Conventional Medicine -vs- Natural Remedies for Endo?

Hi guys,


So by now you all know I am constantly on the lookout for a natural remedy to ease my pain and symptoms of Endo. I constantly come up against people who only believe in one or the other types of medicine I.E. Herbal/Natural versus Conventional.

I don't think one out ways the other and each Woman will find out what suits them best. I have yet to find a complete "treatment" that works for myself but it does not stop me from continuing on in my quest.

You are all probably familiar with the conventional treatments and may have undergone some of these but I'm going to just do a short list to refresh everyone's minds about the treatments that are commonly suggested by your OBGYN or G.P

• The use of Iboprofen, Naproxen, and other antiprostaglandins or NSAID's that are available on prescription to decrease pain and inflammation when needed. 
  
  
  
  
  
• Medical/hormonal management with contraceptive methods such as birth control pills/ OCP's,  patch or ring, Mirena coil, or Depo-Provera injections, which have synthetic progestins that can help block the stimulation of Endometriosis implants. Hormonal treatments such as Danazol or Lupron temporarily stop menstruation, block oestrogen and shrink implants.
  
  Injection
  
  Mirena Coil/IUD
   
• In severe/extreme cases of Endo surgery may be a more suitable option, or your only one depending on the circumstances. There generally are three options here;
• Surgical removal or lasering of the tissue implants, Endometrial ablation* and total or partial hysterectomy. 

*Endometrial ablation ~ Endometrial ablation is a procedure that destroys (ablates) the uterine lining, or endometrium. This procedure is used to treat dysfunctional or abnormal uterine bleeding. Sometimes a lighted viewing instrument (hysteroscope) is used to see inside the uterus. Endometrial ablation can be done by:

• Laser beam (laser thermal ablation).
• Heat (thermal ablation), using:
  • Radiofrequency.
  • A balloon filled with saline solution that has been heated to 85�C (185�F)(thermal balloon ablation).
  • Normal saline (heated free fluid).
• Electricity, using a resectoscope with a loop or rolling ball electrode.
• Freezing.
• Microwave.

The endometrium heals by scarring, which usually reduces or prevents uterine bleeding.

(Brought to you by Web MD) 

Now for some Natural Remedies

Many people suggest a herbal tea up to five times a day for period pain. I remember year's ago a member of my family suggesting Nettle tea. I got this in a health store. It was Blackberry and Nettle infused (similar to the above) and tasted quite bitter. I didn't find it completely cleared me of pain but instead seemed to make the pain a little more bearable.

It's effectiveness varies by each case but it's not harmful, has no side effects and is natural so if you're looking for something different you can give this and those I'm about to list a go. 

One of the remedies sweeping the Country at the moment is Caster Oil Packs. 

Castor Oil Therapy involves the use of warmed caster oil on a cloth, placed over the abdomen or pelvic area to stimulate blood flow to the area. This natural method has been used to treat many disorders including gynaecological problems related to infertility like Endo, fibroids, PCOS (polycystic ovarian sydrome) etc. 

Castor Oil Therapy is also reported to break down scar tissue and adhesions. It has this effect by loosening up masses and drawing out toxins as deep as 8cm. (Revised from http://www.natural-health-for-fertility.com/castor-oil-therapy.html)

Some women have found acupuncture (above) and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) to be very effective in the treatment of their Endo and many have found relief using these techniques. 

Other women find that Aromatherapy helps relieve their symptoms. Oils such as Sage, Cyrpess, Fennel, Bergamot and Geranium have proved effective for some with Endo.

As always, remember there is as yet no cure for Endo but many treatments both conventional and natural. 

Finding what suits you best is your goal not what others tell you works for them.

Stay strong my Endo Sisters.

Project: Endo Part 1

Hi guys!

OK so you've gone to your G.P and swish your diagnosed. Right? Not necessarily.

For me,  it took years to actually get my G.P to listen. He kept saying that just because my Mother had Endo didn't mean I would have it and blamed my symptoms on "just a heavy period". He then suggested an OCP (Oral Contraceptive Pill) to reduce the bleeding amount and also time. In other words he was hoping it would regulate and lighten my period. However, the first one had no effect and within a month he had increased the dose and changed the brand. Again, gave this new pill time but with no effect and the same thing happened. Dose got upped and brand was changed. All in all, I tried four types. None worked for me to ease my pain or bleeding. They didn't even lighten my period in the slightest. We even tried running the pill (not taking a break) but I still had heavy bleeding.

{Now, I have inherited high BP (Blood Pressure) from my Fraternal Grandmother and from a very young age (around seven or eight) I was brought to the children's hospital for a week for tests on my kidney's to see if the BP was affecting those organs. I was closely monitored and allowed home without medication.}

However, one of the side effects of the OCP's for me was that my BP would sky rocket, my legs would cramp so badly I had to have them elevated almost constantly and my migraines which I suffered as a child came back at full strength. So back to the G.P with me. He then took me off the OCP saying that it obviously wasn't agreeing with me.

That was fine, the B.P came down but I was still stuck looking for answers to this condition. I literally badgered him for months, over a period of almost 18 months asking could he run some tests on me that I knew this wasn't right. The way I was feeling, the pain, bleeding e.t.c. You guys all know what I'm talking about here. Having to constantly cancel my friends because I couldn't move with the pain I was in. Not knowing what was wrong with me, even thinking "Is there something wrong with me?"

I honestly began to wonder if this was just something I had to live with for the rest of my life. My break came when, once again I was up visiting my G.P but today was different, my regular G.P was out sick and there was a lovely gentleman standing in for him for the week. I went about explaining how I was suffering, the med's I'd been put on, the level of painkillers I was on and so on. I had been keeping a diary for over two years of my cycles so I had all this to show the interim G.P. He decided that this had been going on long enough, that I had a very strong family history of Endo and that in his opinion I should be referred to an OBGYN to assess whether or not I had Endometriosis once and for all.

Finally I thought! Something is going to be done about this. Even if I don't have Endo, there is something not quite right going on in my body.

So, I get a letter from the top consultant in Ireland. I am now under his team and they are going to investigate into my symptoms. I had my first appointment with them, went through my diary, symptoms and history and was sent for an Ulstrasound which revealed an Ovarian Cyst that measured 2.8 cm x 3.5 cm.

My pain med's were increased, the OCP was discussed again and I explained I had tried that route so they said they would do a repeat scan in three months. I went away not having any real answers but wondering how they were going about treating this cyst now and if that could be causing all of my pain.

Three months later I arrive for my scan. The cyst is now 6cm x 6.9cm. It has pretty much doubled in size so I was sent straight down to speak to my consultant. He whipped the surgical appointment book out and booked me in for a Laparoscopy to remove the cyst and investigate. He also said there was a possibility they would have to make a large incision to remove the cyst so I should prepare myself.

I've now gone from thinking that I might need medication to treat the cyst to a key hole surgery. I was scared, no doubt but I wanted that cyst out of my body.
Around six weeks later, I arrived in the hospital. It was 7:30 a.m. and my nerves were gone. I had never had a surgery before, I was 18 and scared.

So I went through the pre op routine, blood tests, urine sample, B.P check e.t.c
Into the OR and out! I wake up in unbelievable pain and immediately vomit. I was kept in recovery for over two hours before being brought back to the ward. I had not reacted well to the anaesthetic and was quite sick with it. I felt like they had cut me wide open. I had asked a nurse in the recovery ward if they had gotten the cyst out. She told me my Doctor would explain everything to me.

I remember my consultant coming into me with his second in command and explaining that the surgery had gone well but they needed to talk to me the following day when I was more recovered. I was still very groggy and zoned out. What I didn't know at the time was that he was explaining to my Mum that they had put the scopes in and "looked around" but what they had seen inside me was not what they were prepared for. Yes the cyst was there, but it was Endometrial tissue. My womb was completely covered with Endo. It had stuck to my ovaries meaning that they couldn't move at all.

They had to removed the adhesions and "rotate" the ovaries. The Doctor's tried laser surgery (laparotomy) on the Endo but discovered it was too extensive to burn through so they had closed me up. My Mum was even shown the Polaroid pictures they had taken during surgery and she was in shock. As she said she was "shown her Daughter's insides".

I had a pretty bad night that night being very ill and in shock from the surgery but little did I know the above was about to be told to me the following morning. I remember feeling numb, I was listening to the Doctor but I couldn't make it fit. I wanted to know how a cyst had turned out to be full blown Endo stage IV to be exact. (The above picture shows Stage I,II, III and IV in order) I couldn't comprehend how nothing had shown up on the scan's I'd had. Later I was told that Endometrial tissue cannot always be seen by an Ultrasound.

It was this day that I was told the amount of damage to my womb meant the possibilty of me being able to conceive let alone carry a baby to full term would be slim to none. I was told at eighteen that more than likely 95% in fact that I should rule out having children.

This was a lot for me to take in. I had gone in the previous morning to have a cyst removed and now I'm being told I won't have children. What? How did this happen?

I was overloaded by this information and it wasn't until months later I realised that I had been diagnosed with my fear, what my Mum had been so convinced I was suffering from, what my G.P had refused to send me for a test for, what even the scan's hadn't shown.

That day I had been diagnosed but I had been suffering from Endo all these years and not known.

I found it so hard to comprehend. But now had to focus on my treatment options. The fight was about to begin.

Ignoring it won't make it go away.

Hi guys,

So I've had a lot of people over the years tell me that they had recognised the symptoms of Endo but honestly thought it would just "go away" on it's own if they ignored it. That somehow their brain would convince the body they weren't ill, that the growths would fade away as if they'd never been. Mainly that the PAIN would just magically disappear.

The amount of women I've heard of that didn't realise there was anything wrong with them until they tried to conceive (TTC) and thought over the years that they had to suffer through the pain. That this was even normal for them.

Well it's not! Endo signs and symptoms should not be ignored. I am living proof that it can be genetic, it's run through three generations of my family that we know of. It could go back even further. But as women used to have larger families there is a body of thought that these continuous phases of pregnancies actually prevented the Endometriosis from growing. I'm not saying it's fact just something I've come across and in fact several Doctors have advised pregnancy as a treatment to me since the age of eighteen right up until now.

I think it's time to reiterate the signs and symptoms that should not and can not be ignored. For the sake of your quality of life, get checked out as soon as you think there might be something amiss. Better to see your G.P and go through your symptoms even if they turn out to be mild or not Endo rather than face years of pain and suffering only to find out you could have tried treatments sooner. Not there is no "cure" for Endo only treatments and each woman will vary in what works for them. Some women unfortunately may never find a treatment that suits and can end up having a hysterectomy like my Mum to rid herself of the pain or be on medication until Menopause kicks in and their symptoms ease with this "change".

Again some women will never find themselves in a pain free situation but will learn to live with the pain, surgeries, side effects of treatments and so on.

What I am telling you is, DO NOT IGNORE these signs.

Although there is no cure, again there is a body of thought that dictates earlier detection results in managing Endo a lot better than someone suffering for years and years allowing the growths, cysts and even fibroids to grow and grow and grow. There a groups such as Juneau Biosciences who are trying to identify a gene that could be responsible for women "activating" their Endo. All they ask for is a saliva sample and a record of your diagnosis, surgeries and blood work. You will find their link to the right.

They are trying to create a test, for young girls to detect Endo early and hopefully get them on a treatment plan before the effects kick in.

So the signs you are not to push away and say "oh I'll have that checked tomorrow" are;

• Painful periods (dysmenorrhea). Pelvic pain and cramping may begin before and extend several days into your period and may include lower back and abdominal pain.
• Pain with intercourse. Pain during or after sex is common with Endometriosis.
• Pain with bowel movements or urination. You're most likely to experience these symptoms during your period.
• Excessive bleeding. You may experience occasional heavy periods (menorrhagia) or bleeding between periods (menometrorrhagia).
• Infertility. Endometriosis is first diagnosed in some women who are seeking treatment for infertility.
• Other symptoms. You may also experience fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating or nausea, especially during menstrual periods

The severity of your pain isn't necessarily a reliable indicator of the extent of the condition. Some women with mild Endometriosis have extensive pain, while others with advanced Endometriosis may have little pain or even no pain at all.

Endometriosis is sometimes mistaken for other conditions that can cause pelvic pain, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or ovarian cysts. It may be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that causes bouts of diarrhea, constipation and abdominal cramping. IBS can accompany Endometriosis, which can complicate the diagnosis.

When to see a doctor

See your doctor if you have signs and symptoms that may indicate Endometriosis. The cause of chronic or severe pelvic pain may be difficult to pinpoint. But discovering the problem early may help you avoid unnecessary complications and pain.

(This information has been brought to you by the Mayo Clinic)

As always, love to all of my Endo Sisters. Stay strong. 

Trying group therapy

Hi guys,

So yesterday I attended my very first group therapy session. I admit I was extremely nervous waiting around to leave the house for it but honestly the scariest part for me was the actual getting there.

All of these random thoughts running through my mind about what the place would be like, the other people attending and would it be like one of those soap opera type "group sessions" where we all have to stand up and say why we are here. But no, in reality it was much calmer and a lot easier to get into.

The session lasted an hour once we got going, one lady couldn't find the place and arrived twenty minutes after we were supposed to start but it was her lucky day, in the sense that we got started almost forty minutes late. There were six of us, all female in the group this week and we were not pressured to talk but just listened to the moderator explain what to expect in the coming weeks, the "course" is eight weeks long.

So our first two weeks are going to be focused on "Mindfulness therapy". This apparently is sweeping across the Country and sounds kind of funny at first but when you really look at it, it's just basically helping us to live in the present moment and not be thinking about the past or the future.

I'm hoping this course will help me learn some coping tips for the anxiety I am suffering and in turn help me to combat the stresses of daily life.

I think whether or nor you are an Endo sufferer in particular you can benefit from this kind of thinking.
Anyway, it's just a quick post to let you know how I'm doing.

Stay strong my Endo Sisters,
Much love.