Pain over a year after ectopic surgery is ruining my life!

Hi all,

I suffered an ectopic pregnancy on 27 December 2023, resulting in surgery and the removal of my right fallopian tube.

Over a year on I feel like I’m at a complete loss with how to navigate recovery. Since the surgery, I’ve had severe internal pain, which I’d describe as pulling, stabbing and burning inside my stomach. It often leads my stomach to swell quite severely, so much so it’s created stretch marks, impacts my mobility and limits the kinds of clothes I can wear.More recently, and rather alarmingly, the pain has spread across to my left fallopian tube, and is causing me a lot of worry.

This pain impacts me every day. I’ve been dismissed constantly by doctors and told to either take pain meds and hope it gets better or potentially undergo more surgery to see if internal scarring is the issue. They’ve told me if internal scarring is the case, I will likely just go through the same thing again during further recovery from more surgery. Not much of a solution, but I am trying to keep on at them to help me.

The pain really impacts me at work. Im 4 days a week hybrid and mostly desk based, which really aggravates my stomach. By the time the work day is over I’m in terrible discomfort. My work aren’t willing to let me work an extra day at home to help with pain management and I get the sense they’re now a bit fed up of me talking about it. But it also impacts my every day life - I don’t want to go anywhere, make plans or see anyone. My mental health has plummeted and I just need more support.

I’m just curious if anyone’s experienced similar pain so long after this kind of surgery and if there is any light at the end of this grim tunnel.

Thank you x

Dear Lauren,
I am so sorry to hear of your continued discomfort. I can appreciate how exhausting this must be.
It is common to experience continued discomfort following ectopic and we do not have any evidence to say why.
We recommend keeping a diary of the pain, when you get it, relation to periods, how long it lasts, how it impacts and what you take to help and if it does help. We then advise taking this to your doctors. If you are not getting anywhere with one doctor, can you try another. Would the organise an ultrasound scan for you before even considering surgery? I would advise speaking to your doctors again, if the pain persists and is worsening so you are having to take time off work, but they won’t organise any further investigations such as an ultrasound scan, can you request a referral to gynaecology for further information.
I hope this helps a little.
Best wishes,
Karen,
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust

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