What are the symptoms of adenomyosis?

Adenomyosis typically causes very painful periods, that also tend to be quite heavy. It can also cause pain leading up to your period and generally throughout the month, as well as during sex and when you go to the toilet to pass urine or open your bowels. Some people report bloating and a feeling of ‘fullness’, which can be mistaken for IBS.

Adeno can also cause anaemia due to the excess bleeding. This might cause you to feel very tired and short of breath with sometimes just minimal exertion, and it might even give you heart palpitations. Anaemia can be diagnosed with a blood test.

Adenomyosis itself must be diagnosed on a scan, usually an ultrasound, where the sonographer may describe a classical ‘venetian blind’ appearance. It is however estimated that about one-third of women with adenomyosis don’t actually have any symptoms, so if it does happen to be found on a scan and you’re not having troublesome periods, then it isn’t necessarily a glimpse into a crystal ball of doom for the future.

Ask Gynae Geek: your most Googled questions about adenomyosis, answered