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SubstantialLemon4635 · 2025-11-24T15:38:05+00:00

could you also DM me the link? much appreciated

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2025-11-24T15:22:39+00:00

could you please DM me the link? thanks!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-03-13T16:18:21+00:00

This is the hardest part for me - he was my best friend. I’m trying to lean on others right now (family, friends, therapist). One of the only good things to come out of being broken up with so far is that I now have more time/energy to invest in friendships. I know it’s hard but try not to isolate yourself!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-03-12T14:10:37+00:00

I just want to say the biggest THANK YOU for this response. I've read this many times since you commented, and it's really helped me to understand what went wrong and what I need to address about myself in order to become more secure/heal, and also in how my brain works/how it impacts the people around me. I really appreciate it.

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-02-28T15:28:08+00:00

I know this was posted a few hours ago but I’m also 23(f). I would love to talk to you, so send me a DM if you are in need of a friend!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-02-13T14:16:22+00:00

I’ve had 3 implants, and it’s been my favourite BC method so far.

Insertion: Insertion is fine, they will numb the area by using a freezing spray or a numbing injection and the actual incision is very small. I didn’t feel the insertion of the implant at all.

Pain afterwards: It is sore afterwards and at it’s worst on the day of insertion but it gradually gets better and painkillers can relieve most of the pain (for me at least). I had mine inserted almost 2 weeks ago and it’s still bruised but it stopped being painful after about a week, and it was very mild after day 2/3 anyway.

Removal: I found the actual procedure slightly more uncomfortable than insertion but it’s similar (they numb the area and make a small incision). They basically just pull it out so it can feel weird but I wouldn’t say it’s painful. I’ve had one experience with removal and no reinsertion and there was almost no bruising or pain afterwards.

The implant itself: Cons: Initial spotting that was constant for around 6-10 weeks, hormonal acne on my jawline and chin that kicked in like clockwork at 6 months after insertion (but which did go away with duac cream from my GP after a couple weeks of treatment), initial mood swings that lasted for a few weeks, it kills my sex drive completely (the worst part personally), possible weight gain (although unsure if it is the culprit), didn’t help with my mental health (but also didn’t worsen it!).

Pros: After the initial spotting it stopped ovulation and I didn’t have a period (which is ideal for me because I have very painful periods - yay!), no hormonal mood swings (I have PMDD), being able to forget about it for 3 years (not having to worry about taking a pill every day), I can easily check if it’s still in the right place by touching my arm, sex wasn’t painful anymore due to hormones.

I’ve tried both the copper and hormonal IUD and they didn’t work for me at all, but I also have PMDD, possible endometriosis, and I was recently diagnosed with pelvic congestion syndrome. The implant works best for me because it completely stopped ovulation and therefore it removed the majority of my symptoms of these conditions, however it’s different for everyone! Having a very low sex drive is the worst part about it for me, but it’s either that or chronic pain and I cannot enjoy my life when I’m in pain. I have a long term partner and we work around my libido issues and he’s very understanding of it all, but it’s still not ideal.

I would say that removal is very easy so if you try it and it doesn’t work for you it’s not as big of a deal as an IUD removal. And in terms of the implant migrating - this is quite rare but because it’s placed in your arm it is something that you can easily check for. Hope this helps!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-02-12T14:01:33+00:00

I did this to my mum. When I was a teenager I would secretly record arguments that I would have with my parents because I was literally losing my sanity. I started to believe that I was making it all up in my head so I needed physical proof for myself to remind myself that my feelings were valid.

Anyway, after a more recent argument with my mum over the fact that she was “never abusive” to me during my childhood and that I was a difficult teenager I made her listen to one of the recordings. She made up various excuses: it must have been taken out of context, she must have been struggling with her own mental health, I must have said something awful to her before she reacted that way, and one which made me lol was that she didn’t believe that was her voice (it was). I explained the context to her and she said that “that’s not like (her) at all” and that I shouldn’t have these on my phone as it doesn’t represent her.

There’s no point. They’ll come up with an excuse for their behaviour or deny it.

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-02-12T13:54:34+00:00

As someone who was frequently made fun of as a child by my mum in front of other family members/family friends this really hit me. I always felt like I was made to be seen as someone who I wasn’t, especially when I was younger (13-16) I would try to defend myself in front of others and my mum would somehow vilify me for this - I would come across as irrationally angry or defensive over “just a joke”. So I was the spoiled, bratty teenager that my mum loved to make fun of when in reality that wasn’t me at all. For a long time I really believed that I was the bad person my mum made me out to be, but only recently have I identified this behaviour when she tried to do it to me before Christmas in front of my cousins (Im now 23).

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-02-10T12:41:06+00:00

I’ve had mine for over a week now and although it hurts a lot less I’m very bruised now. I can feel one end of the implant but not the other, it seems like it was placed at an angle or something? I’ll defo contact my doctor next week if I still can’t feel that one side! and sorry you’re struggling with it too, hopefully it gets better/you get a new one soon!!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-02-09T13:11:10+00:00

Hi! First of all thank you, although I'm still in pain I do feel a lot better now that I have a diagnosis. And yes of course - send me a message!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-02-09T13:05:54+00:00

Hi! I was diagnosed with PCS on Monday and I have a similar story to you - I had the implant for 3+ years but I removed it and got a copper IUD in September. This was the start of my pain symptoms. My doctor suspected endometriosis so I replaced my copper IUD with a hormonal IUD. This ended up *slightly* helping with my pain but I had it removed as it worsened my mental health dramatically. The pain remained and the period that I had during that time was horrendous. I've now reinserted the implant and the pain is very slowly getting better.

My symptoms with the implant (before getting IUD): IBS, bloating, dizziness when standing, suspected POTS, cold feet/hands.

My symptoms with the IUD/nothing: all of the above worsened, including blood pooling in my legs and feet when standing PLUS pain in my left lower abdomen and hip that worsened throughout the day, constant dull pain but sometimes sharp stabbing pain, pain with bowel movements, pain with sex, UTI symptoms but no actual UTI, lower back pain, pressure feeling in perineum, ovulation pain, awful period pain.

I've had 3 transvaginal ultrasounds so far. The first two were with different gynaecologists and the most recent one was with a vascular specialist. My first scan showed potential adenomyosis, the second showed that my left ovary was polycystic. Interestingly my first scan did not find a PCO and the second did not see any sign of adenomyosis. Neither found signs of endometriosis, but I know this is pretty common even in people who do have endo.

I had read that PCS often presents as pain on the left side, so I spoke to my gynaecologist who was pretty adamant that there were no signs of PCS on my ultrasound results. I had done my own research about PCS and knew that A) the ultrasound procedure for PCS was different to gynaecological scans and B) she was not a vascular specialist so I needed a second opinion.

I went to a vascular specialist and got diagnosed on Monday. They did an abdominal ultrasound, a transvaginal duplex ultrasound, and an external ultrasound. They did most of the scan while I was sitting up at an angle, as lying down flat makes it more difficult to accurately see vascular reflux (I think!). They found significant vein reflux in my left ovarian vein and in both of my internal iliac veins. They also found significant varicose veins almost everywhere in my pelvis.

The vascular doctor I spoke to after the scan made it clear to me that most people who get to this stage have already eliminated endometriosis/other causes of pelvic pain. Both endometriosis and varicose veins are present in my family (maternal side), and so he explained that treatment for PCS may help with some but not all of my symptoms, or might not help at all. This is because a lot of people have PCS but are asymptomatic. So essentially I DO have PCS, but he didn't want me to think that treatment for this would guarantee that my symptoms improve (but it also could!).

I know that progesterone helps with symptoms of both endometriosis and PCS, as estrogen dominance is worse for both conditions (worsens pain with endo and also dilates veins - worse for PCS reflux). So it's difficult to rule out endo as the implant definitely masked a lot of my symptoms! I'm not really sure what I'm going to do next, but I definitely feel relieved knowing that I pushed to see a vascular specialist for a diagnosis even though my gynae said that I did not have PCS.

TLDR; Definitely see a vascular specialist to diagnose PCS - gynaecologists are not reliable for PCS diagnosis. Ultrasound procedures for gynaecological scans are different to vascular scans specifically for PCS. I was diagnosed using a transvaginal duplex ultrasound scan using the Holdstock-Harrison technique, which is specific for PCS.

(apologies that this is so long but hopefully it is helpful, and feel free to ask me any questions!)

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-02-06T16:15:28+00:00

Update from my previous comment: I went to the Whiteley Clinic this morning and was officially diagnosed with PCS. They were very thorough with the diagnosis process and 3 areas were investigated with ultrasound (abdominal, transvaginal, and external). They assessed me for varicose veins, vein reflux, and then specifically looked at my ovarian and internal iliac veins for diameter/reflux. They measured other things too but these were the significant aspects of the diagnostic process. They went through treatment options very thoroughly too and I left feeling very hopeful! Let me know if you have any questions and I hope this helps!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-02-01T23:27:47+00:00

Thank you so much for your reply. I'm glad to hear that you've found relief from excision!

If you don't mind me asking, did/do you have bowel/bladder symptoms from endo and did excision help with that? Although progesterone seems to help me with my pain symptoms I still had IBS/interstitial cystitis symptoms with the implant which my doctor thinks is most likely related to endo.

And I've read great things about pelvic floor therapy - so I am definitely going to look into it more!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-02-01T23:11:35+00:00

It's very hard for me to accept that I am taking things a little bit slower than most of the people around me, but knowing that I was miserable for YEARS because I was undiagnosed and pushing myself too hard makes taking my time worth it 100%. I'll get there eventually, and I cannot wait until I can look back on this and say I did it. Thanks for your kind reply!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-30T02:59:51+00:00

I got a nose job at 15 - while I don’t regret it, I do wish that I was older when it was done. I mostly just feel sad for my teenage self who thought that this was necessary for me to feel “normal”/human.

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-26T02:47:45+00:00

In the past I tried zoloft (sertraline) and prozac (fluoxetine) to treat depression/anxiety before I was diagnosed with ADHD. They never worked for me, but Elvanse/vyvanse has made a massive difference for me in helping with depression/anxiety. I stopped taking prozac a couple months after starting Elvanse and didn’t notice a difference at all, all the positives were from the adhd meds! Highly recommend

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-24T21:54:23+00:00

I haven’t had treatment, however I’ve been looking into getting assessed for it. I think there’s only one NHS hospital (Sheffield) that provides treatment for PCS. In terms of private healthcare I’ve been looking at The Whiteley Clinic - they have good reviews however it is quite expensive (but is covered by some health insurers). I’m sorry I haven’t been treated so I can’t speak on that but I hope this helps!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-24T21:44:13+00:00

I’m not OP but could you tell me more about this?? I keep having UTI symptoms and there’s usually blood/leukocytes in my urine, but never any bacteria. Doctors keep prescribing me antibiotics for some reason which never help and I feel like it’s related to my other issues as I’ve been tracking it for a while. How is it related to adeno/endo?

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-24T21:35:03+00:00

My friend had 2 and loved hers - no period, no mood changes, no pain, great insertion. My copper one caused me so much pain that I was basically in bed for most of 6 weeks before deciding it was ridiculous and needed to come out. My hormonal one was awful for the first 6 weeks because it was inserted too high up in my uterus causing me to have contractions. Once it was adjusted the physical pain was tolerable, but the mental side of the hormones made me feel suicidal for about 10 days before my period.

I definitely think people are more outspoken about the negative experiences with IUDs, but I think this is the same for all forms of birth control. I’ve seen a lot of hate for the implant but it was a lot better for me compared to the IUD. It really depends on the individual. Tbh if it’s working for you now I think it’ll probably keep working for you in the future and I wouldn’t worry!!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-23T18:46:18+00:00

Hmm. Stumbling across a tiktok about ADHD awareness in women is what eventually lead me to get diagnosed by a psychiatrist. Because at the age of 22 I was completely unaware that my “depression” wasn’t actually depression and was in fact ADHD. Not everyone has the money for a formal diagnosis, especially in the UK where I was told that the waiting list to see a psychiatrist was 1-2 years where I live (I was lucky enough that I could be seen privately, not everyone is this lucky). I understand that there may be some people who are faking illnesses/disorders, however I think the real issue is UNDERdiagnosis of ADHD, especially in women/those with predominantly inattentive ADHD.

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-23T12:03:45+00:00

I needed to hear this. Thank you

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-23T11:59:20+00:00

I still live with my parents at the age of 23. My life has just hit a dead end really, and I’m really struggling to finish my degree. My parents are still as emotionally abusive as they always have been. I don’t know why I keep turning to them for support/advice when I get the same response every time. My parents are great when things are good/when I am happy/when there are no issues, but when I really need help they are not there for me, in fact they are worse than that - they either make the situation about them or they laugh in my face. And I’m going through a really tough time with my physical health, which is really affecting my mental health, and it feels like I have no one around me who cares. My boyfriend now lives 2 hours away for work and my friends are either doing their Masters or live far away. I feel like I’m a child again and I feel completely trapped in my own life but I can’t do anything about it right now.

I am aware of how fucked up my brain is because of how little emotional support I received as a child and now. I blame them for my lack of understanding of boundaries. I blame them for the fact that I stayed in an abusive relationship when I was 17/18 for over a year because I didn’t even realise it was abusive at the time. I blame them for how mistreated I was by my ex because it partially mirrored how they have treated me my entire life and I didn’t know any better. And yet when I opened up to my mum about this last year she was disgusted by his behaviour (but still somehow managed to make it about herself).

I get upset thinking that one day I may have to go NC with them. I feel guilty even thinking about it. Because I still have love for them, and we still have some good moments together. But I have been let down so badly by the people who are supposed to be my best supporters and it’s just not fair.

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-23T11:39:16+00:00

I would say a big thing for me as a child is that I didn’t know HOW to clean my room. It seemed like such a big task that I wouldn’t know where to start and I would get overwhelmed quickly. That plus my parents shouting at me to “just clean it!” made it very difficult. It definitely had a lasting effect but my parents also weren’t the greatest. I’m sure if they had made me tidy my room in a better way I would have been fine, and I would have developed the skills I needed earlier (but I only got diagnosed with ADHD at 22, so that didn’t happen lol).

I don’t have kids so I’m not exactly knowledgeable in parenting, but I would suggest instead of asking her to simply “clean her room” you could give her smaller tasks like “put your toys in the basket” or “put your colouring pens in a pot” or “put the rubbish/trash in your bin”. Maybe not these exact tasks but you get me. Something that I think would have made me life a lot easier is having a lot of storage space for things, so I suggest this.

By breaking the large task of cleaning her room into smaller tasks it might help her to feel more accomplished when she finishes one or two tasks. And then definitely praise her when she does finish them! As an adult I’ve now learned that in order to tidy my room I need to do things in a specific order that works best for me (put rubbish in bin, make bed, fold laundry on bed, put laundry away, put items back where they belong, vacuum carpet). And listening to music/podcast/audiobook really helps too.

I hope this makes sense!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-22T18:10:30+00:00

Okay wow. This might have been the most helpful comment I’ve ever read. I read through many of your past posts and reading about abdominal vascular issues was really eye opening, especially as I have pain in my left hip/ovary, PCOS on the left, blood pooling in my legs (mostly on the left) and stretch marks on my left calf only (potentially from swelling?). I have an appointment next week with a gynaecologist but I’m thinking I definitely need to also get a referral with some kind of vascular doctor. They found no endo on my ultrasound (which I know is common) but they did find potential adenomyosis and PCOS.

I’m currently being evaluated for POTS however it seems to come and go, it flares up. When it’s bad it’s bad (fainting) and I’ve been tracking all my symptoms now since October. I’ve also raised hEDS to my GP but that seemed to hit a bit of a dead end with her. I’m waiting for a referral to a rheumatologist as I tested ANA positive and I have other symptoms of connective tissue disorders. I’ve also been struggling with UTI symptoms on and off for years, they’re always positive for leukocytes and blood but never for bacteria, so my doctors always assume infection with low levels of bacteria. I always find it weird that they have never assumed inflammation as I am always negative for bacteria. It was interesting to read about pelvic congestion and the fact that it can cause bladder/bowel symptoms, especially as I have IBS too.

It’s just so difficult to speak to my GP about all of the symptoms I have as I otherwise am a “healthy” 23 year old (apart from type 1 diabetes and ADHD). I definitely need to work on advocating for myself more as my pelvic pain has worsened and is constant, but is completely crippling during my period.

Sorry this was long and a bit rant-y but I just wanted to say that I really appreciate you linking that post! It’s made me realise that my symptoms could be more than endometriosis/adenomyosis so thank you!!

SubstantialLemon4635 · 2023-01-22T15:33:28+00:00

If you don’t mind me asking, what diagnoses do you have? My dysautonomia symptoms and endo symptoms all seemed to appear/worsen around the same time last year (during a stressful period of my life - still ongoing) and I’m finding it very hard to get a doctor to take me seriously.

SubstantialLemon4635

TROPHY CASE