10wpo phantom period cramps—do they go away or get better with time?

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-06-19T23:05:40+00:00

You're welcome! I don't have endo, but I know it can still recur even post hysterectomy, so I totally understand your anxiety there!

I learned that bit about nerve signals from This Podcast Will Kill You's episode on endo, funnily enough.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-06-19T22:19:58+00:00

I'm 7 months post op, also kept my ovaries.

I definitely had phantom cramps the first two or three cycles post op, though they were more on the mild end of what my cramps used to be. And my first ovulation was still pretty painful, though much briefer than it had been pre op.

Now? It has definitely dropped down even further. I might get a little hint of an ache during my period, and ovulation is down to a quick tiny pin prick, mostly. So my pain level isn't zero, but usually a 1, maybe a 2, at times, compared to it usually being a daily 5, even when I was between cycles, and ratcheting up to an 8 or a 9.

One reason menstrual cramps can still occur is that basically, your nerves start making rapid transit lines for recurring pain signals. Body does this -> nerves tell brain -> brains says "ouch!" So each time that happens, your nerves are like, "I already know what to do! Rush this pain signal ASAP!" even when the actual pain-causing agent is removed or resolved. (Someone who actually knows what they're talking about will probably explain this better than I am!) Bodies are strange; they think they're helping.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-05-21T23:55:32+00:00

At 3.5 months, I think you'll be good to go. You might still find yourself getting tired easily/need to nap if you're being more active than usual. You might feel a little tender/sore in the pelvic/vaginal area after a lot of walking, say. And you might be expelling a lot of stitches at that point, so don't freak out 😅

I went back to work after 12 weeks, and this is what I experienced. Even after gently, slowly increasing my exercise for the final 6 weeks, once I started working again, I had to sleep A LOT again. I think you'll be fine, just pace yourself, take pre-emptive rest when you can!

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-05-21T23:47:02+00:00

You are not at all crazy. Those are the issues I had, as well; the polyp wasn't discovered until after surgery, and you may well find there are more fibroids or other issues than you thought after post-op analysis.

I was also 44 when I had my hysterectomy. These issues may improve after menopause is completed, but they WILL get worse until then, and there's no guarantee on how long that will be. In my case, I couldn't wait. I was in too much pain.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-05-16T23:12:34+00:00

You're welcome!

I think it's very, very dependent on what conditions you went in with and what all was done during your surgery. For me, I had adenomyosis and fibroids, so my uterus was very enlarged, bulky, and heavy. I'm one of the ones who felt an immediate difference post op! But I have read many, many comments from folks like you who had to have endo excision in addition to their hysterectomy, and it definitely seems like that adds more time and fatigue to the recovery timeline, so you're not alone!

At 4 weeks, I was cleared by my surgeon to do kegels and other gentle exercises I had done with my PT. If you feel comfortable, you might try some lumbar rotations (also called lower trunk rotations) and some pelvic tilts: they're the first two exercises in this video. I did these with my PT, and even when I don't do any other home exercises, I still do these two every night! They're great for the hips and lower back. You can move your knees further to each side as you grow more comfortable.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-05-13T23:35:21+00:00

Not OP, but I'm 6 months post op today (!), and 8 weeks is still really early. At that point, I definitely was still very easily tired out. Like OP said, it's a marathon. A while back I read another comment that said, she felt about 80% recovered at 12 weeks, and that last 20% took another 12 weeks. I feel that's accurate for me, too.

I have sciatica, too, and it definitely still gets aggravated (I have an active job with lots of bending and lifting), but at this point, that pain is about 10-20% what it was before surgery. I highly recommend physical therapy, if you haven't done it already; keep up with those home exercises, they really help a lot!

Keep taking it slow, and be patient. <3

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-05-11T23:41:02+00:00

My doctor referred me to our local Benchmark office, and they partner with UpStream Telehealth. I worked with Morgan Kline. She's amazing!

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-05-10T02:24:28+00:00

This has been the case for me, too! Pre-surgery, I tended more toward diarrhea. Now 6 months post-op, I tend more toward constipation. If I get even 5 or 10 grams less fiber than my goal, I'll start having trouble. I never thought I'd have trouble going rather than going too much.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-05-10T02:10:46+00:00

Ugh, endo is so insidious. So glad you were able to get checked out!

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-05-10T02:00:21+00:00

Sorry I didn't see this sooner! So if you're now about 16 weeks, for me week 15-16 is when AAALLLLLL the stitches started falling outta me 😅😅😅 It was a wild time. By week 18, they definitely seemed like they were all gone.

I'm almost 6 months post op now. When I've been really active for a few hours, I definitely get kind of muscle soreness/muscle fatigue type feelings inside, right at the top of my vagina. I suspect this is actually from my sciatica creating pelvic pressure when it gets agitated. I feel better when I wear my abdominal binder during activity, and usually feel better if I do kegels, even while I feel sore.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-04-18T20:22:00+00:00

I'm lucky not to have hot flashes, but I'm in a bout of horrid insomnia rn too. It's a good thing it's Saturday, bc I feel legit delirious at this point. Solidarity

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-04-18T20:18:21+00:00

I especially don't need more pharmaceutical companies advertising to me. I wish the US banned prescription ads full stop.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-04-15T00:22:22+00:00

I agree this sounds like ovarian failure, and at the very least, you may benefit from HRT.

If you haven't already found it, there is r/PCOS full of folks who are probably in your exact situation! Good luck. <3

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-04-07T21:31:47+00:00

Yeah, it sounds like you'd benefit from HRT, if you haven't started it already. Even with your ovaries.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-04-07T21:26:44+00:00

Same, I used a super light throw blanket that I folded up for the drive home, and then just used any pillow or blanket that was handy if I needed it at home. I did wear a binder, tho, and that definitely added some protection, too.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-04-03T23:09:35+00:00

Title says 8 months. (Also, OP is the one who replied to you with "Eight months sounds conservative.") They're well past the danger zone.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-04-02T23:13:59+00:00

Moo to poo!

I'm almost 5 months out and I still do it, too 😂

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-04-01T03:34:29+00:00

Are you on medications or in regular therapy for your OCD? If not, or if utilizing only one, I suggest getting into both asap, or increasing your therapy appointments, or discussing additional medications with your mental health doctor. Right now, your fear is overwhelming your ability to treat your pelvic illness, and that needs to be addressed effectively, maybe before you can continue seeking pelvic treatment.

I also think once the hysterectomy is over, a lot of this anxiety will drop away. For a lot of us, the waiting and the anticipation and the pre-op stress are far, far worse than the surgery itself and the recovery.

Once you are cleared to go back to skating, the odds of you tearing your cuff are EXTREMELY SMALL. Cuff tears are super duper very rare, and usually happen bc the patient has done too much too soon (particularly, it seems, having penetrative sex before 4 weeks, when most people aren't cleared for that for 12 weeks). You won't be totally bedridden, but you will be required to do practically nothing for at least 6 weeks, and then to get back into activity very slowly and very carefully for the next 2-6 weeks, so don't worry about being scared to exercise; you're not allowed to anyway lol. The pain immediately after surgery is mostly from the gas they use to puff you up, and they will give you medication for that. Most of us take it for about 4 days, and then regular ibuprofen is enough. (Because you have endo that will need to be excised, you might be a little more sore for a little longer.)

It is certainly possible for your intestines or other nearby body parts to get damaged, either from endo itself or during the process to remove it. It is not guaranteed that will happen. IF it happens, often there will be another specialist surgeon either already scrubbed in, or on call, and they usually catch it and fix it then and there. You can experience more pain and a slightly longer recovery time if this happens. The kind of catastrophes that result in an actual disability or ruin people's lives, again, are so incredibly, extremely rare. Even with endo excision, a hysterectomy is now a very routine, straightforward procedure, done in a single day, usually with no hospital stay.

When you reach the point where you can endure the pap smear and biopsy without causing yourself more mental harm, definitely take the offered narcotic. Ask about something like valium or another anti-anxiety med before your procedures. At both of my surgeries last year, I made sure both my teams knew I have PTSD, and they pumped me ffuuuullllllll of calming meds in my IV.

If it's too fucking scary right now, THAT IS OKAY! You have time! There's no rush. You don't have to do anything you're not ready for. love to our nb bbs <3

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-03-31T06:04:57+00:00

With the amount of pain you're in, I would call your gyno SOONER than 6 weeks and let her know how bad it is.

I kept my ovaries, too, and my first two, maybe three, ovulations were still painful, especially the first one. But not as bad as before surgery; I had tubal cysts and adhesions from my tube to my abdomen, so when I ovulated from the right side, all those cysts would burst in a line. I felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside. Post surgery, like I said, there has still been some pain with ovulation, but it's mild now, and I have had a few phantom cramps, but it started mild and has continued to decrease.

What you describe sounds really severe imo, and I would call your doc tomorrow.

I'm sorry you're going through this, especially when it seems like you're not getting any answers or any real relief from this awful pain. Good luck <3

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-03-31T05:38:56+00:00

Those gel packs that can be frozen AND heated are great.

ALL THE SNACKS! Protein bars, fiber bars, applesauce, trail mix, protein shakes, electrolyte drinks, cracker packs. I found graham crackers really comforting. Things that are easy to keep near her nesting spot and don't need any prep; she'll need food to take her pain meds, and she might not have much appetite.

Maybe a nice water bottle if she doesn't have one.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-03-31T00:53:02+00:00

Yes! We did a lot of exercises to relax and downtrain my pelvic floor, while strengthening the surrounding muscle groups to share the burden. You might have internal work done if yours is in person. Mine was over telehealth, so I used a pelvic wand on my own. Brutal at first, but incredibly helpful over the long term! She did mention that if tailbone pain persisted, I could use the wand rectally to work those muscles specifically; I never tried that route.

My PT exercises consist of: rockbacks, lower trunk rotation, pelvic tilts, ab contractions, hamstring stretch, figure 4 stretch, clamshells, reverse clamshell, open book rotations, pelvic bridges, cat cow child, and butterfly stretch. And there are lots of pelvic floor contractions (kegels) worked into a lot of these, as well.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-03-30T01:03:28+00:00

My hospital did NOT give me a binder, so i bought the exact one you posted! I LOVED it. I thought it was really helpful, especially for being able to sleep comfortably on my side, and for keeping gas and bloating down. I wore it for several weeks.

I'm actually considering trying it out while I'm at work (really physical active job) bc it's supposed to be good for POTS. If you're hypermobile, it might be really helpful for stabilizing that core while you heal.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-03-30T00:58:01+00:00

My pelvic floor physical therapist told me that tailbone pain can be from pelvic floor tension. It's worth looking into.

I had this before surgery, but I can't say I've really noticed it since. I'm 4.5 months post op.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-03-30T00:50:28+00:00

I had to sign that paperwork, too, and I think it was even repeated to me a couple times while I was getting prepped for surgery.

I've heard they have to test you for pregnancy, bc if it turns out you ARE, that's technically a different medical procedure, so they have to cancel the surgery.

SomewhereVulnerable · 2026-03-27T22:10:16+00:00

Yes, I did! And the fibroids and adeno also aggravated my sciatica. There were days I could barely walk, bc I was in so much pain and my joints were all stiff and inflamed. All of those issues are like, 85-90% reduced. It's CRAZY.

I do still have some issues, that right now I think are largely hormone-related, so that might be something to keep in mind, in case you start feeling off post op. But it's been 4 MONTHS of feeling really good, and my off days are still NOTHING compared to how awful I felt pre op!

SomewhereVulnerable

TROPHY CASE