Endometriosis and Menopause – Will Endometriosis Symptoms Change During Menopause?

If you have endometriosis, you might be wondering what endometriosis in menopause looks like. Does endometriosis go away after menopause? How do your symptoms change, if at all? So, let’s take a look at endometriosis in menopause and the changes you can expect.

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a chronic condition, often accompanied with pain, where the tissue, similar to the inside lining of your uterus, grows outside of the uterus.

Usually, this will impact the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue that lines the pelvis. Sometimes, you’ll see endometriosis growth beyond the area where your pelvic organs are situated, though this is rare.

Endometriosis tissue alone isn’t a bad thing. It works to thicken, then break down and bleed with every menstrual cycle. That said, when it grows in places it shouldn’t, it won’t leave the body.

Endometriosis that involves the ovaries will commonly produce cysts, called endometriomas. The tissue that surrounds them can then become irritated, causing scar tissue. On top of this, it’s not uncommon for groups of fibrous tissue to form, called adhesions, which can act as glue between pelvic tissues and organs.

Endometriosis can cause severe pain, particularly during your period. That said, sometimes endometriosis pain doesn’t have to be cyclical.

How common is endometriosis?

A staggering 10% of women around the world have endometriosis. Chances are that number is much higher, too, because endometriosis is such a tricky condition to diagnose. That’s why it’s so important to raise awareness and understand the condition, as many people will know someone who are suffering from it.

Where does endometriosis grow?

If you have endometriosis or you’re new to the condition, you might be wondering “where does endometriosis grow? And why is it a problem?”

When you have endometriosis, tissue – which is quite similar to your uterus’s lining – will grow outside of the uterus. The problem with that? It causes inflammation. It’s not meant to be there, after all. Over time, this will cause scarring to form in your pelvic region. Sometimes, endometriosis can spread, though this is less common.

How endometriosis is diagnosed

Endometriosis is famously difficult to diagnose. That’s why it’s so important to keep a note of all of your symptoms. Even then, endometriosis symptoms can overlap with many other medical conditions.

As such, when considering how endometriosis is diagnosed, the only real, definitive way to reach an endometriosis diagnosis is via a laparoscopy. This is when a camera (otherwise known as a laparoscope) is inserted into your pelvis through a small incision near your belly button.

A surgeon will then use this camera to see the pelvic organs and search for evidence of diagnosis. If it is present, they may treat it or remove it for further testing.

Other methods of testing, such as blood tests and scans, aren’t a massively reliable practice because endometriosis may not reveal itself through these methods. That’s why the only reliable practice in terms of how endometriosis is diagnosed is through a laparoscopy.

Signs and symptoms of endometriosis

Endometriosis is famously left undiagnosed for a considerable amount of time. The most common symptoms of endometriosis include:

• Pain during your period
  Of course, cramps are common during periods. However, endometriosis can cause severe pain that could start a few days before your period and last for days into it.
  This pain is often in your stomach and your back. The severity of this pain could range from woman to woman, but can sometimes be utterly debilitating. Endometriosis pain is real.
• Painful sex
  If you have endometriosis, it’s relatively common to feel pain during or after sex.
• Painful bowel movements and/or urination
  With endometriosis, pain during bowel movements or urination is often made worse just before or during your period.
• Extreme and excessive bleeding during periods or bleeding in between periods
• Finding it challenging to conceive
  In extreme cases, endometriosis can cause infertility. For many women, they discover they have endometriosis during fertility tests.
• Fatigue
  A recent study has discovered that twice as many women who have endometriosis suffer from fatigue in comparison to women without endometriosis.
  This study did consider, too, other causes of exhaustion such as work stress, parenting, pain, weight and depression.
• Constipation and/or diarrhoea
  Endometriosis causes inflammation, which often leads to bowel problems including constipation, diarrhoea, bloating and gas.
• Nausea
  Endometriosis can trigger gastrointestinal issues (GI), which includes nausea (as well as diarrhoea.)

Endometriosis can also impact your mental health. Living with pain can be challenging and an emotional struggle, sometimes leading to anxiety.

What happens to endometriosis in menopause?

Many people believe that endometriosis in menopause is not a thing. As endometriosis is dependent on oestrogen, when perimenopause begins and your oestrogen levels drop, it would make sense that endometriosis will lessen in severity, stopping in menopause.

Essentially, for most women, menopause will actually help with endometriosis. That said, perimenopause and menopause can bring with them a bunch of different menopause symptoms.

Does endometriosis go away after menopause?

A study that took place in 2020 has suggested that it’s possible to get endometriosis after menopause. However, the study has concluded that this is exceptionally rare, noting only roughly 2-5% of reports of endometriosis occurring post-menopause. So if you’re asking does endometriosis stop after menopause? the answer is most of the time. But not always.

What are the symptoms of endometriosis in menopause?

If you have endometriosis in menopause, you might experience symptoms like:

• Pelvic pain (ranging in severity from mild to extreme)
• Pain during and after sex
• Pain while urinating or having a bowel movement
• Developing ovarian cysts
• Gastrointestinal problems

Endometriosis in menopause

While menopause can cause a wide range of symptoms, the good news is that endometriosis and the symptoms that come with it tend to improve at this time.

Once you become menopausal, your body stops producing endometrium, meaning it can’t spread to unwanted areas. On top of this, it’s been suggested that after reaching menopause, the gatherings of endometrium will actually shrink. If your endometriosis pain is cyclical, too, then as your periods change over perimenopause and stop in menopause, the amount of time you experience pain should reduce, too.

That said, after having endometriosis for a considerable amount of time, menopause will not erase scarring, which can cause pain (specifically when it’s cold.)

Is menopause different with endometriosis?

Recent research has suggested that women who suffer from endometriosis may be more likely to enter menopause earlier. Your reproductive years, as such, may be shorter. However this is not an absolute guarantee. Every woman is different, and research is expanding all the time.

When will endometriosis stop?

For the most part, endometriosis and the symptoms of the condition will improve throughout perimenopause and stop in menopause. That said, while it is exceptionally uncommon, some postmenopausal women may experience endometriosis. This can be true of women who have never suffered from the condition previously or those who have had it for years.

In short: in most cases, endometriosis will end in menopause, though it’s not a guarantee.

Endometriosis after menopause

Endometriosis after menopause is really rare, impacting only 2-5% of menopausal women. Postmenopausal women with endometriosis can show the same symptoms of endometriosis before menopause.

Symptoms such as pelvic pain, ovarian cysts, and digestive issues should be flagged to your doctor. Especially because, in some cases, endometriosis after menopause could present itself as menopausal symptoms. On top of this, some women might have no symptoms whatsoever!

How is endometriosis treated in people who are postmenopausal?

Managing endometriosis after menopause will vary. Make sure you see your GP to discuss treatment options, which can vary from pain management therapy to surgery.

Endometriosis in menopause in a nutshell

The vast majority of women who have endometriosis will see their symptoms improve throughout perimenopause, with menopause marking an end to endometriosis for a lot of cases. However, menopause doesn’t necessarily cure endometriosis for everyone.

If you have experienced symptoms of endometriosis – whether you’re pre-menopausal, perimenopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal – you should see a healthcare professional. Endometriosis can be painful and a challenging condition to live with. Your doctor should work with you to help you through having endometriosis in menopause and offer the best options of treatment for you as an individual.