TV star Naga Munchetty revealed she has a womb condition and that her health was dismissed by medics for three decades.
The health condition, named adenomyosis, was so bad that Naga would be screaming in agony, lose consciousness, bleed through clothes, and feel paranoid.
The 48-year-old BBC Breakfast presenter appeared in front of the Women and Equalities Committee yesterday (October 18). She opened up about the symptoms she has been dealing with since she was 15 alongside former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison.
Naga was told these symptoms were ‘normal’
In order to cope with her symptoms, Naga revealed she “dosed up” on painkillers. She admitted she was sometimes taking more painkillers than recommended.
After years of pain and not knowing what was wrong, Naga finally got the answers when she chose to go private.
Revealing that she started her period at 15, Naga said they would last 11 or 12 days. “Eight or nine of them were very heavy. I’d throw up on the first day, pass out once or twice during the cycle. I’d be wrapped around a toilet,” she explained.
Despite the ongoing struggle, she pushed through and went to school and work. When Naga would visit her doctor, she was told her symptoms “are normal”. They also said she should “suck it up” and that she’s “normal” and “everyone goes through this”.
“For work, I wouldn’t sleep because I’d set an alarm at 2am to change the towel and super heavy tampon. It made relationships difficult, I’ve have had very understanding partners,” Naga continued.
At school, she was “worried about bleeding through my uniform”. To avoid this, Naga “wore shorts and two pairs of tights”.
“I never said anything to my employers, I would be dosed up on painkillers. Sometimes still am. You learn to take two paracetamol then two Nurofen. I tend to exceed what you should take,” she added.
It wouldn’t be until Naga turned 47 that she would be diagnosed with adenomyosis.
‘I screamed non-stop for 45 minutes’
The condition still appears to be affecting Naga in a big way as she revealed earlier this year in May that her husband was forced to call an ambulance after a flare-up.
“The pain was so terrible I couldn’t move, turn over, sit up,” she told listeners during her BBC Radio 5 Live show, adding: “I screamed non-stop for 45 minutes.
“It happened again in the middle of the night and we had to call an ambulance because I couldn’t be moved.”
According to the NHS website, adenomyosis is more commonly diagnosed in women over the age of 30. However, it can also affect women who are younger. Many discover they have adenmyosis at routine screenings.
Treatment options may include hormonal contraceptives, painkillers, and anti-inflammatories.
In some cases, a hysterectomy – where they remove the womb – is the solution. Naga said she is resisting to avoid early menopause.
Read more: Naga Munchetty fans send their support as she shares hospital bed snap
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