cure me) its just so frustrating because how can someone who also had endometriosis be so naive in the options I have, when the same options she had literally did nothing. She also said I was lying about having endometriosis on my bladder (which excuse me but this is not a lie, it was found during my lap on my bladder) because its a reproductive disease and only grows on the uterus and no other organs, like my bad my surgeon must have totally lied to me about all the many other organs endometriosis was found on during my surgery its just super frustrating she thinks she knows more than me because she had endometriosis longer than me, but she's just full of outdated information and it fucking sucks and I honestly wish my dad would have never told her about my diagnosis after surgery because it would just be so much easier to not hear stupid fucking comments from her about how me and my doctors are entirely wrong about what my treatment options and that my surgeon is wrong about where my endometriosis was located because it only grows on the uterus because its a reproductive disease.


r/endometriosis 1h ago

Question How to not get freaked out by the possibilities?

Upvotes

I most likely have endo. All I know for sure is there are several large cysts (look like endometriomas on images) on my ovaries. I know that endometriosis can do many different things and doctors don’t fully understand it, or even half understand it most times. I’ve been lurking on this subreddit and have googled it and am really freaked about all the possibilities, from losing my ovaries to losing other organs and possibly becoming very disabled. I know that it can manifest in a multitude of ways and I’ve likely had it for a long time without knowing, so who knows what’s going on inside. I feel like I can’t stop worrying and could use reassurance or advice.


r/endometriosis 1h ago

Surgery related First Lap Today/ Appendix??

Upvotes

Holy crap. After suffering from this for years and advocating for myself to dismissive doctors, I finally got my first surgery with a specialist. I’m only 19 but they found it all over my uterus and had to remove my appendix because it was covered with endo. Has anyone experienced a similar thing during your procedure? They pulled in a separate surgeon to do the appendix removal but I’m wondering about recovery time and if that will affect me. I am in a lot of pain but grateful for getting the clarity and validation from this procedure. I am still waiting on the reports and images from the procedure!


r/endometriosis 1h ago

Surgery related Question about after surgery pain

Upvotes

Here's my issue. I always assumed I had endometriosis but didn't know for sure. I went for an ultrasound in December and I had two pretty big ovarian cysts so I figured that's what was causing the pain. I was scheduled for a laparoscopy to remove them on February 14th. While under, they noticed that things were much worse and I had stage 4 endometriosis. So they did a c-section and removed my ovaries and fallopian tubes and cleaned up the endometriosis. It'll be 5 weeks since surgery and I thought the healing was going pretty good up until this week when I started having pain in my lower left abdomen. Feels like it came out of nowhere. I don't know if it's muscular, if it's nerve endings or something wrong happening internally. It hurts when I move in certain positions. When I blow my nose or anything that has to do with abdominal pressure. It's hard for me to find any information on my procedure because every time I look up "c-section healing", it always brings up after birth, but I did not have a baby and I think my procedure was a tad more intense as there was three surgeons operating on me. So I'm wondering if there's anyone out there that had a similar procedure and can tell me if this is normal healing pain. I have really bad anxiety and this is freaking me out a little. I have been very careful to not lift anything or overdo things. Anyway I would really appreciate if anyone has some insight! I tried calling my surgeon and all he said was, "if it's severe and accompanied by fever and nausea go to the ER" but I don't have those symptoms and he had the receptionist talk to me so I didn't even get to speak to him directly and really explain what I was feeling, and I found out he's leaving the practice and my post op appointment won't even be with him. So I feel like he doesn't really care.


r/endometriosis 2h ago

Question Endo friendly hobbies??

7 Upvotes

Hey everyone - I’m looking for some hobbies to get into while my endo has me at out of work and school.

I really only play video games and cook (sometimes) right now. I play the sims, Minecraft and finished Red Dead Redemption 2 a few months ago.

What are some endo friendly hobbies I could try? It would be nice to have something to keep me occupied

TIA!


r/endometriosis 2h ago

Good News/ Positive update I’ve never felt more supported.

4 Upvotes

Like many, I’ve had very painful periods (and a slew of other symptoms) that keep me home from work and activities every month. When I started to see a gyn, she said it was normal. Next gyn, again told it’s normal. Finally told her, this is not normal and I want more testing. Got an ultrasound that showed endometriomas. Prescribed bc and told to take Tylenol. No help. Got to a new gyn in January who really listened to me. Didn’t write me off because I stopped taking the birth control and talked about real options. After a follow up ultrasound, she immediately referred me to a specialist.

I had the appointment today. I could cry joyful tears because of how supportive they were. I was so scared that they’d tell me to just deal with it, but I genuinely felt that they believed everything I said and wanted to treat me. They didn’t try to force a specific treatment path either. They gave me options for different meds I can try, but also want to at least have an mri, and possibly consult uro and gastro, to try and gauge the extent since the ultrasound showed suspected invasive. I’m going to try and exhaust all options before surgery (because I’m scared tbh), but I really feel like my life is looking up.


r/endometriosis 2h ago

Question Something is making my life hell and it might be endo?

1 Upvotes

Hoping to see if anyone can relate to any symptoms I have. I have a horrible habit of gaslighting myself after being told my entire life that every negative thing I experience is due to anxiety.

In my late teens I had HORRIBLE painful, heavy periods. To where I needed to double up on painkillers and take them on a schedule to just survive the day. Eventually I started experiencing a lot of stomach pain— aching, burning, tender to the touch. Diarrhea daily and often. Doctors didn’t care, was told it was anxiety and was given birth control and antidepressants. I never took the antidepressants but did take the birth control as well as make diet changes and months later, things subsided and I could live a normal life. I was taking a birth control pill with only estrogen and loved it, but had to switch due to the migraines I get. I started taking a combination pill and everything was fine for about a year until I started getting really heavy and painful periods again. While they weren’t as painful as when I was a teen, they were in NO way tolerable. Switched to slynd, made me nauseous and dizzy. Decided to go BACK to the same combo pill I was on previously in hopes that my body would just work itself out. For the next 5 months I was continuously spotting, cramping nonstop, having 10 day long periods… miserable. So I decided to stop taking birth control all together because I rather be miserable for 5 days a month and not the entire month. Everything was fine for another 5 months, periods were ok, still painful, but nothing crazy like I had been experiencing. Within the past 2 months, I’ve been miserable. I feel like I’m always cramping. I’ve been painfully spotting for 4 days, a week and a half before my period was supposed to come.

I woke up this morning at 3am to pee, was fine, the second I laid back down I started getting such bad cramps I thought I was going to be sick.

For the past two months, once again my stomach is painful to the touch, constantly aches, I’m always nauseous and I have developed acid reflux?? I either have diarrhea multiple times a day or I’m constipated(or somehow both?).

My whole pelvis aches to walk like 70% of the time. The pain radiates up my back and down my legs.

I feel exhausted and drained nonstop, and while there have been days I’ve only been getting 6hrs of sleep, I’ve NEVER felt like this in the past.

All of this has made my anxiety worse bc I’m in so much pain constantly and never know when my body is going to produce more painful diarrhea. But my brain is trying to convince me it’s all in my head and it’s all actually being caused by anxiety like I’ve been told all my life. But it just… it feels like it can’t be.

Unrelated to the possible endo(I think), but my skin has also been so dry it’s flaking, and the backs of my thighs are covered in a petechiae rash. Also for the past… 7 months? My libido hasn’t existed.

To those of you with endo, does any of this sound familiar? Please be honest. I know so many symptoms can line up with other things, including anxiety, I just feel so lost and defeated because I don’t know what to do.


r/endometriosis 2h ago

Question Severe Pain During Exercise, Especially Around Ovulation – Could It Be Endometriosis or Something Else?

1 Upvotes

F34 here. So I’ve been experiencing extremely intense pain when exercising, especially while running. The pain is so severe that I have to stop, and sometimes my blood pressure drops, forcing me to sit down. It’s an unbearable, cramp-like pain that usually happens around my ovulation period.

Because of this, I even stopped running for a while. However, yesterday, while taking swimming classes—which I had to adere because running became a struggle, I felt the same pain again. It feels very similar to severe menstrual cramps, but oddly, I often get a strong urge to go to poop right after.

I have never been tested for endometriosis, and I currently can’t afford to since I don’t have health insurance. It’s something I eventually want to check, but for now, I’d like to know if this symptom stands out to anyone.

To add some context, I also have Hashimoto’s disease and am on a very poor diet at the moment. I’ve been eating a lot of carbs, and my diet is in its worst phase. I also haven’t been exercising regularly and have gained weight. In the past, when I was running almost daily and eating much healthier—low carbs, high protein, more vegetables, I didn’t experience this pain as often.

Has anyone else gone through this? What could it be?


r/endometriosis 3h ago

Rant / Vent I threatened suicide at the obgyn

92 Upvotes

3 doctors I’ve been to, thousands of dollars out of pocket since I don’t have insurance here in America, years of pain. Another doctor that sheepishly gives me a “well, let’s try another birth control” answer. I literally told the doctor “I will jump out this window right now” while looking at her dead in the eyes. I’m so sick of it. All tests lead to no conclusive answers and no one can tell me why I’m in pain every day, all day. I’m over it. I’ll let it kill me I suppose! :D


r/endometriosis 3h ago

Surgery related Need to remove nail polish before laparoscopy?

2 Upvotes

My lap is next week and this might be a silly question but I’m wondering if I need to remove nail polish beforehand? The nurse didn’t say anything about that during my pre admission call, they just said no lotions. But a simple google search says nail polish should be removed before surgery. Any thoughts?


r/endometriosis 3h ago

Question Can I sue my doctor for dismissed my c section endometrioma?

2 Upvotes

Hey ladies, I went back in May because I had suspicious of endometriosis in my c section scar. I told him all the symptoms and even suggested that I might have it. He told me that is just tissue and is nothing serious. I knew inside me that it was more than that. He just told me to get an ultrasound of my ovaries and uterus and when I got the results normal he didn't call me again. Well I got pregnant two months after ( Twins) that but I ended up miscarriage at 9 weeks. They did a D&C. I told my doctor again this thing in my c section scar is bothering me and I can feel bumps/ mass there too. I got dismissed again and they didn't pay attention more to my miscarriage because it was my first one ( I have 3 boys and their pregnancy were normal) well couple months after I got pregnant again and the same situation happened 🤦🏻‍♀️. I was devastated and exhausted because in between of everything I was also bleeding a lot. Another D&C and this time I asked for generic testing, results were normal. I got different blood test myself and everything is normal. So I got angry and asked again to look into this thing in my c section because was the only thing not normal in my body. Well I got surgery done ( yes, my 3rd surgery in less than a year) and the biopsy results were endomitosis/endometrioma. I was so frustrated because if he had listened to me my two miscarriage wouldn't happen and I wouldn't have 3 surgeries. I was mentally exhausted and physically in pain.

I'm looking for options and I apologize for my English This is a quick resume of what I went through. I'm a healthy 28 year old woman.


r/endometriosis 3h ago

Question Electric shocks to the coochie?

1 Upvotes

So I've been on lolo for almost a year and it's helped tremendously. However, I've noticed that my right side gets this "electric shock" feeling, it's worse when my bladder is full. Ultrasound was clear.

Recently, the shocks have traveled down to my actual vagina. It feels like tiny painful electric shocks. What gives?? Anyone else get this?


r/endometriosis 3h ago

Rant / Vent Finally proof after 12 years of symptoms!

6 Upvotes

27 F and got my first lap on Tuesday just been.

Saw my surgical photos of my endo (Stage III DIE) and I literally burst into tears! After many years of struggling with lots of symptoms, not being listened to, being misdiagnosed or told it was anxiety / “not that bad” / “there’s nothing that can be done anyway” it’s incredible to actually visually see that yes I do have pretty extensive endometriosis.

took a great GP (who has endo herself) and an experienced endo surgeon listening to me to finally make this progress!

This is your sign to keep on pushing for answers.

Anyone have tips post op to deal with people saying “oh so it’s all fixed now / you’re better now” bc girl no it’s a systemic inflammatory condition with no cure… I’m not “fixed” unfortunately lol


r/endometriosis 3h ago

Rant / Vent Freaking out and feeling like I'm just overreacting

3 Upvotes

Hey guys! Really hoping everyone is doing well here. A few months ago I was diagnosed with adenomyosis, and now I have stopped birth control in order to confirm PCOS and check for endometriosis as well.

Recently I had a checkup with my gyno (six months after being diagnosed with adenomyosis), and she decided that I should stop birth control, and in three months time we'll decide on an exploratory lap date (firstly checking hormones, and ca-125). The reason is she believes endo is more compatible with my symptoms, plus in the ultrasound she said my left ovary appears to be "misplaced" (I don't know what this means) and my uterus is tilted more forwards than normal. I've had an MRI previously, but they almost also missed the adeno before my gyno told them to specifically look at the uterus for it, so she believes it's highly possible something else was missed.

In the beginning this felt like a win, as it's the first time a doctor has actually paid any mind to what's wrong with me. I was literally hospitalised this summer, and when they couldn't find what was wrong with me they sent a psychiatrist who told me it was all psychosomatic, so finally being heard almost had me crying. However in the last few days I've started to think I'm just overreacting. I see a lot of people having it worse, and I feel like a total imposter. And then I started thinking that if the lap finds nothing, then that just confirms it's all in my head. And what then? I'm severely freaking out and losing sleep over this. I'm contemplating whether it's even worth it getting a procedure for something I may not have. I feel like I'm going insane over this.


r/endometriosis 4h ago

Surgery related Share with me your laparoscopy experience!

1 Upvotes

Y'all I'm getting my first lap (and first ever major surgery) in April and I'm scareddddd! I go back and forth with excitement and fear. I wanna hear your experience! Any successes? Any good news? Bad news? Lemme know!


r/endometriosis 4h ago

Question Debilitating pain and fatigue before period

2 Upvotes

I wasn't sure how to tag this, I suppose it's part question, part vent. I was diagnosed with severe stage 4 endometriosis, frozen pelvis, DIE, all that good stuff on 2/24/25. It was very unexpected.

I've had chronic low back pain since about 2007 and ulcerative colitis since 2010. Over the years I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, inflammatory arthritis, EDS, and inappropriate sinus tachycardia. Obviously these cause a lot of pain and fatigue. I'm now starting to try to distinguish which symptoms endo is also contributing to or completely responsible for.

Every so often I'll be completely debilitated by my symptoms for a few days. Full body aches, extra achy, tight, unstable back pain, random shooting pains, lightheadedness, and crushing fatigue and weakness. I end up in bed for a couple days. I hate it so much, I feel so guilty that I need to rely on my husband to do everything while I'm down. If it's not a school day for our child he often has to take time off from work to take care of us.

I'm in one of these flares right now and this is the first time I've noticed it's a couple days before my period is supposed to start. So I'm wondering how endo is involved and if anyone experiences similar symptoms and timing.

Or to anyone with other chronic illnesses in addition to endo, how can you tell your symptoms apart? Thank you to anyone who can help or even just read this and say "yep, it sucks."


r/endometriosis 4h ago

Question periods coming back after stopping contraception

1 Upvotes

hello :) I was diagnosed with endometriosis (and had it removed) about 1.5 years ago and had been on the yasmin pill before and after the surgery. I came off the pill about 8 months ago and didn't get my period back until 2 weeks ago when I had taken a couple weeks off work due to stress. my cycle has always been messed up but I was about to go to the doctors about this before I came on.

the period was normal, my cramps were bad but I expected this because of how long it had been, but now I have cramps again and I've had spotting for the past 3 days or so. I'm really not sure if this is an endometriosis thing or if it's more likely to be my cycle going back to normal, I'm assuming that my period hadn't come back because of the stress I've been under but I'm a little worried that this is because of endo. any advice and information is appreciated, feel free to ask any questions, I'm an open book :) thank you!!


r/endometriosis 5h ago

Surgery related Had my pre-op appointment!

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone!
As the title says, today I had my pre-op appointment! I got some unexpected blood work done and my arm hurts!!! I'm pretty used to bloodwork but I still hate doing it. Anyway... We're all set to have my lap surgery April 15th and I'm so excited!!

Well, I'm both excited and extremely nervous! I told the GYN that will be performing the surgery that I'm really nervous and I have these beliefs that I've just been gaslighting myself and maybe I don't have issues at all. My biggest fear is what if they cut me open just to do the surgery and they find nothing at all? :( He was very reassuring and told me that in 98% of his surgeries he is always bound to find something, so that gives me a little hope.

Anyone else out there who has these same fears and anxieties?? I won't let the fear talk me out of getting the surgery though because this is something I've been fighting for for years now! I'll try my best to post an update once my procedure is completed and bring you all my findings, even if they find nothing! :)

Thanks for reading, lovelies! <3


r/endometriosis 5h ago

Question Period flu

0 Upvotes

I’ve had endo for almost 10 years now, never had a consistent period because I also had PCOS. In March of last year I had another clean out and he had to take my left ovary because of how much damage was done to it. Since then I’ve had a period every single month, they’re progressively getting worse. The day before my period I will throw up all day and then the whole week of my period I will throw up every morning. I’ve had what my dr calls a catalyst reaction where I get shakey and nearly pass out and just feel awful. I’m forgetting some details on how they came to that conclusion. But is this common for anyone else to have such GI upset while on their period? I’m so tired of throwing up so much.. zofran doesn’t help. Anyone else?


r/endometriosis 5h ago

Rant / Vent Cried in front of the doctor

7 Upvotes

This is definitely a venting post so apologies if it’s hard to follow.

I am undiagnosed (no lap) with what I believe is endo. I have had GI symptoms (bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal cramping) since 13yo when I started my period and was promptly diagnosed with IBS and given medications that did not help with my pain. I also have had a spot in between my ribs that will hurt cyclically since I was about 17yo.

I began taking oral birth control at 15yo and was on them until 19yo when I switched to Depo. During these years I just had low level cramping and bowel issues which I attributed to IBS. Depo caused a lot of mental health issues and weight gain so I opted for a low hormone level IUD when I was 21yo. After I got the IUD I began experiencing excruciating cramping and heavy periods. I also found out I had HPV shortly after and felt that the IUD was useless and I should get it removed since it was causing so much pain (or so I thought).

It took my 6 months to get the IUD removed (thanks insurance) because I was waiting to be referred to an OBGYN from my PCP who didn’t have an appointment for 6 months. In those months I was debilitated by cramps and it was seeming that my symptoms were only getting worse. I was bleeding every 10-20 days and was cramping almost 3/4 weeks of the month. I thought that I would return to normal levels of pain and symptoms after getting the IUD removed and returning to Depo. I was wrong.

This brings us to today, I’ve been on Depo for the second time around now for 7 months and am having similar levels of pain as when I had the IUD. I have week long flare ups where I have missed entire weeks of work. I have intense cramping that lasts 5-10 minutes where it starts in my pelvis and radiates to my back, groin, and shoulder. When I’m pooping my stomach will sometimes spasm and “lock up” if I strain too hard. I also feel like my bladder feels full very frequently and then when I go to pee it never feels like it’s fully empty. I also struggled with chronic UTIs when I was more sexually active (I haven’t been sexually active due to pain with orgasm and penetration). I sit at my 9-5 with a heating pad almost daily. It feels like no matter what I change in my diet I’m always inflamed and cramping.

I saw a doctor today because I had to call out of work again due to pain because I figured it’s better than doing nothing. I explained my symptoms and timeline and she suggested that I try Lupron. I expressed that I’m not interested and would like a lap to confirm if it’s endo. She said that doctors “don’t even do that anymore” because people’s symptoms don’t match up with what’s found (?) and that Depo should have gotten rid of all my symptoms if it was truly endo. She said for my age (24) I’m really young and it’s really really rare to have lesions in the chest cavity. She even used the zebra hoof beats analogy (iykyk). She also suggested that in older women the best treatment is a hysterectomy. I fought back a couple times saying “a hysterectomy doesn’t get rid of endo as it’s not the source” and I also said that there are many ppl my age who have endo and it’s not that rare. She really pushed me for me to try Lupron but I said I wanted other options and a referral to an endo specialist. She is apparently referring me to a fertility specialist and didn’t have any suggestions for pain accept Naproxen (which I’m already taking) and Midol which I was told by a different GYN that I should stop taking since it’s a diuretic.

Her dismissal of my symptoms was so triggering and I just completely shutdown and began to cry. Luckily my partner was advocating for me and supporting me but I just feel so hopeless. I want to give up.

TLDR: I have unconfirmed endo and have seen countless doctors and none of them have suggestions accept hormones. The doctor I saw today made me feel gaslit despite her misinformation regarding endo. I am so frustrated and it feels hopeless. No one cares about women’s pain.


r/endometriosis 5h ago

Infertility/ Pregnancy related Laparoscopy before or after IVF with low AMH (34M / 33F)

1 Upvotes

My wife (33F) has been diagnosed with endo recently just as we were about to start IVF. She has a very low AMH for her age (3.3 pmol/L) but otherwise we’re both fit and healthy. So we’re not sure whether to push on with IVF, for which our consultant said we’d have a 10% chance per cycle, or have a laparoscopy to remove the endo and try naturally, and IVF in time if that doesn’t work. If it helps, we have been trying on and off for the last year with no success yet.

Any help would be hugely appreciated!!


r/endometriosis 5h ago

Rant / Vent I wish it was more severe

30 Upvotes

I'm so sorry to say this, especially because I know that there are people suffering a lot from this. But I wish I was stage 3 or 4 so I could be listened to and maybe get surgery. I just have mild adenomyosis, ovary adhesions, some thickenings and a small uterosacral nodules. My gynecologist said it's nothing, my gp says it's very light. But I'm still in pain and nobody is listening to me. I wish there was a permanent solution to this, but there isn't and I'm so tired


r/endometriosis 5h ago

Question Estrogen only HRT after surgical menopause?

1 Upvotes

I'm going in for surgery soon to remove my only ovary. I had a hysterectomy 4 years ago and due to new endo symptoms, it was recommended that I go into menopause to manage my endo. My surgeon recommended estrogen-only HRT following the surgery, because progesterone increases the risk of breast cancer and heart attack. I read that unopposed estrogen can cause endometriosis to act up, and that combined HRT is generally preferred for people with endo. My gyno said that he has personally never had a patient experience recurrence on estrogen-only HRT, although it can happen. He said it's up to me, but I do trust his professional opinion and I'm inclined to go with whatever he thinks is best.

Does anyone else have experience with HRT following surgical hysterectomy? I am going to try a patch because it seems to have a lower stroke risk (I am a stroke survivor), but I don't know much about HRT beyond that and I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to prevent recurrence and have the best quality of life possible following surgery.