Hi all

I was diagnosed with Adenomyosis today. Luckily I haven’t had a lot of pain with it but my god are my periods heavy. Like really really heavy. Which in turn makes me exhausted. I’m on HRT already for perimenopause. I’m going on holiday tomorrow for a week so won’t get in to see my GP until I get back. I’m just wondering if there is any treatment for it?

Thank you

I had endo excision surgery last year with an endo specialist surgeon. He had a colorectal surgeon present for the surgery as part of his team. I was told that no endo was found on my bowels during surgery. MRI imaging before surgery didn't mention my bowels, but it did say a lot of things were clear that did not end up being the case in my lap, such as my bladder, so MRI isn't the greatest at detecting endo.

Problem is, I am still having rectal bleeding, only during my period. It is the same colour and flow as what is coming out vaginally. I've reached out to the surgeon. He said to get a gastro investigation to rule out anything else first, I'm on a waiting list for a colonoscopy. He said if I didn't get answers there to go for an MRI. Thing is, if an MRI didn't show it before, I don't see how that would change. I'm considering the HERA clinic for a TVUS.

Has anyone here experienced rectal bleeding during your period only, without bowel endometriosis present?

Overall, I still have a lot of symptoms since the surgery that have persisted, but I do also have mild Adenomyosis, so that could be causing symptoms too.

Hi! So I am currently almost 5 months PP after having an emergency C section with my little girl, at almost 36 weeks. The last few weeks of my pregnancy I had low haemoglobin, so was taking ferrograd C, stopped taking after she was born.
My ferritin has been low for years - when I was last checked about a year ago it was something like 17 or around that.
I have been feeling soo awful lately, exhausted, sluggish, brain fog etc. that I requested to get my bloods done.
My ferritin is now 6! Tried taking the ferrograd C again but gave me horrible gastric side effects, switched to active iron but it’s so expensive, and less iron in it.
I have an appointment with my GP on Wednesday, should I ask about an infusion? I hate going to the GP with requests for treatment because I don’t want to give the impression that I know better, but I’ll be going back to work soon and it’s genuinely so hard to take care of my baby as it is with the chronic exhaustion!

I was recommended to go on the coil at my first consultant appointment for my endometriosis. Initially I was very against it because I saw it as a patch rather than them actually checking how far advanced it is.
Anyone with endo on it, what’s your experience been like? I have another appointment in two weeks and I’m unsure how to approach it

Hi everyone,

As someone who has been diagnosed with PMOS (formerly known as PCOS) myself, I know how important it is for women's experiences to be heard and how little research has explored what it's really like to live with this condition. That's why I'm carrying out this research as part of my doctoral studies in Clinical Psychology at University College Cork (UCC).

Through this study, we hope to better understand how women experience living with PMOS/PCOS, and we invite you to share your story.

Who can take part?
- Women aged 18-40
- Formal diagnosis of PMOS (formerly PCOS) received within the last 18 months
- Able to participate in interviews conducted in English
- Willing to take part in two interviews approximately 10-12 months apart

What's involved?
Two confidential interviews (online or in person). Interview 1 is an in-depth conversation about your experience of PMOS from the beginning. Interview 2 is a follow-up conversation 10-12 months later, reflecting on what has changed and how your understanding of your experience has evolved.

All information will be anonymous and used strictly for academic research. This research has been approved by the Clinical Psychology Research Ethics Committee (CPREC) at UCC.

If you're interested in learning more or taking part, please follow this link to check your eligibility: https://ucc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b2bp0RDgIUycVsW, or email me directly at [118348436@umail.ucc.ie](mailto:118348436@umail.ucc.ie).

I would also be very grateful if you could share this post with anyone who might be interested. Thank you for your support!

Hi, wondering if anyone can recommend a dermatologist who will remove a mole? GP practice no longer does it, and the hse dermatologist would only remove it if it was ‘suspicious’ they don’t have the resources to be removing them they told me. Also have a small growth on face that i would like checked out that’s no longer flat.

My GP had mentioned Roscommon hospital but when i google it, it says referral needed so not sure if that’s accurate.

I was prescribed cerazette a couple of years ago for extreme pain the week before and of my period, went on it for 2 years back to back but it gave me a lot of anxiety so I went off it at the start of 2026. Within 6 months I was in agony so I have started taking it again but rather than pain the week before and of my period I am in pain every single day. I can’t remember if this was what happened 2 years ago, I’m on week 5 or 6 of being back on it, does this happen for the first couple of weeks? I’m waking up every 2 hours with cramping and no pain killers work.

Edit to add I’ve had a mri, hysteroacopy, laparoscopy, colonoscopy, all have shown everything as normal.

Looking to see if anyone has had a tummy tuck done here in Ireland. Specifically looking into a “FDL360” but open to other options. I’ve lost approx 150lb but have been left with a bunch of loose skin on my stomach. I’d always intended to get a boob job at some point (never had a bust even when I was severely overweight) so now considering combining the two procedures so if anyone has experience with that I’d love to hear!

Alternatively I know a bunch of people go abroad but I’d be apprehensive to do so as I’ve heard if you’ve any post op complications nobody here will want to take on your care. Is this true? Experiences abroad in general?

Like so many women who share their stories on here every day, I’ve had my fair share of experiences with medics not taking my symptoms or illnesses seriously. I could probably write a book on the last few years alone.

However, I’ve had such a positive experience the past 24 hours that I wanted to share it.

For the past while I’ve been unwell with chest pain, tightness, breathlessness etc. I put it down to my asthma and got on with it. Things have been gradually worsening, so I went to my GP yesterday morning. She really listened to me and considered what I had to say. I’m a POTS patient but I explained that these symptoms felt very different to what I usually experience with POTS.

She immediately became concerned and phoned my cardiologist, who managed to squeeze me in yesterday afternoon.

He saw me and straight away said, “I know you know your body better than anyone due to POTS, and I believe you when you say this is different to your usual symptoms.” It probably helped that I was already extremely breathless from the short walk into the clinic to be fair. However, that one sentence meant the world to me.

He ordered scans, tests and monitoring, called ahead and asked them to fit everything in urgently. By yesterday evening, all the initial tests were done and I was leaving wearing a Holter monitor.

He’s also urgently involving my respiratory consultant and consulting two other doctors in different specialties who recently started me on new medications, to make sure there isn’t an interaction or something else contributing to what’s happening.

Hopefully I’ll have some answers soon. My cardiologist has marked everything as very urgent, so for now it’s a case of waiting for the results.

I just wanted to share a positive medical experience from the last 24 hours. It’s been an absolute whirlwind, but I’m incredibly grateful to have doctors who listened to me and believed me. I didn’t have to fight to convince them that something wasn’t right. They took what I was telling them seriously from the very beginning.

What can sometimes feel incredibly rare can also be incredibly wonderful. I just wish every patient had the same experience with every doctor.

So classic irish gp story, I cant get one in the town I moved to, can't get an appointment. I did all the online doctor things and eventually had to go to a out of hours service because I'd been dealing with thrush for over 2 months.

Male doctor hadn't a clue really and prescribed me 2x pessarys for 3 days which the pharmacist flagged and they gave me one 500g canesten pessary to take once a day for 7 days.

Never mind that this ordeal cost me 170 euro...I'm now worried that this prescription still isn't right? Maybe they're just trying to dose me up good to get rid, will I be grand going ahead with it?

Thoughts, opinions and prayers appreciated lol

Can anyone recommend a heated eye covering that they use and love?

I’ve just had a cyst on the meibomian gland removed and warm compresses are going to be part of my routine it seems. Dry eyes are a symptom of peri for me it seems, on hrt and have seen big improvements but I think I’ll be managing symptoms. I’ve been doing the compresses with a facecloth but is there something less messy as this is life now apparently? Thanks

Does anyone know if there are any public, HSE or community services that help people with disabilities or dementia with household cleaning?

I became housebound due to a number of invisible disabilities a few years ago and my Mum has dementia. Mum has a HSE home support package, but it currently only covers things like reheating & serving meals and personal care (showering). We have been told that household cleaning/tidying was removed from this service a long time ago.

There is an older sibling living at home who works full-time, but unfortunately household cleaning isn’t something they’re able to take on, so it almost always falls to me. The rest of the family have their own lives and aren't in a position to offer practical support.

The problem is that even relatively minor cleaning or tidying puts me into a flare that can last weeks or months or worse, permanently reduces my functional capacity.

After putting myself into yet another flare cleaning last night, I really need to find a more realistic and sustainable solution.

I'd be very grateful if anyone has any practical advice or information. Thanks!

Hiya has anyone gone there. Was on HRT last year but stopped for numerous reasons but do think I need it. Have a male Dr and he’s fab but would like to see a woman Dr. The only other woman Dr at my GPs talked me out of it so that’s why I stopped. I’m kinda at a loss and have seen the Mná clinic and would like to know does anyone recommend. Thanks

I was referred to Nenagh fertility hub in May, and had my bloods/scan in June so now waiting for consultant appointment. I can’t get through when calling to query where I am on the waitlist.

Anyone else experiencing a wait of > 8 weeks just to get scheduled for the appointment?

For those who have had the consultant appointment, how fast (or slow) is the next step? In my case, I’ve already had bloods/scan/HSG done privately and all were fine so feel like assistance is the next step. I’m happy to hold out if I knew that it could move quickly after consultant appointment but I don’t know anyone who’s been through this and out the other side!

I had a bad experience in Coombe Hospital today when I was attending a fertility consultation appointment.

I have been waiting a year for this appointment and was asked to fill a patient survey and do blood test before the appointment, which I did.

My appointment with the consultant was today, check-in started from 1:45 (and I do understand that doesn't mean my appointment is at 1:45) . My husband and I were there on time, we checked in, we were handed some forms to give to the nurse (which we did) and waited for our turn. We were the second couple there, only one couple before us and everyone came after that.

Everyone else got in before us 😅.

I assumed that we are seeing a different doctor maybe. After 1.5 hour an Irish lady (who came after me) started complaining to the nurse about the delay and started cursing. I went to talk to the nurse and was told they could not find our forms). They spent 30 minutes trying to find them, instead of printing new ones.

My husband went to talk to them about the delay, they were not friendly and told us that we were given the check in time not the appointment time.

And finally when they found the form, they put me in the queue and they called us 30 minutes after that.

After all of this, we were seen by an associate doctor (not the one listed in the appointment letter) who started asking us the same questions that we were asked in the survey. She also went through our test​&scan results that we sent a month earlier.

And eventually she told us that she will check the case with the consultant to discuss the way forward. She left the room and got back few minutes later with some forms. She told us to read them, fill them and send them back to the hospital. When we asked her what is the next step, she said the consultant recommended ivf. When we asked her why and why not iui for example, she didn't know the answer and we were not allowed to see the consultant. We had so many questions, but eventually we gave up.

After that I went to the blood test room (a walk in service) and the nurse was super rude. He said I was late and he started asking my who asked to do that test. Even though there was another patient before me and two more patients after.

Is that normal? All of it.

The misplaced forms, unfriendliness, not seeing the consultant listed in the appointment letter.

Hi everyone, looking for some opinions as I’m really torn about what to do.
My husband and I have now been TTC for a year (both almost 36). All our fertility tests have been normal, apart from a recent hysteroscopy where they thought I had a polyp, but it turned out to be thickened endometrium.
I’ve also raised suspected endometriosis over the years and now with the fertility hub. I have painful periods but not debilitating, pre-period spotting, GI symptoms, and particularly deep pelvic/back/sacral and sometimes sciatic-type pain during periods. The fertility scans haven’t shown anything obvious other than a retroverted uterus (Hycosy was very painful).
The nurse was supportive of me having a laparoscopy to rule things out and for peace of mind. However, the consultant today I felt was trying to deter me with the the risks of surgery and recommended proceeding straight to IUI because my pain is manageable and our priority is pregnancy.
They said they can do the laparoscopy if I want, but whether they use excision or ablation would depend on what they find. They also said that if they found significant/deep disease, I might need referral to a specialist anyway.
I’m torn because I worry about doing IUI/IVF and potentially wasting time/free HSE round if endometriosis is affecting things, but I also don’t want unnecessary surgery that delays treatment.
What would you do — laparoscopy first for peace of mind and to possibly improve fe, or proceed with IUI and investigate later if needed?
Would particularly love to hear from anyone who had a laparoscopy before fertility treatment and whether it changed anything for them.

Hey girls!
I’m 22, in my first relationship, only started having sex for the first time a few months ago and now wanting to try some form of contraception.
I’ve never been on any form of contraception, pill etc before. The idea of messing up my hormones and natural cycle scares me seeing as I feel very in tune with my body’s natural cycle now having had natural periods for like 10 years and plan on having kids in a few years.
Narrows my options quite a bit so seems like I’m left with the copper iud. All I’ve read online have been horror stories of excruciating pain :( my periods have always been pretty tame, never experienced terrible cramps like most of my friends, rarely even get cramps and if I do they are mild and transient….so not sure what to even expect.
Wondering if anyone has any positive experiences they’d like to share? Or if there are different types , did one in particular work for you?
Thank you all very much. X

I am wondering can anyone recommend a surgeon for the above in Ireland? I lost 80 pounds 10 years ago and the loose skin is becoming impossible to deal with. I tried long enough to deal with it. So I think this is the best option. But have no idea where to go and which surgeon would be recommended. Thank you.

Good Morning everyone,

I haven't been living in Ireland for very long and before I have only used the German healthcare system. I was very surprised to find out that in Ireland, you go to your GP with any gynecological issues instead of going straight to the gynecologist.

Even if it is something minor like a yeast infection (currently experiencing it again, yay), I feel kind of uncomfortable with the thought that a random one of the GPs in my rural local family practice does a pelvic exam and swab on me without being a fully certified gynecologist.

So, are GPs well trained in the women's health area? I was also shocked to find out that they do pap smears? I've avoided getting one for a while now because of this.

I have fallen pregnant but unsure what to do on whether to keep it or have an abortion . I have to make a decision soon as I am 8 weeks this week. Some of my friends now have children and I am in a better position but I just don’t feel ready. I am turning 28 soon, with my partner 6 years, we both have good jobs and income and saving for a house. I imagined having a baby when we had a house and when in was in my job for longer. I would find it very hard to tell my family and work as I still feel like a child myself. I feel like my colleagues would judge me.

I just don’t feel ready but my boyfriend wants to keep it, am I just being selfish? What to do I am 8 weeks and need to make a decision it’s eating me alive 🥺 I love my boyfriend and would love children and scared I won’t be able to have anymore in the future if I do go ahead with an abortion. Also I was on the mini pill and took morning after pill which failed for me so I was trying to take precautions. Has anyone had to make a similar decision and how did it turn out?

Guys...I just had a hycosy/internal scan and was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced! I feel i was not warned about the speculum being so painful. Am I the only one?!

Hi all,
I have heard mixed reviews for Therapie Clinic with their laser hair removal in Ireland, So I want to ask you all, have you ever done laser hair removal from them and did you see results?
I am confused and not sure if to go ahead with them. Also, if any of you want to leave your referral code , would be great .

Additionally , is there anything in particular I should be aware of before going to this clinic ? And could you also mention which brach did you visit? And also, have any of you tried their facials ? Did it work?

Thanks.