Woman chooses to go for menopause for the second time because of endometriosis

A 24-year-old woman has chosen to go through the menopause for the second time due to debilitating endometriosis.

Chanelle Urquhart, from Hull, decided to undergo ‘chemical menopause’ – which involves being injected with hormones that stop ovulation and periods.

She wanted to end months of horrific pain caused by endometriosis – a long-term condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow across internal organs, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Chanelle, a bartender, says ‘switching off’ her hormones has been completely worth it.

She first went through the chemically induced menopause aged 22 which involved a monthly injection that switches off the menstrual cycle and puts the body into temporary menopause.

But it took its toll on her mental health and after four months she stopped having the injection.

But in April this year, she decided to try again as she was offered a nasal spray called Synarel which does the same thing.

The doctors gave her this so she can stop using it every day and evening if her mental health declines again.

‘The pains in my stomach were constant and it felt like there was a tiny person inside my stomach who was swinging a knife around,’ she said.

‘Endometriosis began taking over my life.

‘Depression and anxiety come hand in hand with endometriosis as the pain is unbelievable and you’re constantly worrying about what is going to happen next.

‘It felt a bit weird going through the menopause at such a young age because it is usually older women, but it stopped my period which is a huge relief.’

As part of the menopause, Chanelle gets hot flushes and memory loss sometimes but her iron levels are back up and she is no longer bed-bound.

The severity of endometriosis began when Chanelle started her period age 12 but she was dismissed by doctors and says she was made to feel as though she was ‘exaggerating’.

She was forced to take a daily cocktail of painkillers including Tramadol in a bid to reduce pain in her lower abdomen, leg and back.

‘I have spent most of my life going back and forth from the doctors who made me feel like I was going insane,’ she adds. ‘They said it’s “period pains” and a few have said it was an STI

‘The results would always come back negative and I always knew there was something wrong, but I started to think maybe they’re right and I am being a hypochondriac.’

She was finally taken seriously when she had two laparoscopies with excision of endometriosis – a surgical procedure, enabling them to see her organs and remove what they can.

But they discovered the endometriosis had spread to her bowel, womb, ovaries and all over the pelvic wall.

Chanelle continued: ‘I also had blood-filled cysts in my ovaries that would burst up to once a month and I imagine the pain would be like someone pouring acid over my organs, thankfully the endometriosis has since been removed via surgery.

‘The induced menopause doesn’t stop my daily pain which is why I take Tramadol, but it stops my horrendous periods and stops the endometriosis from growing.

‘If the pain continues, I will consider a hysterectomy in the future even though it’s not a cure as endometriosis can grow on any organ, but it is an option to relieve some pain.

‘I am sharing my story as I feel there needs to be more awareness around this disease, so many women with these symptoms are getting fobbed off by their doctors and treated like they’re making it up.’

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