A woman suffering from a common condition has highlighted three symptoms that are often overlooked – and if you’re experiencing them, it might be time to consult your GP. The TikTok user, known as Endo Tips or @justanothergirlwithendo, has shared “three symptoms of endometriosis that nobody seems to be talking about”, emphasising that these are frequently dismissed by doctors as something else.
She reveals that she suffers from endometriosis – a widespread condition where cells similar to those in the womb lining are found elsewhere in the body. These cells can grow and change in response to menstrual cycle hormones, leading to inflammation, pain, and scar tissue.
In her video, which has nearly 200k views, she says: “First of all, we’ve got chronic fatigue that literally feels as if your body is walking through quicksand. I’m not trying to exaggerate at all but it literally feels as if your body is being held down by a ton of bricks and you can’t move.”
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“One of the hardest things about endometriosis is trying to explain to somebody who doesn’t have it, how it feels being tired because you’re not tired your chronically fatigued.”
She added that many people will reply with how they also feel tired, however she stresses that it is not the same as, for example, not getting enough sleep, reports the Mirror.
She further explains that a less commonly known symptom is related to your stomach. “You’ve got digestive issues that are always misdiagnosed for IBS and digestive issues are literally going from constipation to diarrhoea to everything in between to then having painful bowel movements which is just not nice.”
She also mentions that endo – the term many people use to refer to the condition – can affect your diet and how you react to food and drink.
Many people can be “sensitive to food and you don’t really know what flares you up because everything is flaring you up and causing you to bloat.”
In her final symptom warning, she states: “If you’ve got bladder problems that feels like it’s a UTIs but it’s not a UTI. It’s literally endometriosis symptoms and these bladder problems are things like needing to pee all the time, burning sensations when you’re peeing – so it is really similar to a UTI but it’s not.”
Endometriosis UK identifies four different types of the condition, and it’s possible to have more than one type. The different types refer to the location, amount and depth of endometrial lesions.