"Experience with the Pelvic Pain Clinic"

I am a young adult patient with multiple complex comorbid conditions, including hEDS, POTS, MCAS, and endometriosis. These significantly complicate my care needs. I have consulted with several registrars at the clinic, which promotes itself as a holistic pain management service. However, the only treatment option consistently offered to me has been contraceptive pills.

This recommendation persists despite my documented history of trialling over eight different contraceptive pills, all of which caused severe side effects. These included worsening my POTS to the point of frequent presyncope upon standing, where my vision goes black. I remind clinicians of this history at every visit, yet I continue to leave with frustration, disappointment, and another prescription for contraceptives “in case I change my mind.”

The lack of alternative options is deeply concerning to me and I feel it undermines the clinic’s claim of holistic care. At present, the approach feels indistinguishable from a standard gynecology clinic, which is not what I sought when attending a pain-focused service.