Health & Lifestyle

I suffer from the same agonising womb condition as BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty – doctors dismissed me too and told me I ‘just need to get on with it’

A mother battling the same agonising womb disorder as Naga Munchetty has told how doctors also dismissed her plight — urging her just ‘to get on with it’.

Nikki Allford, 32, has adenomyosis, a little-known condition where the lining of the womb buries deep into the muscular wall of her uterus.

Yesterday BBC presenter Munchetty, who has suffered since the age of 15 but only diagnosed aged 47, told MPs how she was not taken seriously and urged to ‘suck it up’ for over three decades.

Her battle has left her, at times, screaming in agony and in pain so severe she would lose consciousness.

Ms Allford has suffered similar agony, describing her cramps as ‘so intense they feel like labour contractions’ and revealing she has to layer sanitary towels on top of each other to cope with her heavy bleeding.

Nikki Allford, 32, has adenomyosis, a little-known condition where the lining of the womb buries deep into the muscular wall of her uterus

Nikki Allford, 32, has adenomyosis, a little-known condition where the lining of the womb buries deep into the muscular wall of her uterus

The severity of the symptoms varies wildly but often include heavy periods that last for a long time and severe period pain. 

Other women can suffer from bloating and pain during sex.

Ms Allford, of Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, has been living with the disorder since her teens, although only got diagnosed five years ago.

Discussing her own adenomyosis battle, the IT worker said: ‘Since I was 19, I’ve been back and forth to doctors with symptoms and having surgery and being in constant pain.

‘Around 2010 I was going to the doctor’s literally twice every week. 

‘I had extreme haemorrhaging and would often collapse on the floor in pain.’

Ms Allford recalled being told by one doctor: ‘You just need to get on with it.’

Eventually Ms Allford underwent surgery as doctors feared she might have ovarian cancer — a disease that can cause similar symptoms.

After Ms Munchetty’s appearance in front of the Women and Equalities Committee, Ms Allford said: ‘It was great to see Naga reveal she too suffers from adenomyosis.

‘I hope it gets more people talking about it and leads to more doctors getting clued up on what it means.’

Ms Allford claimed many healthcare professionals have been completely unaware of the illness and others simply disregarded her.

She said: ‘I’ve been repeatedly told “do you mean endometriosis?”

‘After I told one woman who I saw for an appointment that I had adenomyosis, she told me I was pronouncing endometriosis incorrectly.

‘I don’t understand the reason behind why it’s not well known. There are millions of women suffering from this.’

Ms Allford has suffered similar agony, describing her cramps as 'so intense they feel like labour contractions' and revealing she has to layer sanitary towels on top of each other to cope with her heavy bleeding

Ms Allford has suffered similar agony, describing her cramps as ‘so intense they feel like labour contractions’ and revealing she has to layer sanitary towels on top of each other to cope with her heavy bleeding

Naga Munchetty first revealed she was suffering from the condition in May, telling her BBC Radio 5 Live show that her husband (pictured in April 2017) had been forced to call an ambulance after a flare up

Naga Munchetty first revealed she was suffering from the condition in May, telling her BBC Radio 5 Live show that her husband (pictured in April 2017) had been forced to call an ambulance after a flare up

In some cases surgery to remove the womb, a hysterectomy ¿ which Ms Munchetty said she is resisting to avoid early menopause ¿ is the only solution to adenomyosis, though this is not suitable for younger women who are hoping to conceive naturally

In some cases surgery to remove the womb, a hysterectomy – which Ms Munchetty said she is resisting to avoid early menopause – is the only solution to adenomyosis, though this is not suitable for younger women who are hoping to conceive naturally

Ms Munchetty, 48, yesterday told how doctors dismissed her symptoms, telling her that 'you’re normal' and 'everyone goes through this'

Ms Munchetty, 48, yesterday told how doctors dismissed her symptoms, telling her that ‘you’re normal’ and ‘everyone goes through this’ 

During one appointment, Ms Allford’s doctor said he had never heard of the illness before and began googling it on his computer while she sat and watched.

One way to get rid of the immense pain is to have a hysterectomy, which Ms Allford has requested time and time again. But doctors simply refuse, she claimed.

She said: ‘I begged a doctor to have a hysterectomy when I was 29.

‘But they say “what if you want to have more kids in the future?”‘

Ms Allford, who has three daughters, aged 13, eight and five, has been through seven miscarriages and does not want any more children.

She said: ‘I already have three wonderful children and I want to go and enjoy my life with them.’

Charities estimate around 10 per cent of women suffer from adenomyosis, which is similar to endometriosis and can remain undiagnosed for years.

It occurs where the lining of the womb — the endometrium — buries in the muscular wall of the uterus. The displaced tissue then continues to act normally — thickening, breaking down and bleeding — during each menstrual cycle.

Ms Allford says her symptoms peak around three weeks into her menstrual cycle.

She said: ‘You feel full all the time. You have this extreme bloating that is so intense it makes you look pregnant.

‘I’ve been asked before when I’m expecting, when actually I’m just having a flare up.

‘When I get period cramps, they are so intense they feel like labour contractions.

‘And the bleeding is so heavy, I have to layer sanitary towels on top of each other and I get golf ball-sized clots.’

It's not known exactly why adenomyosis happens. But the NHS notes it is 'likely' that women with adenomyosis 'have a predisposition due to their genes, immune system and hormones'

It’s not known exactly why adenomyosis happens. But the NHS notes it is ‘likely’ that women with adenomyosis ‘have a predisposition due to their genes, immune system and hormones’

Ms Munchetty addressed the Women and Equalities Committee alongside broadcaster and ex-reality TV star Vicky Pattison, who shared her own experience of premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Ms Munchetty addressed the Women and Equalities Committee alongside broadcaster and ex-reality TV star Vicky Pattison, who shared her own experience of premenstrual dysphoric disorder 

Vicky Pattison also said she was made to feel 'stupid and ashamed' and 'even more invalidated' by doctors when she visited them in pain. Her symptoms, including 'crippling anxiety', insomnia and fatigue were dismissed as pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) by medics up and down the country, she claimed. Ms Pattison is pictured with her partner Ercan Ramadan last month

Vicky Pattison also said she was made to feel ‘stupid and ashamed’ and ‘even more invalidated’ by doctors when she visited them in pain. Her symptoms, including ‘crippling anxiety’, insomnia and fatigue were dismissed as pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) by medics up and down the country, she claimed. Ms Pattison is pictured with her partner Ercan Ramadan last month

Ms Allford has set up her own support page for other women also suffering from the poorly-understood illness.

She said: ‘I cry every day about it, but I think people are becoming more aware of it.’

Ms Munchetty yesterday told how doctors dismissed her symptoms, telling her that ‘you’re normal’ and ‘everyone goes through this’.

This was ‘especially’ prevalent in ‘male doctors who’ve never experienced a period and then by female doctors who hadn’t experienced period pain’, she said. 

Ms Munchetty first revealed she was suffering from the condition in May, telling her BBC Radio 5 Live show that her husband had been forced to call an ambulance after a flare up. She told how she screamed non-stop for 45 minutes.

Ms Munchetty, 48, also revealed she is resisting a hysterectomy to avoid triggering an early menopause.

She appeared alongside fellow TV star Vicky Pattison in an eye-opening discussion with MPs about women’s health issue. 

The ex-Geordie Shore star told how she was made to feel ‘stupid and ashamed’ amid her own battle with pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

What are the warning signs of adenomyosis and how does it differ to endometriosis? 

Common symptoms include heavy, painful or irregular periods, pre-menstrual pelvic pain and feelings of heaviness or discomfort in the pelvis. 

Less frequent symptoms can also involve pain during sexual intercourse. 

Consultant gynaecologist Liza Ball noted that this pain after sex ‘can last for hours or even a day’. 

Other symptoms could include pain related to bowel movements. 

In endometriosis, the rogue tissue invades areas outside of the uterus. 

While the extent of the growth varies from patient to patient, it can affect areas such as the bladder, bowel, ovaries, and even the lungs. 

Adenomyosis, on the other hand, causes the rogue tissue to bury inside the muscular wall of the uterus.

It is however possible to suffer from both conditions at the same time.


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