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What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis Symptoms

While symptoms vary a great deal from woman to woman, the classic symptoms of endometriosis are pelvic pain, abnormal menses, and infertility. A woman with advanced endometriosis may experience no symptomatology and be unaware she has it, whereas another with minimal endometriosis may experience debilitating pelvic pain and cramps almost continuously. Most women with endometriosis fall somewhere in-between these extremes. Endometriosis most commonly occurs between the uterus and the rectum, in the area known as the cul-de-sac of Douglas, where its presence can cause painful intercourse, rectal pressure, and pain with bowel movements, especially before a period. Many endometriosis patients are fertile women whose main problem is pain. Approximately 40-50 percent of women who undergo laparoscopy to determine the cause of their problems with infertility are found to have endometriosis. Endometriosis does not cause infertility, but is felt to be a contributing factor. Whatever is causing the endometriosis symptoms may also be responsible for the infertility, but one does not cause the other.

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Energy Medicine

Endometriosis is sometimes associated with infertility and pelvic pain, though not always. As fibroids and endometriosis are often present in the same individual, much of the information concerning fibroids pertains to endometriosis, as well. Like fibroids, endometriosis is related to diet and blocked pelvic energy. It is an illness of competition that comes about when a woman's emotional needs are competing with her functioning in the outside world. One Jungian analyst referred to endometriosis as "a blood sacrifice to the Goddess." It is our bodies' effort to recall us to our feminine nature, our need for self-nurturance, and our connection with other women. A society that did not require a mental - emotional split between business and personal environments would serve to protect against this disease, but this could be a long time coming. In the meantime, each woman can work toward healing herself, starting by understanding and listening to her body and its messages.


Endometriosis Treatment Options

Women with endometriosis do best with a comprehensive treatment program that fully supports their immune systems while they remain open to finding out what they need to change about their lives.

Dietary and Lifestyle Modifications

A whole foods, eicosanoid-balancing diet can provide dramatic relief from symptoms of endometriosis. This can be supplemented with a good source of essential fatty acids and a multivitamin-mineral supplement rich in B complex, zinc, selenium, vitamin E, and magnesium. Regular application of castor oil packs to the lower abdomen, a course of acupuncture and Chinese herbs, regular total body massage, and the use of bioidentical progesterone can all help bring about marked improvement in symptoms. Many women have had remarkable pain relief from simply stopping consumption of dairy foods.

High-dose soy: Consumption of a diet rich in phytohormones, such as those found in soy foods, helps endometriosis by blocking estrogen receptors from excess stimulation.

Hormonal Options

The most common treatment for endometriosis is hormonal therapy, in the form of oral contraceptives, synthetic progestins, danazol (Danocrine), or the GnRH agonists (gonadotropin-releasing hormones), such as Lupron or Synarel. Danazol and GnRH agonists can be helpful in shrinking endometriosis prior to surgical removal. These drugs act on the pituitary gland to make a woman temporarily menopausal, thereby allowing the endometriosis to regress by stopping its cyclic hormonal stimulation. The problem with these approaches is that they don't cure the disease; they simply shut down its hormonal stimulation for a while. Moreover, the side effects of these treatments are ill-tolerated by many women, they cannot be used indefinitely, and they can be prohibitively expensive. Nonetheless, some women badly need these hormonal treatments as a respite from pain, even though the pain often recurs once the drug is discontinued.

Bioidentical progesterone often works very well to relieve endometriosis symptoms and is my first line of treatment following dietary improvement. It is free from side effects and is very well tolerated.

Surgical Options

Many women with severe endometriosis, having tried hormones and pain medication for years, end up having complete hysterectomies, including removal of their ovaries. Though this can be the best choice in some cases, there are s to this aggressive surgical approach. More and more gynecologists are being trained in conservative pelviscopic surgery that removes only the endometriosis and preserves the pelvic organs. If you intend to undergo surgery for endometrial pain, be sure to find someone who is skilled in this form of treatment.

Anything that improves immune system functioning and increases the flow of energy in the body is apt to help endometriosis. Ask yourself to honestly define your emotional needs; what you can envision in your job or your life that would nourish you fully; whether you are caught up in competition of any sort in your life; and whether you believe you have the power or will to make the changes necessary in your life. Trust in the process and know you will learn something, whatever option you choose.

Some other simplest steps are:

  • Change your diet to minimize xenoestrogen exposure. As much as you can, eliminate non-organic dairy products, beef and chicken. (Note that because organic foods contain no growth hormones, there's no reason to limit their consumption.)
  • Increase nutrient-rich foods - especially cruciferous vegetables, soy, cold water fish and fiber - that support hormonal balance and help clear excess estrogen from the body.
  • Decrease body fat to reduce endogenous estrogen production (body fat is a secondary production site for estrogen).
  • Follow a lower-carbohydrate diet to support healthy insulin metabolism and thereby support overall hormonal balance.
  • Supplement with vitamins and minerals to make up for what is lacking in your daily food intake, including calcium and magnesium.
  • Supplement with natural progesterone to offset estrogen dominance.
  • Supplement with Omega 3 essential fatty acids as a natural anti-inflammatory.
  • Don't microwave food in plastic wrap or containers, and try to minimize the use of plastics for food storage.
  • If you have endometriosis, add accupunture or physical therapy with pelvic massage to the above. Castor oil packs can help to  reduce pain and inflammation.

This information is just a guideline. Please contact your doctor or naturopath for a proper diagnoses and treatment plan. For more information you can check some of these website sites.

http://www.drnorthrup.com/womens-health.php  Dr Christina Northrup

Dr. Cook's Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain page =  http://www.drcook.com/ great pictures and info
Dr. Andrew Cook 

http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/health_news/220704endometriosis.html Women who eat a diet high in red meat may be at increased risk of endometriosis, a new study has found. The study, published in the August 2004 issue of Human Reproduction also showed that eating a diet high in fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of the condition.

Prevention and the natural approach to relief http://www.womentowomen.com/LIBendometriosis.asp

http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/8509/endokit.html Endo support group & info site

Adenomyosis - Endometriosis within the muscle wall of the uterus. Symptoms are similar to endometriosis. http://www.drcook.com/

Recommend the books and resources below:

"Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom"
Northrup

"Endometriosis: Healing Through Nutrition"
by Dian Shepperson Mills, Michael Vernon

"Explaining Endometriosis"
by Lorraine Henderson, Ros Wood

"Natural Treatment of Fibroid Tumors and Endometriosis"
by Susan M., MD Lark, Phyllis Herman (Editor)

Endometriosis Research Center: www.endocenter.org

Clear Passage Therapies: www.clearpassage.com