Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

[meaganw]

So on the 8th I had an iud placed and was back in the er on the 10th with a high fever and had to have the iud removed. The doctor that both placed it and removed it was very rude to me. It was like he never even read my chart the way he was talking to me about other forms of birth control
On January 17th I was hospitalized with PID the pain is horrendous. I was on both morphine that night then they switched me over to demerol. I also had a transvaginal ultrasound and a ct scan. They told me they were not sure if it was a cyst or an abscess so they kept me for 7 days. During that time learned I had PID and my heart completely sank when I learned what it was. My husband and I are not trying for kids but I had hoped that one day we would get lucky. Im not out of the hospital and I am on augmenten and rifampin. Plus vicoden for the pain. I read some of the other posts and Im kind of worried. Im still having pain. It could be from all the pain meds i dont know because I do have the constipated diarreah i cant spell it. But im all bloated too. I dont know what is wrong my doctor or my priamary doctor said it was getting better just by feeling on my abdomin. lots of help that was. My insurance doesnt cover all of this so the price of it is getting to be just too much but I want better. I want the pain to go away. I am a student at university and all ready I have missed 3 weeks of school. I scared. If anyone has any advice please let me know. I went to the er last thursday and they looked at me like i just wanted pain medication and told me i had a uti and sent me home. Im just scared hubby doesnt help even if he is a paramedic i think he is more worried about this than I am. I also dropped 20 pounds not cool.

[katty1]

Hi Meganw , sorry to read your having a rough time, it sounds like the IUD caused a bit of a problem so at least thats out and you are starting on the road to recovery. Its upsetting when doctors are abrupt..its not necessary! put it down to him just not having a good bedside manner..little things like that matter..equally for every abrupt dr ect there is a really nice one concentrate on getting better.

Im sure they are doing all the right things here - please try not to be to scared over this..all PID is painful but from what i can gather from your post it does sound like they have cought this early and thats good news Megan! ..they kept you in hospital after you had had your trans V and CT so they could identify the cause and thankfully they did and are medicating you ...im familiar with Augmentin but just wondering if they have diagnosed you with PID im not quite sure why they are not medicating you with Ofloxacin and Metronidazole ( im posting from England so it may be under another name depending where you are posting from) as far as i know PID is usually treated with combination of the two antibiotics orally unless you have recieved treatment via your veins if you have intolerance to the oral medication or as you say rifampin ..an alternative .

You mentioned Vicoden ? again think its under another name here and its codine? i was given co-codamol painkillers and codine will make you constipated and try to avoid constipation as it will agrivate your PID i had the same bowel symptoms !! i had qite a bit of Diarreah (sorry carnt spell it either...but all antibiotics upset the gut but in a way its getting rid of infection try to make sure you keep rehydrated by sipping (sipping specially if you feel sick) 1 tumbler of water per hour for every episode of diahhea its really important and can prevent a rehydration drip . If it is a cyst you will be bloated i had a cyst along with PID but a combination of all the factors the illness not eating medication everything really can give you a bit of a pot belly ...ive got one tonight !! it seems to have a mind of its own since my PID.

I know you just want the pain to go away its horrible but i promise you i can honestly say that they are doing all the right things for you and you have had another pelvic ..i would def go with putting your trust in these guys! We both had same experience i had to return to emergency a couple of times AFTER i was discharged from hospital for more painkillers and i also had a UTI which they gave me a course of Augmentin for i was scanned a couple of months later ultrasound to see if the cyst had gone and it had ...they just break down and come away naturally with your period dont worry bout that they will keep eye on you . You say you are a student and i can imagine this is a really important time for you but its also important that you get well and it could take a month or two to get up and running again youy really need that rest . Bed rest is what they recomend . You sound like an otherwise young healthy woman and theres no reason why there should be any problems afterwards . Its good your hubby is paramedic im sure he will put your mind at rest over this . Take it one day at a time ! Try and eat small light meals as often as you can ...soup ect you can loose a bit of wieght with PID just try any bits of food that takes your fancy and avoid greasy things . Please post again to let us know how you are and send best wishes and hope you feel a little better soon . Kat x

[meaganw]

Hi katty thank you for posting I feel so lonely about this. Hubby is getting tired of me saying it hurts esecially when i do not want the pain meds because they make me loopy. Might be now to sorry. Bed rest has really been the only thing that has really helped. It is better when I lay to one side. My counselor today had me point to where it hurt and she said my doctor was confused I was pointing to my ovary and he said it was a lymph node. I really need new doctors. I know they are doing there best. I have a lot of anxiety when it comes to me being really sick. But bed rest Im going to try it and just call my teachers see f i cannot do the work online. It hurts too much to sit or walk for a period of time

[katty1]

Hi again Megan :) ...dont worry your going to get through this ...no need to thank me its kind of you to say it...and if anything from the posts help than thats great!

It can be difficult to watch someone you love and care about in pain and suffering along with any illness comes the anxiety ...gosh ...i must be the anxiety queen !! i stress over everything even though im nearly fourty !! . I know though it was difficult for me too as i just have my elderly parents it was my mom who got me through my illness (shes nearly seventy)..but she was like a rock to me ..she got my meds ..drove me to hospital ect .. when i just couldnt stand up. .. here i go agiain..gettin teary eyed!! ..toughen up Kat !!

Ok ...so the pain meds? ...had exactly the same problem ..codine made me feel very "spaced" evn after one i felt like i had been drinking too much alcohol! a bit drunk and dopey...i stopped takeng them . I gather your experiencing the same problem ...how about switching your pain med? please check with your dr/councelor BEFORE trying any meds you see mentioned or on the forum (i know i have mentioned the names of a few things but please get it OK'd by a professional as what works for one might not be right for another or you may have allergys ect . While i was in hospital they gave me IBRUPROFEN - yes you can get this over the counter at the drugstore but again do check with dr beforehand before stopping anything meds ect ..its very good pain relief for cyst and pid but i also find simple PARACETAMOL works a treat ...be sure to read the box carefully ...space any pain relief evenly ..a good idea ..i did this is to write down what med you take ...what time you have taken it..and just place a tick next to it so you remember when what time and what medication you have taken.. Any medication they have given you for the actual PID ...please whatever you do ...do not stop taking it, its most important you take the antibiotics if you stop them it will just return . Unless of course the drs stop them ..but any questions abouts meds dont hesitate to ask the advice of a professional they are there to help you . Another great thing that really really helps ...applying heat to the area (a heated pad, i used a hot water bottle place a cover over it gentle heat whilst lying on couch or bed) this along with pain meds is fantastic just pace on area or that point you have pain overy ect or it will help ease lower back pain ( i had a lot of that) just like you would with menstral cramping!.

Another thing best to totally avoid internal sanitary protection - use a sanitary napkin i know for me i had a little bit of a heavier period that first month out of hospital and a little bit of a longer bleed it takes a while to settle take note of dates of periods they will ask you about this if you dont have period dont stress things will get back to normal but again anything you are worried about please do ask councelor or your doc. Im sure your teachers will totally understand that you are unwell at the moment and you will be given that chance to catch up but you are doing all the right things..we could of been writing the same story i am always pointing to a spot on my right hand side saying its my overy ect and doc has said its lymph node ..but if you have a little cyst it could be on the left hand side but presses a little bit on your bowel and you feel pain on your right hand side at a point you think is the overy if that makes sense ?? doc said it was just a fluke i got a cyst at the same time and just added to the pain but if you think cysts are common most women get them all the time and they dont know they have them sometimes it can cause sudden pain and you need meds but they do break down and go on thier own . |If it was a big cyst they can grow large whn you were in hospital and they saw it they would of arranged for you to have a little op to remove it if they were worried i guess they have a good idea whats going on and are just leaving it be they might call you for ultra sound in a few months ....keep resting megan and agin my best wishes hope you find this post helpful .
Kat x

[meaganw]

Hello me again, bad news my dr no longer believes me. Well first let me say that i went back to the er on the 4th hubby took me and he is paramedic. I sat there for 8 hours in pain just for the dr to say there is nothing we can do this is no longer an emergency go home. I mean she would have done the work up just to make me happy but i just left i didnt feel like wasting anymore of my time there for her you know. Anyways I went back to the dr he diagnosed me with PID again last week and was really more worried that with the meds I was on i was dropping weight again truly that was all he cared about. I went back yesterday for another follow up and to tell you the truth I got my period over the weekend i was practically telling my hubby i needed the vicodin because the pain i still am in is holy cow. not going to say the other word. but it basically leaves me camped out in bed or the bathroom. Having to take a shower is horrible because i have a hard time standing. I dropped my classes kind of depressed about that. My period has been basically just blood which really worries me i used to have normal not to heavy period but this was so much it went through the pad, pjs, onto the bed. I was so scared. I told my dr that since my period it has gotten worse. i have a bruise where my ovary is and it is swollen the area i dont know anymore im really worried but since no one will do anything what can i do you know. The dr said it was just my period try some ibprofin. It was like he didnt even hear me. im still running a good temp too. I want to scream. i go to an ob on tuesday hopefully something im just getting so tired of this hubby is everyone is

[katty1]

Hi Megan - I got back as soon as i could....i was really hoping that you were feeling a little better but its going to take a little time. Hope you find some comfort from my latest post.

First of all ..hang in there!! think your doing so well, its just a case of persevering with the meds and allowing time to get through it and coping with its nasty symptoms.

I promise you that your dr does believe you (that you have PID ) and the hospital too ..you were hospitalized on the 17th Jan and they diagnosed it and had to give you the meds to treat it so please dont worry its good that they have seen this and its on file ect ... i *think* what they are doing is waiting to see how you are getting on with the medication for the PID and as well as the illness the medication can have very unpleasant side effects and its not uncommon for women after they have been discharged from the hospital to go back up to Emergency dep ( i did that myself several times whilst i was on the medication - explain in a moment!) and also visited my normal GP..Yes ..it is awful long time to wait in Emergency Department i know that ...especially when you feel so ill ...i have experienced long waits myself ...but must admit they were very good regarding the cyst - which felt like i was suddenly giving birth (they got a wheel chair and a nurse came out to take me in )and also depending on the time i went with the PID sometimes it was 3.00am if it was bad pain i was attended to ...suppose it goes on how busy department is. Once with my fractured thumb i waited six hours ...till i fainted with pain and they came out and took me in which was good of them (just a shame a sticking plaster was put on it !!! oh dear :( not a cast ...ive now got a wonky thumb!!! minor thing in life.

My point is if they know you have it at the hospital they are just waiting to kind of see how you get on . Your dr is good (i think so anyway) as he is checking your wieght ...you might remember from a previous post i said i dropped to 7 and half stone!!! it might sound dramatic but normally i am just under 8 and half stone so really if you think about it it wasnt a dramatic weight loss!! but it was a loss i couldnt afford to lose if you see what i mean ...it is a nasty illness and the meds play a big part in that weight loss!! ok so about a stone or so for me ...the dr was very good and i had to go back and get weighed regularly and he showed me the scale on the computer gradually rising from last feb now i ma about 8 stone 7 or 8...i think with me im a bit of an anxious person so my wieght stays the same used to be 8 stone for years and i did go through a period of time after i was raped when it dropped but agin i was getting my wieght monitored and it improved over timei tend to lose it off my face and bust (which is an embassingly small 34 B but weight loss gives it the fried egg look !!! NOT good ) but as i say its better now . If you think any illness eg: influenza a classic one that you feel awful and loose weight ! this isnt flu Megan...its a bit more serious BUT its treatable thank god !! but it can take a lot out of you like the flu can! thats why its So imprtant you eat as much as you can to get your energy levels up and not to cut out sugar !! (glucose) i tried energy drinks and lucozade nice just slightly chilled to sip that if you can. I understand EXACTLY what you mean about the shower and standing up!! in the day i stayed at my mums when i was sick on the couch i was SO shakey i couldnt stand for the shower so we got a wash bowl and mum supported me under my arms while i washed my intimate bits ect and she did my back with the flannel ...i was just about exhausted after just washing myself collapsed back on the couch sleeping most of the time waking for small meals and meds!. So know how you feel ...looking back at calendar i had a TEN day period when i had PID which was heavy all the way through plus you know the stuff you sort of get afterwards (last of it - bits of debris darker brown last of period ) all in all two weeks so thats DOUBLE the pain megan and just to reasure you ...id say its to be expected but nevertheless all the more painful - if you need the stronger painkillers at this time...nows thetime to use them but i promise it will ease . Now my periods are medium to heavy the first three days but i tend to be quite active running around jobs ect till late in the morning so with the activity i loose most of whats to come away the first couple of days if your lying down which i imagine you are standing can have that sudden "flooding" effect which could be scary...if you think about this having PID at this time a woman is highly aware of evry little thing happening with period how much blood ect!! before especially if you are used to using tampax you would quickly remove and dispose not really looking and pop another in with a towel it can look very alarming to see this coming out and how much if most of ourlives weve used tampax ...but its bound to be heavier but should ease as you get better but i do sympathize having had the same thing happen.
As for recovery i spent 4 days approx in hospital and from all the info i can gather it can take about $ to 6 weeks to recover ... id give that about 8 weeks AT THE BARE MINIMUM !! or longer ..i know for me (i live very near my moms home) to get started i would take short walks to my home two to three mins away check my mail and walk up to moms again ...that was 2 months after and i was swating and nearly fainting by the time i got near mums ..that was just a little walk ...gradully i walked futher and further round the block to get strength up!! but it took me ages about six months !!! but i think it was beacause i had the cyst ...it just takes time Megan so go at your own pace !!. The meds i took especially Ofloxacin which is quinolone antibiotic (a couple of courses but even at thestart of the first course as well as the metronidazole gave me a rapid heartbeat ...i had my heart traced a few times after in A and E severe anxiety/ panic attacks very anxious ...i was sweating badly and tummy upset...all side effects of that medication also my skin on my face very dry ...also disturbed sleep and a lot of crying prob with the meds and hormonal changes with cyst and PID ...please talk to your dr if these symptoms are getting worse but its vital you keep taking the medication to get rid of it. i also had to take lot with regular medication i have taken since 10 years of age so i felt like if you picked me up shook me youd hear me rattle!! . Main thing is dont worry about your period as nasty as that pain is when you get better you will apprieciate still having them ...promise you try like he said some ibruprofen if you can gradually stop taking codine id try as codine can become addictive the less the better but if it gets you though painful period and they say to use it ..try that.

I really hope you feel a little better soon please post again try to rest and keep drinking that water and gradually try to eat more and give yourself a little time ...this is a tough illness but you will get better think of something to look forward to ...a meal out ...new hairdo (had mine done today!! felt so much better got rid of same style i had when i was ill ...feel like new woman) . Your husband will be worried about you and im sure hes not fed up . When i was sick i made a lot of emails to France to the guy i was with and i mentioned on my first post . He is French ..we met when he was working here on a contract i told him what happened and what i had and asked him to get treated hes in his 40's so im hoping he has sense. he didnt say anything to my emails sometimes i sent them coz i was really worried and frightend the tablets made me feel so bad but later when he spoke on the phone he says he understood everything. It was harder because i couldnt see him differnt countries! but in general i think guys go a little quieter when they have a worry ...we werent engaged but we knew each other for a long time by then and it was hard to feel anything bad over the chymydia issue i just wanted to get better but your husband will be worried and hoping you recover as soon as possible and im sure anyone reading this will be sending you good wishes and hoping you get better soon . take care and please post agiain for a little update how you are . Good luck for Tuesday ! you can take the chanceto talk about any further worries you have ....
Kat x

[katty1]

Always seem to do two posts! sorry but thought id just add i mentioned symptoms of Ofloxacin i experienced but i think you said you were on Rifampim and Augmentin im familiar with Augmentin and whole range of others pencillin Cefilexin (wrong spelling) and others ect but i have allergy to Trimithreprin not sure if Rifamprim is similar ..but you might not experience any or just some of symptoms i just know i took a hell of a lot including steriod that was also at the same time (Prednisalone) for touch of asthma i got at the same time ...but my immune system was and prob still is a bit weaki now take probiotic drinks and chewable Acidophilus from health food store to boost my immune system and try and replace some of the good bacteria that these antibiotics strip you of. Good news is i decorated my whole home including painting ceilings two and half months after PID and removed a tough pampas grass rooted in the garden!! its amazing how you do pick up after PID but just shows you can feel like hell and then swing into action !! (i prob went overboard ...but i think it did me good to get cracking with a few jobs!!! but wait till you have recovered !!
Kat x

[meaganw]

hello i have news i found a new obgyn on tuesday. I am having a laproscopy next week. Kind of worried the knowing it will happen. Last surgery i had no idea they were going to do it, it was a naive bliss in the er that night lol. Well he said tuesday he would like to do the surgery then he said today i dont really need it but if i wanted it they woul still do it. I dont know i want it done. Hubby is with me on the decision the only thing about it i dont like is that hubby has to work the day after my surgery for a full 48 hours. What if i need help or something. I have really no one here they are all busy. My counselor said to keep taking my pain meds im at low risk for getting dependent. Im just so worried about this. I would actually go for staying in the hospital a couple of days just so hubby could look after me but i doubt this hapens. Hopefully with the surgery some of the pain will go away. Im mostly afraid of waking up during it. Ive been having nightmares before i knew i was going to have surgery that i would wake up during the procedure. it just still hurts so. I need to work on rest, my counselor said i will not do well with surgery if im not eating, drinking, or resting properly. i just want this done and over with

Meagan

[katty1]

Hi agin Megan - just to send a word of support ...im glad you have opted for this as well as the benefits of having a look around it will help stop you worrying ....i know i havent had it done but i certainly would if i needed it in future ...if you look at some of the posts of the ladies who have had it done they were fine ...there was a couple of women on my ward having it done (one younger girl) she was cracking jokes and laughing afterwards she was fine as soon as she came back up to the ward adn so was the other lady we chatted non stop and they were not in any pain or having any problems .
So just to say good luck ...relax keep your chin up and stay strong ...you will be ok ...dont worry about waking up it wont happen its impossible they will take good care of you ...afterwards when the lady on my ward had it done we went and had lunch when shed had a rest ...and im sure the consultant ect will be taking good care and will explain everything ....good luck for the day you go ...dont worry you will be fine. Kat x

[meaganw]

Hi me again. I did great during my lap they knocked me out before we even got there since i have problems with anesthisia. It came out normal and they washed me out pretty good. the only thing is i was feeling wonderful after the lap i was on top of the world could do cartwheels. lol but as soon as i got my period i went downhill again and im back to square 1. I have been to 5 doctors now. the gyno who did my lap gave me an ultrasound last week and told me everything was normal. i had some free pelvic fluid but that was normal too. I feel like i cant do thi anymore it hurts so bad plus thedoctors telling me they cant help me. they tell me it is in my head and i should see a counselor. I do!!! she said this cannot be in my head. I have gone to her for a while now and she knows I dont normally freak out like i have been. I dont sleep because of the pain and everytime hubby and i try to have intercourse it hurts to the point i am crying and then its like i start my period again. I cant keep doing this its hurting our marriage. its like i have a plague. he doesnt want to be physically close to me because he is afraid to hurt me. Im still running a temp off and on, naseua (or however you spell it), lots of pressure down there and a constant dull pain, plus the pain on my right that is very very sharp. the other day i tried to use a tampon and i screamed bloody murder. i thought hubby was going to break down the door. i kept screaming at him I want the freakin button. the one at the hospital where the nurses would come and give me demerol. i wanted it bad.

I really do feel like i failed by getting that IUD. it was my last resort for birth control. they told me it would be a good idea. and i am in so much pain now i have completely dropped school, im not working, and an acomplishment for me this week was to go and get my hair done and walk the mall. i really wish i couldfind a dr who will listen. but since everything looks "normal" to them my pain must be make believe. Im just tired all the time. and its not depression im just tired of pain.

Is all this pain for months later just a complication from having PID so bad? And if it is how do you deal with it?

Meagan