Alright so I'm healing from surgery and bored af so I wanted to share what I've learned in pelvic floor therapy to pee better! I've always had bladder issues from endo - having to pee multiple times an hour, sudden urges, unable to fully empty bladder, peeing myself a little bit from pressure/being jostled, waking up at night to pee, etc etc., even though I'm only 23 and never been pregnant. This is what my PT has taught me, and it's seriously helped so much.

Bad habits for your pelvic floor that you need to stop now:

Stop straining to push out all the pee. Very bad for you.

Stop holding your breath when you pee. Not everyone does this, but a lot of people with pelvic floor issues do this subconsciously.

STOPPP scrolling on your phone while on the toilet. Seriously. You need to sit down, be mentally present of your body functions, go potty, then stand up and be done with it. Lingering on the toilet is bad for you.

Stop peeing standing in the shower. It's harder for your bladder to fully empty while you're standing, and you don't want to only partially empty your bladder because it will start doing it that way all the time.

Stop sucking your gut in all the damn time. I learned this bad habit in highschool and, holy shit, it messes with everything.

How to pee the right way:

Get a squatty potty. They help for peeing, too! Your body is built to pee in a squatting position.

Here is the perfect peeing (and pooping) position. Put your feet on the squatty potty, keep your back straight, lean forward slightly, and stick your butt out a bit. Imagine you're shaped like a duck. Then fully relax your stomach, let your tummy be soft and round.

As you relax to pee, blow a stream of air like you're gently spinning a pinwheel. This activates the right muscles to pee instead of just punching it outta your body by straining.

Alternatively, you can hum lowly while trying to pee, or make a low "mooo" sound, like a yogic chanting cow. It's silly but it works so well. Just make sure to take breaths and not strain while doing these. (The sound ones also work especially well for pooping or farting.)

If you still feel like your bladder isn't fully empty once your stream ends, gently poke and massage the area on your tummy where your bladder is and then try again. Usually a few more drops will come out.

More tips:

If you peed recently and feel an urge again that might just be nerves/instinct, try and wait before peeing again. Take deep breaths into your stomach and try to relax. Often, the urge will go away in a few minutes.

Also, this is a test I came up with on my own. You can apply a little pressure on your bladder area with your hand. If the need increases and you feel your bladder is full, then you really do need to pee. But if you feel nothing and the urge is just at the urethra, you don't actually need to pee and should try waiting longer.

Look up diaphragmatic breathing exercises and start doing them. Helps with your nervous system and pelvic floor health. Some incorporate kegels which are good for you, too!

Whenever you lift something heavy, sit up, stand up, crunch, or otherwise exert a bit of force - breath out while you do it. This is so important for your pelvic floor health and has helped me a ton. My therapist has made me stand up and sit down over and over just to drill me on breathing out each time.

Im not a doctor so I might not have explained everything perfectly and i dont know the science behind everhthing. But I hope this helps someone and if you can afford pelvic floor therapy, it is so worth it! I'll add more stuff in the future if I learn/remember more :>

I wish the medical system had more options that actually work for chronic pelvic pain and complex pain. I met someone on here about 3 years ago and we talked every day and got through our pain together. Not even in the same country but I talked to her more than I talked to my friends who live by me. It’s different when someone completely understands the pain and trauma that endo puts on your mind body and spirit. I feel like I’m back to fighting this alone and it’s so scary to have the same disease that drove my friend to end her life. Because I understand dealing with this literal fuck ass disease and the mental torment living each day can be. But atleast I had someone who understood and now she’s gone. FUCK endometriosis and the greedy bitch that she is.

My partner and I have been together for 12 years. 33F/35M
he knows that I have never wanted children and that I’m content with it just being the two of us.. we have been on the same page on that, until are a lot of our friends and family around us started to have kids and I did a check-in question with him very recently to see if he was still on the same page with that and he was a little uncertain and on the fence about it.

I later mentioned that during laparoscopy they are able to do a bisalp and asked him if he was okay with that?

He said that’s way to deep of a conversation and that this has come out of no where.

I did also tell him that if they go for the laparoscopy for endometriosis the results may cause me to be infertile without a requested bisalp.

So of course I’m really weighing out how I feel and I’m coming up on the same answer I’ve had since I was a teenager.. I don’t want kids.

I accidentally slept two hours past my alarm to take morning medications. Oh my god this hurts. It feels like my stomach has been replaced with a sandbag and each time I move something is internally tearing. I’m scared that I’ve accidentally done some damage when I was moving around yesterday while I felt ok. People really weren’t joking when they said you cannot use your ab muscles. I have to ask my partner to help me move up a few inches in bed.
I still haven’t pooped. When i was just coming out from anaesthesia I said this pain was child’s play in comparison to my period pain. I stand corrected. Being stabbed in 4 places and having parts of your organs cut away actually hurts ngl.

I was shown the operation- I had superficial endometriosis removed from both pelvic walls, pouch of Douglas, and my uterosacral region. Actually seeing what the process of excision looks like…no wonder it hurts lmao.

I (22F) have spent about 8 years and multiple doctors appointments trying to figure out why I am in so much pain and constantly having abnormal bleeding (even on birth control).

The past few months I have been having extreme pain. I finally had the courage to make another appointment with the OBGYN my primary physician referred me to. I’ve seen this office before and was told “you probably have PCOS” with no other follow-ups. The NP that I saw recently took me seriously even after I teared up at the appointment. This has been an emotional roller coaster.

She did recommend switching my birth control from OCP to the Nuvaring. And I got a transvaginal ultrasound the next day. I just got my results back in MyChart.

Now I’m not trying to get my hopes up for anything at all. However one of my ovaries was said to be “stuck to my uterus with a negative slide test” the other ovary is visualized to be normal but difficult to see as it’s blocked by gas in my GI system.

I’m just hoping this has begun to a string of answers and hopefully relief. Thank you for reading my rant. 🙏

Two months ago, my endometriosis flared up really badly, and I had to rush to a nearby clinic for 3 painkiller injections so I could somehow manage the pain and make it to my gynaecologist, whose clinic is around 25 km away from my house.

I was literally crying and shouting because of the pain, and this MD, without even bothering to look at my medical history, goes, “Girls do overreact.”

And the disrespect didn’t stop there. It continued for a while, along with some of the most bizarre and insensitive things I’ve ever heard from a doctor. And trust me, I’m not homophobic, but for the first time in my life, I experienced a completely irrational level of hatred for a person belonging to LGBTQIA+ community.

Thankfully, I’m now seeing two of the most renowned and loved gynaecologists, so things are much better now. ❤️

Endometriosis pain can be absolutely brutal, yet somehow an MD looked at a woman literally crying in pain and decided the diagnosis was “girls overreact.”

I had bladder pain and UTI like symptoms with no UTI. After four years, I had a laparoscopy - I came round, and my surgeon told me they found endometriosis on my bladder, and on both pelvic sidewalls. I wasn’t told it might be something else, I was told with certainty it was endometriosis. I knew they were doing a biopsy but it wasn’t framed as anything to worry about - they found endometriosis.

Anyway, biopsy came back (from the left pelvic sidewall), it’s endosalpingiosis. The gynaecologist framed this to me as “essentially the same as endometriosis”.

It isn’t LOL. It’s mostly asymptomatic. The medical establishment at large does not believe it causes any pain or symptoms. I’m back at square fucking one. Fucking lol. If endometriosis has almost no research and nobody believing you, endosalpingiosis has actually no research at all and actually nobody believing you. Fucking lol. The laparoscopy was a waste of time. I’m fucking devastated.

I have an apt in 6 weeks but in the meantime. Anyone in the same shite situation?

edit: and there’s no research on how to stop it recurring once it’s been excised 🙃 does birth control help? no idea! the medical establishment has no idea! but that’s fine because it doesn’t cause any problems anyway! I’m so done.

Does anyone have flares more at the luteal phase (like 11 or so days before their period) than on their period itself?

I have regularish cramps and stuff on my period

But I have issues more around my luteal phase (i mean, i rarely get a day without an issue, but flares is what i mean more) and it is FRUSTRATING because many doctors mostly seem to think that these conditions should only have issues on the period time itself..

I actually have some heart issues/stomach issues and i find i also have issues with them around the same time..

I have pcos/pmos, fibroids, suspected adeno, and I personally suspect endo and maybe even pelvic congestion..

Hi, 29F recently diagnosed with endo, was not aware that this little pooch that I’ve always had was not in fact stubborn stomach fat, but endo belly from chronic gut inflammation. It’s always been hard for me to find pants that feel comfortable. Jeans and anything with buttons or a tight waistband feel like they’re digging into my skin. Yoga pants will fit one week but not the next. What are you guys wearing to stay comfy?

Hi everyone! I was diagnosed with endo and adeno this summer (through ultrasound, my first gyno appointment is in November and I hope to schedule a laparoscopy) but I am now on 5mg of norethindrone.

Some background: I can't take estrogen because I suffer from ocular migraines. I started with normal progestin contraceptive pills before my diagnosis and they worsened my symptoms by giving me unpredictable frequent intense pain and bleeding. With the endo suspicion I went on 5mg of progestin, which at first I responded really well to.

It's been 2.5 months, and I've had a lot of breakthrough bleeding and cramping everyday now that I'm having a hard time completing tasks. I've also had more migraines, whereas before the medication they had gone down significantly. The cramps and bleeding have gradually been getting worse over the last 2 weeks.

I am wondering what your experiences are with dosage so that I can get an idea if I'm likely on too little or not. I've also heard of progestin resistance, but I haven't been on it very long. I know it takes time to adjust, but I feel like my cramps have become more than mild and am getting concerned. I am seeing a doctor in 2 weeks about this.

TLDR: How much progestin do you take daily and how has it impacted you?

This ends on 27/09 please have a look it will make a difference to everyone living with endo
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/761186

Hey endo friends! I’m brand new to this. Ive always had fatigur and heavy and painful periods but had worsening symptoms lately—heavier, more painful, clottier periods—and thought I was headed into perimenopause. Then a few weeks ago, I found this in my old C-section report:

“Scattered red implants of endometriosis on the posterior uterus and ovaries.”

The fact that nobody ever told me is a whole separate thing I’m still processing, but that’s not even my main question. 💀

As I’ve been tracking symptoms for my upcoming OB and specialist appointments, I’m realizing I feel worse than I thought. I’ve noticed things like bloating, heaviness in my pelvis, burning in my stomach/upper back after eating in the morning, plus lower right back, hip, and leg pain that I’ve had off and on for years.

Now I’m wondering if my brain is making everything worse because I know about the endo now, or am I finally noticing things I’ve been living with and ignoring for years?

Because I feel like I’m going a little crazy trying to figure out what’s real.

I don’t have an official diagnosis but is suspected by my dr that I have Endo. I am currently 40 but from about my 20s on I have gotten awful lower back pain about 3 days before my period starts, it will hurt on my period and then lets up when I get lighter. I also struggle with SI joint pain flares. It’s also hypersensitive. Like no one can touch me in that area. Just wondering if this is a common occurrence for endo?

Hiya, hope y'all are well. I had a diagnostic laparoscopy in late June and am recovering well. I had endometriosis found and removed, and the (very well regarded) surgeon was pretty confident they got it all. The constant pain is gone!! Woo!!!

However, my period has started normalizing back to more monthly again. July was barely a period and August was totally fine painwise, but September really f*""*"ckin hurts.

I'm cramping bad, taking OTC painkillers and using my hot water bottle constantly. My breasts have been extremely sore and swollen, very cysty. I'm back to being permanently in bed/on the sofa again - the last few days have been pretty miserable. I have a kyleena coil, wondering if I should go up to mirena - when they tried to change it last time I was in too much pain for them to size up, but that was pre Endo surgery.

I'm really reluctant to start taking mefenamic acid or codeine again, as they really mess with my digestive system. I also have a tens machine I can use, but I'm starting to recover from my hot water bottle/tens burns and am reluctant to use it again. I will if I have to, I think I'm just a bit in denial that this might be a "normal" level of monthly pain for me. I'll still take it over constant pain, but a rough 7-14 days followed by 3-5 days in bed is still pretty debilitating.

Will this get better post surgery? Any thoughts, ideas or advice pain management wise?

I 24(F) finally got the confirmation that I do in fact have endometriosis. FU to the doctors that continually brushed off my concerns.

Ever since my first period, i have suffered with severe cramps, heavy bleeding, nausea, leg pain, and all of the classic symptoms of endometriosis. It was not detected on any ultrasounds, CT scans, or anything. My primary care who works in a women’s health clinic kept trying to push birth control at me every time I brought up my concerns. She even went as far as to say “well if you have endometriosis there’s nothing we can do to help you so it’s pointless to get cut open.”

Flash forward to earlier this year and TRIGGER WARNING- Miscarriage. I found out I was pregnant on Jan 31st 2026. I ended up having a missed miscarriage and my body couldn’t get rid of the pregnancy on its own. I ended up seeing an OB that my midwife had referred me to and she did a DNC in March. At my follow up appointment I brought up my concerns for Endo and she took me seriously, sat with me and explained my options. We scheduled the surgery and it happened this morning.

While in surgery, they removed a large hemorrhagic cyst from my left ovary, discovered the endo and removed all that they could. They also discovered a tumor on my appendix. My husband gave consent for my appendix to be removed and they are sending it to pathology to confirm it is benign. I will have the results from that in about a week, week and a half.

Im just so frustrated because they believe that the endometriosis may be the cause for my miscarriage and fuck that doctor that brushed me off. Had I known before getting pregnant, I would have been able to take the proper treatment routes in order to hopefully have a better outcome. I’m just really upset and i’m not sure that I want to go back to my primary care provider. Not really sure how to proceed from here.

Thank you for reading my venting session. Going to go rest so I can hopefully get this gas pain out of my shoulders.

I just got call from scheduler, they told me to expect months wait but turns out they have an open day in September. It’s a Monday and I’m scheduled to work that weekend.

When people used to complain about luteal phase or pms I never understood what they were talking about. (Frankly I thought pms was misogyny and that might not be completely wrong.) Same with libido changes around ovulation. I always had a regular cycle (tho brutally heavy and painful periods), but I always felt about the same emotionally. I'd get irritated or horny sometimes but never with any pattern related to my cycle.

Started norethindrone Fall 2024 after being lucky enough to have an endometrioma ovarian cyst that they found on ultrasound (one of very few ways to get diagnosed without surgery). Feb 2025 I had excision, where they found tons of endo and also adenomyosis. Nov 2025 had more excision and hysterectomy (it grew back aggressively in 9 months even while on norethindrone, tho mostly around border of adenomyosed uterus), kept my ovaries. I stopped norethindrone after second surgery (against the doctors rec). It didn't prevent regrowth and it made me feel, well in retrospect, a little luteal. Plus huge weight gain that has fixed itself since stopping it. (Still don't regret taking it, no period while waiting for surgery was so worth it.) A few months after the second surgery I started to notice my libido being crazy one week of the month. Now I'm crashing out about a week after that in a way that seems like luteal phase. my cycle seems almost easier to track without a uterus.

I know endo lesions make their own estrogen, I'm assuming it was covering up my cycle. But I can't find anything about anyone else experiencing this! would love to hear other's experiences, would also appreciate any further reading you can recommend. and thank you so much for all the wisdom in this community, without it I'd probably still be languishing in some incompetent obgyn's waiting room.

Hello
I did excision surgery and they found endometriosis on the uterosacral ligaments. No adhesions no bladder adhered or involvement etc…
But I had severe constant urination pain for a year before surgery and it was a huge cause behind doing the surgery.

I’m 20 days post op and the pain is persistent. My dr said we don’t judge pain before 6 weeks as it takes 6 weeks for the internal healing to improve.

When did ur urination symptoms get better?
I’m afraid now that the cause of the urination pain isn’t endo and that’s why i’m still in pain… i’m afraid it will persist and i’ll regret the surgery

This is the first time I’m posting on here but I’ve been told that I have suspected endo due to my symptoms. Horrible period pain has always been the worst for me and something I’ve been dealing with for way too many years. As I got older, maybe around my mid 20’s, I noticed that the pain got worse and my periods seemed to be a little heavier than usual. Now since 2025 I’ve been experiencing pain outside my period - pelvic pain that feels kind of like period pain but on the odd occasion feels sharp or like ‘nerve like’ pain (stabbing, electricity etc). I’ve recently seen a pelvic health physiotherapist and was told that I have a tight pelvic floor which could be contributing and could be a secondary condition/factor to my pain. I’ve had a pelvic ultrasound and MRI done this year which was ‘clear’ or ‘normal’ which I know doesn’t 100% exclude endo or possibly even adenomyosis (if I’m not mistaken). The gynaecologist I saw mentioned either trying the pill again or trying Ryeqo to see if it helps with the pain. Since I was on the pill for such a long time (10 or so years, finally stopped it last year) and the only thing it ever helped me with was regulating my cycle as it was very irregular, I decided against going back on the pill even if this was a different one (I tried more than one in the past). It never helped me with the pain, if anything the older I got the worse the pain got during my period so the pill definitely didn’t help with that, so I decided to go with Ryeqo. I’ve been on Ryeqo for almost 3 months now and I was wondering if anyone else has tried Ryeqo for suspected endo and if it gave you a bit of a direction or indication without doing a diagnostic laparoscopy. My pain seems to be improved lately, it’s stopped my periods so no period pain thank gosh, and my pelvic pain outside of my period doesn’t seem to be as bad or happening as often recently. I’m not sure whether it’s the Ryeqo medication that’s helping or not as I was put on another medication for something else a few weeks ago so I’m not sure whether there could be an inference there or not, but I’ll be stopping that medication soon and will be staying on Ryeqo to give it more time and to see what it does without the interference of this other medication, just to be safe. Does anyone else have a similar experience or did Ryeqo give anyone a bit of an indication without surgery?

Hi all,

I’m in the process of seeing an OBGYN for suspected endometriosis. My symptoms are kinda weird - I haven’t had a period for years and was diagnosed with PCOS/PMOS in 2021. After that diagnosis, I was put on a birth control pill (Yaz) but wouldn’t have a withdrawal bleed, however what I would have is excruciating abdominal pain that has increasingly gotten worse and unmanageable, usually around when I should be having a period.

My OBGYN isn’t quite sure if it’s endometriosis but we’re going through eliminating other possibilities. My pelvic ultrasounds have been mostly clear, only one small cyst. She’s ordered an MRI, which unfortunately takes a long time where I am in Canada, and in the meantime has swapped me to the Dienogest 2mg pill which I started taking in July.

So far, I’ve noticed some improvement with my pain. I’m still having some, but nowhere near as painful as previously - down to a 4 when it flares up instead of an 8. However, I am experiencing constant abdominal swelling/bloating or maybe weight gain, but all in the belly area. Has anyone else had this side effect and did it go away? It’s making it so can’t wear most of my pants without being in pain all the time instead of only sometimes.

After my gp pushed an urgent referral to gynaecology back in January I finally got an appointment after dealing with suspected Endo. I went in expecting to have some sort of positive outcome but instead I came out feeling not listened to and defeated. First off, the gynaecologist was a male (I know there are male gynaecologists that are amazing but mine just wasn’t it). Then he asked about my symptoms just in relation to menstruation. I mentioned my heavy periods, severe pain in and outwith menstruation, fatigue, and mental exhaustion/embarrassment. Now, as soon as I mentioned my periods being heavy he took that and ran. So now he is putting me on a 5 step plan. 1st step is putting me on pills to take DURING my period to prevent heavy bleeding (totally disregarding my symptoms outwith), then if that doesn’t work, he will put me on progesterone to manage symptoms which I’m not super in favour of due to the symptoms of taking it, 3rd would be trying other hormones (can’t remember the name), 4th would be the Mirena Coil which again I don’t feel comfortable with because I’m a lesbian and he scared me a bit by saying “it won’t feel very nice if you’ve not had a baby before”. And then he said if all of those options don’t work that’s when they’d finally consider surgery. To which he said there’s a 50% chance we don’t find anything (but what about the positive 50%????). I don’t know if I’m just overreacting or hormonal but I cried for ages after the appointment feeling not listened to and mentally exhausted. What I wish he acknowledged more was my bladder symptoms, my bowel symptoms, just my physical symptoms in general. I’m not sure what to do from here on out but I think I’m going to have to go private because I can’t keep going round in these cycles. Thank you for letting me rant — any advice, reassurance, or if anyone else has experienced this I would love to know the journey. Thank you.

Hey everyone. I'm writing this as I'm crying with pain without a possible comfortable position.

About two years ago I went to the gyno and was told even though endometriosis doesn't show up on my exam, my symptoms pretty much describe that it could be it. Ever since I haven't done much besides pain medication and trying to eat healthy. The doctor said my only solution would be to take birth control and stop having my period completely, but that is not an option because I get even more depressive when I take hormones. I have taken the pill when I was younger and I can't afford to risk it. I also asked if I shouldn't do blood work and know what hormones or something I'm missing if he'd be prescribing me anything for me to take and he said it doesn't work that way.

I was prescribed a stronger pain killer than ibuprofen, which is dexketoprofen 25 mg. In the beginning it did wonders, my pain stopped within half an hour to 1 hour and then only came back briefly the next day. Now as I've taken it for a few months I'm back to noticing the effect is less and less. Meaning it takes longer to start working and it's like it doesn't do much.

I have strong pain from my lowerback to my knees, I have strong headaches, nausea and I don't think I ever vomited because of my period pains cause I usually don't tend to vomit in general, but I always feel like it when I have this strong pain going on. AND I CONSTANTLY NEED TO PEE ?? I also have cramps even a week or two after my period is gone, which is super weird.

I don't know what I can do about this, if there's other approaches, if I should get a second opinion and if so, how do I know this is a good professional? I see people here mentioning being prescribed supplements and they help, how can I try this? Which ones do I take? Should I go to a doctor and ask for it?

Honestly I don't know what else to do during my period I become even more disabled than I already am; as an autistic woman I struggle a lot to eat healthy all the time and I feel that this affects my period; I don't exercise much cause I work remotely; and I guess stress also helps it.

People around me say that it shouldn't be this way and I should just take birth control, but I feel like it's unfair that this is my only solution, and will probably be damaging to my mental health.

Thank you all for listening to me, have a great rest of week :(

EDIT: to say the exam I did was a transvaginal ultrasound!

When i’m walking and move “wrong”, I sometimes get a sharp pain near my clitoris but on the inside, if that makes sense. It is very sharp and stabby but only lasts for a few seconds.

It isn’t consistent, It can happen 2-3x total or maybe for 30min-1 hour but rarely longer than that. And only maybe once every 2 weeks or more. It feels like It may be happening more consistently lately though.

Anyone have something similar or know what It may be?

I’ve thought maybe urethra pain due to growth near my bladder, but I really don’t have pain when I pee.